Trading Card Blog

Joshua Báez LAUNCHED this ball 🚀 The @CardsPlayerDev No. 4 prospect sent this one 412 feet at 112.7 mph off the bat 🔥 (🎥@Cardinals)

JR Ritchie is making it extremely hard to keep him out of the OD rotation: 4 IP 0 H 0 ER 0 BB 6 K 35% CSW% Threw six different pitches 94.1 mph avg fb velo (95.6 mph max)

Going Live Now: Over 50 Games Including Pokemon SoulSilver Version DS. Giving away a Free Wii Sports game. Come join whatnot.com/s/ui6GTrRL

Shea Langeliers went 3-3 with 3 HRs today in case anyone missed it The dude has been BANGING balls since the beginning of the 2nd half last season ST Stats: .351/.429/.919 42 PAs 3 2B 6 HR .437 wOBA 163 wRC+ That extension price is rising, and fast 📈📈

You can’t start spring training much better than Mick Abel has 🫡

Going LIVE NOW! Over 100 Video Games. $5 starts! Come join whatnot.com/s/7audC8Uo

Doing an awesome video game show tonight at 10:15 pm eastern on whatnot. Over 100 games from all systems. $5 starts. Some really nice stuff. Go bookmark the show and join us tonight whatnot.com/s/3ymzckvf

“PUERTO RICO. ¡INCREIBLE!” — Tyler Maun on Darell Hernáiz’s walkoff homer in San Juan

Going LIVE in 5 minutes on WhatNot. Over 100 Vintage Sports Hats. Come join the show! whatnot.com/s/kT7IKz93

Going LIVE now! Over 100 vintage sports hats. First whatnot show. Come join! whatnot.com/s/81fwWz6U

Mick Abel's 6Ks in 3 innings.

Join me tomorrow night 10:30pm Eastern for my first whatnot show featuring vintage hats. Should be a blast! whatnot.com/s/2iqsDAwy

Going to give WhatNot a shot for the first time as a seller on Sunday. First show will be vintage hats. Sports specialties old new era, logo athletic & a lot more. Please give me a follow if you are on the platform. It would mean a lot whatnot.com/s/HyQlXPN7

Twins' Rodriguez homers in second straight game dlvr.it/TR6zsg

2025-26 Topps Chrome NBA Analysis & Deep Dive After spending an inordinate amount of time with this behemoth of an odds sheet, one thing is unmistakably clear: 2025-26 Topps Chrome NBA is operating on an entirely different scale. This is not just the biggest Chrome NBA release ever. It is the largest Chrome release of any sport, period. For context, a typical major product release usually lands somewhere around a few hundred distinct line items on the odds sheet. This one does not simply exceed that benchmark, it absolutely detonates it. The sheer volume of parallels, inserts, autos, and variations is unprecedented. But this is the world we live in now. As promised, this is what growth looks like. There are some genuinely great things here, some not so great, and more than a few surprises. I’ll do my best to break this monster down into something digestible. Total cards in product: 89,850,600 In this total, I’m excluding the “Refractor Box Set” format. This appears to be a complete Refractor set with a chance at an additional Refractor auto. Until we have clarity on how many of these are produced (which may be never), there’s no responsible way to include them in total production numbers. Even without them, this release still represents 32.7% more production than the next largest Chrome release ever, 2025 Topps Chrome at 67,711,008 cards. Total production by format: Hobby: 104,484 boxes (8,707 cases) Jumbo: 34,640 boxes (4,330 cases) Breaker’s: 31,380 boxes (5,230 cases) Value: 1,164,200 boxes (29,105 cases) Hangers: 505,920 boxes (7,905 cases) Megas: 613,100 boxes (30,655 cases) Fanatics Megas: 210,700 boxes (1,505 cases) Fanatics Bulk Packs: 100,000 packs As of now, I don’t know how Fanatics Bulk Packs will be distributed. They ran something similar for 2025 Archives that ultimately turned out to be a mixed Super Box format. Regardless of distribution, I am confident there are 100,000 packs produced. Pricing is still unknown, so I’m excluding them from value comparisons. That omission shouldn’t materially affect conclusions, as Bulk Packs have historically not been a competitive value format. Sapphire Predictably, there will also be a Sapphire SKU. Sapphire will be extremely limited, with 10,465 boxes (523 cases) produced. Each box contains, on average, 1 auto, 3 parallels, and 1 insert. These will likely presale for about $100,000 per box and trade for $1 million on the secondary market. Completely scientific estimate. While we’re on Sapphire, it has clearly cemented itself as a permanent fixture. Can we also collectively normalize spelling and pronouncing Padparadscha correctly? Fittingly, it is a unique, ultra-scarce, and exquisitely colored pinkish-orange sapphire. Pronounced pod-puh-ROD-shuh. This is the perfect 1/1 parallel for a Sapphire product and it loses a little of its magic every time someone butchers the name, which has become so commonplace that even Topps’ own odds sheet creators can't even spell it correctly anymore. Sorry for the tangent. Hit Frequencies Hobby: 1 auto, 14.75 parallels, 12.37 inserts, 2.59 # cards (not counting autos) Jumbo: 3 autos, 23 parallels, 15 inserts, 4.25 # cards (not counting autos) Breaker’s: 2 autos, 3.67 parallels, 1.88 inserts, 4.3 # cards (not counting autos) Value Boxes: 20 boxes per auto, 4.61 parallels/box, 2.1 inserts/box, 2.91 boxes per # card Hangers: 32 boxes per auto, 1.64 parallels/box, 2.1 inserts/box, 5.5 boxes per # card Mega Boxes: 10 boxes per auto, 11.5 parallels/box, 3 inserts/box, 1.87 boxes per # card Fanatics Megas: 10 boxes per auto, 11.6 parallels/box, 3 inserts/box, 1.57 boxes per # card Fanatics Bulk Packs: 140 packs per auto, 0.63 parallels/pack, 0.28 inserts/pack, 19.7 packs per numbered card On the retail side, it appears cases are structured to uniformly produce 2 autos per case. Value Landscape Since preorders and launch day sales are already behind us, I’m forced to use secondary market pricing for hobby formats. Realistically, we are unlikely to see anything close to MSRP again. This pricing reality is also what makes retail, sparse as it may seem, a viable alternative for rippers of this product. Prices used: Hobby: $650 Jumbo: $1,575 Breaker’s: $1,475 Retail MSRPs used: Value Boxes: $50 Hangers: $20 Mega Boxes: $85 Fanatics Megas: $100 $ per card: Hangers: $1.33 Value Box: $1.79 Mega Boxes: $2.02 $ per parallel: Mega Box: $7.38 Fanatics Megas: $8.60 Value Box: $10.85 $ per auto: Jumbo: $525 Hangers: $640 Hobby: $650 $ per # card: Hangers: $110.60 Value Box: $145.50 Fanatics Megas: $157 Let me detail the main variants that are available in Hobby SKUs but not in retail as I feel prices have reached a point where this is extremely valid. In retail, you won’t find: Parallels: Prism, Negative, any Waves (Blue, Green, Purple, Gold, Orange, Black, Red) Common inserts (and their parallels): Loading…, Generation Rising, Tall Tales, Clutch Gene, X’s and Whoa’s! Rare inserts: Rock Stars, Radiating Rookies. There is also an insert called 451, but only its Superfractors are listed on the odds sheet and are exclusive to Hobby and Jumbo. If base 451s exist, they will probably be rare and Hobby-exclusive as well. Autos: Next Stop Signatures, Sky-Write Signatures, Signature Style What you CAN find in retail, but not hobby formats: Parallels: Basketball Refractor and parallels in Value/Bulk Packs, Pulsar and parallels in Hangers, Raywave and parallels in Megas, Lightboard Logos Inserts (and their parallels): Go Time, Ball of Duty, Inspirational, Activators, Serenity Rare inserts: Advisory, Glass Canvas, Paradox, Patented, Fanatical Autos: Future Stars Autos, Chromograph and Chromograph Rookies, Stratospheric Signatures and Rookies All other variants can be pulled in both Hobby and Retail formats. This includes highly desirable parallels like Blacks, Reds, Frozenfractors, and Superfractors. Also rare inserts such as Hidden Gems (which are FINALLY listed on an odds sheet, YAY!), Let’s Go!, Ultra Violet, and Helix. Superfractors of those inserts remain Hobby-only. Yes, these hits are tougher to pull in retail, but they are absolutely available. The point here is this is not a product where you must buy Hobby formats to have a chance at meaningful hits. At current pricing, Hangers are the clear value leader. A 15-card hanger for $20 sounds absurd on the surface, but perspective matters. For the price of two 4-card Hobby packs, you could buy three 15-card Hangers. One 11-card Jumbo pack equals roughly six and a half Hangers. And massive hits exist in all of the above. From a “$ per auto” standpoint, Hangers are the best retail format, even on par with Hobby and Jumbo. If you find them in the wild, they are absolutely the play. That said, they’re already pushing $35 each on eBay, so availability may be short-lived. Personally, instead of dropping $650 on a Hobby box, I’d rather spend that on 32 Hangers. That’s half a case and should still yield 1 auto on average and about 6 numbered cards, comfortably outperforming a single Hobby box. Hobby, Jumbo, and Breaker’s can be loaded. They can also be an absolute bloodbath. They are simply out of reach for a large segment of collectors. Fanatics Megas are traditionally strong, but here they don’t appear meaningfully better than standard Megas. They’re just more expensive, with the lone exception being the rare Authentic Redemptions, which is not enough to save them from being arguably the worst format for value. Gold Logomen breakdown As for the biggest chase in the product, Gold Logomen autos and relics, surprisingly, some do land in retail. Gold Logoman Relic (Non-Auto): 12 total cards (4 each of SGA, Stephon Castle, Evan Mobley) Distribution: of the 12, 3 are inserted into Hobby boxes, 3 in Jumbo, 2 in Breaker’s, 2 in Value Boxes, 1 in a Hanger, 1 in a Mega Gold Logoman Autos (3 total cards): 2 are dispersed into Hobby boxes 1 lonely copy sitting in a regular Mega Box somewhere (I hope we see this reaction on video and that it's an average kid, not a breaker) There may be more valuable individual cards, such as a LeBron Superfractor Auto, but the first Topps Logomen will likely be among the most coveted hits for years. Hopefully Topps expands Logomen beyond just MVP, ROY, and DPOY in future releases. Main takeaways This is a monumental, massive, yet masterfully crafted product with a gigantic print run. It’s hard to even call it overpriced, because it’s historic and contains legitimately life-changing hits. If you want to play, there are valid formats at every price point. But I assure you, there will be infinite complaining about box prices in all the groups and on all the videos. That part is guaranteed. Print Runs Unnumberd parallels: Refractors- ~12,380 ea Prism- ~2,100 ea Negative- ~380 ea Wave- ~560 ea Base Sapphire- ~280 ea Basketball Refractors- ~3,960 ea Red, White & Blue- ~9,170 ea Silver Basketball- Missing from the Odds Sheet Lightboard Logos- ~235 ea Pulsar- ~1,700 ea Raywave- ~5,020 ea X-Fractors- ~14,360 ea Skylight (takes place of ToppsFractors in Fanatics Megas)- ~705 ea First Day Issue- 16 ea Unnumbered Inserts: Youthquake (15 card CL)- ~14,100 ea Sleek Finishers (30 card CL)- ~14,160 ea Destiny (25 card CL)- ~16,300 ea Instinct (20 card CL)- ~13,840 ea Voices (10 card CL)- ~14,200 ea Youthquake Refractors- ~1,450 ea Sleek Finishers Refractors- ~1,430 ea Destiny Refractors- ~1,435 ea Instinct Refractors- ~1,435 ea Voices Refractors- ~1,460 ea (Confoundingly, the base Geometric parallels of all the above have crazy odds and compute to 3 copies ea. but I don't have a lot of trust in those odds.) Loading... (15 card CL)- ~8,190 ea Generation Rising (20 card CL)- ~8,225 ea Tall Tales (25 card CL)- ~8,050 ea Clutch Gene (30 card CL)- ~8,310 ea X's and Whoa's! (10 card CL)- ~8,160 ea Loading... Refractors- ~850 ea Generation Rising Refractors- ~850 ea Tall Tales Refractors- ~850 ea Clutch Gene Refractors- ~850 ea X's and Whoa's! Refractors- ~850 ea (Weirdly, base Geometric parallels of the above inserts compute to 2 copies ea, but again, I don't know if I trust those odds.) Rock Stars (20 card CL)- ~610 ea Let's Go! (15 card CL)- ~55 ea Ultra Violet (15 card CL)- ~220 ea Radiating Rookies (10 card CL)- ~210 ea Helix (20 card CL)- ~110 ea Hidden Gems (5 card CL)- ~50 ea Image Variations (50 card CL)- ~960 ea Go Time (25 card CL)- ~38,460 ea Ball of Duty (25 card CL)- ~38,500 ea Inspirational (20 card CL)- ~37,100 ea Activators (15 card CL)- ~37,380 ea Serenity (15 card CL)- ~37,380 ea Go Time Refractors- ~3,400 ea Ball of Duty Refractors- ~3,400 ea Inspirational Refractors- ~3,400 ea Activators Refractors- ~3,400 ea Serenity Refractors- ~3,400 ea Go Time Raywave- ~1,350 ea Ball of Duty Raywave- ~1,350 ea Inspirational Raywave- ~1,350 ea Activators Raywave- ~1,350 ea Serenity Raywave- ~1,350 ea Go Time Pulsar- ~65 ea Ball of Duty Pulsar- ~65 ea Inspirational Pulsar- ~65 ea Activators Pulsar- ~65 ea Serenity Pulsar- ~65 ea Advisory (20 card CL)- ~690 ea Glass Canvas (20 card CL)- ~700 ea Paradox (30 card CL)- ~700 ea Patented (30 card CL)- ~700 ea Fanatical (25 card CL)- ~2,750 ea Autos: Autographs Rookies (40 card CL)- ~2,250 ea Certified Issue Rookies (30 card CL)- ~490 ea Certified Issue Rookie II (Retail- 25 card CL)- ~430 ea Next Stop Signatures (30 card CL)- ~390 ea Auto Rookies Refractors- ~230 ea Certified Issue Rookies Refractors- ~250 ea Next Stop Signatures Refractors- ~250 ea Topps Chrome Autos (25 card CL)- ~90 ea SKY-Write Signatures (33 card CL)- ~340 ea Signature Style (37 card CL)- ~250 ea Topps Chrome Autos Refractors- ~35 ea SKY-Write Signatures Refractors- ~230 ea Signature Style Refractors- ~240 ea Future Stars Autos (30 card CL)- ~310 ea Chromograph Rookies (20 card CL)- ~395 ea Stratospheric Signatures Rookies (25 card CL)- ~255 ea Certified Issue Rookies II Refractors (Retail)- ~45 ea Future Stars Autos Refractors- ~70 ea Chromographs Rookies Refractors- ~45 ea Stratospheric Rookies Refractors- ~40 ea Certified Auto Issue (38 card CL)- ~370 ea Chromographs (28 card CL)- ~220 ea Stratospheric Signatures (23 card CL)- ~380 ea Certified Auto Issue Refractors- ~50 ea Chromographs Refractors- ~45 ea Stratospheric Refractors- ~45 ea @CardPurchaser #thehobby #2025ToppsChromeNBA #SlabSquatchAnalytics

Found this tucked in an old book. Not sure if this is anyone famous or just some random person signing their picture 100 some years ago. Print was made in Chicago if that helps. Anyone have any idea? @Steve_Grad

Mick Abel 😤 The @TwinsPlayerDev righthander recorded NINE Ks in six scoreless frames against the team that drafted him in the first round 👀 (🎥@PitchingNinja)

Sal Stewart goes YARD 💪 The @RedsOnTheRise No. 4 prospect tallies his fifth major league homer of the year. (🎥@MLB)

Jack Wenninger racked up 11 Ks for the @RumblePoniesBB tonight 😮‍💨 The @MetsPlayerDev No. 9 prospect generated 20 whiffs on 89 pitches. He recorded 20 strikeouts in his last two starts 🔥 (🎥@RumblePoniesBB)

Welcome back Griff 🫡