Ever wonder how baseball players get their own trading cards? What makes a rookie card valuable—or even collectible at all?
In this episode, Matt sits down with Kevin Eger, VP of Athlete Partnerships at Fanatics Collectibles (Topps), to pull back the curtain on the trading card industry. Subscribe and explore the business behind the cardboard!
What You’ll Learn:
-
How athletes get selected for trading cards
-
What makes a rookie card officially a “rookie”
-
The behind-the-scenes timeline from draft day to card release
-
Why autographs and “on-card” signatures matter
-
How NIL and social media are reshaping sports collectibles
-
Tips for players and families navigating the evolving card space
Trading cards have been part of childhood for generations—but the business behind them is anything but child’s play. Kevin Eger, a key player at Fanatics (Topps), gives us a rare look inside how athletes—from MLB stars to college prospects—become collectible icons.
Kevin shares how he started his career as a baseball editor, choosing which players appeared on cards and what images represented them. Now, he manages partnerships with athletes and agents, coordinating deals that range from autograph signings to storytelling content and social media activations. It’s about more than cardboard—it’s about crafting legacy and connecting athletes with fans.
Parents of rising stars will also find value here: with the rise of NIL deals and social influence, players can build personal brands earlier than ever. But for Topps, the journey usually begins with the MLB draft—then flows through the minor leagues, rookie cards, and eventually, superstar status.
Enjoyed this insider peek at the trading card world? Subscribe now, leave a review, and share this episode with a baseball fan or aspiring pro in your life!
Learn more: https://fanatics.com
Subscribe to Most Valuable Agent Youtube Channel for more content
https://www.youtube.com/@mostvaluableagent/
___
RESOURCES + LINKS
ALIGND Sports: Elite Representation. Strategic Growth. Maximum Impact.
From contract negotiations to career development, we put athletes first—helping you secure your future on and off the field.
Ready to take your career to the next level? Book a 1:1 consultation with Matt HERE.
FOLLOW
Matt Hannaford: @mfhannaford
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.