"Ohtani's been a part of the Topps family since he signed with the Angels in late 2017, early 2018, so this deal is super important to us," said David Leiner, president of trading cards at Fanatics Collectibles. "Best player in the game, unique, global player, who pitches and hits. You've got to have this guy in product, you've got to have his autographs and memorabilia for fans to chase."
"I'm happy to be exclusively partnering with Topps to give fans unique cards and collectibles for seasons to come," Ohtani said in a statement.
"Japanese allocation is a big piece and you better believe, for the accounts in Japan, there's never enough [product]," Leiner says. "They're always asking for more. Our largest Japanese partner, Mint Collectibles, they own and operate a chain of 28 stores across Japan and the hobby is vibrant over there."
In early January 2018, Fanatics opened an office in Tokyo and launched Fanatics Japan, nearly four years to the day before acquiring Topps. Topps followed s
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