Topps Looks To Salvage Barry Bonds

The controversial “Trade Barry” billboard that first appeared near AT&T Ballpark in San Francisco at the beginning of the season was not the work of a disgruntled baseball fan. To the surprise of many baseball fans in the San Francisco area, the billboard was created by Topps. Three days later, a new billboard reading “TRADE BARRY’s CARDS WITH TOPPS – The Exclusive Home of Barry’s Home Run Chase” replaced the original. The Giants were aware of the ad campaign from the beginning.

Topps was attempting to salvage a two-year exclusive rights contract with Barry Bonds signed in December 2004, just weeks before excerpts of Bond’s grand jury testimony in the BALCO investigation were revealed by the San Francisco Examiner. The deal is believed to be worth more than $2 million. The manufacturer is hoping to create interest in the 15-card “Barry Bonds Chase to 715 Set” available through topps.com and barrybonds.com for $49.95.

Possible links to steroid use combined with Bonds’s physical ailments and general surliness have taken a toll on the value of his baseball cards. Because baseball card sets chronicle history, Bonds cards are being bought and sold, but for significantly reduced prices.

The value of Bonds’s rookie cards have fallen steadily as he chases Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. According to a report on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines”, high-end Bonds items have fallen 50% or more over the last two years. The Bonds 1986 Topps Traded rookie, which sold for over $100 two years ago, are readily available on eBay for less than $20 with graded versions going for $30. The value of his game-used memorabilia cards pale in comparison to popular sluggers like Albert Pujols and David Ortiz.