A Google review documenting Topps Chrome Football release-day hanger box prices in San Antonio drew a public response from Sports Cards Plus, which is pricing the product at twice MSRP.
Fanatics Collectibles has confirmed that 2025 Topps Chrome Football will release on April 15, 2026, marking Topps’ first officially licensed NFL product since 2016. Pre-orders opened April 3, 2026, through the official Topps website and authorized retail partners. Hobby and Jumbo boxes will be available via EQL raffles, while Mega, Value Blaster, and Hanger formats…
A hobby shop owner just took a public swing at Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan. Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan. The allegation: Fanatics charges a small group of breakers $150,000 a month to be in Topps’ medallion program, then hands that group 60% of first-wave product while the other 90 breakers are left fighting for…
PSA employee Chris Carlin delivered oversized Topps card displays to two Burbank, California hobby shops this week, posting photos of the drop-offs on X. Carlin wrote that he and colleagues were allowed to take the blow-ups home from the recent Topps Conference, and that the displays belonged at the shops they visited. The first stop…
Santiago Sports storefront in Matawan, New Jersey. Santiago Sports and owner Tyler Santiago are being sued in New Jersey over a stolen Tom Brady rookie card. The story was first surfaced by @Auburn35 on Twitter, who is featured on Sports Card Radio’s Hobby Influencer Rankings. Plaintiff Riccardo Dipilla filed the civil complaint in Monmouth County…
The SA Collectors Expo returns to San Antonio, Texas on April 25–26, 2026, at the SA Shrine Auditorium, with more than 200 vendor tables of sports cards, memorabilia, comics, toys, and gaming cards. Show hours are Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Vendor setup begins Friday, April 24,…
The official Topps social media account posted — and then quickly deleted — an image of a purported Victor Wembanyama Superfractor that came from an active eBay listing run by a seller based in China. The card in the post was not authentic. The listing it was pulled from had been flagged in collector circles…
Fanatics is folding its Fanatics Live app into Fanatics Collect, consolidating its breaking, marketplace, and vault services into a single platform. The standalone Fanatics Live app will be phased out. The move brings live card-breaking streams directly inside Fanatics Collect alongside the company’s existing marketplace and vault features. Collectors who currently use both apps will…
CardsHQ, located at 3101 Cobb Parkway SE in Smyrna, Georgia. Logan Ward, a NASCAR card collector inducted into the PSA Collector Hall of Fame, publicly criticized CardsHQ following a visit to the Atlanta-area shop on April 4, calling the experience “unfortunately a bust” in a post on X that drew more than 67,000 views. What…
Ryan Van Oost, one of three co-founders of CardsHQ, is leaving the Atlanta-based card shop. Geoff Wilson confirmed the departure in an Instagram post on Monday. Wilson, Van Oost, and Carter Musgrave launched CardsHQ together in 2023 and opened the 14,000-square-foot retail location at 3101 Cobb Parkway SE in February 2024. The shop was billed…
Upper Deck’s National Hockey Card Day returns Saturday, April 11, with a first for the 17-year-old event: PWHL cards will be included alongside the traditional NHL set. Free packs are available at participating Certified Diamond Dealer locations across the United States and Canada. The new PWHL Powerhouses insert set features players from the Professional Women’s…
PSA has announced it will open its first full-scale authentication and grading facility in Europe in Frankfurt, Germany, with operations expected to begin in the summer of 2026. The Frankfurt facility will grade trading cards onsite. Other collectible categories will continue to be shipped to PSA’s primary facility in the United States for grading. PSA…
A New York federal judge has dismissed a consumer class action lawsuit alleging that Fanatics, the NFL, NBA, MLB, their players associations, and OneTeam conspired to monopolize the sports trading card market. The suit was brought by five individual collectors who claimed the consolidation of league licenses under Fanatics resulted in inflated card prices across…
Fanatics Collectibles, the NFL, and the NFL Players Association announced Thursday that pre-orders for 2025 Topps Chrome Football are now open. The set releases on April 15 — Topps’ first fully licensed NFL product since 2016. Hobby boxes are priced at $360 and are available on Topps.com and through authorized hobby retailers. Each hobby box…
We covered a Facebook dispute between Tidewater Cards & Collectibles promoter Michael Campbell and another show organizer over competing event dates in North Carolina. After that story published, we received an overwhelming number of messages from vendors who’ve worked Tidewater shows. The complaints weren’t about scheduling — they were about how the shows are run….
An authentication specialist is calling on federal authorities to investigate what he says is a massive counterfeiting operation involving fake Beckett certificates of authenticity. Roman Pioner, who runs CheckCOA, posted a detailed thread on X documenting what he describes as “the largest single fraud case I have ever seen in the hobby.” Pioner claims a…
A photo of Mets owner Steve Cohen appears in the DOJ’s Epstein files. Cohen’s spokesperson denies any relationship. Cohen now owns PSA, Beckett, and SGC through Collectors Holdings.
A Whatnot breaker with over 150,000 completed orders is accused of keeping a valuable rookie card and shutting down operations after telling a customer it would be shipped “ASAP.” Zach Mayes posted in the Facebook group “Sports Card SCAMMER TRACKER” on March 1 that Whatnot seller 808picknpullz never shipped a Konnor Griffin/Seth Hernandez Bowman Draft…
Steve Grad, the longtime Pawn Stars cast member and autograph authenticator, announced he is stepping back from his full-time role at Beckett Authentication after nearly a quarter-century with the company. “It was announced today by Beckett Authentication. I will be coming more of an advisor consultant role with them. No longer going to be on…
Jared and Jacob West, owners of Case Hit Kings, have acquired Forensic Card Grading (FCG) effective January 2026, signaling a renewed push for collector-focused card grading services. The Mansfield, Texas-based brothers built a national following through live-stream sales on Whatnot and an active card show presence. With the FCG acquisition, they’re positioning the company as…
Influencer Babz (@BabzOnTheMic) has shared a detailed breakdown of his recent face-to-face meetings with Fanatics Founder and CEO Michael Rubin in New York City. The meetings spanned Sunday and Monday after Babz arrived early due to a blizzard, giving him several hours of direct access to Rubin and his executive team. Babz (right) with Fanatics…
A California-based sports card wholesaler is suing a Michigan card shop and its owner for $253,000 in unpaid merchandise, according to a federal lawsuit filed in October 2025. Sords Card Emporium LLC (San Francisco) claims it shipped $435,000 worth of sports and Pokémon cards to House of Hits Sports Cards, LLC and owner Mike Karjo…
Leaked internal documents have pulled back the curtain on Fanatics Collectibles’ private meetings and partner strategies during the 2025 National Sports Collectors Convention (NSCC). The documents, labeled “Privileged & Confidential,” detail the company’s aggressive focus on a hand-picked group of breakers, hobby shops, and distributors. The leak includes a “Participants Sales” leaderboard, ranking Fanatics’ top partners by their…
A sophisticated fraud ring is targeting high-end trading card shops across the country, leaving owners empty-handed and out tens of thousands in inventory. According to a police report filed by Ryan Van Oost, co-owner of CardsHQ, a group of thieves has been running a “repetitious” Apple Pay scam since late 2024, with total losses estimated…
State Line Sports Cards’ of Grayslake, IL grand opening was supposed to be a celebration. Instead, it turned into a crime scene. A thief walked off with a massive haul: a Caleb Williams & Rome Odunze Black Pandora Downtown, and a Panini Black Hobby Box. The shop didn’t blink. They pulled high-def surveillance and went…
Topps sent an email to their “Authorized Partners” requesting they change their Instagram profile picture to the Gold Logoman at 9am for the 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball launch. They described it as a “unified switch” to show the community the product’s return. Multiple dealers complied. Sports Card Investor, Backyard Breaks, Burbank Cards, Layton Sports Cards,…
The Hobby Box UK has accused Fanatics employees of rigging box breaks and funneling high-value cards to specific dealers. The most explosive claim? A Fanatics employee allegedly told multiple breakers at the May 2025 London Card Show that he knew exactly who would pull a 1/1 Cristiano Ronaldo autograph—because the card was sitting in his…
PSA is beatable, but not by playing their game. You can’t out-corporate them. You can’t out-spend them. You beat them by being faster, cheaper, and more trustworthy. By hiring the right face for the brand. And by relentlessly attacking their weak points. Someone just needs the guts to actually compete. >PSA Buys Beckett>Mets Owner Beat…
Via The New York Times: The company that owns PSA just swallowed Beckett whole. Collectors announced Monday it’s acquiring Beckett Media—yes, THAT Beckett. The grading company. The price guides. The magazines. Wholesale distributor Southern Hobby was not apart of the deal. >Wholesale Distributor List Nat Turner CEO Nat Turner promises Beckett will stay “independent” with its…
Just months after catching their own employee stealing $20,000 in product, CardsHQ finds itself on the other side of a theft case—as the buyer of stolen goods. Andre Deshawn Allen, 25, of Hampton, Georgia, was arrested December 2 after allegedly selling multiple boxes of stolen trading cards to CardsHQ on October 29. Andre Allen According…
Since 2025 Topps Chrome Update released on December 10, Fanatics Live breaker Filthbomb Breaks has pulled six MLB Rookie Debut Patch Autographs (1/1s) in just days—including back-to-back-to-back patches in the same case. With 270 total debut patches in the checklist, pulling six this quickly is statistically extraordinary. Much of the hobby commentary on this is…
Stephen Adams, a 40-year-old former employee and breaker at Cards HQ in Marietta, Georgia, was arrested in February 2025 on theft charges for allegedly stealing over $19,600 worth of trading cards. >VIDEO: Breaker says I’m Innocent!>CardsHQ Breaker Arrested Stephen Adams Sports Card Radio has obtained the full police report, which reveals new details about how…
March 5, 2025 – Stockton, CA – Collectors are reporting that no LeBron James autographs from 2024 Topps Chrome McDonald’s All-American Basketball set have surfaced on the open market. The issue, first raised by collector Grayson on X is casting doubt on Topps’ transparency and production practices. Somebody over at Topps needs to please explain…
In every draft, there s always a cohort of prospects who go under the radar, often due to their decision to attend a smaller, mid-major.
The recent upswing in the popularity of trading sports cards marks a fascinating development in the arena of collectibles, with North. Read our expert analysis.
[BREAKING NEWS]: Panini in Hot Water Again! Alleged Fake Anthony Richardson Autographs Spark Investigation Hot off the press! Panini, the same folks who previously dished out questionable autographs of Dak Prescott and Luka Doncic, is now under the microscope for possibly peddling fake Anthony Richardson signatures in their 2023 Panini Prizm football collection. That’s right,…
Life comes at these Instagram sports card “gurus” pretty fast. Santiago Sports located in Matawan, NJ recently posted to IG some cards they purchased. The owner of the store, Tyler (a.k.a. “Man Purse”) seemed excited about his latest score. He even asked his loyal IG following how he should sell the cards, “What would you…
The sports card collecting community is abuzz with speculations and questions about the actions of none other than Geoff Wilson, also known as ‘The Sports Card Investor.’ It all revolves around a peculiar flip that has raised eyebrows and ignited a fiery debate within the hobby. The Flip That Caught Everyone’s Attention:It all began with…
CardCollector2, a prominent figure in the sports card collecting community, finds himself in the midst of controversy as allegations swirl regarding the source of his prized mystery boxes. Recently, an Instagram account by the name of Riskmanager067 has stirred the pot, dropping cryptic hints suggesting that CardCollector2 may be in possession of loaded boxes obtained…
Packman, the YouTube sensation known for his thrilling sports card unboxing videos, has just dropped a collaboration with Arena Club that left some scratching their head. During the video, Packman stumbled upon a 2012 Topps Peyton Manning Reprint card that had been graded as an original. Looking at Packman’s online showroom found on Arena Club,…
Ready for a hard truth pill about group breaks? Buckle up, because this isn’t your typical fawning praise for these so-called “fun” activities. Group breaks, those enticing sessions where you pay someone else to open packs for you, might sound cool, but they’re the hobby’s silent killer. Yep, you heard it right – they’re part…
Victor Wembanyama Autograph Steals the Show… But Wait! Recently, Stryker Breaks hit a jackpot—a #/5 Victor Wembanyama autograph card from Topps Allen & Ginter! One recently sold on eBay for $5,700. The card was to be randomized to the participants who joined the break. But hang on to your hats, because there’s a twist! There…
Did you hear about the record-breaking attendance at the 2023 National Sports Collectors Convention (NSCC)? I’m sure the hobby positivity crowd told you. Seemed like every influencer was there with a camera. But hang on, folks. This paradise for sports enthusiasts isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Flashback to 2007, a year when the NSCC had…
Listen up, sports memorabilia fans. You think buying into Mickey Mantle’s boyhood home is the investment of a lifetime? Think again. Rally, a collectibles company, is practically begging you to buy a $7 share of this dilapidated piece of history located in Commerce, Oklahoma. Well, we’re here to tell you, don’t fall for it. >ESPN:…
The Sports Card Controversy That’s Shaking Up YouTube Hold on to your wallets dorks and sports card fans, because we’ve got some piping hot tea spilling all over your trading card binders! Video Trilogy: >Exposing a Sports Card Repack SCAM?>my response / APOLOGY to being called a SCAMMER>Reaction to a Sports Card Influencers Apology Justin…
Talk about a party foul in the sports card world, people! Overtime Rips, a prominent card breaker, just pulled a fast one and let’s just say, the fan base is LIT with outrage. >10/30/2023 Update: Overtime Rips apologized in an Instagram post. In the statement, the company owners said the breaker would no longer be…