NBA Is Here: Rookies to Buy, MJ Prices Too High?

Morning, Collectors.

It wasn’t that long ago where GameStop was considered a dying company, only in the news because a group of renegades on Reddit turned it into a meme stock. Ryan Cohen tried everything to reverse company fortunes when he joined the board and later became CEO, but it wasn’t until he discovered the connection between his existing customer and card collectors that the company started to skyrocket.

Cohen was on TBPN earlier this week and the whole interview is fascinating, but for the Collectible Cliff’s Notes, watch this clip on selling cards and this clip on Power Packs. It’s worth the 5 minutes.

FOS: Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

Christie’s is auctioning Lou Gehrig’s final Yankees jersey this week as part of a sale drawn from the collection of Dr. G.B. Espy. The meticulously curated trove includes Jackie Robinson’s HoF induction ring, handwritten letters from Robinson and Ty Cobb, and autographed baseballs from Ruth, DiMaggio, and Marilyn Monroe. FOS touches on how traditional auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s are hustling to corner the growing sports memorabilia market, and quotes Friend of Mantel (and industry-leading appraiser), Michael Osacky, who said, “Every major auction house will eventually hire sports specialists. They see the market is growing, and collectors are willing to spend serious money.” 

Mantel: 2025 NBA Rookie Cards to Buy Now: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, and More Rising Prospects

With Topps Basketball finally hitting shelves, collectors get their first shot at this year’s NBA rookies. Cooper Flagg (#201) is the unquestioned headliner, but the smarter plays might lie just beyond the obvious chase. Dylan Harper (#202) joins Wemby in San Antonio’s global spotlight, Ace Bailey (#205) gets a green light in Utah, and Yang Hansen (#216) brings international appeal to Portland. Add in high-upside names like Khaman Maluach, Jeremiah Fears, and VJ Edgecombe, and this class offers plenty of under-the-radar opportunity. In the hobby, timing generally beats hype, so the clock is ticking to get in early.

Awful Announcing: Tony Romo Explains Why NFL Officials Always Swap With Fans Who Catch Balls in Stands

During Sunday’s Chiefs-Raiders game, Tony Romo highlighted why NFL officials always swap footballs when fans catch them in the stands: each game-used ball is embedded with tracking chips, vital for spotting and measuring plays since the league phased out chain gangs. Fans still get a ball, but not the one from the field, raising a wrinkle for collectors, since souvenirs taken home aren’t technically “game-used,” potentially diminishing their long-term value in the memorabilia market. Makes us wonder… can a fan refuse to swap the ball?

Mantel: 2025 Playoff Rookies and Their Card Markets: Tracking the Next Wave of MLB Talent

The MLB postseason has given collectors a glimpse at rookies stepping onto baseball’s biggest stage, with mixed results for hobby value, says Andrew Dahl. Sal Stewart’s hot bat for the Reds and Toronto pitcher Trey Yesavage’s dominant, hype-fueled no-hit bid sparked the clearest card market spikes. Others, like Moises Ballesteros and Chase DeLauter, saw brief attention that cooled quickly, while Boston’s Connelly Early and Payton Tolle highlight how card designations (or bullpen roles) can limit demand regardless of performance. The lesson? October moments can move prices fast, but only full-season success builds staying power heading into 2026.

The Athletic: Michael Jordan Autographed Rookie Card Sells for $2.7M, Another Record

A 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan autographed rookie card has set a new record, selling privately through Goldin for $2.7M. Graded PSA 9 for the card and 10 for the autograph, it surpasses a $2.5M Joopiter sale earlier this year and now ranks tied for fourth among all Jordan card sales. Out of 90 PSA-graded signed ’86 Fleers, only a handful carry 9/10 grades; if a 10/10 ever surfaces for sale, look out!

Yahoo Sports: Introducing Fantasy Slab Packs

Yahoo Sports and Arena Club have teamed up to launch Yahoo Fantasy Slab Packs, a weekly drop of graded NFL cards available for $39 a pull. Each pack includes an active player, with select “Chase Cards” featuring top fantasy performers worth at least 8x the price. Fans can open packs digitally, trade or sell instantly on Arena Club’s marketplace, or ship cards home. New packs release every Thursday night before kickoff. Keep an eye on Mantel’s Hobby Waiver Wire to see if the players you pulled are worth holding onto or making a quick flip.

CNBC: As Secondhand Luxury Soars, Authentication Becomes a New Gold Standard

The global resale market for luxury goods is booming, projected to hit $360B by 2030, with authentication now the key differentiator. As “superfakes” become nearly indistinguishable from the real thing, platforms like Carousell and Bunjang are investing heavily in verification, mixing expert inspections with AI and offering money-back guarantees. It’s interesting to see the luxury market discover what the sports card and memorabilia industry has known for years… when an item is valuable, authentication from reputable third-parties is a must for most buyers to open up their wallets.

Vanity Fair: Tiny, Scarce, and Wildly Popular: How Trader Joe’s Mini Totes Became the New Labubus

Trader Joe’s Halloween mini totes have sparked a Black Friday–level resale market, with $2.99 bags flipping online for over $100. Available in black, orange, purple, and multicolor, the pint-sized totes sold out fast, feeding into a frenzy driven by scarcity, TikTok hype, and TJ’s cult-like brand loyalty. The craze has even gone international, with the totes fueling Japan’s “Amerikajin” fashion trend. Analysts liken them to cultural accessories more than grocery bags, which makes sense given they are too small to actually be useful for a stop at TJ’s .

New York Times: For $900, This Subway Seat Could Be Yours

New York’s MTA pop-up sale turned a fall morning into a treasure hunt, as collectors lined up from 1 a.m. to score decommissioned subway artifacts. Seats, signs, handholds, and even old tokens drew crowds willing to pay big bucks for MTA’s junk (nearly $600 for MetroCard signage and $900 for bucket seats). For many, the draw was personal: signs tied to childhood stops, seats tied to shared memories, or tokens marking a bygone era. Equal parts nostalgia and design history, the event reaffirmed the subway as a cultural icon worth collecting.