The Tuesday, November 6, broadcast of ABC News with Peter Jennings included a two-minute feature story on Topps' Operation Enduring Freedom Trading Cards  (see 'Topps Enduring Freedom Cards Now On Sale').  Jennings pointed out that Topps has produced card series based on crucial current events as far back as the Korean War.  Even before Topps began manufacturing trading cards, products like the Horrors of War cards and the Red Menace cards inaugurated this important non-sports card tradition.

 

The ABC report contained many images from the Topps series including those of key figures from the Bush administration, before and after shots of the Twin Towers, and several cards depicting weapons from the U.S. arsenal that are currently being used in Afghanistan.  The final image in the ABC report was the only black-and-white card in the series -- the card depicting Osama Bin Laden.  The report also mentioned that Topps was donating cards to U.S armed forces.

 

The Topps Operation Enduring Freedom Cards were designed, printed and distributed within six weeks of the heinous attack on the World Trade Center.  Offices for the Topps Company are located only a few blocks from ground zero (see 'Topps VP: It Flew Right Past My Window'), and the company was forced to close for a week, making the quick turnaround on this series even more remarkable.  The last series of Topps cards devoted to a similar crucial world event -- the Operation Desert Storm cards--was a very strong seller during the administration of the elder Bush.  The lightning production schedule for the Operation Enduring Freedom Cards left little time for solicitation, and many dealers may not have ordered them yet, but they remain available from card distributors across the country.