The chase of the NBA season is already off the board, as Cooper Flagg’s highly anticipated 1-of-1 Rookie Debut Patch Autograph was pulled earlier this week. Already the subject of a unique bounty from the Mavericks (and just about everyone else), the card will absolutely become Flagg’s most valuable collectible. Credit to ALT for their clever bounty/auction play, which has the marketplace taking binding bids before even securing the card for sale.
After weeks of being the hobby’s most controversial card, the T206 Honus Wagner owned by Keith Olbermann sold last week, bringing in $1.3M. The sale of the heavily restored card known as the “Die-Cut Wagner” comes ahead of another high-profile Wagner auction, with a rare Piedmont-backed example already topping $3.3M in bidding.
A sealed 1986-87 Fleer Basketball box signed by Michael Jordan sold for $900,100 on eBay, with 10% benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. This was an interesting one for me… pristine MJ rookie cards could be hiding in the box, but we’ll never know, because you’d have to be truly crazy to rip the box open. What would you rather have, a signed MJ rookie card or a signed ‘86-87 Fleer box that could be packed with MJ rookies?
A forgotten box of 97 mint Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt cartridges has become one of gaming’s most remarkable discoveries. Five earned the first-ever PSA 10 grades for NES cartridges, and the rare 1993 production run is expected to draw massive collector interest when the games head to auction. How do you forget about a box packed with 97 ultra-rare games?
The first-ever Above the Mantel centered around a hoarder-neighbor’s estate sale I burned some cash at, so this article grabbed my attention. Estate sales are becoming increasingly competitive as resellers hunt for underpriced collectibles, vintage clothing and other valuables. Social media and resale platforms have helped fuel the boom, and of course smartphones and AI tools let shoppers instantly research finds, turning a traditionally leisurely pastime into cutthroat treasure hunt.
Sophie Cunningham’s recent comments on transgender athletes have coincided with record card sales, including a $9,464 Prizm Black Finite 1/1. While controversy can drive short-term attention and prices, history with athletes like Aaron Rodgers and Colin Kaepernick suggests lasting collector demand depends on cultural significance and sustained interest, not headlines alone. That said, here’s a headline…:
Former NBA player Enes Kanter decided to jump into the conversation by declaring himself eligible to play in the WNBA. His cards, however, have not seen the same jump as Sophie Cunningham’s (go figure), but it got J.R. Fickle thinking… if Kanter did make it to the WNBA (he won’t), would his new cards count as rookies?