Topps To Become Exclusive Baseball Card Maker For Major Leagues

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Topps, the venerable baseball card company, has inked an a exclusive deal with Major League Baseball that will make the company the official baseball card provider of the league.

The multi-year deal marks the first time in three decades that Topps has been the exclusive baseball card of the major leagues. Over the decades, several companies such as Fleer, Donruss, and Upper Deck, produced baseball cards featuring Major League players. The 90s, in particular, saw a boom in the baseball card market. 

Today, only Upper Deck remains as a rival to Topps. Upper Deck still has a deal with the players' union, which give them the rights to the likenesses of players, but not any of the league's teams or logos. Thus far, Upper Deck execs have said that they plan to produce baseball cards.

Founded in 1938, Topps has long been associated with baseball cards. Topps produced their first set of baseball cards in 1952.

The first product to fall under the deal will be the 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1.