In a game-changing decision that’s all set to reshape the terrain of sports card collecting, Topps has extended the validity of redemption cards from the ordinary two years to a striking ten years. This revolutionary policy change is applicable to all sports card releases from the year 2021-22 and will prove instrumental in resolving issues where collectors find redemption cards in older packs rendered worthless due to expired autographs.
The domain of sports card collecting has long been shadowed by the contentious issue of redemption cards. These are placeholders for actual autographed cards, which might not be ready for packing at a particular time. Once the redemption card expires, the product’s monetary worth faced a downslide. With this notable amendment in policy, the validity span of these cards has been stretched to an entire decade. This implies that a card issued in 2022 will keep its redeemable value until the year 2032, instead of expiring in 2024 as per the traditional cycle. This inventive approach promises to keep the market’s products valuable longer and offers peace of minds to collectors regarding the redemption of their autograph cards.
While this move marks a significant stride towards enhancing the sports card collector’s experience, its success is still contingent upon Topps’ ability to secure the promised autographs on these cards. In the past, obtaining autographs has seen frequent delays. These postponements often arise from drawn-out discussions over athlete compensations. However, with Fanatics on deck, which holds exclusive licenses with significant sportsmen unions commencing in 2025, the future looks promising. Anticipations are high that this arrangement will streamline the entire process, accelerating product sales and multiplying benefits for all stakeholders involved in the process.
Adding to this optimistic scenario is Topps’ extraordinary success in reducing the backlog of redemptions. Their diligent efforts have managed to bring down this overwhelming backlog from the staggering number of 70,000 to a manageable figure under 10,000. This single-handedly signifies marked progress in tackling one of the most enduring challenges entrenched in the hobby. Thus, with the formidable backing of this new policy, Frantic’s impending involvement, and the commendable reduction in redemption logjam, it is an exciting time on the horizon for collectors, hobbyists, and industry stakeholders alike.
