Topps creates world’s largest baseball card
Photos courtesy of Topps
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
Prince Fielder is used to the big-boy jokes, but he’s got nothing on this.
Topps unveiled the world’s largest baseball card Tuesday morning in Lakeland, Fla., a 90-by-60 foot version of Fielder’s card in the 2013 set.
The unveiling took place with Fielder on hand along with groups of youth league baseball players to help unveil the card at Peterson Park near the Tigers’ spring training home.
“We are excited to kick off the season and celebrate the launch of our new 2013 Topps baseball Series 1 with Lakeland City Baseball, Prince and baseball fans everywhere,” said Marc Stephens, Topps’ Marketing Manager, in a prepared release.
Fielder was on hand as well.
“It is truly an honor and a thrill for me to be featured not only on the 2013 Topps Series 1 box,” Fielder said in a prepared statement, “but also on the largest baseball card the world has ever seen.”
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
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- Courtesy of Topps
Watch for Topps Update later this year, with genuine event-used relic pieces of this giant card cut up and placed inside a regular-sized card for insertion into packs … (you just know it’ll happen)
I called this — and the Relic component — even before the press release went out.
They could do a Chris Olds card.
topps needed all that space in order to include fielders fat a** on there
It’s interesting to see the card somewhat close-up in the photo of Fielder standing on the card. You can see the jaggies (pixelation) especially in the bottom portion of his blue sleeve. It’s not a critique. It’s simply the reality of the production process of such an unusual printing.
I would really love to hear how this card was produced or even how it got onto the field. I’m assuming it was folded up judging from the lines on the card. I would also assume that the image is tiled prints somehow seamed together. How thick is the card? Where is it being kept? So many questions.
Regardless, it is a great flagship photo for the series. The swooping energy of his swing reflects similar design elements in the card.
Erik makes a great point about the jaggies. I would like to see Topps apply a halftone pattern to the card so that way it truly looks like a huge baseball card. The halftone dots could be each a foot in diameter.
Although walking all over the card, what condition does that make the card? Poor? (or as I like to say “well-worn”).
I’d like to see Topps release an entire 700-card set of these giant cards. Topps could release it under the ol’ 1989 Topps Super brand.
rather than inserting them into another card, they could just cut this into standard size cards. That way somebody could try to piece the whole thing together.
How are they supposed to get that graded and slabbed??
Now that the promotion is over with, suppose what they are going to do with the card now ???
Hmmm . . . does Ultra-Pro make sleeve that big? ;-)
World’s Largest Baseball Card…materials and printing by Better Life Technology
I knew Prince was big but that’s huge!! Can I get that in a toploader??
Out of everyone in the baseball world, you pick Prince Fielder? Come on! That being said, it’s still cool. And I do agree with zotster and Olds (and hope!) that these will be inserts in Series 2 or Update
now THAT is a jumbo card! Too bad he stepped on his own arm. Now that’ll never grade prestine. :)
The “card” relic posts above beat me to it.
Will be limited edition-to 88869 or so (rough math)!!!!. Would have to be really fortunate to get a 2-color piece. Let alone a 3 or a 4-color piece!
I think it’ll be series 2’s wrapper redemption chase with Fielder signing about 20 of the 88869 pieces or so.
Cool idea anyway to make such a big card!
Matt: He’s the guy on the box, so he’s the guy.
i like the size of the card.
Now I have a quetion, will the part of the card where he walked on and is standing be worth more then the other none walked on pieces?????