Stay safe out there, Collectors. It seems like our hobby is constantly in the news for less-than-savory reasons, like massive thefts and hoards of bootleg product. But we’ll get into that in a second.

Every day there are also plenty of positive hobby stories, and even some that are downright hilarious. Case in point: Wingstop celebrated 4/20 by bringing back their ‘Hot Box’, packed with Fiery Nacho wings… but this year they upped the collectibles ante by releasing 420 “flavor trays” (wink wink), which are already selling for more than $300 on the resale market.

Makes me wonder… can PSA slab up a flavor tray?

Where there are Pokemon cards, there are probably thieves lurking in the shadows, and there has been a spate of thefts over the past few weeks, including a $100K smash-and-grab at a Chicago shop and multiple incidents in Vancouver, Anaheim, and New York. Authorities report stolen goods ranging from tens of thousands to the low 6-figures. Rising card values, up as much as 200 to 300 percent over the past year, and the difficulty of uniquely identifying individual cards have made them attractive targets for resale on secondary markets. Stay vigilant out there, friends.

While we don’t support scammers and thieves here at Mantel, we do have an appreciation for creativity (and a love of a pappardelle ragu). A California man was charged with grand theft after allegedly stealing about $34K by buying Lego sets, replacing the contents with bags of uncooked pasta, and returning them for refunds. Police linked him to at least 70 incidents reported by Target. Similar to Pokemon, the high resale value and lack of traceability makes Lego an easy target for theft, especially if you have surplus boxes of Barilla.

UK police seized more than 4,400 counterfeit football shirts in a major raid at a Midlands market as part of a pre-World Cup crackdown. The items, sold at a fraction of official prices, represented an estimated £400K loss to legitimate retailers. One man was arrested, and authorities are investigating further suspects. Officials linked counterfeit sales to broader organized crime and cited high retail prices as a driver of demand. With the World Cup just 49 days away, we’re certain similar scams will be uncovered across the globe.

Ok… that’s enough crime for one day.

Topps is relaunching Bowman Basketball with its 2025-26 set, marking the brand’s return to the NBA. The release blends professional and collegiate players in one product, featuring a 200-card base set and a 100-card prospect insert set. Each hobby box includes two autographs, one NBA and one NIL. The set highlights top prospects, current stars, and women’s college players, while continuing Bowman’s prospect-focused approach.

Sports card prices are driven less by raw performance and more by when that performance becomes visible and widely recognized… When talent and stats meet hype, because collectors react to obvious signals like highlights and media buzz. But that means non-hype performance often goes underpriced, creating real opportunity for collector-investors. The market rewards timing and narrative adoption, not knowledge alone, creating gaps between underlying improvement and when prices actually move. An informative read if you are looking to make money in the hobby.

J.R. Fickle is back with his unconventional hobby thoughts, including support for mini cards, skepticism toward Bowman 1st cards (he didn’t read our Bowman Basketball article, apparently) and PSA premiums, and a belief that hockey cards offer strong investment potential due to rising viewership and accessibility. The piece also touches on interest in stamps, Panini’s focus on women’s sports, and recent product trends, including Disney card saturation and crossover appearances like Cooper Flagg in football releases. A fun read if you want to get a bit triggered.