It’s Sports Cards and Collectible Convention Halftime here, Collectors, midway between last week’s Fanatics Fest and next week’s National.
And because of that there’s been a lot of hobby discourse about whether both big events can coexist. For us, it’s a resounding yes. The events couldn’t be more different, and there are enough collectors around the country for both events to be packed year-after-year (and by the way, the West Coast Card Show, same weekend as Fanatics Fest, had a solid turnout as well, as did plenty of other smaller shows across the country).
By all measure, Fanatics Fest is a beast and was a huge success (read more about the economics in Joe Pompliano’s Huddle Up newsletter). $90M spent by Fanatics, 200K attendees over the course of the show, more celebrities than named on MSG’s ‘risk’ list…
But I expect next week’s National show in Rosemont, IL to be packed, to boast plenty of big names, to see investment from dozens of major corporations. And sure, some may walk around comparing the show to Fanatics Fest… but those who want to make the most of the experience will focus on the great cards and collectibles, the entertainment and the people.
The Hobby is more fun that way, isn’t it?
Topps has revealed a one-of-one Shohei Ohtani Gold Logoman Dual Autograph card that will debut in 2026 Topps Chrome Baseball, and there is already a $2.6M bounty circulating for whoever pulls it. The card features two game-worn Gold Logoman patches tied to standout performances, along with Ohtani’s signatures in both English and Kanji, adding another ultra-premium chase to a market where his previous 1/1 Gold Logoman card sold for a record $3M. It’s fascinating to see the premium collectors place on Kanji autographs— last week we told you about the Tokyo Series game-worn cleats TheRealest is auctioning off with Ohtani’s Kanji auto. At press time, bidding is already north of $50,000 (trust me, it’ll end much, much higher).
A Wilt Chamberlain Lakers warmup jacket originally bought for just $3.07 at an Oregon Goodwill sold for $89,600 at Sotheby’s after being photo-matched to the 1972 NBA Finals and Chamberlain’s final season, transforming a thrift-store find into a historically significant piece of NBA memorabilia. Darren Rovell posted that the buyer is none other than David Kohler, owner of the Lakers Shrine, a collection even the franchise itself must be jealous of.
We did want to take a second to recognize Dan Hajducky, the writer of this story, who announced this week that he was let go from ESPN. We’ve learned a lot reading Dan over the years and hope he’ll be back covering the hobby somewhere new very soon.
Ahead of The National, YouTube creator Jesser is prepping to host an Upper Deck / eBay Live stream featuring NBA legends Doug Collins and Ron Harper as they auction 10 premium Michael Jordan collectibles. We didn’t know Jesser was a collector before reading this piece (we may not be his demographic...), so it was fun to read about his collecting journey, the appeal of connecting younger fans to basketball history through cards, and why interactive livestreams are helping broaden the hobby’s reach.
Manchester City is auctioning memorabilia from Pep Guardiola’s decade-long tenure, giving supporters the chance to own everything from his training whistle and office chair to handwritten tactical notes. The headline item is one of just three footballs commemorating Erling Haaland’s 100th Premier League goal, signed by the striker and already drawing bids approaching £3,000. The lesson here is simple-- always pack up your desk before you leave a job, or else you might see your old belongings auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Thirteen-year-old Elijah has become one of the hobby’s most recognizable young media personalities, turning a passion for opening packs into nearly 100 interviews with stars like Tom Brady, Victor Wembanyama, and Jay-Z as CollX’s official “kid reporter.” In a hobby that can often seem super toxic, we appreciate Elijah’s enthusiasm and wish more content creators, both kid and adult, took a similar approach.
I will be very brief on this one. Nowhere else on the internet will you find a collectible writer encouraging you to buy bananas because of their limited-edition stickers. Is that valuable, helpful information? You tell me what other collectibles provide you with potassium!
