A Guide to eTopps Internet Sports Cards

The Topps Company is the undisputed Godfather of trading cards, with over 50 years of sports cards that have taken their place in sports memorabilia lore. In 2000, Topps started a new and bold venture which combined the modern technology of the internet, the market concept of Wall Street, and sports cards.

Called eTopps, the program offers internet exclusive sports cards that collectors can buy and collect online. No need to buy complete sets or packs of cards; now collectors can purchase only the players they want. eTopps operates on the idea that collectors would like to build a portfolio of valuable cards to buy, sell, and trade. Like a portfolio of stocks, collectors do not physically hold their cards, but they manage their portfolio online. Like the stock market, you have to decide which cards to buy that have the best chance to go up in value.

BUYING AN IPO
To participate in eTopps, a collector will need to open an account at www.eTopps.com (it's free), which provides a portfolio to hold cards. During baseball, football, basketball, and hockey seasons, eTopps offers cards from players from those respective sports for a limited time. Called an I.P.O. (initial player offering) much like a stock's initial public offering, the cards are only sold for a set time, usually a week, and then only a limited number of cards are offered. At the end of the week, collectors who placed an IPO order find out if they get a card, or cards if they order multiples. Sometimes, eTopps receives more orders than they have cards available, so cards are often allocated by a percentage; if more than one card was ordered, only a portion of the order may be allocated. If by chance, fewer orders were placed than cards offered, eTopps only prints enough cards to meet orders. This sometimes creates a unique situation in which cards that were under ordered are in such short supply, the price of the card goes up significantly.