A recent development in the trading card industry is that Mickey Mantle (or rather his estate), is once again part of the Topps family.
From the '90s right up through the last few years, Mantle was a staple in Topps products. Whether it was constant dedicated insert sets that no one was asking for, or inclusion into base sets, Mantle was always there. And he was there basically to the point where it wasn't special to get a Mantle card in a pack, which is sort of a weird feeling. He was just another guy in a pack.
But then his estate's Topps deal expired and he became a Panini guy. And while Panini didn't bash us over the head with Mantle, he was included in most sets, such as Diamond Kings and Optic.
In the last few weeks, Topps has brought Mantle back into the family, and he made his return in the Topps Living set. I haven't bought a Living Set card in a few years, and don't pay much attention to it, but I thought this card was really nice looking, so I snagged a pre-order on eBay for a few bucks and it arrived yesterday:
I think it's just a simple, classy looking card.
I'm sure Mantle will once again be shoved down our throats, but for now, it's nice to see him back.
I certainly hope they (Topps) don't go overboard again.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear he's part of the Topps family again. He's obviously one of the first guys I think of when I hear the name Topps.
ReplyDeleteMan, I could copy and paste this post for one I've been meaning to write, but for me it's a Project 70 card of his instead.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that his time with Panini had already come and gone, I was under the impression that it was just starting this year. I guess I must've just blanked out for a few years there?
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