The Upper Deck Company through its direct wholly-owned subsidiary, UD Company, Inc., is commencing a cash tender offer today for all of the issued and outstanding shares of The Topps Company, Inc. common stock, par value $.01 per share, at a price of $10.75 per share – an offer worth approximately $425 million.  The offer exceeds the $9.75 per share price that would be paid to Topps stockholders under the merger agreement Topps entered into with Tornante-MDP Joe Holding LLC and Tornante-MDP Joe Acquisition Corp. on March 5, 2007 by a full $1.00 per share (representing a 10.25% premium per share over the price offered in the Eisner/MPD deal – or approximately $40 million more for all shares).


The offer consideration consists solely of cash and is not conditioned upon any financing arrangements. 


The offer expires at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Tuesday, July 24, 2007, or such later date and time to which The Upper Deck Company and UD Company, Inc. extend the offer.