Cards Mania: Uncovering the Hidden Gems and Surprising Facts of Trading Cards

Fanatics vs. Panini: What the Antitrust Heat Could Mean for Licenses, Products, and Prices Fanatics locked up a raft of long exclusive trading-card licenses with the big U.S. leagues and players’ unions, then bought Topps. Panini sued for antitrust. A federal judge let the core claims move forward. Discovery is now spicy, with Fanatics ordered to hand over unredacted licensing deals to Panini’s lawyers. If you care about what logos show up on the box you rip and how much you pay, this fight matters. How we got here The license grab. Fanatics struck exclusive card deals that, by 2025–2026, put most major U.S. league and union rights under its roof for a decade or more. Panini called foul and sued in 2023. What the court said. In March 2025, the judge dismissed some counts but kept the core antitrust claims alive. Translation: the heart of the case is going to be litigated, not tossed. Discovery fireworks. In July 2025, a magistrate judge ordered Fanatic...

Collectors were stunned when prosecutors charged two Washington men with a multi-year scam built on forged PSA labels. The playbook was simple and scary: take ordinary sports or Pokémon cards, fake the PSA flip and grade, put the card in a convincing holder, then sell it like a gem. One headline sale involved a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie presented as a PSA 10 that fetched $171,700 . It is a reminder that a plastic slab adds confidence, not certainty. The case file: who, what, where Prosecutors say the operation ran from 2022 through May 2024. The defendants, identified in filings as Anthony Curcio and Iosif Bondarchuk , allegedly moved altered slabs through card shops, shows, auctions, online marketplaces, and private deals. Investigators put the total at more than $2 million in fraudulent and attempted sales. When buyers occasionally caught on, refunds sometimes went out, then the same doctored slabs reappeared for sale to new victims. ...

Caitlin Clark Rookie Card sells for $660,000  Women’s sports cards are exploding In a historic moment for the trading card world, a Caitlin Clark rookie card just sold for an astonishing $660,000 —setting a new record for a women’s sports card and shaking up the industry. With this sale, women’s sports cards have officially entered the big leagues. 🏀 Who is Caitlin Clark? If you’ve followed college basketball even slightly in the last two years, you’ve probably heard her name. Caitlin Clark is a generational talent, known for her deep shooting range, competitive fire, and record-breaking performances. She starred at the University of Iowa, where she: 🏆 Became NCAA's all-time leading scorer (men's or women's) 🥇 Won multiple Player of the Year awards 🎯 Averaged over 28 points and 8 assists per game 💥 Led Iowa to back-to-back national championship appearances Now in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever, Clark is already filling arenas and drawing massi...

Topps Premier League 2025/26 – The Most Ambitious Football Card Set Ever? Topps is officially back as the exclusive trading card partner of the Premier League , and the 2025/26 set is nothing short of a game-changer. Whether you're a seasoned collector, a casual fan, or just discovering The Hobby, this product line is designed to offer something thrilling in every rip. 🏆 Base Cards, But Not So Basic This season’s foundation is built on a checklist of 280 players – that’s 14 from each of the 20 Premier League clubs – plus team badge cards. It’s the perfect start for collectors who love building full squads and learning the faces behind the shirts. What’s new? Each pack includes a mix of base and insert cards, and thanks to a rainbow of vibrant parallels – including retail-exclusive Blue (1:2 packs), Yellow (1:4), and Green (1:8) – no two rips feel the same. 🌈 Parallels: Every Collector’s Obsession Parallel cards are alternate-colour versions of standard cards, and ...