ToppsTown: just for kids?

Well well well! ToppsTown launched this weekend (soft launch on the 30th, with a harder hit on the 1st and more users discovering it every day). So far so good, though every site has its glitches in the beginning. Overall I am pleased as punch, and so happy to hear that users are exploring it.

Because I'm a snoop, I've been keeping up with what people are saying about ToppsTown... not much press has broken yet, but Brandweek and blogs such as Virtual Worlds News and Virtual Worlds Forum Blog have mentioned the site. (Ooh, looks like the press release has hit... turns out you get a lot more if you search Topps Town [with the space].)


But of course I'm most interested in what individual people are saying-- at least more than seeing how many places the press release turns up. For instance, here's a blog that jumps to ToppsTown's defense regarding the privacy of the site. And even though no one asked me to, I'd like to respond to the question that was posed: is ToppsTown just for kids?

Topps Town was created for kids, to bring a whole new facet to baseball cards. The times, they are a-changing, and this site is about bringing trading cards back to a new generation of baseball fans.

That being said, of course we expect and encourage adults to explore. First off, we want parents to be able to see the world that their kids are involved in. Secondly, the site is fun and engaging, so why limit that to children?

Thirdly and maybe most importantly, it's the adults who are going to get kids back into trading cards. It's the dads and uncles and big sisters and older friends that are going to cause the spark in kids that makes them want to trade, collect and drool over their baseball cards (or whatever hobby they get into). This is just a new iteration of that passion-- bringing some of the time-honored tradition online, a new expression of a much-loved idea.

Alright, I've blabbed on enough now. To all you adults out there, especially the kids-at-heart, go log on and have a ball (pun intended). And if you want to add me as a friend, I'm Sir Sushi Sushi.