Hey Collectors,
The sports card industry came together earlier this week in Atlanta for the 2025 Topps Industry Conference, and the team at Topps made a bunch of news, including the announcement that they’ll take over the NBA license .
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The next major event on the sports card calendar? Fanatics Fest, which is returning to NYC June 16th-23rd. The team will be there, and we just announced we’ll be partnering with on events, giveaways, content and more, .
As tariffs raise the cost of imported goods, investors are turning to domestic alternatives — notably, trading cards, per an op-ed from Alt CEO Leore Avidar and Alt (and Mantel) investor, Alexis Ohanian. Once dismissed as mere hobbies, Pokémon and sports collectibles are now recognized as viable financial assets, with a $15B market value and growing credibility. The market’s rise is fueled by nostalgia, savvy data-driven investing, and a desire for assets immune to global supply chain volatility.
Alt has filed a lawsuit against former auction house PWCC (now owned by Fanatics), alleging fraud and breach of auctioneer duties. The lawsuit claims PWCC orchestrated a widespread shill bidding scheme to artificially inflate auction prices for high-value sports cards. Alt estimates its losses at $13.7M due to PWCC’s actions, though PWCC called the lawsuit baseless and lacking evidence. This lawsuit follows a previous eBay suspension of PWCC for shill bidding in 2021, and concerns auctions involving high-profile cards like Patrick Mahomes’ and Kobe Bryant’s rookie cards.
Lewis Hamilton officially opens the brand-new flagship Fanatics Collectibles store on Regent Street in London. Picture date: Friday April 25, 2025. (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)
(Bradley Collyer – PA Images via Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton has signed a multi-year trading card and memorabilia partnership with Fanatics Collectibles. The deal includes autograph exclusivity and will feature premium items like “relic” cards containing race-worn gear. Hamilton helped launch Fanatics’ new flagship store in London last week, and shared that he owns around 400 race-worn helmets. With F1’s existing Topps deal, this partnership positions Hamilton as a high-end draw — fitting, given that one of his 2020 Topps cards sold for a record $900K, the most ever for an F1 card.
A restored T206 Honus Wagner card sold for $1.98M at Mile High Card Company—just $12K more than its 2023 sale, sparking concern in the hobby. While technically not a loss, its Compound Annual Growth Rate dropped to just 0.37%, a stark contrast to the 17–50% CAGR of other recent Wagner sales. Some speculate the market is cooling or that the sale timing (with another, better-condition Wagner set to hit the market) diluted demand. While one sale doesn’t confirm a trend, this result challenges the long-held belief that Wagners are bulletproof investments.
Nike’s latest release, the Air Force 1 “Dirty Triple White,” blends two sneaker culture factions—those who want a fresh pair at all times and those who prefer a worn-in look. This version comes pre-distressed, with a sheer layer over the shoe that wears away over time to reveal a clean AF1. The shoe also features a unique “toothproof” attachment, allowing wearers to start the process of un-distressing immediately. The shoe will be released on the SNKRS app next week for $130.
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