More controversy, Collectors!

Last week we reported that card grading company, CGC, had just authenticated and slabbed a T206 Honus Wagner, with plans to bring it to Fanatics Fest later this month. Well, yesterday news broke unveiling the current owner of that card, former SportsCenter anchor and mega collector, Keith Olbermann, who plans to auction it off.

The card, like it’s owner, is considered controversial, given it went through a heavy restoration process that Olbermann likens to fixing up the Mona Lisa if someone spilled coffee on it. (His back-and-forth with Darren Rovell has been entertaining).

So why is he selling now? “The decision to auction it off is largely based on one thing, which is how many Wagners does one guy need?” he says. “I have three at the moment, it turns out.”

Will The Hobby see this Wagner the same way Olbermann does— legit and incredibly valuable? Or will it’s restored condition scare off buyers?

We’ll find out later this summer.

The hobby’s definition of a “grail” is evolving beyond rookie cards, says Ben Burrows of The Athletic. As collectors increasingly chase one-of-one patches, game-used memorabilia, and historically significant moments, newer releases are setting record prices over many traditional rookie cards. Cards tied to milestone achievements—such as Rookie Debut Patches, MVP-worn Logoman patches, and game-specific memorabilia—are reshaping what many high-end collectors consider the most desirable pieces for today’s biggest stars. It makes sense, in our opinion. A card with a real game-used relic should be more special and rare than a card the manufacturer slaps a 1of1 on.

I won’t pretend to be a regular reader of financial news outlet, Barron’s, but my uncle is, and he let me know that our little hobby made their newsletter this week. The piece’s premise: trading cards have evolved from simple collectibles into a high-stakes chase, with rare pulls now driving behavior that some experts compare to gambling. As live breaks explode on platforms like TikTok and Whatnot, mental health professionals and lawmakers are increasingly questioning whether the industry’s pack-opening mechanics blur the line between collecting and gambling, setting the stage for greater regulatory scrutiny. Shoot… I assumed they were going to tell their readers to cash in municipal bonds to buy up restored Wagners!

Upper Deck is expanding its longtime partnership with Michael Jordan by naming him the company’s first Legacy Partner and celebrating the 40th anniversary of his rookie card with 23 autographed, factory-sealed 1986-87 Fleer basketball packs inserted into 2026 Goodwin Champions. The announcement also includes a one-of-one signed Fleer box that will be auctioned for charity and a new lineup of Upper Deck Authenticated memorabilia. Mantel’s Mike Metzler was in the room when the news broke.

A childhood autograph request has turned into one of the hobby’s most remarkable discoveries. Barry Walner’s 1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle, signed by Mantle after being mailed to Yankee Stadium in 1952 and preserved by the original owner for more than 70 years, is believed to feature the earliest known on-card Mantle autograph. The card will headline an upcoming Rabbit Hole Auctions sale, where its combination of provenance, rarity, and historical significance is expected to command a six-figure price. Good luck to Friend of Mantel, Justin Hirsch, owner of Rabbit Hole Auctions, on a sale that many people in the hobby will be watching.

We rushed out this week’s Mail Day 24 hours early so J.R. Fickle could predict big things for Ricardo Pepi before the US vs. Belgium World Cup match. It turns out that Pepi (and Folarin Balogun, and Christian Pulisic, and Matt Freese, and…) didn’t show up to play, so we’re going to assume nobody from USMNT, aside from maybe Malik Tillman, saw their card prices rise after the team’s unceremonious exit from the tournament. But like all Mail Day newsletters, despite the prognosticating usually proving false, it’s an entertaining read.

A towering Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed “Gus” is headed to Sotheby’s with a record-setting estimate of $30M+, making it one of the most valuable dinosaur fossils ever offered at auction. Discovered on a South Dakota ranch and reconstructed from 183 fossilized bones over five years, the specimen is among the largest and most complete T. rex skeletons ever found. The photos and videos of the skeleton are pretty incredible, and if you are in NYC and have a chance to view it in person, absolutely do before it ends up in some billionaire’s parlor room. And that $30M estimate? Our pal Rob Petrozzo of Rally expects it to blow past it on the way to $70M, and when it comes to dino auctions, we don’t bet against Rob.