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History of Topps Football Cards

Sports collectible cards began to be produced in the late 1800s, first by individuals and then by card companies. The Topps Company Inc. didn't enter the market until 50 years later, but when it did, it revolutionized the industry. By producing cards of such consistently high quality with all the statistical details fans wanted, first for baseball cards and then football cards, Topps set the standard for collectible cards.

The Beginning
- The Shorin brothers ̵2; Abram, Ira, Philip and Joseph ̵2; started Topps Chewing Gum Inc. in Brooklyn, New York in 1938. In 1947, Topps invented Bazooka Bubble Gum, which was named after a musical instrument. Topps got into making sports cards in 1951 in the hope of selling more gum. It hired a young college graduate, Sy Berger, who designed the first set of cards and personally made deals with the players. He started with baseball cards and then football cards. Other companies had been making sports cards for over 50 years, but with no standard look or materials. Berger put the players' statistics on the back of the cards and standardized the look of cards from that time on.
Valuable Cards
- As with any collectible, Topps football cards are only worth what a collector will pay at any given time. In August, 2011, the Joe Montana Topps Hall of Fame Card Profile No. 216 from the 1981 Topps football card set sold at auction for $1,901. The 1957 Johnny Unitas Hall of Fame Card Profile No. 138 card sold for $472. In July, 2011, the 1965 Joe Namath Hall of Fame Card Profile No. 122 sold at auction for $4,050. According to collect.com, this card sold in 2001 for $20,000, making it the most valuable post-WWII football card issued.
Topps Goes Worldwide
- Topps expanded to Europe in 1989 by founding Merlin Publishing Ltd. to produce collectible stickers. Its 1994 football sticker set became the most popular collection worldwide. In 1995, Merlin won the Price Waterhouse/Independent on Sunday award for the fastest-growing, privately held British company. The Topps Company Inc. acquired Merlin Publishing Ltd. that same year, renaming the company Topps Europe Ltd. Subsequently, the European arm of Topps began producing football cards and albums as well as other collectibles and memorabilia. In 2007, Madison Dearborn Partners Inc. and the Tornante Company, owned by Michael Eisener, the former Disney CEO, purchased the Topps Company Inc.
Still Tops
- Topps continues to stay on top of the football card collectible market by designing highly regarded sets each year and signing the top players quickly. In August of 2011, it signed Terrelle Pryor of the Oakland Raiders to an autograph deal the same day he was drafted, and pledged to have his card included in the 2011 Bowman Sterling collection.

Sports Cards Collecting