Latest news with #DebutPatch
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Topps introduces Debut Patch card for UFC
Topps is expanding its popular event-worn autograph cards to the UFC. This weekend's fight will mark the first time a Debut Patch will be used for the UFC when Andreas Gustafsson enters the Octagon for UFC Fight Night on May 31, broadening the program. The patch will be worn on Gustafsson's right sleeve of his walk-out jersey and then will be removed after the bout. From there, the patch will go to Topps' facilities in Dallas and get made into a 1-of-1 patch card, which will later be signed by the fighter. This process follows the similar ones in the other sports that have included the Debut and Event Patch Cards. It hasn't been determined what UFC product the debut patch card will appear yet, but expect the newest UFC fighters to get the same treatment until that time. Topps started the Debut Patch Auto card program with MLB in 2023 to showcase a rookie's first game. It has since expanded to MLS (2024) rookies and WWE (2025), but for WrestleMania. With the NBA (late 2025) and NFL (2026) on the horizon for Topps, it's likely to expand to nearly all of the major sports over the next two years. Collectors have been enjoying the program as well, giving them a certified chase for a unique card they can place at a specific moment in time. The secondary market prices of the cards haven't hurt, either. On March 21, the Paul Skenes MLB Rookie Debut Patch Autograph sold for $1.2 million and was purchased by Dicks' Sporting Goods, which recently displayed the card in one of its stores. While other baseball Debut Patch Cards haven't realized seven figures, others have hit six figures like Jackson Holliday's, which sold for $198,000 in March. If the UFC patch program existed since the beginning of the sport, you would have seen cards for the fighters like Ronda Rousey, Anderson Silva or Khabib Nurmagomedov. Those would have seen impressive prices from their first fights. The addition of the UFC to Topps' Debut Patch program marks another step in the expansion of event-worn autograph cards across major sports. As more leagues and athletes are included, these cards continue to offer all types of collectors a unique way to feel closer to the sport.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Topps introduces Debut Patch card for UFC
Topps is expanding its popular event-worn autograph cards to the UFC. This weekend's fight will mark the first time a Debut Patch will be used for the UFC when Andreas Gustafsson enters the Octagon for UFC Fight Night on May 31, broadening the program. The patch will be worn on Gustafsson's right sleeve of his walk-out jersey and then will be removed after the bout. From there, the patch will go to Topps' facilities in Dallas and get made into a 1-of-1 patch card, which will later be signed by the fighter. This process follows the similar ones in the other sports that have included the Debut and Event Patch Cards. It hasn't been determined what UFC product the debut patch card will appear yet, but expect the newest UFC fighters to get the same treatment until that time. Topps started the Debut Patch Auto card program with MLB in 2023 to showcase a rookie's first game. It has since expanded to MLS (2024) rookies and WWE (2025), but for WrestleMania. With the NBA (late 2025) and NFL (2026) on the horizon for Topps, it's likely to expand to nearly all of the major sports over the next two years. Collectors have been enjoying the program as well, giving them a certified chase for a unique card they can place at a specific moment in time. The secondary market prices of the cards haven't hurt, either. On March 21, the Paul Skenes MLB Rookie Debut Patch Autograph sold for $1.2 million and was purchased by Dicks' Sporting Goods, which recently displayed the card in one of its stores. While other baseball Debut Patch Cards haven't realized seven figures, others have hit six figures like Jackson Holliday's, which sold for $198,000 in March. If the UFC patch program existed since the beginning of the sport, you would have seen cards for the fighters like Ronda Rousey, Anderson Silva or Khabib Nurmagomedov. Those would have seen impressive prices from their first fights. The addition of the UFC to Topps' Debut Patch program marks another step in the expansion of event-worn autograph cards across major sports. As more leagues and athletes are included, these cards continue to offer all types of collectors a unique way to feel closer to the sport.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Topps Debut Patch Program expands to UFC, first patch debuts this weekend
Topps continues to build upon the enormous popularity of their Debut Patch program by adding the UFC to its lineup, following highly successful launches with MLB and WWE. UFC Debut Patches will make their inaugural appearance this Saturday, May 31, at ESPN FN 189: Blanchfield vs. Barber, according to an official release from Fanatics. Debut patches first captured collectors' attention in the MLB. The appeal of these patches lies in their ability to tie an exact moment in time, an athlete's first appearance, to a physical collectible. Knowing precisely when and where the memorabilia embedded on the card originates significantly enhances its collectibility and long-term value. Advertisement Today's card market has witnessed an overwhelming influx of one-of-one cards, which sometimes diminishes their perceived uniqueness. High-profile athletes like Victor Wembanyama had several hundred different one-of-ones available within just his first season, diluting the magic that might come with such a card. This saturation has amplified the excitement surrounding debut patches, effectively reintroducing a genuine, indisputable "One of One" collectible to the hobby. The first UFC Debut Patch will feature Andreas Gustafsson, who will don this specially created patch on the right sleeve of his walkout jersey. Following the bout, the patch will be removed, carefully transported to Topps' facilities in Dallas, and meticulously embedded into a unique, one-of-one trading card. Gustafsson himself will then autograph the card where it will then be inserted into a UFC x Topps product. Advertisement Fanatics confirms that Topps plans to include these unique Debut Patch cards in an upcoming Topps UFC product release but did not name the product. The UFC now joins an elite roster of sports in Topps' prestigious Debut Patch program, including MLB (2023), MLS (2024), and WWE (2025).
New York Times
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Topps announces WWE Debut, Wrestlemania patches as bigger vision begins to take shape
Topps has announced that the Debut Patch, which started with MLB and then MLS, is coming to WWE, along with Wrestlemania patches that will be worn by wrestlers. Those patches will then be put into one-of-a-kind trading cards. The first patches to appear on WWE superstars will be worn by all wrestlers scheduled to have a match at Wrestlemania 41 in Las Vegas this weekend. Then, beginning on April 21, every wrestler making their first main roster appearance on Raw or Smackdown will wear the corresponding Main Roster Debut Patch. Advertisement The patches will primarily be worn on each wrestler's boot and after their match it will be removed, authenticated by Fanatics, which owns Topps, and put into a trading card that will also be autographed. The initial wave of Wrestlemania and Main Roster Debut patch cards will go into sets that will be released later this year, though Topps would not confirm whether those cards would go into the same sets or be split into different products. 'We worked with WWE on where to place (the patches),' said Topps senior vice president of product Clay Luraschi. 'Obviously wrestling's very physical, so the likelihood for the patch to be pulled off is high, so you want to put it in the safest place, but at the same time you want to have it in a place that's visible, so the fan can make the connection to what it is and what it means. So the boot, which is also something that's standard across almost all wrestlers, makes the most sense.' Topps decided to launch both WWE patch types at the same time because they see both as being equally important. 'A superstar's debut in Raw or Smackdown, it means they made it, and also to be at Wrestlemania is as big a deal, and is the pinnacle for wrestlers,' said Luraschi. 'So you have to commemorate both those events. WWE has been a great partner and we discussed what we wanted to do and how we wanted to do it. The way it came together, it was like a no-brainer on both sides.' The Wrestlemania patch concept isn't just for this year, though. Each Wrestlemania going forward under Topps' 'long-term' trading card partnership with WWE will have a patch that reflects its own unique logo. '(Wrestlers) who have had a Debut Patch, and then at some point if they're at Wrestlemania they'll have a second patch, but it's one of the biggest events in entertainment and you have to tell the story behind it,' said Luraschi. 'And that's the great thing about these patches is that it's narrowing down the idea of what a relic card is. It's tying something to a specific event. It's truly telling the story. … Guys and gals are gonna hit second, third, fourth Wrestlemanias and we'll be telling the story along the way.' 'Storytelling' is a term that comes up a lot in discussing this patch program and it helps bring into focus the wider possibilities that are now starting to take shape for it. The long-term partnership between the two companies, which Topps also has with MLB and will soon begin with the NFL, NBA, and more, means the milestone moments of a wrestler's entire WWE career can now be represented in one-of-one patch cards — from their main roster debut to each climactic Wrestlemania match they have. Advertisement This is starting to play out in baseball cards now, as well, where the Debut Patches began in 2023. In March, Topps, Fanatics, and MLB announced that starting this season, individual award winners will wear gold-embellished versions of the MLB logo patch on their jerseys, which will go into trading cards. The record sale for a Debut Patch card also came in March, when Paul Skenes' was bought at auction by Dick's Sporting Goods for $1.11 million. But does the Wrestlemania patch indicate that there could soon be a World Series patch or one for other premier events? 'We're always thinking about what the next thing is,' Luraschi said. 'We're always innovating, we have an incredible creative team, and I just think the idea of, again — and I just keep beating on the storytelling piece — but it's so important as the tie-in to the patch. It's just going to keep evolving and it's going to keep unlocking even more interesting (elements) and even more innovation.' As the patch concept expands from the debut to other milestones of an athlete's career, the potential to overdo it grows, however — something Topps is cognizant of. 'We're being very mindful of how we release these concepts,' said Luraschi. 'The great thing is that they're all one-of-ones, they're very scarce, so there's not a ton of them out there. When you have something (that's working) sometimes the knee-jerk reaction is to, lets just keep doing it or lets do a bunch of it, but we understand what we have here and it's our responsibility as a leader in the industry to make sure it's presented and parceled out in the right way for people to enjoy and to give it its highest level of collectability.' Patches aside, the partnership with WWE has shown early signs of success. In January, 2025 Topps WWE Chrome, the first release under the new license, sold out online in five minutes, according to Topps. The print-to-order Topps Now card featuring The Rock, John Cena, and Travis Scott to commemorate the moment Cena made his long-awaited heel turn at Elimination Chamber in March had a print run of 55,211 — the fifth highest total for any Topps Now card across all sports. Advertisement 'The response was tremendous,' Luraschi said of Topps WWE Chrome. 'It was best case scenario. … This segment of the business, WWE trading cards, has so much runway, and you saw with Topps Chrome. And if we keep doing the right things and we keep supporting (it), and WWE continues to do what they're doing, this can really be an important part of the trading card business. I truly believe that.'
New York Times
06-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Paul Skenes Debut Patch card up for auction after Pirates' offer declined
The Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch autographed one-of-one rookie card will take the next step toward a lucrative payday for the lucky 11-year-old boy who pulled the card from a pack Christmas day. An auction for the most coveted baseball card of 2024 will open on Fanatics Collect on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET and close March 20th at 10 p.m. ET. It wouldn't be a shock if the card sold for a six-figure sum given the on-field talent displayed by Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year and All-Star starting pitcher, as well as the hype around the card fueled by a bounty from the Pittsburgh Pirates that was ultimately rejected. Advertisement Initially pulled from a pack as a redemption card by the 11-year-old card collector from Los Angeles, the actual Skenes card received the highest grades possible from Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) with a 10 for the card quality grade and a 10 for the autograph grade. According to Card Ladder, which tracks sales across trading card marketplaces, the most expensive Skenes card sale made public to date was his 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome Prospect Superfractor one-of-one autographed card (PSA 7 card grade, 10 auto grade), which went for $123,220 through Goldin Auctions on Sept. 28, 2024. Given the unique nature of the Skenes Debut Patch card, which features the patch he wore on his sleeve in his first career Major League start, it will likely obliterate that current record. GO DEEPER Exclusive: Hear from the family that found the Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card 'We don't put an estimate on where this lands,' said Nick Bell, CEO of Fanatics Collect and Fanatics Live. 'But I can tell you obviously we get a lot of inbound from this, and the inbound that we've received for this card is not only from big collectors who typically kind of circle this sort of card, but also from a bunch of non-collectors who are really interested in this card for their first kind of major acquisition in the space.' Cardinals shortstop Masyn Wynn currently holds the top spot for the most expensive 2024 Debut Patch card sold publicly. The PSA 10 graded card sold for $75,000 on Feb. 7. The most expensive card sold by Fanatics' marketplace platform to date was a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card graded a PSA 8.5 at $1.6 million in November 2024. 'I think what's exciting about these (Debut Patch) cards and I think what's really captured collectors' hearts and minds on this is like, where do these cards go in the future,' Bell said. 'I was trying to explain to my father in law, he's a big baseball fan, but I'm trying to explain the Debut Patch to him and why it was important and I said, 'Imagine owning the Babe Ruth Debut Patch.' Obviously these athletes coming through the ranks, I think these cards are going to be super interesting in 10, 15 years time, when people have these distinguished careers.' Skenes is one of the collecting hobby's darlings heading into the 2025 MLB season — an unusual distinction for a pitcher in a space that usually places greater value on hitters. Skenes' employer and girlfriend may have aided in driving up interest for this particular card, though. The Pirates made the most public pitch of them all at the onset of the release of 2024 Topps Chrome Update, the set that included the latest batch of MLB Debut Patch cards, offering two season tickets behind home plate at PNC Park for 30 years and a host of other unique experiences and items. Livvy Dunne — Skenes' girlfriend, social media influencer and LSU gymnast — offered the card holder a chance to sit with her in a suite at the stadium during a game if the person took the Pirates' deal. Advertisement The boy who landed the card and his family, who are from the Los Angeles area but chose not to make their identities public given all the scrutiny the card has drawn, opted to sell it through Fanatics Collect instead. Fanatics will donate its cut from the final sale of the auction to a Los Angeles Fire Department and Red Cross to help support those affected by the area's January wildfires. 'Skenes is clearly an incredibly exciting prospect,' Bell said. 'He's already demonstrated his capability. You layer on top of that, his X-factor. His relationship with Livvy (Dunne). You layer on top of that the fact that this card sat under an 11-year-old's Christmas tree and was opened on Christmas morning. There's so many great elements to this story. And then you layer on top of this the fact that, unfortunately, the family was displaced twice due to the LA fires, and so it hit at that moment for LA, as well. 'There was just so many factors to this story and I think it really has captured the imagination of so many. It's one of those cards that has really punctured through into the popular culture and news cycle. I had so many friends, family ask me about this card, even folks who are not into the collectibles world. So it's just kind of one of those iconic cards that I think has really captured the attention.' Kevin Lenane, vice president of marketplace at Fanatics Collect, has served as the gatekeeper for the Skenes card. He picked up the card from Topps' printing operation in Texas and delivered it to the 11-year-old boy and his family in Los Angeles in February. He also brought the card to PSA for grading. Now he's been showing the card off leading up to the onset of Thursday's auction. Among the marketing stops, the Skenes card served as the centerpiece to a feature at the Fanatics party in New Orleans on Feb. 8, the day before Super Bowl LIX. Those in attendance could pose and take pictures alongside the card framed on a wall. Skenes and Dunne received the VIP treatment with the card, though, as they held it and posed for photos at the party. Advertisement 'We would love to see the card and the player persist in this legend,' Lenane said. 'And from a selfish standpoint, I want to be able to look back on this moment and tell it as lore to the collectibles industry for those that wanted to know, 'Hey, what was it like to get the Skenes card and to deliver the Skenes card?' It felt like such a hobby privilege to go and get this card and bring it to this family, and in such a crazy (scenario). … 'Everywhere we take it, whether it's anything from a professional baseball player to a CEO of a company to just a random 8-year old little kid, there's just gasps and wonder. Anyone that's in the hobby and outside the hobby knows what this card is. I would take the card out and there would be whispers and gasps and 'Oh, it's gonna be worth this much.' It was just the subject of so much wonder and speculation. It really did feel like kind of the golden (Willy) Wonka ticket and that's just such an exciting thing to be a part of.' GO DEEPER Victor Wembanyama viral jersey swap controversy and lawsuit explained Two other high profile cards will also be featured in the same auction: a 2023 National Treasures Victor Wembanyama rookie Logoman one-of-one card with a PSA 9 grade and the Jackson Holliday MLB Debut Patch card. Both cards are likely to challenge or surpass the current top prices for each player's cards. Wembanyama's card market might seem in flux as he's out for the rest of this season with a blood clot in his right shoulder. Still the San Antonio Spurs center's most expensive card to date sold recently in the midst of the uncertainty. Wemby's 2023-24 Panini Prizm Nebula Choice one-of-one rookie card with a PSA 9 grade sold for $860,100 at Goldin on Feb. 22. The highly touted Holliday's most expensive card sale to date is his 2024 Topps Chrome Rookie Superfractor one-of-one autographed card (PSA 10 card grade, 10 auto grade), which sold for $68,527.40 on Sept. 2, 2024 through Goldin. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (Photos: Fanatics)
