Why More Sports Cards Should Be Sold Via Topps and EQL

If you’ve been around the hobby in the past few years, you know the frustration: hyped card releases sell out in seconds, bots scoop up boxes before collectors even have a chance, and flippers dominate resale markets. But Topps has started experimenting with a new system, Topps EQL that could be a game changer for fairness and accessibility in sports card collecting.

So, why should more sports cards be sold through Topps EQL?

What Is Topps EQL?

EQL is a platform designed to create fairer product releases. Instead of a first-come, first-serve race where bots and lightning-fast internet win, EQL works more like a raffle. Collectors enter for a chance to buy, and winners are randomly selected. This helps level the playing field and gives more genuine collectors a shot at new products.

Fighting Bots and Flippers

The biggest issue with traditional online sports card drops is automation, bots can add items to carts and check out faster than any human. Which without sounding like a child, is not fair. EQL eliminates that edge. By removing the speed factor, Topps EQL makes it much harder for resellers to clean out inventory and flip it at inflated prices on eBay and Topps should already be doing this.

Better Access for Real Collectors

At its core, the hobby is about enjoyment, ripping packs, chasing hits, and building collections. When bots and flippers dominate, collectors lose. EQL puts the focus back on people who actually want the cards, not just the profit. More sports card releases on EQL means more everyday collectors get to enjoy the thrill of opening boxes. This is how it should be.

Gatekeeping is also a big problem, the hype in the hobby has arguably never been higher, which is fundamentally great! But after every major release like Topps Chrome or Panini Prizm and then heading to eBay to see the hobby boxes are marked up by £100+ is very saddening considering the core of collecting.

We have to remember we have so many collectors looking to start their own sports cards collections and they should have the same access as anyone else. The current market is tilted against this.

Reducing the Stress of Drops

If you’ve ever sat at your computer refreshing a page 100 times, only to watch a product vanish in seconds, you know how stressful online drops can be. EQL removes that pressure. Collectors can simply enter and wait for results, which makes the entire experience feel fairer and less chaotic.

A Step Toward Restoring Trust

The card market has exploded in recent years, but with that growth came frustration over distribution. By embracing Topps EQL for more releases, the company signals that it values collectors, not just sales numbers. Over time, this could help rebuild trust between manufacturers and the hobby community.

It’s not a perfect system, far from it, but Topps EQL represents a step in the right direction for sports card distribution. It fights bots, helps real collectors, and makes the process less stressful. If Topps rolled out more of its flagship releases through EQL, it could make collecting feel fairer, healthier, and more fun for everyone.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what the hobby should be about, not racing the internet, not battling bots, but collecting cards we actually love.