Donruss - Revision history

Stalegum at 19:48, 14 August 2024

2024-08-14T19:48:43Z

Stalegum: /* End of the Licensed Era; Return Under New Ownership */

2019-06-27T14:36:38Z

End of the Licensed Era; Return Under New Ownership

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:36, 27 June 2019
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	==End of the Licensed Era; Return Under New Ownership==		==End of the Licensed Era; Return Under New Ownership==

	Towards the end of 2005, it was announced that Donruss-Playoff would not have their MLB/MLBPA licenses renewed. After sitting out a year, D-P would return to the baseball card market in 2007 by producing unlicensed products focusing on draft picks & prospects ([[2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition\|Donruss Elite Extra Edition]]) and retired players ([[2008 Prime Cuts 3\|Prime Cuts)]]. These products, all released between 2007 and 2013 would not feature any active MLB players and would have all their trademarks removed.		Towards the end of 2005, it was announced that Donruss-Playoff would not have their MLB/MLBPA licenses renewed. After sitting out a year, D-P would return to the baseball card market in 2007 by producing unlicensed products focusing on draft picks & prospects ([[2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition\|Donruss Elite Extra Edition]]) and retired players ([[2008 Prime Cuts IV\|Prime Cuts)]]. These products, all released between 2007 and 2013 would not feature any active MLB players and would have all their trademarks removed.

	In 2009 Panini Group, an Italian firm best known for their European soccer and non-sports collectible stickers and trading card games, acquired the worldwide exclusive license for the NBA, beginning with the 2009-10 NBA season. Days later, Panini purchased Donruss-Playoff which it then renamed "Panini America." Under the Panini marque, the company continued to produced unlicensed draft pick and retired player sets.		In 2009 Panini Group, an Italian firm best known for their European soccer and non-sports collectible stickers and trading card games, acquired the worldwide exclusive license for the NBA, beginning with the 2009-10 NBA season. Days later, Panini purchased Donruss-Playoff which it then renamed "Panini America." Under the Panini marque, the company continued to produced unlicensed draft pick and retired player sets.

Stalegum: /* Production of Baseball Cards Begins in 1981 */

2017-12-28T01:08:32Z

Production of Baseball Cards Begins in 1981

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:08, 27 December 2017
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	==Production of Baseball Cards Begins in 1981==		==Production of Baseball Cards Begins in 1981==

	Though Donruss was generally doing well with ~~these series~~, the firm was frustrated by its inability to break into the popular category of baseball cards, which Topps had held exclusive rights to produce since 1956. In 1975, a lawsuit was filed by Topps rival Fleer to try to break the lock on baseball, and five years later a Federal judge ruled that Topps had illegally obtained exclusive rights to use the players' images. Fleer and Donruss immediately worked out agreements with Major League Baseball to issue their own sets of cards, and Donruss's first series hit stores in time for the 1981 season. In August of that year, the judge's ruling was overturned by an appellate court, but Fleer's lawyers discovered a loophole in the Topps contract which allowed cards to be sold if they were not packaged with gum or candy, or if they were sold in combination with some other item. Donruss quickly removed gum and added three pieces of a Babe Ruth puzzle to its 30 cent, 15-card packs, while Fleer enclosed team logo stickers. (This loophole was ended in 1992).		Though Donruss was generally doing well with their non-sports sets, the firm was frustrated by its inability to break into the popular category of baseball cards, which Topps had held exclusive rights to produce since 1956. In 1975, a lawsuit was filed by Topps rival Fleer to try to break the lock on baseball, and five years later [https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/501/485/2377924/ a Federal judge ruled that Topps] had illegally obtained exclusive rights to use the players' images. Fleer and Donruss immediately worked out agreements with Major League Baseball to issue their own sets of cards, and Donruss's first series hit stores in time for the 1981 season. In August of that year, the judge's ruling was overturned by an appellate court, but Fleer's lawyers discovered a loophole in the Topps contract which allowed cards to be sold if they were not packaged with gum or candy, or if they were sold in combination with some other item. Donruss quickly removed gum and added three pieces of a Babe Ruth puzzle to its 30 cent, 15-card packs, while Fleer enclosed team logo stickers. (This loophole was ended in 1992).

	Rather than over-saturating the market for baseball cards, the new competition proved a stimulant. Total sales grew from an estimated 500 million cards a year in the late 1970s to one billion by the mid-1980s as each of the three firms strove to make their card sets distinctive. For its part, Donruss included a 26-card "Diamond Kings" subset, which featured paintings of one player from each team by noted sports artist Dick Perez, and other cards that depicted non-player subjects like the San Diego Padres mascot "The Chicken," which thousands of fans mailed to the company to have autographed.		Rather than over-saturating the market for baseball cards, the new competition proved a stimulant. Total sales grew from an estimated 500 million cards a year in the late 1970s to one billion by the mid-1980s as each of the three firms strove to make their card sets distinctive. For its part, Donruss included a 26-card "Diamond Kings" subset, which featured paintings of one player from each team by noted sports artist Dick Perez, and other cards that depicted non-player subjects like the San Diego Padres mascot "The Chicken," which thousands of fans mailed to the company to have autographed.
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	Donruss's initial success with baseball cards was soon followed by problems with distribution and overproduction, however, and in late 1983 General Mills sold the firm to conglomerate Huhtamaki Oy of Finland. Huhtamaki had also recently bought Leaf Confectionery, Inc. of Chicago and Beatrice US Confections, and the three operations were combined under the Leaf, Inc. banner. Together, the companies produced such popular brands as Milk Duds, Heath, Jolly Rancher, Switzer, and Good 'n' Plenty, as well as trading cards and Super Bubble Gum. Huhtamaki, which had been founded in 1920, owned a number of different firms that included makers of beverages, canned and frozen foods, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products. At this time, Donruss had annual sales of approximately $40 million.		Donruss's initial success with baseball cards was soon followed by problems with distribution and overproduction, however, and in late 1983 General Mills sold the firm to conglomerate Huhtamaki Oy of Finland. Huhtamaki had also recently bought Leaf Confectionery, Inc. of Chicago and Beatrice US Confections, and the three operations were combined under the Leaf, Inc. banner. Together, the companies produced such popular brands as Milk Duds, Heath, Jolly Rancher, Switzer, and Good 'n' Plenty, as well as trading cards and Super Bubble Gum. Huhtamaki, which had been founded in 1920, owned a number of different firms that included makers of beverages, canned and frozen foods, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products. At this time, Donruss had annual sales of approximately $40 million.

	The Leaf association proved a boon to the firm, as it provided access to that company's well-established distribution network. In 1985, Donruss began making [[1985 Leaf\|a special edition of their flagship baseball card set the Canadaian market]] under the "Leaf" name (similar to the Topps-influenced O-Pee-Chee sets of the era), and introduced it's first post-season update set [[1985 Donruss Highlights\|"Donruss Highlights."]] Sales of cards were continuing to grow and increased approximately 100 percent in both 1986 and 1987 to reach an estimated three billion industry-wide. Topps remained the leader, producing approximately half of the total, with Donruss selling about a quarter and Fleer a shade less. By this time, the concept of baseball cards as ~~collectibles and even~~ investments was gaining wider acceptance, and specialty shops were beginning to spring up around the country to serve customers who now included many adults along with the industry's core audience of teen and pre-teen boys. Prices for the 15-card packs were on the rise, now standing at 45 cents.		The Leaf association proved a boon to the firm, as it provided access to that company's well-established distribution network. In 1985, Donruss began making [[1985 Leaf\|a special edition of their flagship baseball card set the Canadaian market]] under the "Leaf" name (similar to the Topps-influenced O-Pee-Chee sets of the era), and introduced it's first post-season update set [[1985 Donruss Highlights\|"Donruss Highlights."]] Sales of cards were continuing to grow and increased approximately 100 percent in both 1986 and 1987 to reach an estimated three billion industry-wide. Topps remained the leader, producing approximately half of the total, with Donruss selling about a quarter and Fleer a shade less. By this time, the concept of baseball cards as investments was gaining wider acceptance, and specialty shops were beginning to spring up around the country to serve customers who now included many adults along with the industry's core audience of teen and pre-teen boys. Prices for the 15-card packs were on the rise, now standing at 45 cents.

	The baseball card boom was drawing more competitors into the fray, with Score of Texas and Upper Deck of Anaheim, California, joining the ranks in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Score boosted the cards' quality a notch by using better paper, action photographs, and improved writing on the backs, while Upper Deck went even further, issuing a 700-card set that featured holograms to discourage counterfeiting and opaque foil packaging instead of the traditional waxed paper. Its cards cost 89 cents for 15 and were also sold in complete sets through dealers.		The baseball card boom was drawing more competitors into the fray, with Score of Texas and Upper Deck of Anaheim, California, joining the ranks in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Score boosted the cards' quality a notch by using better paper, action photographs, and improved writing on the backs, while Upper Deck went even further, issuing a 700-card set that featured holograms to discourage counterfeiting and opaque foil packaging instead of the traditional waxed paper. Its cards cost 89 cents for 15 and were also sold in complete sets through dealers.

Stalegum: /* Sports Strikes Wreak Havoc for Card Industry in 1994 */

2017-12-28T00:59:58Z

Sports Strikes Wreak Havoc for Card Industry in 1994

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:59, 27 December 2017
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	==Sports Strikes Wreak Havoc for Card Industry in 1994==		==Sports Strikes Wreak Havoc for Card Industry in 1994==

	The year 1994 proved disastrous for many sports card manufacturers. ~~A major~~ baseball strike forced cancellation of the ~~latter half of the season~~ and soured many on the game, while a lockout of National Hockey League players threw that sport into disarray for a time as well. Simultaneously, the proliferation of card makers and their increasing emphasis on ~~limited~~-~~edition series~~, along with a sizable drop in ~~the resale~~ value ~~of recent cards~~, was causing large numbers of ~~collectors~~ to rethink their ~~devotion to the hobby~~. Further aggravating factors included the actions of the players' associations, which signed deals with unlimited numbers of companies for high licensing fees that drove up card prices, and the chicanery of certain unscrupulous dealers, who found ways to remove valuable ~~insert cards~~ before packs were put out for public sale or even stooped to counterfeiting desirable cards. By the end of 1994, sales of baseball and hockey cards had fallen an estimated 40 percent. Donruss, still without an NFL or NBA license, revenues were down by nearly half to approximately $50 million.		The year 1994 proved disastrous for many sports card manufacturers. The 1994 baseball strike forced cancellation of the World Series and soured many on the game, while a lockout of National Hockey League players threw that sport into disarray for a time as well. Simultaneously, the proliferation of card makers and their increasing emphasis on premium and super-premium cards, along with a sizable drop in their secondary value, was causing large numbers of speculators to rethink their investments. Further aggravating factors included the actions of the players' associations, which signed deals with unlimited numbers of companies for high licensing fees that drove up card prices, and the chicanery of certain unscrupulous dealers, who found ways to remove valuable inserts before packs were put out for public sale or even stooped to counterfeiting desirable cards. By the end of 1994, sales of baseball and hockey cards had fallen an estimated 40 percent. At Donruss, still without an NFL or NBA license to fall back on, revenues were down by nearly half to approximately $50 million.

	The company took several measures to regroup under new head John Williams, who had previously run Huhtamaki's Polarcup packaging unit. In 1995, the firm, which had recently become known as Donruss Trading Cards, Inc., began developing a line of ~~entertainment~~ cards, ~~along with what it called interactive cards. It was soon~~ marketing a set ~~of nearly 100 Ace Ventura cards,~~ based on the ~~hit Jim Carrey movies~~.		The company took several measures to regroup under new head John D. Williams, who had previously run Huhtamaki's Polarcup packaging unit -- and had no previous Hobby experience. In 1995, the firm, which had recently become known as Donruss Trading Cards, Inc., began developing a line of non-sports cards, marketing a set based on the Ace Ventura films.

	The company's sales slump was dragging down Huhtamaki's profits, however, and in May of 1996 the Finnish company sold Donruss's baseball and hockey card lines to Pinnacle Brands, Inc. for approximately $41 million, and then sold the entertainment card and game businesses to U.S. Playing Card Co. Coming in the aftermath of Fleer's merger with Impel Marketing (owners of NBA and NFL card producer SkyBox International), the Donruss sale reduced the number of ~~major~~ card companies to four.		The company's sales slump was dragging down Huhtamaki's profits, however, and in May of 1996 the Finnish company sold Donruss's baseball and hockey card lines to Pinnacle Brands, Inc. for approximately $41 million, and then sold the entertainment card and game businesses to U.S. Playing Card Co. Coming in the aftermath of Fleer's merger with Impel Marketing (owners of NBA and NFL card producer SkyBox International), the Donruss sale reduced the number of baseball card companies to four.

	~~New owner~~ Pinnacle Brands was a Texas company that had evolved out of baseball card maker Score, which also ~~primarily~~ made NFL, NHL, and NASCAR cards. It had started in 1970 as Optigraphics, which made special "moving-image" cards using lenticular printing -- which it pioneered. It entered the baseball card market in 1986 with [[1986 Sportflics\|Sportflics]], an all-lenticular product. It released [[1988 Score\|Score]], a traditional baseball card set ~~in 1988~~.		[[Pinnacle Brands]] was a Texas company that had evolved out of baseball card maker Score, which also made NFL, NHL, WNBA, and NASCAR cards. It had started in 1970 as Optigraphics, which made special "moving-image" cards using lenticular printing -- which it pioneered. It entered the baseball card market in 1986 with [[1986 Sportflics\|Sportflics]], an all-lenticular product. Two years later, it released [[1988 Score\|Score]], a traditional baseball card set.

	Opticgraphics/Score/Pinnacle's co-founders and co-owners, Ann Blake and John Flavin, had divorced in 1992, with Flavin ~~sold~~ his ~~own~~ stake in the firm, while Blake left to found her own company: Cardz Distribution.		Opticgraphics/Score/Pinnacle's co-founders and co-owners, Ann Blake and John Flavin, had divorced in 1992, with Flavin selling his stake in the firm, while Blake left to found her own company: Cardz Distribution.

	Under the aegis of Pinnacle, Donruss continued to be operated as a separate company -- although it's headquarters moved from Memphis to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. In addition to MLB and NHL cards, Donruss ~~inherited~~ Pinnacle's NFL and NASCAR licenses. During this period, Donruss was known for their innovative "materials" insert cards printed on actual pieces of metal, leather, canvas, and wood. Such strategies did not succeed in reversing the company's fortunes, however, and in July of 1998 Pinnacle Brands, Inc. and subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy. Later that year, the Donruss, Score, and ~~Leaf~~ brands, excluding their MLB and NHL licenses, were acquired by Playoff Corp. of Grand Prairie, Texas, after a heated bidding war with representatives of Fleer and Upper Deck. Playoff, which was owned by Ann Blake, had grown out of her Cardz operation and now produced several lines of high-end football cards. It generated some $25 million in annual revenues. In the months following the sale, new series of Leaf, Score, and Donruss Elite cards were issued, and in 2000 the firm, now renamed "Donruss-Playoff" added a new 36,000-square-foot distribution facility ~~and launched a line of cards based on the Japanese animated television series Dragonball Z~~.		Under the aegis of Pinnacle, Donruss continued to be operated as a separate company, with separate product development teams, separate marketing teams, and separate distribution channels -- although it's headquarters was moved from Memphis to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. In addition to MLB and NHL cards, Donruss made use of Pinnacle's NFL and NASCAR licenses. During this period, Donruss was known for their innovative "materials" insert cards printed on actual pieces of metal, leather, canvas, and wood, and in [[1997 Leaf]] issued some of the first game-used cards with a series of corporate spokesman Frank Thomas.

			Such strategies did not succeed in reversing the company's fortunes, however, and in July of 1998 Pinnacle Brands, Inc. and subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy. Later that year, the Donruss, Score, Leaf, and Pinnacle brands (excluding their MLB and NHL licenses, which were revoked by their respective leagues) were acquired by Playoff Corp. of Grand Prairie, Texas, after a heated bidding war with representatives of Fleer and Upper Deck. Playoff, which was owned by Ann Blake, had grown out of her Cardz operation and now produced several lines of high-end football cards. It generated some $25 million in annual revenues. In the months following the sale, new series of Leaf, Score, and Donruss Elite football and hockey cards were issued, and in 2000 the firm, now renamed "Donruss-Playoff" added a new 36,000-square-foot distribution facility.

	==Baseball Cards Return in 2001==		==Baseball Cards Return in 2001==

Stalegum: /* Baseball Cards Return in 2001 */

2017-12-28T00:38:07Z

Baseball Cards Return in 2001

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:38, 27 December 2017
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	In 2004, D-P acquired Pacific Trading Cards, who had pulled out of the baseball card market in 2000, but was still producing hockey and football cards.		In 2004, D-P acquired Pacific Trading Cards, who had pulled out of the baseball card market in 2000, but was still producing hockey and football cards.

	Towards the end of 2005, it was announced that Donruss-Playoff would not have their MLB/MLBPA licenses renewed. After sitting out a year, D-P would return to the baseball card market in 2007 by producing unlicensed products focusing on draft picks & prospects ([[2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition\|Donruss Elite Extra Edition]]) and retired players ([[2008 Prime Cuts 3\|Prime Cuts). These products, all released between 2007 and 2013 would not feature any active MLB players and would have all their trademarks removed.		==End of the Licensed Era; Return Under New Ownership==

			Towards the end of 2005, it was announced that Donruss-Playoff would not have their MLB/MLBPA licenses renewed. After sitting out a year, D-P would return to the baseball card market in 2007 by producing unlicensed products focusing on draft picks & prospects ([[2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition\|Donruss Elite Extra Edition]]) and retired players ([[2008 Prime Cuts 3\|Prime Cuts)]]. These products, all released between 2007 and 2013 would not feature any active MLB players and would have all their trademarks removed.

	In 2009 Panini Group, an Italian firm best known for their European soccer and non-sports collectible stickers and trading card games, acquired the worldwide exclusive license for the NBA, beginning with the 2009-10 NBA season. Days later, Panini purchased Donruss-Playoff which it then renamed "Panini America." Under the Panini marque, the company continued to produced unlicensed draft pick and retired player sets.		In 2009 Panini Group, an Italian firm best known for their European soccer and non-sports collectible stickers and trading card games, acquired the worldwide exclusive license for the NBA, beginning with the 2009-10 NBA season. Days later, Panini purchased Donruss-Playoff which it then renamed "Panini America." Under the Panini marque, the company continued to produced unlicensed draft pick and retired player sets.

Stalegum at 22:12, 27 December 2017

2017-12-27T22:12:11Z

Show changes

Stalegum at 05:54, 5 December 2011

2011-12-05T05:54:14Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:54, 5 December 2011
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	[[Category:Donruss]]		[[Category:Donruss]]
			[[Category:Card Companies]]
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2011-12-05T02:50:39Z

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