Hold onto your hats, collectors, because the landscape of sports card collecting is about to transform under your feet. That transformation is coming in the form of an extended lifespan for redemption cards announced by the pedigree name in trading cards, Topps. Hitherto operating on a two-year validation period, Topps is now taking things to the next level – a leap directly to a ten-year redemption lifespan for their sports cards.
Now, if you’re not a seasoned collector, you might be wondering what all this hullabaloo about redemption cards is. Here’s the lowdown. Redemption cards are placeholders for autographed cards that couldn’t make it into the pack at the time of packing. Previously, they were somewhat dimmed stars in the collecting galaxy given their tendency to soften the value of a product once expired.
Enter the new Topps policy. With this shift, any card issued in, say, 2022 will be valid until 2032 – not 2024. With this extended lifespan, these erstwhile underappreciated cards could transform the value of products in the longer run and ensure collectors a surer shot at acquiring those coveted autograph cards.
Of course, the success of this policy is firmly parked in the court of Topps securing the autographs they promise on these cards. It’s a tricky business, getting those autographs, involved as it is with the details of athlete compensation, among other things. But ever the optimists, we can foresee a smoother road ahead, with Fanatics locking down exclusive licenses with major sports player unions from 2025 onwards.
Combined with the optimistic outlook, there’s an achievement to celebrate as well. Topps should take a bow for slashing its backlog of redemptions from 70k to under 10k over the past year, a significant stride in taming this particular beast in the collecting world.
So, collectors, things are looking up. Topps changed the game with a decade-long validity for redeeming autograph cards, promising more value and longer product life. Ultimately, this is a potential win-win for collectors, the company, and the athletes themselves. It’s a bold move and one that might just topple the collecting game as we know it — in the best possible way.
