Collectibles On SI

Topps continues to branch out beyond baseball cards

The once baseball card-centric company is beginning to cover more of the sports world
Dan Gardella|
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum throws out a ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum throws out a ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

For years, it was cut-and-dry as to which companies owned the rights to certain professional sports and stayed in their respective lanes where they thrived. While Topps controlled baseball cards, Panini focused on football and basketball and Upper Deck manned Hockey, Topps has begun to take over the sports card space on a larger scale.

Since Topps was acquired by Fanatics in 2022, the company has signed exclusivity deals with some of the top professional athletes ranging across other sports. Those exclusivity deals have evolved into obtaining the rights to other pro sports, with Fanatics taking over the NFL and NBA licenses beginning in 2026.

In the meantime, Fanatics has made sure to make its baseball products become more appealing to all sports card collectors with special edition autographs and relics in its baseball products of athletes such as Jayson Tatum, Victor Wembanyama, Jayden Daniels, and more.

Along with putting non-baseball athletes in products such as Topps Series 1 and Topps Series 2 as "First Pitch" inserts with autographs, there have been higher-end products such as "Topps Dynasty" in which patches from first-pitches can be found. A Topps Dynasty Jayson Tatum patch numbered to 10 is currently listed on eBay for $7,500.

Fanatics has also found quick ways for collectors to get their hands on cards of their favorite football and basketball players through the company's "Topps Now" products. These have become popular around the NFL and NBA Drafts, where collectors can get limited edition cards of their team's newest drafted player with a chance of pulling an autograph within their orders.

Topps has also expanded into college licensing with its Bowman University collection of products. Through individual deals with athletes as well as working with colleges to acquire the licensing rights, collecting a college athlete's "1st Bowman" has brought the popular "prospecting" approach of collecting to sports other than baseball.

With the Bowman University products being a few years into existence, collectors have seen some of the very first athletes break through into the professional ranks and succeed. No athlete has been more popular than Caitlin Clark, whose "1st Bowman" autograph from 2023 Bowman University in a PSA 10 selling between $1,000-3,000 according to sold listings.

While the licensing is not with Fanatics yet, they have released both football and basketball products in 2024 and 2025 albeit with no logos or branding of any of the teams. Even with no logos or branding, collectors have flocked to collect the product. According to eBay sold listings, Victor Wembanyama's rookie autograph in a PSA 10 from 2023 Topps Chrome Basketball have sold between $1,500-$4,000.

While it remains to be seen where the future of Fanatics will go while juggling a variety of pro sports, the grip the company has on the hobby as a whole is impossible not to notice.

TOP TRENDING COLLECTIBLES ARTICLES:

Published | Modified
Dan Gardella
DAN GARDELLA

Dan Gardella is a Red Sox fan and collector growing up in Yankee territory in Connecticut. While only reviving his love for the hobby a few years ago, he provides knowledge into baseball cards from prospects to the big leagues.

Share on XFollow DanGardella