Hobby Musings: Topps bringing F1 to hobby world – Topps is well known as the exclusive home of MLB-licensed trading cards. Recently, they entered into another exclusive agreement by putting ink to paper with Formula 1. Operating on a global scale, the company will be releasing F1 trading cards and stickers.
Clay Luraschi, Vice President, Global Development
To find out more about this, I had the chance to catch up VP of Global Development Clay Luraschi via email.
KS: What prompted Topps to pursue an exclusive license with Formula 1?
CL: It’s a massive sports league globally that’s never had a trading card partner, so it was a no-brainer for us.
KS: The license you have with F1 calls for exclusivity on a global scale. For anyone who may not know, what does it mean to Topps to have that global aspect of the agreement, and how important was it for you to secure that?
CL: Because it’s a truly global sport, we felt it was imperative to have the global rights.
KS: What kind of presence has F1 had in the hobby world up to this point?
CL: None, that’s why we felt it was huge opportunity for Topps.
KS: For fans who may not be familiar with the sport, who are some of the big names they can look forward to finding in products, especially for autographs?
CL: Lewis Hamilton is one of the world’s biggest sporting stars. He has won 6 world championships. His teammate Valtteri Bottas is a great driver as well. Young stars such as the 23-year-old Max Verstappen are future stars. And Mick Schumacher, the son of the famous Michael Schumacher, is about to make his F1 debut.
KS: Racing often provides a chance for cool relic cards. With that in mind, how do you intend to utilize F1 relics with your cards?
CL: In year one, we will release Topps Dynasty F1. There are some very colorful and amazing patches in this product as the driving suits provide endless content. As products roll out, the collector will see more and more.
KS: As far as trading card lines go, how many products do you plan on releasing to the public and how was the decision made on which lines to utilize?
CL: For the 2020 season, the recently-released Turbo Attax Trading Card Game is available to consumers and next month, our sticker and album collection will be on shelf. We’ll also have Topps Dynasty and Topps Chrome. Dynasty is a platform to offer collectors amazing autographed patch cards and Topps Chrome is one of the most sought after brands in the trading card category. And Topps NOW, available exclusively on Topps.com, is covering races on a weekly basis.
KS: Is there any chance that Topps could pursue other open-wheel circuits like IndyCar for licenses?
CL: We’re always looking for new opportunities and ways to showcase our unparalleled innovation.
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
Hobby Musings: Topps bringing F1 to hobby world
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