Looking for a Tall, Fat Loser
· Yahoo Sports
Isn’t the US Open the best, Collectors?
Yes, the late night finishes are an interesting quirk (though I found it funny that Alcaraz’ friends and family back in Spain likely woke up in time to see most of the match yesterday morning)…
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It’s a shame a sport that can be as fun and competitive as tennis flies under the radar for most of the year, aside from Grand Slam Season. And those ebbs and flows are part of why I’ve never gotten super deep into collecting it. Interest this week is sky high, but will we still be talking about tennis next month?
Mantel scribe J.R. Fickle thinks tennis is the PERFECT sport to collect for that same reason. It gets forgotten, so there are deals to be had!
He might be right, but I know this much: now ain’t the time to try and buy up Ben Shelton or Coco Gauff cards on eBay, because they’ll be trading at highs. But in a few weeks, ascendent talents like Alexandra Eala might be available for a steal, and if you are patient enough to hold until the right moment, you might just find yourself in the money.
The Athletic: Why Pro Athletes Are Opening Sports Card Shops
NBA veteran Mo Bamba opened up Mo Bamba Sports Cards & Collectibles in Austin, joining a growing wave of athletes investing directly in the hobby. His shop follows similar ventures from Tom Brady (CardVault), Cooper Flagg, Lewis Hamilton, Derek Jeter (Arena Club), Blake Snell and Karl-Anthony Towns, stars who have stakes in the card business. Bamba believes athlete ownership strengthens the connection between fans and collectibles while helping make card collecting more mainstream. We just wish he got more creative with the shop name.
Sports Illustrated: PSA Reorganizes Services Levels; Opens New Tier & European Facility
PSA announced a significant restructuring of its grading services beginning next week, introducing a new $59.99 Standard tier (90–100 business days, $1,000 max declared value) while reorganizing existing service names and pricing. The company also confirmed its Frankfurt, Germany facility will be opening, allowing European collectors to submit locally. Value tiers remain paused until PSA’s grading backlog falls from roughly 9.9M cards to 5M, though it sounds like they are making a dent.
The Athletic: Police Investigating Robbery of ‘High-Value Items’ at Fanatics Collectibles London Store
Police are investigating a burglary at Fanatics Collectibles’ Regent Street store in London after thieves broke in during the early hours on Monday. High-value trading cards and other merchandise were stolen, though no customer-submitted grading orders or customer data were compromised. The incident follows a recent burglary at Tom Brady’s CardVault store in California, and one at Holmestead Sports Cards & Collectibles in Red Deer, Alberta, where the shop owner said a “tall, fat loser” broke in and took thousands of dollars worth of product.
Mantel: What to Chase in 2026 Panini Donruss WNBA
2026 Panini Donruss WNBA is shaping up as one of the year’s biggest WNBA releases, headlined by Olivia Miles as the clear top rookie autograph chase. Beyond Miles, collectors will be hunting Rated Rookie signatures from Azzi Fudd, Flau’jae Johnson, Lauren Betts and others, while established stars like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and A’ja Wilson anchor the veteran checklist. The biggest insert remains the coveted Downtown SSP, while the nostalgic 1998 Pinnacle WNBA Arena Collection Retro insert adds another premium chase by pairing today’s stars with league legends.
Yahoo Sports: Naruto Card or Aaron Judge's Return?
The Yankees’ Naruto giveaway sparked another stadium collectible frenzy, with fans lining up for the exclusive Bandai promo card and some leaving before first pitch (c’mon people, live baseball is awesome). Pre-sale listings reached into the hundreds—and even thousands—of dollars before settling around $200 after distribution. This release follows the success of Bandai’s One Piece promotions, but does make me wonder if these giveaways encourage scalpers while pushing away true fans who actually want to see the game.