MLBPA Seeks Hobby Shops for New Promotion

The MLB Players Association unveiled details of its newest hobby shop promotion this week, a program that will offer prizes such as Majestic baseball jerseys, autographed photos and other licensed products in an effort to encourage customers to purchase packs of 2009 baseball products.

The Big League Blast promotion begins May 15. Customers who visit participating hobby shops and purchase a pack of any Topps or Upper Deck baseball product from this season will receive one ticket for an entry into a monthly drawing. Unopened box purchases earn three tickets, while box purchases of a featured card product earn five tickets.

Prizes are awarded during a drawing held each month. Stores will be given enough prizes for three promotional periods. In each of those four-week periods, a new product from both Topps and Upper Deck will be specified as the featured product of the month. Hobby shops must purchase those products directly from Topps or Upper Deck, or through one of the company’s authorized distributors.

For the period of May 15-June 13, the featured products are Bowman and Goudey. From June 14-18, the Series Two releases from Topps and Upper Deck are highlighted. From July 19-Aug. 15, Allen & Ginter and O-Pee-Chee will be the designated products. Prize drawings are held at the end of each of those sales periods.

In addition to the Majestic replica jerseys and autographed photos, other prizes include Topps “Big Stixx” moveable stickers, McFarlane Sports Picks figures, Wincraft pennants and Upper Deck’s 1:64-scale die-cast trucks. Stores will also receive in-store promotional materials to draw attention to the program.

Only 250 stores will be chosen to participate in the promotion.