In Los Angeles, a Blank Canvas Gets a Rock Star Makeover
By the beginning of 2024, Andy and Meredith Hurley had grown tired of the unpredictable weather in Portland, Ore., and could no longer resist the sunny allure of Los Angeles.
Mr. Hurley, 45, the drummer in the band Fall Out Boy, had already spent plenty of time working in California. And Ms. Hurley, 32, a vocalist in the band Millionaires, also happened to find a job in marketing at Emo Nite, a music event promoter based in Calabasas, Calif.
That January, the couple decided it was time to make a move. 'Andy was in L.A. for work,' Ms. Hurley said. 'He was FaceTiming me while going to open houses.'
After touring about six homes, Mr. Hurley found one in the neighborhood of Sherman Oaks. 'As soon as I walked in, I knew it was the one,' he said.
He liked that the 4,445-square-foot house was divided into distinct rooms rather than one open floor plan. It was built in 2015, so it didn't come with a long list of things that needed to be repaired or replaced. The couple bought it for $3.4 million and closed just after getting married that Valentine's Day.
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Advertisement To cycle 100 people, including A-list talent, through the gauntlet of eight activities among the crowd would have been impossible without the massive security detail in place. There are improvements to be made to make the in-person experience feel more connected to the compeition, including more live scoreboards and live feeds on the participants as they navigate the events. However, the fact is putting the Fanatics Games results on its front page speaks volumes. And the results were probably exactly what Fanatics wanted: Six of the top 10 spots were won by average fans, including the third-place spot on the podium, proving regular Joe's can indeed compete in these events. But the event was also won by Brady, arguably the biggest name in the building, which generated even more buzz. Autograph zone (10): Another area where huge improvement was made, as we didn't see the disorganized lines of 2024 or athletes leaving before everyone got a signature. Advertisement This year was absolutely flawless. Huge corrals were staffed well, assuring people entered at the right place, and the handoff of the item to the athlete was terrific. It was almost seemed too good to be true. Card show (7.5): It's not The National Sports Collectors Convention yet because it doesn't have necessary variety — game-used items, tickets, other memorabilia — but for the growth of the hobby (kids collecting modern cards), it's already as good as The National. "It's a totally different feeling," one vendor told us. "Everyone is more happy. They are fans, which means they just want to get it. They aren't comping in the way they do at The National." Advertisement The fact Fanatics controls so much of the hobby flow and create debuts and exclusive of products around the event is incredible powerful. Panels and podcasts (8.0) It's hard to imagine assembling a stronger lineup of guests for a three-day event, so Fanatics Fest deserves a lot of credit for its booking power. Organization could have been better, however, with the highly anticipated 'Only in New York' panel abruptly ending during an answer from Andy Pettitte, and Tom Brady finally showing up in the final moments of a panel on collecting with Logan Paul and Emma Roberts. Best celebrity experience: John Starks The former Knicks guard was paid by the team to stand in front of a Knicks-Rangers banner and take pictures for free with fans. Advertisement Starks took hundreds of photos with a great smile and provided an added value fans weren't expecting — even though some of the kids thought he was Stephon Marbury. Worst celeb experience: Kevin Costner Costner was offering posed photos with him for $400. He took good photos with fans, which is what they paid for, but many complained at how unfriendly the actor was given the few minutes of interaction. Best sport activation: WWE For a second straight year, WWE crushed it. The experience went from a walkout entrance, which was just a lane, to a full stage with real WWE talent as judges. No other league got close to this. Best installation: Museum of Greatness The Museum of Greatness was a strong addition by Fanatics. Yes, it had Brady jerseys from all but two of his Super Bowls and game-used items from Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shohei Ohtani, but it still seemed a little card heavy. We expect this to get even better next year. Best Trading Card Set: Cactus Jack and Topps The Topps Chrome collaboration with musician Travis Scott's Cactus Jack brand was a hit in 2024, and Fanatics delivered similar results in 2025. Boxes originally retailed for $500, but could be quickly flipped on the show floor for $1,000-plus. The high sale for a single hobby box on eBay appears to be $1,500. Advertisement One box that was signed by Scott at the show sold for $2,400 through eBay on Saturday. Best Corporate Giveaway: "Happy Gilmore 2" Fanatics Fest was packed with freebies of all kinds, but none were as memorable as Netflix's Shooter McGavin cereal boxes promoting the upcoming "Happy Gilmore 2" movie. Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network. Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture. He was previously the Collectibles Editor at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on X and Instagram @benmburrows.
