Topps acquired by Fanatics

[MRP]

Not sure if the impending sale was a factor in the decision to end the deal with Mego or not, but it was announced today that Topps was acquired by Fanatics, including all their collectible (physical and digital) divisions as well as trading cards.

https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id...es-sources-say

The deal is set to be finalized tomorrow and no financial terms were disclosed. The one thing that is set though is that Fanatics will start manufacturing MLB trading cards immediately instead of 2026 when they were set to take over for Topps.

-M

[LonnieFisher]

I hope we still get the Mego figures we ordered...

[apes3978]

I hope we still get the Mego figures we ordered...

I thought they were supposed to be in production already?

If so, I can't see why people wouldn't get what they pre-ordered...

[wise guy]

It might be easier to do refunds since the takeover is immediate but I would rather get my Shazam,Adam and Arrow.

[ODBJBG]

I don't think this has any effect on Mego either way, nor do I care for that matter... But man this whole story is weird.

Topps has been around forever, had a "monopoly" on trading cards, finally loses the license to many of the major sports and people are wondering what would happen to them but they immediately go **** up and sell to the company that got the rights to make the cards? It's just such a weird thing.

I wonder if Fanatics (whatever the hell that even is) was trying to buy Topps the entire time and they just wrestled the card license from them, in order to force Topps hand?

[TRDouble]

...
I wonder if Fanatics (whatever the hell that even is) was trying to buy Topps the entire time and they just wrestled the card license from them, in order to force Topps hand?

That's a great question! And I agree that it is weird because Upper Deck survived when sports leagues started to play the exclusive licensee game, leaving them with the NHL as the only major sports license. I read Fanatics has the NFLPA too, so I don't know where this leaves Panini in all of this either, but it's crazy that Fanatics now owns Topps Trading Cards. It feels like AOL buying Time Warner.

[TrekStar]

I think at this point, folks might be better off just getting a refund and maybe Mego alone will carry the ball from now on, unless there’s a behind the doors money issues and that’s why the attempted merger with Topps?

Plus the other issues companies are dealing with regarding covid-19, warehouses working with skeleton crews, production costs rising, it takes money to make money and mego is no different.

It’s a mess out there right now and it has been for almost 2 years, everyone is affected and it’s going to be awhile before things get straightened out and that includes the world of mego.

Just look at how good things were going when mego first resurfaced, carded megos we’re back on the shelves, really no delays in wave releases, Targets we’re getting them shipped and then covid hit.

My apologies I don’t mean to preach, I’m sure everyone here already knows the score, and the bright side of this is at some point it will get better, not for just a little while but for the long hall.

I do not blame mego for anything, they gave it a shot with a Topps merger, but it doesn’t seem to have worked, so you live and learn.

[MRP]

Looks like the total value of the deal was in the $500 million range according to reports cited by ESPN.

-M

[Spectator]

maybe Mego alone will carry the ball from now on, unless there’s a behind the doors money issues and that’s why the attempted merger with Topps?

I do not blame mego for anything, they gave it a shot with a Topps merger

*blink* *blink*

Did I miss something? There was an attempted merger between Mego and Topps? Or do you just mean the functional distribution "merger" that was their joint operating on the mail order program... ?

[ODBJBG]

*blink* *blink*

Did I miss something? There was an attempted merger between Mego and Topps? Or do you just mean the functional distribution "merger" that was their joint operating on the mail order program... ?

He means the second part.

The Topps distribution deal.

[TrekStar]

He means the second part.

The Topps distribution deal.

Yes thank you. My apologies if my ranting didn’t clearly explain the meaning it was meant to, I should have been a bit more specific.

I do hope that everyone who did pre-order receives their items, if not then the refund can go to something else that actually might be a better option down the road?