Dozens of sports card products are released every year, but none generate the kind of buzz that the first baseball cards of the season brings. Collectors, dealers and card companies, now united and able to interact via social media, help fuel the fire. It's a time when someone who wouldn't dare pay full price for new shirt will gladly fork over way too much money for the … [Read more...]
Summit Survey Shows Sports Card Market Optimism
@2012 The Industry Summit, March 18-21, Las Vegas (http://www.regonline.com/2012summit) Product diversification, online marketing and enhanced corporate partnerships have sports-focused collectible retailers viewing 2012 as potentially their best year in a decade. An Industry Summit survey of independent retailers serving the sports and entertainment collectible and … [Read more...]
2011 Bowman Sterling Football a Popular Product on eBay
Sellers who put 2011 Bowman Sterling Football on eBay in the final days of 2011 did well. Or, if their profit margin wasn't as great as they'd hoped, they did sell their merchandise. From Dec. 18 through December 30, there were over 6,990 listings for the newly released product on eBay. 5,197 of those lots sold, an impressive sell-through rate of 74%. The average price … [Read more...]
Panini-CMG Deal Will Put Old Hall of Famers in Upcoming Products
Panini America has signed a trading card agreement with CMG Worldwide, giving it the right to utilize the names and images of a group of deceased baseball legends whose licensing rights belong to the agency. The deal, effective immediately, gives Panini America rights to incorporate cards featuring Shoeless Joe Jackson, Jim Thorpe, Jackie Robinson, Jimmie Foxx, Johnny Mize, … [Read more...]
Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Will Return With Archives product in 2012
Topps is digging back into the archives for…Topps Archives. On Thursday, the company announced via Twitter that it was bringing back a brand from the last decade, along with an insert set that will also bring back memories. Archives, which popped up a decade ago and lasted two years, gave way to Topps All-Time Fan Favorites, which made its original debut in 2003. The … [Read more...]
2011 Topps Marquee Review
by Rich Klein I'm a big fan of innovation and creation of new products by any and all card manufacturers. While certain products need to remain relatively static (Topps' base brand comes to mind), there needs to be a continuous flow and attempt of new products both lower and higher end into the card market. The new Topps Marquee product is an example of Topps working on … [Read more...]
2011 Topps Finest Football: Long-Running Brand is Back
by Rich Klein Wow! Was it really almost two decades ago (1993) when Topps first announced the Finest brand in baseball? The product truly exploded when a whole bunch of dealers with pen and paper figured out there were "only" 241 of each refractor card printed. This may be difficult to believe, but back in 1993, only 241 of any card was a truly small release. The latest … [Read more...]
Leaf Granted Extension to Answer Topps Complaint
A U.S. District Court judge has granted Leaf Trading Cards until next Thursday to answer a lawsuit filed last month by The Topps Company. Topps filed federal copyright and trademark infringement claims against Leaf over a promotional or "sell sheet" for its 2011 Leaf Best of Baseball product. The flyer lists and shows several old Topps cards. Leaf had been due to … [Read more...]
2011 Bowman Sterling Football Information
Topps has released information regarding its 2011 Bowman Sterling Football cards, set to release in December. The higher end product will feature six packs per box and eight boxes to a case with a total of six autographs per box, according to Topps. Each five-card pack contains two Rookie Base Cards, one Autograph or Auto-Relic Card, and two Relic Cards. A Rookie Refractor … [Read more...]
Panini America Hires New Product Development Director
Panini America has hired industry veteran, Karvin Cheung as Product Development Director overseeing NBA and NHL products. Since entering the U.S. market two and half years ago, Panini has added the NBA and NHL/NHLPA licenses, renewed the NFL/NFL Players license and secured entertainment licenses including Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. and exclusives with the Estate of … [Read more...]