One of Topps’ annual events at the National Sports Collectors Convention is a meet and 
greet/Q&A session with its customers. Collectors are asked to sign up during the show and dozens did before Friday evening’s gathering in Chicago, just off the main floor of the Stephens Convention Center.
There’s no cost to attend.
The company answered numerous questions from the crowd and also gave away several prizes during the session, which lasted for over an hour.
Some highlights:
- In answer to a question about Panini’s recent situation with Dak Prescott, Topps says it spends a six-figure amount paying representatives to witness the autographs that are signed for its trading card products. A company official indicated 98% of the cards are autographed with a paid witness present. The other 2% are usually handled through player agents.
- Topps Gallery will be back this year but will be a Walmart exclusive with two autographs. 2017 Topps Fire will be a Target exclusive.
- The ultra-high-end Transcendent brand will return later this year.
- Topps says it believes most of the 2013 Bowman Chrome Kris Bryant Blue and Black Wave refractor autographs that have been a bit of a hobby mystery, are still in unopened boxes. Topps admits to grading some of them to use as replacements for other high-end cards but insists it has no plans to use them as redemptions. It’s possible some remaining cases could hold multiple Blue and Black Wave Bryants.
- The 2017 Bowman Megaboxes that seemed to dry up shortly after release at big box stores were not recalled and Topps expects to have them back in stores soon.
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