It was first, back in 1938, when it was all about chewing gum!
When the Shorin brothers started their company in Brooklyn, New York, Topps Gum was the product, and it was sold as a "change-maker" at cash registers. Instead of three cents change, people were encouraged to buy three pieces of Topps.
After World War II, Topps Gum evolved into Bazooka Bubble Gum, named after a musical instrument of all things. Nobody found the "Atom Bubble Boy," the symbol of the product, to be especially interesting; and so Bazooka Joe (complete with his eye patch) was created and comics were wrapped around the chunks of gum. Through the collecting of the comics, kids could redeem their fortunes for such things as a "super spy telescope." Great stuff!
In 1950, the creative minds at Topps decided that they could sell even more bubble gum by inserting trading cards. The first trading cards were Hopalong Cassidy, the TV and film cowboy; Frank Buck "Bring 'em Back Alive" cards (featuring big game hunts in Africa), and All-American football cards. The following year, the first baseball cards were created - game cards, actually, and not very handsome at that. But in 1952, Sy Berger, a war veteran with a creative mind and a keen knowledge of baseball, developed the first "modern baseball card," complete with player image, team logo, vital statistics, and full playing record.
The first card in that set, Andy Pafko, is a collector's gem today, because so many people sorted their cards by number and wrapped rubber bands around their stacks. Poor Andy. Not many Pafkos survived the rubber band wars!
Also in 1952 came cards for a couple of guys named Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. And yes, eventually the mothers of America threw out a lot of baseball cards when their kids got older, and that helped turn those rookie cards - and their successors - into highly sought collectibles. Many consider cards from the 50s to be valuable pieces of Americana, and are often seen at auction houses or cards shows selling for tens of thousands of dollars!
It wasn't long before the idea of cards helping to sell more gum went quite the other way - the cards were what people longed for. And Topps was leading the way, developing baseball, football, basketball and hockey products, and serving as the "gateway to the games" for millions of young fans, who first discovered the players through the cards, even before attending their first games. Many baby boomers today, who now buy cards for their children - and grandchildren - picture players of the past based on their Topps images.
There are even families who have appeared on three generations of Topps cards - the Boones (Ray, Bob, Aaron and Bret) and the Bells (Gus, Buddy, and David)! Topps was truly onto something. America is a nation of collectors, and no other hobby has ever approached the popularity of collecting of sports cards. By the 1990s, Topps brand had grown to more than a dozen different brands, each appealing to different sorts of collectors. Cards were now displayed in art museums and the Baseball Hall of Fame - in addition to being the hottest items featured at online auctions. Card shows around the country were social events - places to meet fellow collectors, buy, sell, trade, and engage in talk about hot cards, promising rookies and the latest technology.
Even in the entertainment field, Topps has remained at the forefront of collectibles. From Elvis, the Beatles and the Kennedys, to Michael Jackson, Star Wars, or Pokemon, you can count on Topps to be there with popular products for collectors the world over.
Remember Wacky Packages or Garbage Pail Kids? Topps.
And, staying true to its roots, Topps remains a major player in gum and confectionery with Bazooka - one of the world's best known brand names, and with huge successes in candy products like Ring Pops, Push Pops, and Baby Bottle Pops.
After World War II, Topps Gum evolved into Bazooka Bubble Gum, named after a musical instrument of all things. Nobody found the "Atom Bubble Boy," the symbol of the product, to be especially interesting; and so Bazooka Joe (complete with his eye patch) was created and comics were wrapped around the chunks of gum. Through the collecting of the comics, kids could redeem their fortunes for such things as a "super spy telescope." Great stuff!
In 1950, the creative minds at Topps decided that they could sell even more bubble gum by inserting trading cards. The first trading cards were Hopalong Cassidy, the TV and film cowboy; Frank Buck "Bring 'em Back Alive" cards (featuring big game hunts in Africa), and All-American football cards. The following year, the first baseball cards were created - game cards, actually, and not very handsome at that. But in 1952, Sy Berger, a war veteran with a creative mind and a keen knowledge of baseball, developed the first "modern baseball card," complete with player image, team logo, vital statistics, and full playing record.
The first card in that set, Andy Pafko, is a collector's gem today, because so many people sorted their cards by number and wrapped rubber bands around their stacks. Poor Andy. Not many Pafkos survived the rubber band wars!
Also in 1952 came cards for a couple of guys named Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. And yes, eventually the mothers of America threw out a lot of baseball cards when their kids got older, and that helped turn those rookie cards - and their successors - into highly sought collectibles. Many consider cards from the 50s to be valuable pieces of Americana, and are often seen at auction houses or cards shows selling for tens of thousands of dollars!
It wasn't long before the idea of cards helping to sell more gum went quite the other way - the cards were what people longed for. And Topps was leading the way, developing baseball, football, basketball and hockey products, and serving as the "gateway to the games" for millions of young fans, who first discovered the players through the cards, even before attending their first games. Many baby boomers today, who now buy cards for their children - and grandchildren - picture players of the past based on their Topps images.
There are even families who have appeared on three generations of Topps cards - the Boones (Ray, Bob, Aaron and Bret) and the Bells (Gus, Buddy, and David)! Topps was truly onto something. America is a nation of collectors, and no other hobby has ever approached the popularity of collecting of sports cards. By the 1990s, Topps brand had grown to more than a dozen different brands, each appealing to different sorts of collectors. Cards were now displayed in art museums and the Baseball Hall of Fame - in addition to being the hottest items featured at online auctions. Card shows around the country were social events - places to meet fellow collectors, buy, sell, trade, and engage in talk about hot cards, promising rookies and the latest technology.
Even in the entertainment field, Topps has remained at the forefront of collectibles. From Elvis, the Beatles and the Kennedys, to Michael Jackson, Star Wars, or Pokemon, you can count on Topps to be there with popular products for collectors the world over.
Remember Wacky Packages or Garbage Pail Kids? Topps.
And, staying true to its roots, Topps remains a major player in gum and confectionery with Bazooka - one of the world's best known brand names, and with huge successes in candy products like Ring Pops, Push Pops, and Baby Bottle Pops.