Apparently 53 years in the hobby doesn’t mean as much as some believed, as the news about the NFL Players Association decision not to renew Topps’ license in 2010 hit the hobby Nov. 9. Viewed by many collectors as one of the top companies in the football market with its staple products like Chrome, Bowman and Finest, Topps has produced football sets dating back to 1956. The move is just the latest in a rash of recent moves to contract the card companies in the hobby and eliminate the over-saturation of products. In September, it was announced that Topps would be the lone licensee for baseball, with Upper Deck holding the exclusive rights to produce Hockey cards and Panini the sole licensee in the basketball card market.
