Topps Chewing Gum

Tom Seaver’s 1969 Topps Contract Extension

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Here’s another historically significant Topps contract, signed by Tom Seaver on March 8, 1969 – the spring of the year the Amazin’ Mets would win the World Series!

Mastro auctioned off this contract in September 2000 with the following description:

Not just any Topps contract extension, this one is dated 1969! Who would know that Seaver would finish with a 25-7 record fueled by a 2.21 ERA? Or that the Amazin’ Mets would win the World Series? Seaver got the Cy Young, and Topps got a two-year extension for the bonus payment of a whopping $75 or a gift – whichever he wanted to choose. The contract, signed and dated March 8, 1969, has a bold ballpoint Seaver signature that extends over two portions of the typing on the contract. It grades at least a 9.

The contract reads:

Agreement between George Thomas Seaver Player, and TOPPS CHEWING GUM, INC.

We, the undersigned, hereby agree to extend the term of our present contract, plus extensions, if any, for an additional period of two years or two full Baseball Seasons, as the case may be, on the same terms and conditions contained in said contract. This extension agreement shall be governed by the Laws of the State of New York.

A bonus payment of $75.00 (or as his choice an extension gift as offered by Topps in lieu of his bonus payment), will be due the player the first time after signing this extension that he is or becomes an active member of a Major League Baseball Team between May 15 and August 15.

Here’s a cleaner copy of the contract courtesy of PSA’s Tom Seaver AutographFacts page.

And here’s another extension contract signed by Seaver in March 1975. Lelands tried to sell it, but by the final bid of $838 in August 2006, failed to meet the reserve.

Happy collecting!

Vintage Baseball Card Sales Numbers And The Topps Monopoly

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Today, I wanted to look back at and share information from the early days of Topps as a card company, particularly the Federal Trade Commission decision regarding a complaint made against Topps Chewing Gum, Inc., alleging unfair competition methods in gaining control of the baseball card picture industry.

Topps Chewing Gum Inc. FTC Decision

As you can see in the image above, the court dismissed the case on April 30, 1965, because there was insufficient evidence. 

While the complaint uses a lot of legal jargon to allege a “monopoly in the manufacture and distribution of baseball picture cards in commerce,” as a collector, I find equally fascinating the reporting of sports card sales numbers from Topps, Bowman, Goudey, and Fleer. 

First Goudey Sales: 

Vintage Goudey Baseball Card Sales

Next Bowman Sales: 

Vintage Bowman Baseball Card Sales

Topps sales in those years were as follows: 

Early 50s Topps Baseball Card Sales

Topps sales once there were no Bowman cards were (“Baseball card gum” being packs with gum in them, and “Baseball cards” being products like vending boxes, cello, and rack packs that didn’t have gum): 

1957-1961 Topps Baseball Card Sales

And finally, Fleer sales figures: 

Vintage Fleer Baseball Card Sales

I’ll pour through this 112-page document in the future to see what other insights we can glean about the post-war baseball card market and the impact Topps’ actions as a company had on its competitors. That will come in the future as a Part 2 of this article. But these numbers are our best insight into figuring out how many cards Topps and other companies actually produced in the early post-war era. 

Happy collecting!