Press Release: Topps Million Card Giveaway

TOPPS TAKES AN UNPRECEDENTED TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE UNVEILING THE FIRST EVER MILLION CARD GIVEAWAY IN 2010 TOPPS BASEBALL SERIES 1

Rare ‘52 Mantle Rookie is Among One Million Original Vintage Cards Available in Topps’ First Exclusive Product

New York, NY, February 16, 2010 — The Topps Company, the leading creator and marketer of sports cards and the official baseball card company of Major League Baseball®, today unveiled its first exclusive MLB® product with 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1.  As part of this year’s product release, Topps is truly re-connecting fans of all ages with the original vintage cards that “their mom threw out.” Topps has scoured the vaults and is making available over one million original Topps cards, including EVERY Topps base card produced since 1952 such as rare rookie cards of Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr., as part of this promotion.

Special code cards will be inserted in one out of every six packs of 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1*. Fans can then enter the code online (www.Toppsmillion.com) and receive an original vintage Topps card.  The year-long program also includes 2010 Topps Baseball Series 2 and 2010 Topps Updates and Highlights and each code redeemed will allow that fan to vie for the opportunity to win a 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card worth over $20,000.

This year’s 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1 leads off the MLB® season with a celebratory anthology of baseball’s past, present, and future, with 330 base cards, exclusive autograph, cut signature, relic, sketch, and insert cards including:

• The History of the Game – The history of baseball through photography, spotlighting: famous venues, locations, stars and legendary moments;
• Tales of the Game – Commemorating baseball apocrypha, such as: Eddie Gaedel, pine tar incident;
• Hall of Fame Buybacks– Original Topps cards of Hall of Famers such as Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson;
• Legendary Lineage – Dual player cards link a current star with a past legend;
• When They Were Young – Featuring photos of current MLB stars as Little League, high school, or college players.

“It’s truly thrilling to unveil Topps 2010 Baseball, our first exclusive product as the official baseball card company of Major League Baseball®,” said Warren Friss, Topps V.P. –General Manager.  “Topps’ million card giveaway is our way of giving back to our fans by allowing them to get back the cards they collected as kids.”

This is Topps’ first exclusive product since they announced a multi-year licensing deal in 2009 to become the official baseball card of Major League Baseball®.  Topps has exclusivity on MLB®, Jewel Event and Club trademarks, logos and other intellectual property, for use on baseball cards, stickers and certain other product categories featuring MLB® players.

In August 2009, Topps became the first exclusive baseball card company of MLB® in nearly 30 years, as the company looks to expand its ongoing efforts to invigorate the category, continue launching ground-breaking products, improve the retail and collecting experience and make cards more relevant to children.

As part of the iconic company’s plans to expand into the digital space, and to strengthen its connection with kids, Topps unveiled a multitude of new and innovative products over the past two years including, Topps Attax, a new trading card game, ToppsTown.com, an online sports community developed just for kids and Topps 3D Live trading cards, the first augmented reality consumer product that brings your favorite MLB® players to digital life. 

Packs of 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1 are now available in local retailers and hobby shops for $1.99.