As of today, 24th February 2021, Target and Walmart will sell Garbage Pail Kids Food Fight trading cards that contain exclusive redemption codes for WAX blockchain collectibles. Whether you’re interested in GPK or not, this is a significant milestone in the journey for mass adoption of digital assets. Two major U.S. retailers are now stocking Topps trading cards that include NFTs. While not the biggest of IPs, this is likely to attract more people who are currently either unaware of NFTs, or perhaps completely indifferent, to at least look into what they are.
If Topps continues to nurture this relationship with WAX and to value NFTs as genuinely collectible, we’re likely to see more IPs under Topps trading card purview offering similar perks in their physical packs. This includes football (soccer), the famously desirable baseball cards, WWE, and even the most exciting contender, Star Wars. Nevertheless, this is an interesting step, with early adopter Topps further highlighting their confidence in the value of digital assets.
As it stands, it looks as if one of the largest barriers to overcome for NFTs is a lack of understanding. Many people do not presently know how anyone can “own” a digital asset and how it differs from an ordinary file. If this gap can be bridged, Topps is likely to be heralded as a pioneer and visionary that identified the changing landscape of collectibles and safeguarded against digitization claiming another veteran company unwilling to adapt.