Topps NOW has found a winning strategy. And it’s sticking to it.
The company’s print-to-demand product struck gold last month when, after Team USA's victory over France in men's basketball, Topps NOW offered a first-of-its-kind promotion — anyone who purchased a base card from the Americans' gold-medal win would earn the chance to receive a one-of-one card featuring signatures from LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.
The results were overwhelming.
At $11.99 apiece, the cards sold a record 588,035 copies, the most ever for a Topps NOW card.
A month later, it’s apparent the buzz surrounding the hunt for the card — which has yet to surface as of Thursday morning, though it has received various bounties and offers in the six-figure range — has reinforced a strategy for the Topps NOW brand.
After Lionel Messi recreated Curry’s “Night, Night” celebration in a game earlier this week, the company announced a Topps NOW card depicting both stars striking the pose side-by-side.
Priced at $11.99 per card (with discounts for bulk purchases), the card was made available Monday on the Topps website and will run until Friday.
Building on the success of the Team USA triple autograph, Topps announced a similar chase card for this release, promising one lucky customer would receive a one-of-one dual autograph card of both athletes.
The Topps NOW card follows a viral apparel moment that also featured Curry’s signature “Night, Night” celebration. Following the win against France, Curry was spotted wearing a “Nuit Nuit” hoodie.
Though the “Nuit Nuit” line was never meant to hit retail stores, bootleggers quickly copied the concept and Fanatics began selling official T-shirts days later. Curry filed to trademark the phrase “Nuit. Nuit” soon after.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.