Trading cards have become a global phenomenon in recent years, fueled by pop-culture titans like Pokémon, ONE PIECE, and Yu-Gi-Oh!—but decades before these franchises reshaped the hobby, Topps was already writing history.

Founded in 1938 by the Shorin brothers—Abram, Ira, Philip, and Joseph—the company rose from the ashes of their family’s struggling tobacco business, pivoting first to chewing gum (hello, Bazooka bubble gum) and then stumbling onto genius: pairing gum with trading cards. Their early experiments, like Hopalong Cassidy cards, were just a warm-up.

The real revolution came in 1952, when Sy Berger—the “father of the modern baseball card”—designed Topps’ iconic set on his Brooklyn kitchen table. With player photos, stats, and facsimile autographs, it was a blueprint that still defines baseball cards today.

What followed was a saga of serendipity and spectacle. Berger, a WWII vet with a hustler’s charm, later secured the Beatles’ trading card rights by negotiating with manager Brian Epstein—in Yiddish. And in a twist of fate, Topps once treated its own legacy as trash: Berger famously dumped unsold 1952 stock, including Mickey Mantle’s rookie card, into the Atlantic Ocean.

That same card, now the hobby’s holy grail, fetched US$12.6 million in 2022.

Yet Topps’ journey from bubble-gum novelty to billion-dollar empire wasn’t without twists. The company’s ability to adapt—through market crashes, collector revolts, and digital revolutions—proves why it remains the gold standard of baseball cards.

In the late 1980s, Topps faced its biggest crisis: the “junk wax” era. Overproduction flooded the market with cheap cards, collapsing values. But rather than retreat, Topps innovated, introducing premium inserts like refractors (1993 Finest’s chrome-coated gems) and autographed cards. These became the blueprint for modern collectibles, balancing mass appeal with chase-worthy rarities.

When MLB entered the 21st century, so did Topps. Their Topps Now series—printing cards within 48 hours of iconic moments—let fans own historic plays (like Aaron Judge’s 62nd HR) almost in real time. Even their controversial NFT ventures proved one thing: Topps understands that today’s collectors want cards that move, glow, or exist in the metaverse.

What keeps Topps dominant after 70+ years? A mix of nostalgia and nerve. They honor classics (Heritage sets faithfully recreate 1950s designs) while taking wild swings (see: Allen & Ginter’s baseball cards featuring… Marie Curie?). It’s this balance—tradition meets tomorrow—that makes every pack feel like a time capsule and a lottery ticket.

With over 60 annual releases, Topps offers something for every collector. Here’s a compiled list to navigate their lineup—from affordable nostalgia trips to high-stakes hobby boxes:

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Best Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now

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From Sy Berger’s kitchen-table prototypes to today’s algorithm-driven NFT drops, Topps has always understood: baseball cards aren’t just about stats—they’re about stories. And as long as fans crave those stories, Topps will keep dealing them out, one pack at a time.

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