SEEING 2020

THE SUCCESS OF TOP PS PROJECT 2020 PUTS THE COMPANY’ S SIGHT SON FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

TOPPS HAD SUCH BIG PLANS FOR THE ROLLOUT OF ITS E-COMMERCE TOPPS PROJECT 2020 PROGRAM.

Interviews, guests online, and a big public relations event in New York that would be the opening pitch of the uniquely-designed, print-on-demand set. And then COVID-19 entered our lives.

“Our event was supposed to be just as the leagues were shutting down and the lockdown was starting,” says Jeff Heckman, Topps’ Global Director of Topps.com, and who carries overall responsibility for the program. “So we had to cancel that, of course. We decided to go forward with [the project anyway]. But to see that we’re 80-plus cards into this and how well it’s been received is great.”

Heckman spoke to Beckett Media in late May, as the cards were reaching wider appeal.

BECKETT BASEBALL: Has it been surprising just how quickly the Topps Project 2020 cards took off?

JEFF HECKMAN: “For sure, it surprised all of us. But we did have high hopes for it. When we were putting it together last fall, we thought it was something that would be very different and very unique and had potential. We just didn’t know exactly what to expect because it’s so different from other trading card concepts.

“With the lockdown and social distancing it’s a perfect activity in isolation. But who knows where the economy is going to go or where the world is going to go? All of this could change just like that. But for the last few months e-commerce has been good.”

BB: When was the program created?

JH: “ e idea was generated last August. From there we were working to get artists signed up and on board up to

early March. It was a really long process to get it where we thought we had a good framework to get the idea right.”

BB: What’s been the greatest challenge handing 20 different unique artists and personalities?

JH: “We’re working with 20 different artists, all different timelines and different responsibilities. It’s juggling 20 different schedules . . . different styles . . . different artwork. Some artists are faster than others; some have other things going on in their lives, and of course the pandemic has made it difficult for everybody. We’re being flexible on how we get the art and how we put the schedule together.”

BB: Will the success of Topps Project 2020 lead to similar programs for some of your other licenses?

JH: “Yeah, I think we might look at something with Star Wars, WWE, soccer, Garbage Pail Kids. A lot of people have been asking if we are going to do a Project 2021; the answer is no. Project 2020 is unique. ere are other things we’ll do in baseball and other properties, but it will be different from Project 2020.”

BB: What was the process of determining who the 20 artists would be?

JH: “When we first started this, we could see some of the things that were going on in some industries like sneakers and fashion. We reached out to some of those artists and then our partners at Major League Baseball were very helpful because some of these artists worked with MLB on promotions and other events so we had a pretty good list that we went out with.

“As we go to the finish line we had a few more artists than 20 that wanted to be a part of it, but we cut it off there.”

BB: How do the artists send in their artworks? All at once? A few at a time?

JH: “We leave that to the artists. We have a schedule and tell them when we need their next piece. Our schedule is about one month out. Right now we’re probably 10-12 cards ahead of the schedule. Some artists will send their works in bulk – four or five at a time – and other artists will send one at a time, usually one a week or one every two weeks, which is what their deadlines are. Some are able to knock them out a little quicker

than others. And some of them have finished some artwork and seen what other artists have done or what collectors are really gravitating towards from a sales and social media standpoint, and have adjusted some work they had finished.”

BB: What direction did you give the artists?

JH: “With this program we’ve tried to give each artist the freedom and license to follow their own paths. e styles are very unique, very different. It’s art. If something catches your eye, great, buy it. If not, that’s okay, too. I think people in the card world are used to seeing the card recreated exactly as it is. But that’s not the nature of the program. e nature of the program is sending a Topps card to an artist and telling them to go paint this, go re-imagine that, go do whatever your style is. at’s what we wanted to capture, and we think the artists have done a great job of capturing that part of it. We wanted to tap into the artists’ followers and fans and it’s brought some new people into the trading card market.”