logo
Mail Day: Way Too Early Trading Card Hobby Predictions for Next Year

Mail Day: Way Too Early Trading Card Hobby Predictions for Next Year

Yahoo25-03-2025
I'm on a big predictions kick these days and was thinking to myself, 'what will be hot trends in the trading card hobby this time next year?' And lucky for you, I have the answers.
Here are the five I'm expecting to happen within the next year (plus or minus a bunch of extra months just in case):
Checklists are going to make a comeback: I picked up the 2003-04 Topps Basketball Chrome checklist the other day because, hey, for $10 you too can own a LeBron James chrome rookie card. And it comes with 400 other players - what a bargain!
What I love about checklists is that they have historically, typically, been the first card in you've tossed in the garbage - I've even seen sellers use them as protective cardboard when shipping out cards I've purchased. The complete lack of regard for the checklist I believe is going to make them even rarer and more desirable.
The Cooper Flagg 1/1 Logoman card will beat the $528k price for Victor Wembanyama's Logoman: Here, I'll say this with my chest - Victor Wembanyama will be considered one of the all-time greats in the league. He will have a better career than Flagg and it won't necessarily be close.
However, I'm taking two things into account: first, I think we've hit a bit of a Wemby-fatigue in the hobby where collectors are just overwhelmed with the amount of Wemby cards on the market; second, I think that this time next year we'll see a nice upswing in the hobby - there's a lot of post-Covid correction, there's the economic factors weighing on people, I just have an optimistic sense that things will be a bit more settled and that the market will be back on the upswing.
Someone is going to invent a better way to sell low-value base cards: This just needs to happen - if you can figure out a way for collectors to sell a $5 card and get as close to $5 in actual cash (not in store credit) in return - you will become a trillionaire.
Topps is going to penny-sleeve all cards inside packs: Don't we already pay enough for these cards that you can't just put them in penny sleeves? It would be the nicest thing you could do for us; saves us from scuffs and potentially dinged corners. Do it!
LEAF is going to sign a newborn baby to an NIL deal: Sounds crazy, right? But go ahead, bet me they won't and check back here in a year.
Someone will build a home out of Prizm Monopoly cards: Literally there are more Monopoly cards out there than there are trees, so it kinda just makes sense.
I was doing a little spring cleaning in my eBay saved items and found this one:
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot French Inventor 2008 S. Tome E Principe Perforated Stamp: Huh, um, what? For those who don't know, Cugnot is credited with inventing the first self-propelled automobile. He also is said to have been in the first car accident ever.
I wish I had a good story about why I saved this, but I'm not even a stamp collector.
I ended up going down the rabbit hole of 'custom Jesus trading cards' and boy was it a journey.
The most popular version of custom Jesus cards seams to be the Downtown variation - which for those who don't know is a highly sought-after SP card released in Donruss and Optic sets.
This particular Jesus Downtown card is lauded as being a 'BLACK FINITE 1/1' variation because, sure, why not.
The card was listed for only $199.99 and you might think that's absurd for something that you can go to Kinko's and print for less than $5, however when I checked back in before hitting send on this newsletter, I discovered that someone had already bought the card!
If you are bummed for missing out on the BLACK FINITE (sorry, I had to do caps) version, you can score a 'graded' JHCC 10 for $25. Not bad for a '1/1' card that's been bought - let me just check my math here - at least 65 times already, which as far as making it a 1/1 card goes that math is not really math-ing.
The other popular custom variations are KABOOM! cards - which, again, are SP variations that Panini sells across different football, baseball and basketball sets.
Those are a bit trickier mostly because a lot of the 'custom' KABOOM! cards tend to be custom-made cards of current and former players; like, Caitlin Clark, Victor Wembanyama, Shohei Ohtani, etc.
While most of these listings have 'Custom' in the title, some don't. That can lead to some trickery if you're not necessarily paying attention.
I have absolutely no beef with custom art cards, I think people should buy and collect what makes them happy, only when it feels like people are trying to sneakily sell them - that's when it gets yucky.
I mean, I would have gladly 'accidentally' bought this custom Caitlin Clark and Taylor Swift KABOOM! card after a few beers had someone not gotten to it mere minutes before I discovered it.
Foiled again.
It turns out some jerks didn't end up buying the Paul Skenes Debut Patch 1/1 card, just Dick's.
The sporting goods store. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
Who would have thought that the most controversial trading card that Topps would release this year would be the live-action Snow White card they dropped this past week.
If you haven't been paying attention - lucky you - but there has been a bunch of controversy surrounding this film. I don't have enough real estate here on this Mail Day to go into all of it, but it will be very, very interesting to see what the print runs end up being on this.
I'm curious to see if people hate-bought the card or if they completely avoided it.
My thinking is that without the controversies the card would have gotten close to zero on the print run. The bigger more controversial miss here by Topps is that they didn't release 7 Dwarfs cards.
I would have one-million percent bought a set of those insane looking cards.
I was thumbing through the Mantel app the other day, as I do on a quite regular basis and saw someone post their Guerschon Yabusele cards for their collection and outside of needing to triple-check that I spelled his name correctly I was starting to think it would be fun to start a thread of people's random PCs.
So, head over to Mantel and share your most random player that you collect. Would love to know 'why,' too.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nebraska's Matt Rhule: 'It Wasn't a Good Job, But It's the Right Job'
Nebraska's Matt Rhule: 'It Wasn't a Good Job, But It's the Right Job'

Fox News

timean hour ago

  • Fox News

Nebraska's Matt Rhule: 'It Wasn't a Good Job, But It's the Right Job'

Scott Frost recently called coaching the Nebraska Cornhuskers the "wrong job" for him during Big 12 Media Days. Reflecting on his time at his alma mater, Frost – who returned for his second stint at UCF – said the biggest lesson he learned was not to take the wrong job. Current Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule was asked about those comments on Tuesday. While he didn't disagree that the program wasn't in a great position when he arrived, he made it clear he still sees Nebraska as the right job for him. "This wasn't a good job," he said during the Big Ten Media Days. "But we've made it a good job, and we're about to make it a great job. This will be one of the best jobs in the country." Rather than criticize Frost, Rhule showed respect. "I have a ton of respect for Scott," Rhule said. "And I've always been very empathetic for what he went through, because this was his home. If you guys fire me tomorrow, I'm just going to go back to Cape May and sit on the beach — go back to where I'm from. But this was his home." Rhule pointed out that the program he inherited was in bad shape and behind on everything. "There was no NIL when Scott was here, no new facilities," he said. "I walked into a better situation." Frost was fired three games into the 2022 season, finishing with a 16-31 record across four and a half seasons at Nebraska, never reaching a bowl game. His legacy, however, as a 1997 national champion quarterback is still present in the program. Rhule noted that Nebraska placed a large photo of Frost as a player in its facility this offseason. When asked what comes next if Nebraska starts winning under his leadership, Rhule responded, "Sometimes recruits will say, 'Coach, if you win, what are you gonna do?'" he said. "I'm gonna stay right here. The only thing I ever think about is getting a lake house at one of these lakes in Nebraska I keep hearing about." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

Lakers part ways with LeBron for star guard, 39% 3-point shooter in this wild trade
Lakers part ways with LeBron for star guard, 39% 3-point shooter in this wild trade

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Lakers part ways with LeBron for star guard, 39% 3-point shooter in this wild trade

Is LeBron James going to request a trade out of Los Angeles? The Lakers are certainly not committed to building around LeBron anymore. Nobody would blame either side if they decided that parting ways was best for both sides. That's why everyone has been keeping their ear to the ground for LeBron trade rumors. One LeBron trade was proposed by Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report. He created '3 Trade Packages To Bring LeBron James Home to Cleveland Cavaliers,' and this one could be worth considering. 'Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: F LeBron James, G Bronny James, 2027 first-round pick (top-2 protected from Dallas Mavericks, via Hornets) and save $27.4 million Los Angeles Lakers Receive: PG Darius Garland, G/F Max Strus Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Jarrett Allen Brooklyn Nets Receive: F Grant Williams, F Dean Wade, 2027 first-round pick (lottery-protected from Miami Heat, via Hornets)' This trade could work out for everyone. LeBron would head home and instantly make the Cavaliers even more favored to win the Eastern Conference. He would also get to bring his son along with him. The Lakers would receive Darius Garland and Max Strus in return for giving up their second-best player. It might still be worth it. Garland is a budding young star, and Strus is the perfect Lakers role player. Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp This LeBron-Cavaliers trade has the potential to make everyone happy. The Cavaliers would probably be the ones to hold this up as giving up Garland, Allen, Strus, and Dean Wade would probably be too rich for their blood. More NBA: LeBron James trade idea to Cavs involves 2x All-Star, role players to Lakers

Pfizer Completes Licensing Agreement with 3SBio
Pfizer Completes Licensing Agreement with 3SBio

Business Wire

time4 hours ago

  • Business Wire

Pfizer Completes Licensing Agreement with 3SBio

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced today the completion of a global, ex-China, licensing agreement with 3SBio, Inc. ( granting Pfizer exclusive rights for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of 3SBio's SSGJ-707, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and VEGF developed using 3SBio's proprietary CLF2 platform. This agreement solidifies Pfizer at the forefront of innovative cancer research and further enhances the company's robust oncology pipeline. 'We are excited to contribute our significant expertise and resources to advance rapidly the development of the SSGJ-707 program including novel combination strategies across a number of our major tumor areas of focus,' said Chris Boshoff, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research & Development, Pfizer. 'This is an important candidate that combines two key targets in a promising class of medicines, complementing our antibody-drug conjugate portfolio and further demonstrates our commitment to advancing pioneering science to deliver transformative cancer medicines and new hope to people living with cancer.' SSGJ-707 is currently undergoing several clinical trials in China for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), metastatic colorectal cancer, and gynecological tumors. Positive interim Phase 2 results evaluating the safety and efficacy of SSGJ-707 as monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC were recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Pfizer plans to manufacture drug substance for SSGJ-707 in Sanford, North Carolina, and drug product in McPherson, Kansas. The clinical development plan for SSGJ-707 moving forward will include trial sites across the U.S. and rest of world with priority to the Phase 3 global development plan for NSCLC and other solid tumors. The first Phase 3 global studies will initiate enrollment in the U.S. Under the terms of the agreement, 3SBio will receive a payment of $1.25 billion. Pfizer will also make a $100 million equity investment in 3SBio. Additionally, the agreement provides Pfizer the option to extend the license to include exclusive development and commercialization rights to SSGJ-707 in China. In exchange for the exclusive rights in China, Pfizer will pay 3SBio up to $150 million in option payments. For additional background on the licensing deal, please read the announcement press release here. About Pfizer Oncology At Pfizer Oncology, we are at the forefront of a new era in cancer care. Our industry-leading portfolio and extensive pipeline includes three core mechanisms of action to attack cancer from multiple angles, including small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and bispecific antibodies, including other immune-oncology biologics. We are focused on delivering transformative therapies in some of the world's most common cancers, including breast cancer, genitourinary cancer, hematology-oncology, and thoracic cancers, which includes lung cancer. Driven by science, we are committed to accelerating breakthroughs to help people with cancer live better and longer lives. About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients' Lives At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For 175 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at In addition, to learn more, please visit us on and follow us on X at @Pfizer and @Pfizer News, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us on Facebook at Disclosure Notice: The information contained in this release is as of July 24, 2025. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments. This release contains forward-looking information about, among other topics, Pfizer Oncology, SSGJ-707, an investigational bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and VEGF, a global, ex-China, licensing agreement between Pfizer and 3SBio, Inc. granting Pfizer exclusive rights for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of SSGJ-707, and an option to extend the license to include exclusive development and commercialization rights to SSGJ-707 in China, including their potential benefits, manufacturing plans and development plans, that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction, including the possibility that the expected benefits from the transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; risks related to the successful integration of the licensed asset with Pfizer's business; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; negative effects of this announcement or the consummation of the transaction on the market price of Pfizer's common stock and/or operating results; significant transaction costs; unknown liabilities; the risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the transaction or SSGJ-707; manufacturing capabilities or capacity; other business effects and uncertainties, including the effects of industry, market, business, economic, political or regulatory conditions; future exchange and interest rates; risks and uncertainties related to issued or future executive orders or other new, or changes in, laws, regulations or policy; changes in tax and other laws, regulations, rates and policies; the uncertainties inherent in business and financial planning, including, without limitation, risks related to Pfizer's business and prospects, adverse developments in Pfizer's markets, or adverse developments in the U.S. or global capital markets, credit markets, regulatory environment, tariffs and other trade policies or economies generally; future business combinations or disposals; uncertainties regarding the commercial success of SSGJ-707 and Pfizer's commercialized and pipeline products; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; risks associated with preliminary or interim data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from the clinical studies; whether and when drug applications may be filed in any jurisdictions for SSGJ-707 or any of Pfizer's pipeline products for any potential indications; whether and when any such applications may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on myriad factors, including making a determination as to whether the product's benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product's efficacy and, if approved, whether SSGJ-707 or any such other products will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of SSGJ-707 or any such other products; uncertainties regarding the impact of COVID-19; and competitive developments. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned 'Risk Factors' and 'Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results', as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at and

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store