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    • Forget Shohei Ohtani. Dogs are getting trading cards now

    A card featuring Wasabi (officially known as GCHG CH Pequest Wasabi) the Pekingese, the 2021 'Best in Show' winner. (Courtesy Topps via CNN Newsource) A card featuring Wasabi (officially known as GCHG CH Pequest Wasabi) the Pekingese, the 2021 'Best in Show' winner. (Courtesy Topps via CNN Newsource)
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    The trading card industry has gone to the dogs 鈥 literally.

    Topps, Fanatics鈥 trading card company, is partnering with the Westminster Kennel Club to release a line of inserts named 鈥淪tars of the Show,鈥 which feature champion pooches from to Trumpet the Bloodhound.

    Included in the release are so-called relic cards, particularly rare cards sought after by collectors that contain a small piece of memorabilia, such as the wood of a used baseball bat or fabric from a game-worn jersey. Topps鈥 鈥淪tars of the Show鈥 relics will feature authentic cut-up pieces of the winning dog鈥檚 鈥淏est in Show鈥 ribbon. Even rarer are the seven one-of-a-kind cards that include the handler鈥檚 purple winner鈥檚 lapel fully inserted into the card.

    鈥淲hat the cards do is they capture a moment and connect you with a hero,鈥 said Clay Luraschi, Topps鈥 senior vice president of product. 鈥淗eroes come in all different forms, and in this case it鈥檚 champion dogs.鈥

    The Topps collaboration signifies Westminster鈥檚 desire to capitalize on the power of fandom that drives the sports trading card industry. Fanatics said that of the US$1 billion of revenue it generated in 2023, baseball cards made up US$640 million , according to ,

    Dogs appearing on trading cards is nothing new: Some baseball cards from the late 1800s featured star players alongside their four-legged companions. But Luraschi says a series of cards in which the dogs take center stage represents the first of its kind.

    each year welcomes nearly 3,000 pedigreed dogs from over hundreds of different breeds, which vie for the title of 鈥淏est in Show.鈥 The Topps collaboration is part of the brand鈥檚 efforts to appear more accessible to fans as it prepares to return to Madison Square Garden ahead of its 150th anniversary.

    Non-Sporting Group Winner Sage competes in the 148th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show - Show Night at Arthur Ashe Stadium on May 13, in New York City. (Mike Stobe / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club via CNN Newsource)

    Making a legacy brand accessible

    The Westminster Dog Show, first held in 1877, is America鈥檚 second-oldest continuous sporting event and predates the invention of both the lightbulb and the automobile. That history has given the brand a high-brow image, but Westminster president Don Sturz says despite its storied past, the dog show is 鈥渁n elite event, but it鈥檚 not an elitist event.鈥

    鈥淵ou have to strike a balance between respecting tradition and not wanting to do anything to disrupt that value,鈥 Sturz told CNN. 鈥淏ut at the same time, it鈥檚 about wanting to remain relevant and expanding the audience and bringing in new fans who may not have seen it as something that was for them.鈥

    Maintaining the show鈥檚 prestige while promoting accessibility was a balancing act that guided the cards鈥 creation. The Westminster subset is part of Topps鈥 2024 Allen & Ginter series, a vintage-themed card set based on the tobacco company from the late 1800s 鈥 a decision that represented Westminster鈥檚 homage to history. But Sturz says the focus on the dogs鈥 call names instead of their official titles and the choice of pictures emphasize their personalities.

    鈥淭hey chose to use photos that really captured these dogs鈥 personalities in addition to their status as champions,鈥 he said. 鈥淚n all their grandeur as being a best in show champion, they鈥檙e also somebody鈥檚 well-loved pet.鈥

    鈥淲e鈥檙e living in this age that鈥檚 very digital, and the fact that people can still be connected to these three and a half (inch) tangible pieces of paper is incredibly special,鈥 said Luraschi.

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