The Topps Company

The Topps trading card and collectibles business is owned by Fanatics, which acquired the division in January 2023. The confectionery arm — Bazooka Candy Brands — was retained by Michael Eisner and The Tornante Company and operates separately. Fanatics Collectibles runs the card brand under exclusive leagues licenses.

Yes, Topps traded publicly on NASDAQ under the ticker TOPP before Michael Eisner's Tornante Company and Madison Dearborn Partners took it private in 2007 for approximately $385 million. The firm had considered going public again through a SPAC merger in 2021, but the deal was terminated before execution.

Yes, under Fanatics ownership, Topps-branded physical cards are manufactured through Fanatics Collectibles. However, the historic Topps factory in Duryea, Pennsylvania was closed after the Eisner acquisition in 2007, and production was outsourced. Today, cards are produced through Fanatics' global manufacturing network.

Topps historically held the exclusive MLB trading card license for decades. After Fanatics disrupted the market by securing exclusive licenses directly with MLB, the MLBPA, and other leagues starting around 2022, Fanatics subsequently acquired Topps to integrate the brand. Topps now operates under those Fanatics-held licenses.

Topps launched digital collectibles through apps like Topps BUNT and later entered the NFT market during the 2021 boom. After the Fanatics acquisition, the digital platforms were integrated into Fanatics Collectibles. Fanatics sold its own Candy Digital NFT business in 2023, with the Topps digital apps continuing under the merged card division.