History of Topps in Timeline

The Topps Company, Inc. is an American manufacturer of trading cards and collectibles. They are most famous for producing baseball and other sports-themed trading cards, as well as non-sports themed cards. Topps also produces cards under the Allen & Ginter and Bowman brand names.

1909: American Tobacco Company released T206 set

The American Tobacco Company originally released the T206 set in 1909-1911.

1923: Trading cards for 24 Hours of Le Mans Motorsport event featured artwork from original race posters from 1923

In January 2023, Topps released both physical and digital trading cards for their latest partner, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Motorsport event. The release is set for February 2023 and will feature art work from original race posters from 1923

1938: Topps Founded

In 1938, four Shorin brothers, Abram, Ira, Philip, and Joseph, founded Topps. They relaunched American Leaf as Topps, aiming to be "tops" in the chewing gum industry.

1947: Sy Berger Joined Topps

In 1947, Sy Berger began his 50-year employment at Topps, eventually becoming the face of Topps to Major League Baseball players.

1947: Topps Incorporated

In 1947, Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. incorporated under New York law.

1947: Bazooka Bubble Gum Introduced

In 1947, Topps introduced Bazooka bubble gum, a bar of gum sold for five cents in patriotic red, white, and blue packaging.

July 1950: Topps becomes active via Players Enterprises

In July 1950, Topps became active in obtaining rights to depict players on merchandise through an agent called Players Enterprises, in preparation for its first 1951 set.

1950: Bowman Signs Players

In 1950, Bowman signed many players to contracts for that year with a renewal option for one year.

1950: Introduction of trading cards with gum

In 1950, Topps began packaging chewing gum with trading cards featuring Western character Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) to boost gum sales, as Boyd was a major television star at the time.

1951: Bowman Sues Topps

In 1951, Bowman sued Topps in U.S. federal court, alleging infringement on Bowman's trademarks, unfair competition, and contractual interference.

1951: Football Cards Debut

In 1951, Topps produced cards for American football, known as the Magic set.

1951: First baseball cards produced

In 1951, Topps produced its first baseball cards in two different sets, Red Backs and Blue Backs. Each set contained 52 cards and could be used to simulate baseball game events.

1951: Topps releases first set

In 1951, Topps released its first set of baseball cards after acquiring the rights to depict players on merchandise.

1951: Topps Sells Cards with Caramel Candy

In 1951, Topps sold its baseball cards with caramel candy instead of gum to avoid Bowman's existing contracts.

1951: 1951 Bowman card, Mickey Mantle's Rookie Card

In 1951, the Bowman card became Mickey Mantle's rookie card

1951: Sy Berger designed 1952 Topps baseball card set

In the autumn of 1951, Sy Berger designed the 1952 Topps baseball card set with Woody Gelman on his kitchen table. The design included player information on the front and back, which is still used today.

1951: Statistics from Most Recent Year

The Topps cards in the 1952 set had statistics from the most recent year, which was the 1951 season.

1952: Player Statistics in 1952 Set

In 1952, Topps began providing player statistics in its sets, starting with the 1952 set, which was a significant contributor to their success. Topps compiled the information themselves from published box scores since complete and reliable baseball statistics were not widely available at the time.

1952: Topps to Sell Cards with Gum

In 1952, Topps included in its own contracts the rights to sell baseball cards with gum.

1952: Player Statistics on Baseball Cards

In 1952, Topps put one line for statistics from the most recent year (the 1951 season for cards in the 1952 set) and another with the player's lifetime totals.

1952: Release of Baseball Card Set

In 1952, Topps released a larger set of baseball cards with bubble gum, changing the card dimensions to 2-5/8 inches by 3-3/4 inches with square corners. This is considered Topps' first true baseball card set.

1952: Topps had substantial surplus stock in 1952

In 1952, Topps was left with a substantial amount of surplus stock, which it largely disposed of by dumping many cards into the Atlantic.

1952: Disposal of 1952 Baseball Cards

Topps disposed of leftover boxes of 1952 baseball cards in the Atlantic Ocean. These cards included Mickey Mantle's first Topps card.

1953: Bazooka Gum Introduces Bazooka Joe Comic Strip

In 1953, Topps began selling smaller, penny pieces of Bazooka gum with the Bazooka Joe comic strip on the wrapper.

1954: Ice Hockey Cards

In 1954 Topps' venture was into ice hockey, with a 1954 set featuring players from the four National Hockey League franchises located in the U.S. at the time: the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers.

1954: Two Pictures on the Front of the Card

In 1954, Topps put two pictures on the front of the card: a hand-tinted 'color' close-up photo and a black-and-white full-length pose.

1955: All-American Football Set

In 1955, Topps released an All-American set of football cards with a mix of active players and retired stars.

1955: Release of the All-American Football Set

In 1955, Topps released an All-American set of football cards with a mix of active players and retired stars.

1955: Full-Length Photo Hand-Tinted

In 1955, Topps used the same basic format as the previous year, but with the full-length photo also hand-tinted.

1956: Close-Up Tinted Photo Placed Against Game-Action Photo

For 1956, the close-up tinted photo was placed against a tinted full-background 'game-action' photo of the player.

1956: Topps Buys Out Bowman

In 1956, Topps bought out Bowman, becoming the predominant producer of baseball cards.

1957: Full Career Statistics on Cards

For the first time in 1957, Topps included full year-by-year statistics for a player's entire career on the back of the card.

1957: Posed Photographs on Cards

From 1957 onward, virtually all cards featured posed photographs, either head shots or with equipment like a bat or glove.

1957: First Basketball Cards

In 1957, Topps first sold cards for basketball but stopped after one season.

1957: Standardization of Card Dimensions

In 1957, Topps reduced the dimensions of its cards to 2-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches, setting a standard format for most sports cards in the United States. They also began using color photographs.

1957: NHL Cards Series

In 1957, the O-Pee-Chee Company of London, Ontario, Canada, entered into an agreement with Topps to produce NHL cards (the 1957–58 series).

1958: Topps Introduces Space Cards

In 1958, inspired by the Space Race, Topps created a set of Space Cards, redirecting artistic efforts toward non-sports trading cards.

1958: Agreement with O-Pee-Chee Company

In 1958, the O-Pee-Chee Company of London, Ontario, Canada, entered into an agreement with Topps to produce Canadian football cards (the 1958 series).

1959: Fleer Signs Ted Williams

In 1959, Fleer signed Ted Williams to an exclusive contract and sold a set of baseball cards oriented around him.

1959: Funny Monsters Cards Released

In 1959, Topps released Funny Monsters cards, showcasing a mix of humor and horror, drawing on previous work by their artists.

1959: "Symbol of Courage – Roy Campanella" Card

In 1959, the Topps set had card 550 as "Symbol Of Courage – Roy Campanella", with a color photo of the paralyzed former Dodger in his wheelchair and a black-and-white photo of him in uniform inserted to the upper left.

1960: AFL Competition

In 1960, the emergence of the American Football League (AFL) allowed Topps's competitors, beginning with Fleer, to make inroads in football cards.

1960: Game Action Photos Debut

Starting in 1960, Topps included cards showing true game action, but the photographs were either in black-and-white or hand-tinted color.

1961: O-Pee-Chee Prints Own Cards

In 1961, O-Pee-Chee started printing its own hockey and football cards.

1962: Mars Attacks Cards Released

In 1962, Topps released Mars Attacks cards, sketched by Wood and Powell and painted by Norman Saunders. They later inspired a Tim Burton movie.

1962: Sharp Focus and Natural Color

Photographs did not appear in sharp focus and natural color until 1962, but the second series had print quality issues with a greenish tint.

1963: Fleer Releases Active Players Set

In 1963, Fleer released a 67-card set of currently active baseball players, but it was not particularly successful due to Topps holding onto the rights of most players.

1963: Permanent Career Statistics

In 1963, Topps made the practice of showing complete career statistics permanent, except for one year.

April 1964: Cards for Deceased Players

In April 1964, the Topps set issued cards for two recently deceased players: Ken Hubbs and Jim Umbricht, with special designs or notes to commemorate them.

1964: NFL Rights Secured by Philadelphia Gum

In 1964, Philadelphia Gum secured the NFL rights, forcing Topps to go for the AFL.

1964: Topps negotiated Beatles trading cards rights

In 1964, Sy Berger negotiated with Brian Epstein in London to secure the rights for Topps to produce Beatles trading cards.

1965: Production Facilities Moved

In 1965, Topps moved its production facilities to Duryea, Pennsylvania.

1965: Hearing Examiner Rules Against Topps

In 1965, a hearing examiner ruled against Topps in an administrative complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission, alleging unfair competition through its aggregation of exclusive contracts.

1966: Fleer Sells Player Contracts to Topps

In 1966, Fleer sold its remaining player contracts to Topps for $395,000, giving Topps an effective monopoly of the baseball card market.

1966: Basic Television Design

In 1966, the basic television design was first used for 1966 Topps American football series.

1967: New Hockey Card Set

In 1967, Topps produced a new hockey card set that paralleled the 1966–67 O-Pee-Chee hockey design.

1968: Sole Football Card Manufacturer

After the AFL-NFL Merger, Topps became the only major football card manufacturer beginning in 1968.

1968: Union Asks Players to Stop Signing Renewals

Before the 1968 season, the union asked its members to stop signing renewals on contracts with Topps.

1968: Annual Topps Hockey Set

Starting in 1968, Topps started printing an annual Topps hockey set that was similar to the annual O-Pee-Chee hockey set.

1969: Basketball Cards Production Resumes

Topps started producing basketball cards again in 1969 and continued until 1982.

1971: 1971 Football Set Innovation

In 1971, Topps created its own innovations like the 1971 Football Set. This contributed to Topps' dominance and allowed the company to define people's expectations of what a baseball card would look like.

1971: Color Game Photographs on Cards

In 1971, Topps included cards showing color photographs from actual games for the first time. The 1971 set is also known for its jet black borders, which are prone to chipping.

1971: Player Photo on Card Back

In 1971, Topps sacrificed full statistics to include a player photo on the back of the card.

1972: Gary Gerani Joins Topps

In 1972, Gary Gerani joined Topps and became the editor/writer of movie and television tie-in products, including numerous Star Wars sets.

1972: Topps Offered Stock to the Public

In 1972, Topps offered stock to the public for the first time with the assistance of White, Weld & Co.

1972: Color Photographs on Action Cards

The 1972 Topps set included color photographs, which were used for special "In Action" cards of selected star players. Thereafter, Topps began simply mixing game photography with posed shots in its sets.

1973: Wacky Packages Stickers Outsells Baseball Cards

In 1973, the Wacky Packages stickers managed to outsell Topps baseball cards, becoming the first product to do so since the company's early days as a gum and candy maker.

1973: Fleer Offered Exclusive Rights

The union offered Fleer the exclusive rights to market cards of most players (with gum) starting in 1973, but Fleer declined the proposal.

1974: Acquisition of Amalgamated and British Confectionery

In 1974, Topps acquired the old Amalgamated and British Confectionery firm in the United Kingdom.

1974: Washington Nat'l Lea. Franchise

In 1974, Topps showed players as being with the "Washington Nat'l Lea." franchise due to expectations that the San Diego Padres would relocate, but the move failed to materialize.

1974: Hank Aaron Tribute

The 1974 Topps sets include cards for special themes, the 1974 tribute to Hank Aaron as he was about to break Babe Ruth's career home run record being one example.

1974: Topps Continued Releasing Baseball Cards in Series

Until 1974, Topps continued to release its baseball cards in several series over the course of the baseball season.

1980: Topps Monopoly Broken by Lawsuit

In 1980, a lawsuit decided by federal judge Clarence Charles Newcomer ended Topps Chewing Gum's exclusive right to sell baseball cards, allowing Fleer Corporation to compete in the market.

August 1981: Ruling Overturned on Appeal

In August 1981, the ruling that broke the Topps monopoly was overturned on appeal, but Fleer and Donruss continued to compete by packaging their baseball cards with stickers and puzzles, respectively.

1981: Similar Design

The Topps and O-Pee-Chee hockey sets shared a similar design from 1968–69 to 1981–82.

1982: Cal Ripken Jr. Topps Traded Card

In 1982, one notable example of single cards of players who previously appeared in the regular set on a multi-player "prospects" card is the 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken Jr.

1982: Team Logos Airbrushed Out

Throughout the 1970s until 1982, Topps did not have the rights to reproduce the actual team logos on the helmets and uniforms of the players, and helmet logos for these teams were airbrushed out on a routine basis.

1982: Cartoons on Card Backs

Topps featured cartoons on card backs as late as 1982, but their prominence gradually declined.

1982: Abandoning the Basketball Card Market

Topps produced basketball cards in 1969 and continued until 1982, but then abandoned the market for another decade, missing out on printing the prized rookie cards.

1984: Topps produces first card of Mark McGwire

In 1984, Topps obtained a license to produce cards featuring the U.S. Olympic baseball team and thus produced the first card of Mark McGwire prior to his promotion to the major league level, and one that would become quite valuable to collectors for a time.

1984: Leveraged Buyout Led by Forstmann Little & Company

In 1984, Topps returned to private ownership through a leveraged buyout led by Forstmann Little & Company.

1984: Shared a Similar Design

The Topps and O-Pee-Chee hockey sets shared a similar design from 1984–85 to 1991–92.

1985: McGwire's Card in Regular Set

In 1985, the card from the 1984 squad appeared in Topps's regular set.

1985: Black Borders Return

The black borders of the 1971 set would return for Topps's 1985 football set.

1987: Topps Became a Publicly Traded Company Again

In 1987, Topps became a publicly traded company again and was renamed The Topps Company, Inc.

1988: Dinosaurs Attack! Card Series Created

In 1988, Gary Gerani created and helmed original card properties such as Dinosaurs Attack! at Topps.

1989: New Football Card Companies

In 1989, Pro Set and Score started making football cards, increasing competition.

1989: Topps Resurrects Bowman

In 1989, Topps resurrected its former competitor Bowman as a subsidiary brand, with Bowman sets similarly chosen to include a lot of young players with bright prospects.

1989: Card Companies Develop Higher-End Cards

In 1989, with the entry of Upper Deck into the market, card companies began to develop higher-end cards using improved technology.

1991: Topps Introduces Stadium Club

In 1991, Topps's initial effort at producing a premium line of cards was called Stadium Club.

1991: Similar Design

The Topps and O-Pee-Chee hockey sets shared a similar design from 1984–85 to 1991–92.

1992: Gum Removed from Baseball Card Packs

In 1992, Topps discontinued including gum in baseball card packs due to its tendency to stain the cards and decrease their value to collectors.

1992: Photos Return to Card Backs

In 1992, Topps incorporated player photos on the back of the card again.

1992: Return to Basketball Cards

Topps returned to basketball cards in 1992, after its competitors.

1993: Topps Creates Topps Comics Division

In 1993, Topps created Topps Comics, a division to publish comic books, including concepts from Jack Kirby.

1993: Player Photo on Back and Front of Card

In 1993, Topps incorporated a player photo on both the back and front of the card.

1994: Merlin acquired the Premier League license

In 1994, Merlin acquired the Premier League license, securing exclusive rights to publish the official Premier League sticker and album collection in the UK.

1994: Topps Can Produce Cards of Replacement Players

In 1994, Topps became the only manufacturer able to produce baseball cards of players who worked as replacement players during the baseball strike, as they were barred from union membership and participation in the group licensing program.

1994: Headquarters Relocated to Manhattan

In 1994, Topps headquarters moved to One Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan.

1994: New Mars Attacks Card Series Released

In 1994, Topps released a new Mars Attacks card series, a tie-in with the Mars Attacks film, including a 100-card Archives set reprinting original cards and adding new cards from various artists.

1994: Launch of Topps Merlin Premier League sticker albums

Since their launch in 1994, Topps Merlin branded Premier League sticker albums have been popular.

1995: Topps Company Inc. took over Merlin Publishing

In 1995, The Topps Company Inc. completed its takeover of Merlin Publishing, renaming it Topps Europe Limited while maintaining the Merlin brand on products.

1997: Duryea Plant Closed

In 1997, Topps' production plant in Duryea, Pennsylvania, closed.

1998: Topps Pulls Out of the Comics Business

In 1998, due to stagnating sales, Topps decided to pull out of the comics business.

1999: Pokemon Cards outsell Topps Baseball Cards

In 1999, Pokémon cards outsold Topps baseball cards, accomplishing the same feat as Wacky Packages stickers a few decades earlier.

December 2000: Topps Launches eTopps with eBay

In December 2000, Topps, in partnership with eBay, launched a new brand of sports cards called eTopps, sold exclusively online through individual "IPOs".

2000: ThePit.com launches

In 2000, ThePit.com, a startup company, launched a site for online stock-market style card trading.

August 2001: Topps Acquires ThePit.com

In August 2001, Topps acquired ThePit.com, a startup company that had launched a site for online stock-market style card trading, for $5.7 million cash.

2001: Heritage Line Includes Gum

In 2001, Topps started its Heritage line of baseball cards, which included gum.

2002: Topps Revives T206 Set

In 2002, Topps revived the T206 set originally released in 1909–11 by the American Tobacco Company under the "Topps 206" brand, with current players, including the T206 Honus Wagner iconic card with blue background.

July 2003: Topps Acquires WizKids

In July 2003, Topps acquired the game company WizKids for $29.4 million in cash, obtaining the rights to BattleTech and Shadowrun.

2003: Shoot Out cards produced by Magic Box International

From the 2003/04 season, Magic Box International produced the Shoot Out cards until the 2006/07 season.

2004: Topps Creates Barry Bonds Card

In 2004, Topps was able to create a card of Barry Bonds by negotiating individually with him after he opted out of group licensing with the MLBPA.

2005: Topps Considers Selling Confectionery Business

In 2005, under pressure from shareholders, Topps considered selling off its confectionery business due to increasing public attention to childhood nutrition, but decided to cut management expenses instead after failing to find a suitable buyer.

January 2006: Topps Unloads ThePit.com

In January 2006, Topps sold ThePit.com to Naxcom, charging a $3.7 million after-tax loss on its books in connection with the sale.

October 2006: In Memoriam Card for Cory Lidle

In October 2006, Topps pulled and re-released Cory Lidle's card with "In Memoriam" on the front after his tragic death.

2006: Dick Perez Art Cards Commissioned

In 2006, Topps commissioned baseball artist Dick Perez to paint art cards for its series, including Turkey Red and Allen & Ginter.

2006: MLBPA Limits Licenses

In 2006, the MLBPA announced that for 2006, licenses would only be granted to Topps and Upper Deck, the number of different products would be limited, and players would not appear on cards before reaching the major leagues.

2006: Shoot Out cards produced by Magic Box International

Until the 2006/07 season, Magic Box International produced the Shoot Out cards from the 2003/04 season.

October 12, 2007: Topps Acquired by Tornante and Madison Dearborn

On October 12, 2007, Topps was acquired by Michael Eisner's The Tornante Company and Madison Dearborn Partners.

2007: Topps acquired Premier League rights for trading cards

In 2007, Topps acquired the Premier League rights for trading cards. Previously, the trading card rights were held by Magic Box International.

2007: Altered Derek Jeter Card

In 2007, Topps grabbed collectors' attention when the new card of Yankees' shortstop Derek Jeter was found to have been altered to include an image of Mickey Mantle standing in the dugout and President George W. Bush walking through the stands.

2007: Black Borders Return

The black borders of the 1971 set would return for Topps's 2007 baseball set.

November 2008: Topps Shuts Down WizKids Operation

In November 2008, Topps shut down the Wizkids operation due to the economic downturn.

2008: Topps acquired exclusive rights to DFL

In 2008, Topps acquired the exclusive rights to the DFL Deutsche Fussball Liga GmbH for trading cards and stickers until the Bundesliga Season 2010/11.

2008: Topps Gains WWE Rights and Releases Slam Attax in the U.K.

In 2008, Topps acquired the rights to produce WWE trading cards and launched Slam Attax, inspired by Match Attax. The first Slam Attax set was released in the U.K. in 2008.

2008: Topps Signs Exclusive Agreement with Zuffa, LLC for MMA Trading Cards

In 2008, Topps entered into an exclusive agreement with Zuffa, LLC to produce mixed martial arts trading cards, featuring current and former UFC athletes.

2008: End of Merlin Brand

In 2008, the Merlin brand was discontinued on products after being acquired by Topps in 1995.

January 2009: Launch of Bundesliga Match Attax

In January 2009, Topps launched Bundesliga Match Attax, which is now available in over 40,000 stockists.

September 2009: NECA Acquires WizKids Brand

In September 2009, the WizKids brand, formerly owned by Topps, was acquired by NECA.

2009: Topps Becomes Official Baseball Card of MLB

In 2009, Topps became the first official baseball card of MLB in over thirty years.

2009: Slam Attax Release in the United States

In mid-2009, Topps released the Slam Attax trading card set in the United States, following its initial release in the U.K. in 2008.

2010: Second Revival of T206 Set

In 2010, a second revival of the T206 set was launched by Topps.

2010: First Product Under MLB Deal

In 2010, the first product to fall under the deal between Topps and MLB was the 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1.

2010: End of Exclusive Rights to DFL

In 2010/11, Topps' exclusive rights to the DFL Deutsche Fussball Liga GmbH for trading cards and stickers ended.

2012: Topps began creating digital sports cards

In 2012, Topps began creating digital sports cards, starting with the Topps Bunt baseball card mobile app.

2013: Release of Bunt Mobile App

In 2013, Topps released the Topps Bunt baseball card mobile app.

2013: Exclusive Deal Extended

In 2013, the exclusive deal between Topps and MLB was extended.

August 2014: Release of Kick Soccer App

In August 2014, Topps expanded its sports card market with the Kick soccer app.

March 2015: Release of Star Wars Card Trader App

In March 2015, Topps released their Star Wars Card Trader app, expanding into non-sports digital collectibles.

2015: Panini Awarded Exclusive License

After the 2015 football season, Panini was awarded an exclusive license by the NFL for producing football cards.

2015: Topps Expands Non-Sports Category

In 2015, Topps expanded its non-sports category by adding more TV shows and sci-fi with its Star Wars and Doctor Who lines.

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2015: UEFA Champions League Stickers and Trading Cards

Since 2015 Topps has produced stickers and trading cards for the UEFA Champions League.

February 2016: Topps Match Attax Dominated UK Card Trading Market

As of February 2016, Topps Match Attax dominated the secondary UK card trading market, occupying two out of the top three spots on the stickerpoints.com 'most popular soccer collection' list.

April 2016: Release of Huddle Football App

In April 2016, Topps released the Huddle Football app, further expanding its sports card market.

May 2016: Release of Walking Dead Trading Card App

In May 2016, Topps released a Walking Dead trading card app, further expanding its digital collectibles.

2016: Topps Stops Producing Football Cards

2016 was the first year Topps did not produce football cards since 1955.

2016: End of Topps Football Cards

Topps sold football cards every season until 2016.

2017: Release of Skate Hockey App

In 2017, Topps continued its expansion in the sports card market with the release of the Skate hockey app.

2018: Exclusive Deal Extended Again

In 2018, the exclusive deal between Topps and MLB was extended again.

2019: Release of Marvel and Disney Trading Card Apps

In 2019, Topps released a Marvel trading card app in the spring and a Disney trading card app in November, expanding its digital collectibles marketplace.

2019: Topps Premier League Stickers and Match Attax Trading Card Game

Until 2019, Topps made 'Topps Premier League' stickers and the Match Attax trading card game.

March 2020: Topps Announced Collaboration with WAX.io

In March 2020, Topps announced a collaboration with WAX.io to make their cards tradable on the blockchain.

May 2020: New T206 Collection Released

In May 2020, Topps released a new T206 collection divided into five different series, with the first (50 cards) being released in May 2020, named "Topps 206".

September 2020: Fifth Series of T206 Collection Released

In September 2020, the fifth series of the "Topps 206" collection was released.

December 2020: Availability of Garbage Pail Kids Cards via Blockchain

As of December 2020, Topps had only made Garbage Pail Kids cards available to traders via blockchain but announced Alien Quadrilogy collectibles were coming soon.

April 2021: Topps Announced Plans to Go Public via Merger

In April 2021, Topps announced plans to go public via a merger with Mudrick Capital Acquisition Corporation II, valuing Topps at $1.3 billion.

August 2021: Fanatics Acquired Future Exclusive Licenses with MLB and MLBPA

In August 2021, it was reported that Fanatics acquired future exclusive licenses with Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association to produce baseball cards.

2021: Topps Criticized for BTS Depiction

In 2021, Topps faced criticism for its depiction of the South Korean boyband BTS in its Grammy-themed collection, which was deemed racist and violent, leading to an apology and removal of the cards from production.

January 2022: Fanatics Acquired Topps

In January 2022, Fanatics announced they had acquired Topps for US$500 million.

August 28, 2022: Mickey Mantle Baseball Card Sold for $12.6 Million

On August 28, 2022, the Mickey Mantle baseball card (Topps; #311; SGC MT 9.5) was sold for $12.600 million.

2022: Fanatics acquired Topps

In 2022, following the loss of its license with Major League Baseball to Fanatics, Inc., Fanatics acquired Topps in the same year.

January 2023: Topps Released Trading Cards for 24 Hours of Le Mans

In January 2023, Topps released both physical and digital trading cards for their latest partner, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Motorsport event.

February 2023: Release of 24 Hours of Le Mans Trading Cards

The release of Topps physical and digital trading cards for their latest partner the 24 Hours of Le Mans Motorsport event is set for February 2023.

2023: MLB Debut Patches on Rookie Jerseys

At the start of the 2023 MLB season, Fanatics, Topps, and the MLB announced that all MLB rookies would wear "MLB Debut" patches on their jerseys, which are then included in a one-of-one Rookie Debut Patch Autograph Card inserted into Topps baseball card packs.