Why MLB's Topps Exclusivity Deal Sucks

Two years ago, MLB announced that it had awarded Topps with exclusivity rights. This means that Topps is the only company that is given the license to make official MLB cards.  As a card collector(yes I am 26 years old and still collect cards occasionally), this really sucks.  Let's explain why below.

First of all, Topps has always been an inferior product on the market.  The cards look cheap, have little retail value and the hits are really poor.  Upper Deck, which burst on the scene in 1989, has always been viewed as the best basic card set on the market.  Their cards don't cost a lot, and they have better hits and better values.

For example, a box of Upper Deck would guarantee 4 or 5 hits per box.  At least one autograph and at least 3 or 4 jersey or some other kind of special cards.  I could go to a card shop, buy three packs of UD, and get a hit easily.  Topps hits are limited and worth so little, that it's not worth it.

Upper Deck was the standard for a long time in baseball card collecting.  They always had the best rookies, the best autographs and the best cards period.  The 1989 Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck Rookie Card is still considered one of the most awesome cards to have in a collection ever.  To date, there have only been a small handful of 10 of 10 rated KG Jr UD RCs ever submitted for grading at BGS.  I have seen them listed on Ebay from $100 to $1,000.

A box of Upper Deck cost about $89 but it was worth it.  The cards are just nicer and again worth more.  A box of Topps has cost around $49.99 for a while, and each year you are only disappointed after buying one.  I have bought 16 hobby packs of 2011 Topps, and gotten exactly 0 hits.  NO autographs, NO jersey cards or special cards of any kind.

Even though this is a cool card, it's not a special card

The box guarantees you one autograph, but I haven't even gotten one after spending $40.00 on packs.  I feel like I got completely taken for a ride.  Topps base set is unimpressive, as they have to put embossed logos, foil and colors onto the card itself to make up for a lack of good photography.  Upper Deck cards had nothing but the Upper Deck logo and the full card was the photograph.  Topps puts a really lame white border around their cards that really just makes it look cheap.

I really miss Upper Deck.  UD was really good the last few years before it had to stop making baseball this year.  In 2008, they came out with a set that was like cards on steroids.  It was called Ballpark Collection, and was basically UD unloading all of their jerseys and autographs that they had accumulated and never been able to use.  It may have cost $50 for one pack of 5 cards, but when those 5 cards are better than the 24 packs of 8 cards combined(192 cards) you get in a $50 box of Topps, it really seems worth it.

 

This set came in boxes that contained just three packs, but each pack had 5 cards, 3 of which were guaranteed hits.  Here are some of the hits I nailed:  Evan Longoria RC/Auto, Derek Jeter Yankee Stadium Legacy Jersey, An NL Central 8 jersey card containing Pujols, Mulder, Fielder, Sheets, Griffey Jr, Harang, D. Lee and Zambrano.  The Lee and Griffey have pinstripes on the jersey.  I also got a dual jersey of Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken Jr and a RC/Auto of Johnny Cueto, as well as Ron Guidry YS Legacy Jersey.  Other UD cards I have gotten in other sets include Brandon Phillips Auto/Jersey, Jordan Danks USA Auto/Jersey, Rick Porcello Patch/Auto/RC, Noah Lowry Jersey/Auto, and Mike Piazza Retrospectrum Swatch.

         

The best hits I have ever gotten in Topps are mostly from one set: Allen & Ginter.  They are Matt Cain hand drawn 1/1(and it's a really bad drawing, see below), Joe Mauer Jersey, Adam Dunn Jersey, Serena Williams Auto and Clay Buchholz Auto/RC.  I have not gotten any hits in regular Topps to speak of in my life.  Topps Chrome gave me some really bad RC/Autos of guys who never even made MLB.  I did acquire a Paul Konerko World Series bat card, but I didn't get that in a pack or a box.  I got a rookie redemption which turned out to be Justin Masterson(woooow), and that's about it with Topps.  Topps is awful, and you really get what you pay for; nothing.

This exclusivity deal will wreck baseball card collecting to the core.  There now won't be Upper Deck, UD Ballpark Collection, UD Goudy, UD Black, SP, SP Authentic or any of the other great Upper Deck brands.  I will really miss Upper Deck, and probably won't be collecting cards anymore since Topps is just a really big waste of money and huge disappointment.  After years of declining sales, it was Upper Deck in 1989 which really brought card collecting back as a big business.

By now at least two of those sets would have been sitting on a shelf, but the only thing sitting there is a box of Topps.  Topps is working on a new set called "Gypsy Queen", modeled after a set from 1887, which may end up being "ok" at best, but not exciting enough to have me planning and saving up for it.  I guess baseball card collecting had a good run, but that run really looks to be sun-setting now.