a monopoly on nostalgia

Topps, maker of some of the ugliest baseball cards in existence, has crowded out its last major competitor, Upper Deck, by signing an exclusive agreement with Major League Baseball. Slate's Dave Jamieson has the story--and the history--behind the move.

When I was a kid, I bought Donruss, Fleer, or Topps packs with whatever change I could scrimp from chores, blissfully unaware of the economic forces at play. (Upper Deck? Who had that kind of money?)

Now I'm nostalgically disoriented.