Baseball Cards Meet the Web

Everyone has childhood memories that consist of collecting dolls, coins, stamps, posters, stickers, stuffed animals or baseball cards. While some of these hobbies such as collecting baseball cards seem outdated, a new trend has surfaced that allows hobbyists to use the Web to watch players come to life on the cards.

Topps, an international marketer of entertainment products, principally collectible trading cards, confections, sticker collections, and collectible strategy games has teamed up with Total Immersion to launch a new series of 3D cards. Collectors and hobbyists can use their computer and webcam and watch as the players pop up in full 3D for interactive minigames including batting, fielding and pitching drills.

An article in the Daily News gives a brief explanation to get started:
After you've snagged one of the "Topps 3D Live" cards - they come in both Topps 2009 Baseball Series 1 and Topps Attax packs - you log on to ToppsTown.com and select the player on your card. Then, simply hold the card up to a standard WebCam and - voila! - Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Johan Santana or one of 30 other stars appear to emerge from the card, in 3D, on your computer screen - for a series of simple games playable using your keyboard.

For baseball collectors, Topps 3D Live cards gives new meaning to swapping cards with friends and chewing that stale piece of gum that came with the cards. While most of us have probably thrown out or sold our collections, this example goes to show that there are ways to bring back old hobbies with the help of the Web. It will be interesting to see if this site gets traffic and how old their users are. Today, kids and teenagers might not understand the value and appreciation of collecting cards.