Fanatics Live averaged $17,867 in GMV per stream in April 2026. In September 2024, that number was $8,255. GMV — gross merchandise value — is the total dollar value of everything that sells during a stream before the platform takes its cut. It’s the top-line number that tells you how much product moved, not how…
$1.11 billion. That’s how much collectors have spent on Fanatics Live since the app launched 30 months ago. A quarter of that total came in the last 109 days. Our data pull on April 19, 2026 covered all 154 shops currently on Fanatics Live and every stream since the platform launched in October 2023 —…
Whatnot is hosting its first-ever in-person seller event on April 25 in Austin, and it’s already sold out. The inaugural Whatnot Seller Summit runs a full day at The LINE Austin on 111 East Cesar Chavez Street, starting at 8 a.m. A waitlist is open for anyone who didn’t grab a spot, and the company…
Brian Wolfe was seen as a trusted breaker. A guy people knew from industry conferences and Panini parties. Now he’s being accused of scamming collectors out of thousands through empty packages, ghosted messages, and shipments that never arrived. Multiple hobbyists went public this week with receipts showing a pattern: deals that only accepted CashApp or…
Earlier this week, we reported on Fanatics giving breakers cases of 2025 Bowman’s Best Baseball while collectors got “sold out” messages. Now collectors are raising questions about what those breakers are doing with their inventory. According to a tweet circulating in the hobby, FilthBomb—a breaking operation that was allocated hundreds of cases from Fanatics at…
Junk Wax Sal—ranked on SCR’s Hobby Influencer Rankings—posted what thousands of collectors are thinking: “Fanatics, can you suck any harder? I add Bowman’s Best to my cart the second it goes live. After numerous errors, get a 20 minute wait to checkout. By the time my 20 minutes is up, says 10 boxes aren’t available, your…
A customer is raising concerns on social media after cards from a WeTheHobby break disappeared following PSA grading. VWSmaltz posted on X that he participated in a WeTheHobby break on Fanatics Live on January 9. His cards were sent to PSA for free grading, but he didn’t realize until February 9 that he never received…
A card breaker is suing a customer who spent $24,000 on breaks, then charged back $18,000 through TikTok’s payment system. The Ballers Bank filed suit against Nicholas Albin in North Carolina court, seeking $42,000 total. The complaint was filed February 25, 2026. What Happened Albin bought boxes and packs through The Ballers Bank’s TikTok breaks…
A group breaker on TikTok posted a warning this weekend after buying what turned out to be an entire lot of fake PSA slabs. ACBreakz posted to Discord Saturday evening that he bought the cards in person, only to find out every single slab was counterfeit. “Every card is counterfeit,” he wrote. “The PSA numbers…
A Whatnot seller is defending himself after Boston Card Hunter (Nick Andrews) and @lememe_james posted a viral clip showing him cracking open a PSA 10 Panini Prizm and telling the recipient they were getting a “damaged raw card.” The video shows @yojackdylan breaking the protective case with his hands and removing the blue Prizm card…
We tracked the top 20 sellers from 2025 to see how they’re performing in early 2026. Using data from each seller’s last 30 shows as of March 1, we analyzed buyer activity, show frequency, and engagement patterns. This report builds on our 2025 Fanatics Live Annual Report, which analyzed the full year of breaker performance…
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…
If you’ve spent any time on WhatNot—the livestreaming app that feels like a cross between QVC and a Vegas sportsbook—the name Steven Lions might not have been on your radar. But according to a bombshell update from industry veteran Brian Gray, it’s a name that collectors could be talking about for years to come. The…
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…
The Fanatics consolidation continues, and more breakers are getting crushed. >Fanatics Kicks Small Breakers to the Curb Dynasty Breaks, a Wichita Falls, Texas operation that’s been in business since 2018, just posted a video confirming what many suspected: they’ve lost their “key partnership” with a major supplier. While they didn’t name Fanatics directly, the writing’s…
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…
Fanatics is gutting its breaker program, and small operations are getting axed to make room for the big players. Barbell Breaks, a smaller group breaker, posted the news Wednesday: “Fanatics breaker program is being massively downsized to provide more allocated product for the bigger breakers. We are unfortunately collateral damage and are being kicked out…
Stephen Adams, a 40-year-old former employee of the well-known Atlanta hobby shop, Cards HQ, has been slapped with theft charges after allegedly swiping more than $20,000 worth of sports cards. That’s a ton of Will Grier and Desmond Ridder cards! CardsHQ Breaker Mug Shot More Articles > Marietta Daily Journal – Man Accused of Stealing Over $20K Worth…
A Backyard Breaks customer is accusing the breaking company of stealing a Trevor Lawrence card. No, not the Gold Kaboom T-Law that made the breakers famous, this time an emailer to Sports Card Radio writes, “I pulled a Trevor Lawrence patch and Grant from Backyard kept it.” The customer claims to have messaged Backyard Grant…
Group Breakers, The Hobby House, canceled a 2023 Prizm Football break on Fanatics Live that appears to violate the breaking platform rules. Hobby House canceled the break because spots were selling for too low a price. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. 2 box Prism Random Team auctions on @fanaticslive with $1 starts. Bids…
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…
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…
Card enthusiasts, it appears there’s some discontent stirring in the realm of card breaking. The collecting community is abuzz, but not for the anticipated reasons. >Deep Fried Breaks eBay Store Deep Fried Breaks finds itself at the center of a customer service controversy, and it’s not the usual issues one might associate with the term…
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…
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…
In a time where tangible assets like sports cards are attracting a new wave of collectors and investors, many turn to “group breakers” — those who open packs of sports cards live online, distributing the valuable cards to participants who’ve bought a stake in the break. The Hobby House, also known by its social media…
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…
We’re back with more news about Binky Breaks, and unfortunately, it’s not the good kind. Earlier this week, we covered the story of a customer who never received their Michael Vick card from Binky Breaks. UPDATE 10/15: Binky Breaks appears to be banned from WhatNot permanently. What’s Going On? A recent participant in one of…
Breaking news, card collectors! It seems we’ve got some trading card turbulence brewing, and this time, it’s involving none other than the ‘WhatNot’ seller, Binky Breaks! UPDATE: Binky Breaks in Hot Water: Unshipped Cards & an Unreachable Online Presence A concerned collector recently aired out their grievances on a hot Facebook group dedicated to exposing…
COMC (Check Out My Cards) has raised eyebrows by including David ‘Gelf’ Gelfman, a previously implicated shill bidder and group break scammer, in their group breaking program. Notably, Gelfman oversees the National Sports Collectors Convention Group Break Pavilion and is the proprietor of Ripping Wax Inc. However, his beginnings into the group breaking realm was…
In a recent revelation on Reddit, a former insider at the popular sports card break company, Backyard Breaks, has come forward with claims suggesting unethical business practices. The whistleblower, who has chosen to remain anonymous, expressed growing concerns over what they described as a systematic approach to deceive avid collectors and buyers. Update: Reddit Mods…
Hold up, card collectors! We’ve gotten wind of some seriously suspect behavior over at the Backyard Rips mystery pack shows. Our sources are dishing out that this show might be raking in a whopping $500,000! Say what?! The episode that’s got everyone talking? The one from September 1, 2023 with none other than Sam Nubz…
Bleacher Breaks is back in the news, this time there are customers who claim that Bleacher was shill bidding their own break spots on selling platform WhatNot. Shill bidding is intentionally fake bidding by a seller on his/her own auction to inflate the final price. A customer noticed a certain WhatNot user name, Jammasterjames, kept jumping…
News of Tik Tok banning sports card breaking could have been a pump fake. This tweet seems to imply China, I mean, the social media app will allow breaking after a light background check. Breaker Gold Graysen received blowback after a customer complained they never received their cards. The breaker acknowledge the mistake but got…
Group Breakers are likely rigging a product acquired directly from Fanatics Authentic. Fanatics will make a custom NFL helmet product for.
Social media is buzzing that sports card group breaker Backyard Breaks is getting loaded cases. Backyard Breaks, based out of Florida, rose to cardboard fame or infamy when a giveaway involving a rare Trevor Lawrence rookie card went awry. > Backyard Breaks Kaboom Scandal The company was able to plow through any negative backlash and…
George Seusa.k.a “G”Pfafftown, NC Count 1:Ripped up Lauri Markkanen card on camera. (More Details) Platinum Card Breaks, “G” got called out for putting a 1/1 Prizm Lauri Markkanen inside a one touch so the edges got mashed. Triggered by online haters, G allegedly purchased the card for $600, only to then rip it up on…
Did WhatNot and your favorite influencers like, CardCollector2, Sports Card Investor, Packman and Blez Sports Cards open a fake BBCE. Read our expert analysis.
Good news in the Wander Franco mascot card scandal. Group breaker, CardFanz, after receiving massive backlash from the card community, did the right thing. Update: Card listed on eBay for $54,999. CardFanz, sold spots in a break of 2022 Topps Series 2 Baseball by the player and wanted to keep the card of Raymond for…
Exclusive Video Not 1, not 2, not 3….. Live Case Break owner Timothy Harmer has been accused of raping someone underage and was hit with multiple felonies. The well known group breaker was arrested April 12, 2021 and charged with third-degree rape, third-degree criminal sex act, sexual misconduct, and use of a child less than…
Former MLB pitcher Phil Hughes said on Twitter he might be done with sports card “group breaks” after haters accused him of being shady during a 2019 Topps Transcendent Baseball break. > Watch Full Video > Phil’s Pulls eBay Account YouTube user George Bozinovski pointed out that the video cuts out during the break. The…
The ‘Jersey Shore’ of sports card breakers has lost his mind. Platinum Card Breaks got called out for putting this 1/1 Prizm Lauri Markkanen inside a one touch so the edges get mashed. Triggered by online haters, Platinum Card breaks allegedly purchased the card for $600. Only to then rip it up on Instagram Live…
Many sports card scammers are able to have long careers ripping off collectors. Loud mouth group breaker “Boomo” is building quite a resume. One way to describe Boomo is disgusting. He’s baffled sports card observers for many years. How does he get people to buy into his breaks? Boomo Well, with eBay and help from…
It’s with great pleasure we drag this clown through the mud. Will Jaimet used to get on Cardboard Connection Radio (now defunct) and hate on @SportsCardRadio. His company, Heroes of Sport took out full page banner ads on Beckett.com and in their magazine. This idiot got other sports card minions to promote him. Sports cards…
Facebook Group Breaker, Stefan Otto, is getting ROASTED across the card community for allegedly stealing a card during a break. You can watch for yourself here, with commentary from someone who recorded the action. The theft occurs at around 1:04 in the video. His daughter is in the room as he pulls off the heist….