Latest news with #WillStern
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Hobby is so back, baby or is it?
Morning, Collectors. After the dramatic post-COVID crash, the card market is officially back, says Will Stern from cllct, and in ways that may prove more sustainable than the stimulus-fueled frenzy of 2020–21. While million-dollar sales have resumed (nine already in 2025), the real story is broader: record-breaking online volume ($308M in July), a surge in mid-range and base card sales, product innovation like the Rookie Debut Patch, the emergence of new superstars (hello, Caitlin Clark), and major players like Sotheby's, GameStop, and Fanatics making aggressive moves. Stern even mentions that the hobby has its own social network now called Mantel, which sounds amazing and everyone should check out! COUNTERPOINT! Darren Rovell, also of cllct, worries that we might be headed towards a bear market, stating that the current market is showing all of the signs of a bubble. Hype, speculative buying, irrational price increases, lack of fundamentals… So which is it? We're always optimistic here at Mantel, but we'll wait until things shake out and then come back here to tell you we predicted the world correctly all along. Stay tuned! The Athletic: Controversial Little League Bat Flip is Now a Collectible Pin, Bat Going to Auction Twelve-year-old Marco Rocco's controversial bat flip, which briefly led to his suspension from the Little League World Series, is now being commemorated with a limited-edition collectible pin. Only 75 'BATFLIP 2025' pins will be available for trading in Williamsport, each depicting Marco mid-flip in his No. 10 jersey. Designed in collaboration with Jeff and Todd Frazier, the pins celebrate the 75th anniversary of Haddonfield Little League and are expected to be a sought-after item among pin traders. Meanwhile, Marco's now-iconic bat will be auctioned by Goldin (Ken Goldin's son plays on the Haddonfield team… serendipity!). Robb Report: MLB Players Are Taking the Field in Vintage Van Cleef & Arpels Necklaces Van Cleef & Arpels' iconic Alhambra collection has found an unlikely but glamorous home on MLB diamonds, as players like Miguel Rojas, Junior Caminero, and Joc Pederson adopt the luxe, clover-shaped pendants as part of their game-day look. Once the domain of royalty and fashion icons, the necklaces, priced north of $9,000, are now being paired with cleats and batting gloves. Onyx appears to be the stone of choice, with its supposed protective energy adding a touch of superstition to the aesthetic. The trend evokes past player fads like the Power Balance bands (I had one and NOBODY could push my arm down when it was on!), but this time the jewelry's appeal lies more in prestige and polish than pseudoscience. NY Post: California Police Recover $30K Worth of Labubu Dolls After They Were Stolen From Warehouse A group of thieves in La Puente, CA recently bypassed cash and electronics to steal $30,000 worth of toy-of-the-moment, Garbage Patch Kids Furby Beanie Baby Labubu dolls. The Labubu, a grinning, bunny-eared oddity, has become a collector obsession, with blind boxes starting at $27.99 and rarer versions climbing past $500. One skateboarding variant sold for $10,500 last week. And of course, where there is money, there are thieves, and stories pop up near daily about major Labubu thefts. Knockoff versions called 'Lafufus' are already popping up in response. NYT: Hidden Inside Our Electronics, Tiny Doodles From Another Era This is the type of collecting story we love — an obscure category we never knew existed, with a fervent and growing community. The New York Times wrote about the hidden world of silicon art that is captivating a small group of collectors who search for 'doodles' etched into vintage microchips by engineers in the 1970s–1990s. These whimsical illustrations — smiley faces, pyramids, space shuttles, and even a Playboy bunny — were secretly embedded in unused chip space as a form of creative expression and personal signature. Though never intended for public discovery, the doodles are now being unearthed through a combination of technical skill, detective work, and a bit of hardware archaeology. With modern chip design no longer allowing such flourishes, collectors are racing against time to preserve these hidden relics of the analog era.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Hobby is so back, baby or is it?
Morning, Collectors. After the dramatic post-COVID crash, the card market is officially back, says Will Stern from cllct, and in ways that may prove more sustainable than the stimulus-fueled frenzy of 2020–21. While million-dollar sales have resumed (nine already in 2025), the real story is broader: record-breaking online volume ($308M in July), a surge in mid-range and base card sales, product innovation like the Rookie Debut Patch, the emergence of new superstars (hello, Caitlin Clark), and major players like Sotheby's, GameStop, and Fanatics making aggressive moves. Stern even mentions that the hobby has its own social network now called Mantel, which sounds amazing and everyone should check out! COUNTERPOINT! Darren Rovell, also of cllct, worries that we might be headed towards a bear market, stating that the current market is showing all of the signs of a bubble. Hype, speculative buying, irrational price increases, lack of fundamentals… So which is it? We're always optimistic here at Mantel, but we'll wait until things shake out and then come back here to tell you we predicted the world correctly all along. Stay tuned! The Athletic: Controversial Little League Bat Flip is Now a Collectible Pin, Bat Going to Auction Twelve-year-old Marco Rocco's controversial bat flip, which briefly led to his suspension from the Little League World Series, is now being commemorated with a limited-edition collectible pin. Only 75 'BATFLIP 2025' pins will be available for trading in Williamsport, each depicting Marco mid-flip in his No. 10 jersey. Designed in collaboration with Jeff and Todd Frazier, the pins celebrate the 75th anniversary of Haddonfield Little League and are expected to be a sought-after item among pin traders. Meanwhile, Marco's now-iconic bat will be auctioned by Goldin (Ken Goldin's son plays on the Haddonfield team… serendipity!). Robb Report: MLB Players Are Taking the Field in Vintage Van Cleef & Arpels Necklaces Van Cleef & Arpels' iconic Alhambra collection has found an unlikely but glamorous home on MLB diamonds, as players like Miguel Rojas, Junior Caminero, and Joc Pederson adopt the luxe, clover-shaped pendants as part of their game-day look. Once the domain of royalty and fashion icons, the necklaces, priced north of $9,000, are now being paired with cleats and batting gloves. Onyx appears to be the stone of choice, with its supposed protective energy adding a touch of superstition to the aesthetic. The trend evokes past player fads like the Power Balance bands (I had one and NOBODY could push my arm down when it was on!), but this time the jewelry's appeal lies more in prestige and polish than pseudoscience. NY Post: California Police Recover $30K Worth of Labubu Dolls After They Were Stolen From Warehouse A group of thieves in La Puente, CA recently bypassed cash and electronics to steal $30,000 worth of toy-of-the-moment, Garbage Patch Kids Furby Beanie Baby Labubu dolls. The Labubu, a grinning, bunny-eared oddity, has become a collector obsession, with blind boxes starting at $27.99 and rarer versions climbing past $500. One skateboarding variant sold for $10,500 last week. And of course, where there is money, there are thieves, and stories pop up near daily about major Labubu thefts. Knockoff versions called 'Lafufus' are already popping up in response. NYT: Hidden Inside Our Electronics, Tiny Doodles From Another Era This is the type of collecting story we love — an obscure category we never knew existed, with a fervent and growing community. The New York Times wrote about the hidden world of silicon art that is captivating a small group of collectors who search for 'doodles' etched into vintage microchips by engineers in the 1970s–1990s. These whimsical illustrations — smiley faces, pyramids, space shuttles, and even a Playboy bunny — were secretly embedded in unused chip space as a form of creative expression and personal signature. Though never intended for public discovery, the doodles are now being unearthed through a combination of technical skill, detective work, and a bit of hardware archaeology. With modern chip design no longer allowing such flourishes, collectors are racing against time to preserve these hidden relics of the analog era.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Museum of Greatness unveils $200 million collection of 'iconic' memorabilia
Game-used memorabilia and rare cards are on display from some of sports' top athletes in history. (Credit: cllct photo/Will Stern) NEW YORK — 'Iconic.' That's how Nick Connolly, Fanatics VP and head of collector relations, described the standard for inclusion at the 'Museum of Greatness.' The 10,500-square-foot exhibit on display for Fanatics Fest this weekend at the Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan is estimated to be worth $200 million — likely the most expensive collection of memorabilia ever put together. Advertisement Much of these pieces have not been seen publicly in years, if ever. It also makes a case for the most significant by any other standard, especially historic value. Walking in, past the countless security guards defending the treasures, it's easy for anyone — regardless of their experience with collectibles — to feel the weight of the items sitting in the display cases. It starts with Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. Ruth is represented by a 1918 Red Sox game-used bat, one of the earliest in the hobby. Mantle is seen through a photographers' lens by two of the most valuable Type 1 photos and their associated trading cards, the 1951 Bowman and 1952 Topps. One of the more remarkable and complete collections of unopened wax boxes and packs, from vintage baseball to football, in BBCE cellophane and PSA slabs, comes next. Logan Paul's Pokémon Illustrator, an embarrassment of riches containing some of the most valuable '90s insert cards ever created (PMGs) and, perhaps most impressive of all, a complete collection of Tom Brady's victorious Super Bowl game-used jerseys, on loan from the man himself, are all highlights. Advertisement 'People were excited because they wanted to display [their collections] for everyone,' Connolly said, describing the curation process, which largely involved dealing with individual and private collectors. 'Once the marketing was done it was actually very fun because we actually got a lot of inbound of people saying 'Oh, I have this, I'd like to display it.'' No collectibles exhibit would be complete without the T206 Honus Wagner, which sits alone in a display case. Rounding out the collection is Michael Jordan's game-used Game 3 jersey from the 1998 'Last Dance' NBA Finals, the sister to the Game 1 jersey which sold for a record $10.1 million. Fanatics also managed to procure more than 50 MLB Debut Patch Autograph cards, its creation which its CEO Michael Rubin recently called the greatest innovation in the history of trading cards. Advertisement 'The fact we could get a Honus Wagner, a Mickey Mantle and 50 Debut Parches all in one place … I think that's very special,' Connolly said. 'This is the perfect way, whatever stage you're at [as a collector] to take one step further.' Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark Prizm WNBA Gold Vinyl 1/1 card up for auction at Alt
Clark's 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Gold Vinyl 1/1 is headed to auction at Alt. (Credit: Getty, Alt) One of Caitlin Clark's top rookie cards hits the auction block at Alt on Friday morning, and the company believes it could set an all-time record when bidding concludes. The 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Gold Vinyl 1/1 PSA 9 has never sold at public auction and was one of the biggest chase cards from Panini's flagship WNBA release. Advertisement The current record for any Clark card at public auction is $366,000, set in March, which is also the record for a card of any female athlete. The current record-holder is Clark's 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl 1/1 PSA 10/10. Unlike the card coming to auction at Alt, that card has an autograph from Clark. In fact, Clark's top three card sales all have autographs, with the top sale for a non-autographed card the $105,326 paid for her 2024 Panini Select WNBA Gold Vinyl 1/1 PSA 10 in February. The most expensive card sold through Alt is a 2003 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection LeBron James RPA, which cleared $560,000 in August 2024. Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Darius Garland rookie Logoman sells for record $44k
Darius Garland's 2019-20 Panini Flawless Rookie Logoman 1/1 sold Thursday night at Goldin Auctions for $43,920, nearly tripling the previous record for any Garland card at public auction. Prior to Thursday, the record for Garland was the $15,000 paid in 2022. The 25-year-old point guard averaged nearly 21 points and 7 assists this season as he helped lead the Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference. Despite his major role on one of the top teams in the league this season, Garland's card market has largely failed to impress at the high end, with nearly all of his top sales coming in 2023 or earlier. Garland's next highest sale other than the record-breaking Logoman from the past year came in February at $3,840. Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.
