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- The Dreaded 'What Might Have Been?'
Collectors, Christmas is coming early this year. In fact, for Mantel members, it’ll be here on December 11th, as next week we drop our biggest product launch since our debut.
We’re hard at work getting ready, but couldn’t miss sharing some of the most interesting collectibles coverage we read this week. Let’s dig in, starting with two “What Might Have Beens”.
via cllct
What Might Have Been: Logomans
Every collector can relate to the pain of selling a card too early (or too late). But few know the level of pain Rick Mirigian feels when thinking about three cards he once owned and sold for a fraction of what they’re worth today- the dual Logomans from the 2003-2004 Upper Deck NBA Exquisite set. The cards, which Mirigian sold for less than $200,000 combined, are likely worth more than $15M now, a truly jaw-dropping figure. Where are the cards today? In the collection of Collectors head-honcho Nat Turner, with one of them currently displayed in the lobby of PSA’s Santa Ana, CA HQ (which we coincidentally got to see live just last week!).
What Might Have Been: John Elway
The premise is almost too crazy to believe. What if the Yankees passed over future baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and drafted (future NFL HOFer) John Elway instead? Oh wait, that really happened? In a hilarious TV spot announcing the new Bowman Draft set, Topps goes back in time to the Yankees draft room where George Steinbrenner made the fateful decision. To help bring the absurdity to life, Larry David reprises his Seinfeld impersonation of Steinbrenner, and even Stephen A. Smith makes an appearance. Take a minute and give this a watch:
Fanatics Fest Coming Back, Bigger
Fanatics made a splash in the sports-events space this past summer with the first Fanatics Fest, which brought more than 300 athletes and celebrities, global brands, major sports leagues and local card shops to Javits Center in NYC. Earlier this week Fanatics announced the show is coming back, scheduled for June 2025, and will be even bigger, with more than 500 athletes and celebs expected.
Tickets go on sale next week, and Sports Collectors Daily has everything you need to know.
Ohtani’s New 6-Figure Card Collection
On the heels of a World Series championship and taking home NL MVP, Shohei Ohtani again added to the win column, only this time in court. You might recall that before the 2024 season, Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was arrested for stealing millions of his employer’s money, some of which he used to buy baseball cards, including examples featuring Yogi Berra and Juan Soto. On Monday federal prosecutors said the cards, worth roughly $325,000, would be returned to Ohtani. Now we’re left wondering, will Ohtani hold onto the cards or sell them to recoup some of his missing cash?
via Robb Report
A $400 Million Grand Prix of Collectibles
What’s better than owning one Formula 1 car? How about owning dozens? Bernie Ecclestone, the former F1 boss, is selling his jaw-dropping $400 million collection of Grand Prix cars, which spans decades of motorsports history, and is a treasure trove that’s as much art as engineering. The real question: where do you even park all of that?