The clock is ticking.
As I write this post, Topps trading card company is offering a special baseball card that commemorates Los Angeles Dodger Outfielder Joc Pederson’s 7th-inning home run that helped the Dodgers beat the Houston Astros 3-1 in Game 6 of the World Series. The game ended about 16 hours ago. And the card is available for only 24 hours.
Welcome to the world of Topps NOW, in which baseball cards are printed and sold on demand.
For baseball fans, the 2017 World Series has been especially memorable, featuring close games, clutch hits, big strikeouts, and defensive gems. As the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers prepare for a winner-take-all Game 7 November 1, Topps has been capturing those moments in a brilliant way.
Through a limited-edition product known as Topps NOW, Topps has created slick, well-designed cards that commemorate key moments during the first six games, such as Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw’s sparking performance that shut down the Astros in Game 1, or the walk-off single by Astros infielder Alex Bregman that beat the Dodgers in Game 5.
Hours after each game concludes, Topps takes orders for the cards during a 24-hour window. After 24 hours, you cannot buy the cards from Topps.
Topps launched Topps NOW in 2016 as a way of shaking up the model for selling collectible cards. Normally, Topps, like other trading card companies, sells licensed Major League Baseball cards months after a season has ended. So, for example, complete sets and packs of cards commemorating the 2017 season won’t be available until the spring of 2018. Selling cards select cards on demand injects immediacy and excitement into the purchase.