Topps had been doing
rack packs for many years before their monopoly ended in 1980. When Fleer and Donruss joined the parade in 1981, all three companies had gum in their packs. Topps sued and won to be the only company that could insert gum.
Thus the other companies looked for other items to enhance their card sales. That was not a legal requirement, rather a corporate decision to try to compete with Topps.
Eventually those "enhancement" evolved into insert cards and then went from there into what we have today. If you think of "insert" cards, in realit y they are just pack enhancements on steroids.
Rich
|