For half a century, APBA has entertained serious sports fans with its unique strategy and statistics-based sports board games, and more recently, with its trading card collecting software.

Along the way, the company has built an extremely loyal customer base, a base that swears by the accuracy and authenticity of its products.  While the company strives to uphold the great APBA tradition in all of its products, it is also creating many new, exciting innovations.

APBA is a vibrant, hobby-focused company that has just embarked on a $1 million advertising and marketing campaign.

The rejuvenation effort began in February when APBA hired hobby industry veteran Bill Bordegon to lead the company. Bordegon, former executive vice president of Fleer, was given the challenge of, as he put it, “Introducing a national institution with over 50 years of loyal followers to the hobby.” The new APBA team developed three basic goals for the upcoming year.

First, to redesign the existing game with a modern look and to introduce features that appeal to collectors and gamers.

Second, to create a wider selection of games to reach more sports fans ­ especially kids. Lastly, to widen the distribution of APBA beyond direct mail and into hobby shops.

Bordegon assures APBA loyalists that, “although many things at APBA are going to change in the next year, one thing will not, our loyalty to our core audience of APBA players that have supported us for the past 50 years. We will not change what makes APBA great.”

While APBA makes officially licensed games for all of the major sports, it was the APBA baseball game that started it all back in 1951.  “Although the game platform is solid, everyone agrees that the graphics and product marketing have not kept pace with the times,” Bordegon said.

In addition to making cosmetics changes, the APBA line is being expanded to offer a greater selection of games and products for sports fans of all ages.

The company plans to release special children’s and trial versions of all its games, starting with baseball in August of 2000 and football in September.

Though not quite as old as APBA Games, The Card Collector by APBA has been helping serious trading card collectors get control of their hobby by organizing, inventorying and keeping track of the value of their collections since 1991.

“Just like the APBA stats and strategy games, the Card Collector is a popular product with a loyal following,” said Bordegon. “Our goal is to continually upgrade the product as technological innovations advance, listen to collector feedback and make the product more accessible to collectors and dealers.”

For the past few months, the Card Collector product team has been interviewing users and potential users to enhance the product.

Seven key ideas were identified and the tech team immediately started working on the new product. Effective immediately, Card Collector users can download from its Web site (www.apbagames.com) many exciting enhancements including: improved search capabilities; improved preset reports; improved interface; and the ability to transfer “flags” and data from the 4.0 version.

Even more upgrades will be available in September including: the ability to track Minor League card sets (over 100,000 cards); track graded cards; and sample images of select sets and inserts.

APBA is also developing software that will help all kinds of collectors ­ autographs, memorabilia, figurines, comics, toys and toy cars, etc. The new collector software line is being developed through a partnership with Krause Publications. Also, for the first time ever, the Card Collector products can be bought in hobby stores all around the world ­ easy to buy and easy to use.