CARD SHARKS
Considered the definitive history of the trading card industry, Card
Sharks: How Upper Deck Turned a Child’s Hobby into a High-Stakes
Billion-Dollar Business, also details the meteoric rise of the Upper
Deck Company in the late 1980s.
Before weaving his
way through the inner workings of
Upper Deck, Pete Williams chronicles
the rise of Topps and other
companies that contributed
to the fantastic growth of the sports
card and collectibles industry – or “The
Hobby,” as it is referred to
by insiders.
With its revolutionary cards, Upper
Deck was competing with the likes
of Topps, the venerable giant in
the industry. A higher quality product,
aggressive marketing, and alliances
with high-profile stars such as Reggie
Jackson and Mickey Mantle, were all
ingredients in Upper Deck’s
successful mix.
But according to many people interviewed by the author – including
former employees of Upper Deck and other industry sources – the path
that president Richard McWilliam followed to the top was littered with
potholes – namely, unethical business practices, such as the reprinting
of sports cards and allowing board members to purchase significant quantities
for their personal use.
Now more than a decade since publication, Card Sharks remains
a compelling tale of one company’s ride down the fast lane of a dynamic
industry.
“Pete
Williams provides 270 pages
of details on perhaps the sports
industry’s ultimate insult
to modern America. Using the
mach-speed rise of the Upper
Deck Company as his prime example,
Williams depicts the once kid-friendly
trading-card industry as one
that’s fraught with fraud,
mindless greed, and commercialized
child abuse. What’s more,
Williams establishes some chapter
and verse on what we’ve
long decried: A scam-infested,
sports-related industry that
was fully licensed – no
questions asked – by
the guardians of our game in
exchange for their take of
the dubious and often downright
dirty dough….A great
read for those who wanted to
know just how far we’ve
fallen, but were afraid to
ask.”
-Phil Mushnick, sports
columnist, New York Post |
“A well-researched,
well-written look at the cardboard
industry, from both historical
and ethical standpoints – and
Williams certainly does dig
up the dirt.”
-New York Newsday |
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