Latest news with #tradingcards
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Topps remaking more Lionel Messi autograph cards following its own ‘investigation'
Collectors are questioning who actually signed a growing number of Lionel Messi trading card autographs certified by Topps. Leading card grader Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) has now refused to grade Messi autograph cards across multiple Topps sets, including one of its most expensive soccer offerings. Advertisement The Athletic first reported on the issue in March. Since then, Messi cards with certified autographs in at least five of Topps' sets have not been authenticated by PSA. This includes at least one card from Topps' premier high-end set, Dynasty, where Messi cards can be worth anywhere from around $4,000 to $100,000. The Athletic obtained documentation from affected card owners to verify the cases. Topps declined interview requests related to this situation. A PSA spokesperson said they would check on a possible interview, but never responded after The Athletic followed up. A representative for Messi also did not respond to a request for comment. After PSA refused to authenticate the autograph on a Dynasty card (pictured above) pulled by David Rodriguez of Clarksville, Ind., a Topps collector support senior manager wrote in a March 28 email viewed by The Athletic: 'Following our investigation, we will proceed with remakes of the Topps Dynasty Lionel Messi cards.' The use of the plural 'cards' in Topps' message suggests the possibility that multiple Messi autographed cards in that Dynasty set could be remade. Topps produced 204 total Messi cards from the 2022-23 Dynasty cards set, all of which should feature autographs from the soccer star directly on the cards themselves. Remaking every Messi Dynasty card in the set could impact cards with a combined value nearing or eclipsing $1 million. The Messi Paris-Saint Germain patch autograph card — a card bearing an autograph and a piece of memorabilia — that was originally sent to Rodriguez from Topps 2022-23 Dynasty UEFA Champions League carried serial number 01/10, meaning it was the first out of 10 produced. The 02/10 card in the set sold for $4,642 at auction the next day. The set's one-of-a-kind (1/1) card sold for $13,420 on April 26, and another Messi one-of-one, an FC Barcelona card, from the set went for $103,701 in Sept. 2024. The quality and desirability of the patch often drives the price, which likely played a part in the six-figure price tag; that card included a piece of the Barcelona badge from a match-worn Messi shirt. Advertisement Topps has not publicly acknowledged the issue, outside of correspondence initiated by affected card owners. It appears the only way to determine if an autographed Messi card can be remade is to submit the card for grading, have PSA refuse to authenticate it, and then negotiate with PSA and Toops about the next steps. 'For a company like Topps, you would think they would do a little bit better,' Rodriguez said. 'It's just disappointing and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.' Mike Denis of Salem, N.H., ran into a similar issue in early May, when PSA wouldn't authenticate a Messi autograph on a 2024 Topps Finest MLS card. In that instance, a Topps representative pushed the blame to PSA. In the transcript of an online chat between Topps and Denis viewed by The Athletic, the card company's rep said, 'Recently Messi has changed the style of his autograph, which it seems PSA has not updated their standards.' Over the past few months, PSA has declined to authenticate Messi autograph cards from at least the following Topps sets: 2022-23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League, 2024 Topps Chrome Sapphire MLS, 2024 Topps Chrome MLS, 2024 Topps Finest MLS, and 2021-22 Topps Finest Flashbacks UEFA Champions League. So got one of the biggest pulls I've ever had from @Topps this beautiful messi auto. Sent it to @PSAcard, just was told they cant authenticate the autograph. How does this happen, thanks to psa for their diligence but these autos are supposed to topps witnessed? @CardPurchaser — Mike D (@mikeD922) May 9, 2025 Dan Jamieson, CEO of Icons, an England-based sports memorabilia company that has had a relationship with Messi dating back to his early days as a professional, told The Athletic in March that Messi sits with the Icons staff at least three times a year for autograph sessions. Jamieson said while he's not a handwriting expert, Messi's signature hasn't varied much through the years when signing for Icons. 'I think it (Messi's signature) has been pretty consistent,' Jamieson said. 'He gets a lot of practice with us. He's quite a consistent guy.' A post shared by 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒 ✨ (@primecollectors_) As The Athletic previously reported, Nick Bruce of Ferndale, Mich. said a PSA representative told him in February that the autograph on his 2021-22 Topps Finest Flashbacks UEFA Champions League Football's Finest card was 'fake,' and potentially signed by Messi's brother. PSA has since seemed to soften its stance when explaining to customers why it's not authenticating certain Messi autograph cards, telling multiple card owners, 'To be perfectly clear, our authentication team is not stating that the autograph is a forgery; they are simply not comfortable rendering an opinion on this particular signature style. In rare cases such as these where our team opts to refrain from issuing an opinion, PSA will return the item unprocessed at no charge to the customer.' Advertisement Then PSA offers 'an alternative path,' saying they have a 'positive, working relationship' with Topps and that the card company will 'sometimes issue replacement cards in unique circumstances.' Soccer Cards HQ's Scott Kaczmarek told The Athletic that the questionable autographs are bad for the soccer collector community: 'If they hit a Messi (autograph card) and try to get it graded and then it comes back fake or it's not authenticated, that's really bad for us.' ADOT just shared that PSA has refused to grade a Messi MLS on-card auto 😮 — Soccer Cards HQ (@SoccerCardsHQ) April 22, 2025 Rodriguez said he spent $1,200 at his local card shop on a box of 2022-23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League, which contains just one card, in August 2024. He opened the box to find a redemption card — an 'IOU' where the owner submits the code to receive an autographed card from the manufacturer at a later date, once the athlete in question has signed — for a Messi patch autograph card. It was the most valuable card he's ever pulled from a pack or box, he said, and he immediately redeemed the card through the Topps website. After four months of waiting, Rodriguez said he spoke to someone from Topps who told him Messi would have a private signing for Dynasty cards and other Topps products. Rodriguez received the card in late January and sent it to PSA. In early February, the grading company alerted Rodriguez it couldn't authenticate the autograph and encouraged him to reach out to Topps. In early March, Topps offered a similar deal to Rodriguez as it had in late February to Bruce. The company would either remake the card with a new autograph to then be shipped to PSA for grading and authentication, or offer a substitution of equal or greater value. The timeframes for a possible remake varied significantly in the cases of Rodriguez and Bruce. Bruce's 2021-22 Topps Finest Flashbacks Messi card sported an autograph on a sticker that was affixed to the card. Players often sign sheets of stickers totaling several thousand autographs in a given session, allowing card companies to place the autographed sticker on specific cards at a later date. But Messi would have to sign Rodriguez's card itself, since Dynasty bears on-card autographs. Advertisement Topps explained in an email to Rodriguez that this 'very lengthy' process could take anywhere from six months to two years. Rodriguez accepted Topps' alternative offer of a card or cards of equal or greater value, assuming the wait time for a Messi replacement would be closer to two years. Topps sent Rodriguez two autographed rookie cards: one of Lamine Yamal and the other of Shohei Ohtani. After grading, the two cards are worth an estimated $6,000, which is nearly $2,000 more than the last sale of the questioned Messi Dynasty card. Rodriguez said he'll keep Yamal, the 17-year-old FC Barcelona phenom, for his collection, but he's planning to sell the Ohtani to buy more Messi autographed cards 'that seem to be legit.' However, his confidence in Messi autographed cards has been shaken. 'I'm pretty worried, to be honest,' Rodriguez said. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Rare finds: Collectors fuel surging demand at Windsor trading card show
Vanessa, 7, shows off her nearly complete Pokémon Journey Together set. June 1, 2025 (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor) A once niche trading card and collectible show in Windsor is now a scene where hundreds of collectors show up to do business. On Sunday morning, the 13th edition of the Rad Sports Card and Collectible Show took over the Forest Glade Arena. 'The dealers carry a lot of different products, from Pokémon to sports cards and other sports memorabilia,' said show organizer Robbie Durling. Binders in hand, attendees walked from table to table in an effort to find the right deal to either sell from or add to their collections. Trading cards have seen a significant increase in interest and value in recent years, Durling said. 060125_trading card show Windsor Robbie Durling, creator of the Rad Sports Card and Collectible Show, sits in front of a table of cards for sale. June 1, 2025 (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor) Specific cards, especially those printed in limited amounts or featuring signatures, can often fetch a pretty penny. 'It is really just a piece of paper, but it's what that piece of paper means to the individual collector that can make it so valuable,' Durling said. 'It's not only, you know, the value, but it's more of the perceived value.' Created in 2022 , Durling said his show has increased alongside the interest in collectibles. At their first event, they featured about 14 tables with cards and memorabilia for a crowd of about 50 people. On Saturday, Durling said they showcased about 36 tables, and overall attendance could reach 500 people by the time the show wrapped. 060125_trading card show Windsor Organizers estimate nearly 500 people attended the 13th edition of the Rad Sports Card and Collectible Show at Forest Glade Arena, June 1, 2025 (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor) 'I think a lot of that stemmed initially from the pandemic and that kind of trajectory of sports cards and trading card game cards. It just hasn't slowed down,' he said. Durling credits a sense of community that has formed around training for the success of the Rad show. 'When you walk around, and you see people smiling, and you see them trading, and you see them dealing like that's really what these shows are all about, just the community coming together,' he added. While it was never expected to grow to such heights, Durling said he plans to continue hosting the shows every couple of months.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Forensic scientist pursues Ipswich comic book shop dream
A man who quit his career as a forensic scientist to run a comic book and trading card shop said he had not "looked back" since Smy opened the store in Ipswich town centre which he said had been a lifelong leaving the world of forensics, Mr Smy said he could still use his professional skills to judge the authenticity of cards and spot any stressed comics could offer "real value" to society with the messages they portrayed and recalled how these magazines helped him learn to read growing up. "It's been a dream of mine for years," Mr Smy said. "It was one of those things that sits in the back of your head and you go, 'No, I need to do what's expected of me and do the professional thing and have a career', and I did."Then life happened, and you re-evaluated. I wanted to build something and enjoy it at the same time - I haven't looked back." Mr Smy said originally it had been crime shows that had interested him into a forensics said he had now "repurposed" his skills into to his new career."I still do investigating, finding out the authenticity of a signature, whether cards are real or if they've been faked and unfortunately there are some very good fakes on the market," he continued. "We're talking cards that are potentially worth a couple of hundred or thousand and some of them you cannot tell the difference between the actual and the fakes." Mr Smy felt comics and trading cards could be something for anyone to enjoy, no matter their said they brought joy, while comic book storylines often tackled real-world issues."I originally learnt to read from comics," he added."Some people think they are frivolous and just for fun or they're for kids, but they offer real value to society as well." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
A Manute Bol basketball card sold for more than $20,000 — but why?
There's been a fascination for sports fans with former 7-foot-6 center Manute Bol since the mid-1980s. Still, the sale of his 1987 Fleer card — not even Bol's rookie card — skyrocketing in price earlier this week by more than 290 percent of its previous high seems like a wild, random occurrence. Bol's 1987 Fleer card with a gem mint 10 grade from PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) sold Tuesday for an all-time high of $22,222 on eBay. The card's previous top sale of $5,655 occurred in September 2022. It's now the most expensive non-autographed 1987 Fleer basketball PSA 10 graded card since 2023, passing a Michael Jordan card that went for $20,059 in March 2025. Advertisement According to Card Ladder, which tracks trading card sales across multiple marketplaces and verified Tuesday's sale, only one other non-autographed 1987 Fleer PSA 10 basketball card sold for at least $20,000 in the past two and a half years: A Jordan card with a rare and highly coveted Beckett pristine 10 grade went for nearly $32,000 in December 2024. Bol stood as one of the tallest players in NBA history at 7-6. At 200 pounds and with limited playing experience, though, he wasn't a top prospect as the Washington Bullets selected him in the second round of the 1985 draft at No. 31. He played 10 seasons in the league with stints in Washington (twice), Golden State (twice), Philadelphia (twice) and Miami. He landed second-team honors on the all-NBA defensive team and led the league in blocks per game in two seasons (1985-86, 1988-89). But he was never an offensive force at all, only averaging 2.6 points and 18.7 minutes per game in his career. So why would the card of a player who averaged 2.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game even be in the same conversation as a Jordan card? Since the buyer's identity isn't known, we can't say for sure, but there are some data points that suggest a possible reason for this. Bol's 1987 Fleer card with a PSA 10 grade is quite rare. Out of 632 examples of it graded by PSA, only eight have that top grade. Meanwhile, the Jordan card in this set has been graded 18,933 times by PSA, with 215 earning a gem-mint 10 grade. Even the checklist card has been graded 835 times with 146 earning a PSA 10. The card in the set with the next lowest PSA 10 population after Bol's is that of former Utah Jazz forward Thurl Bailey (nine of 453 graded). In January, one of those sold for $17,675 in an eBay auction, well past its previous high of $4,800 in 2022. Former Seattle Supersonics forward Dale Ellis has 11 PSA 10s from that set, with three sales between $7,500 and $8,300 in the last 12 months. None of these are players who usually drive such significant prices in the basketball card world. Advertisement It's not as if this particular Bol card is generally a mega collectible card, either. An ungraded 1987 Fleer Bol card can be bought on the secondary market for $1.25. A PSA 7 version of this card sold for $3.25 on the same day as the $22,222 sale of the PSA 10 example. As with everything in the trading card market, it's all about supply and demand. And the demand for these 1987 Fleer PSA 10 graded cards of unremarkable players is possibly the result of a relatively small number of dedicated collectors attempting to build complete sets in the highest grade they can. So if you have the means and your goal is to collect every single card in the 1987 Fleer basketball set in a PSA 10 grade, and there are only currently eight such Manute Bol cards in existence, it's going to drive up the value of that card — regardless of who is on it — for you and everyone else attempting the same thing at the same time. The result: A Manute Bol card that sells for $22,222. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (Top image: PSA)
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Upper Deck Unveils Industry-First Trading Card Authentication for Highly Coveted Rookie Auto Patch Cards
CARLSBAD, Calif., May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upper Deck, the global collectibles company that pioneered the trading card security hologram, today announced it is expanding its industry-leading advances in anti-counterfeit technology with a card authentication feature that safeguards the integrity of its trading cards. As part of the highly anticipated release of the 2023-24 Upper Deck The Cup Hockey on June 4, 2025, this new feature deepens Upper Deck's commitment to security and authenticity by allowing collectors to verify that their Rookie Auto Patch cards have not been tampered with via patch swapping. Upper Deck President Jason Masherah explained: 'The trading card industry has experienced a massive patch swapping challenge for years now, where counterfeiters will cut out and swap patches to increase a card's after-market value based on the player or colors of the patch. Until now, there has been no trusted mechanism to self-verify if a card has been tampered with, and this Rookie Auto Patch Authentication is the first step in tackling this massive industry-wide issue.' The power is placed in the hands of the consumer with this revolutionary authentication service. Each Rookie Auto Patch card in the 2023-24 Upper Deck The Cup Hockey is slabbed, photographed and serial numbered with a QR code, which collectors can scan to view a gallery of images from multiple angles that depict the card as it was originally issued by Upper Deck. This feature is already found within Upper Deck's ecosystem on Collect Forever where uncirculated comic books and figurines are similarly slabbed, imaged and provided a QR code for authentication. Those familiar with Upper Deck's groundbreaking memorabilia authentication system, which set the industry standard in 1992 for ensuring autograph authenticity through a five-step process using recorded hologram IDs and a database for collectors to verify the item's authenticity, will find the Rookie Auto Patch Authentication works in a similar, easy-to-use format. 'This is a game changer for the industry. Collectors have never been in a position to have confidence in a card's authenticity before making a purchase,' said Masherah, who spearheaded this initiative for the company. 'Before you buy an Upper Deck Rookie Auto Patch Card from an auction or a card show, you now have the ability to quickly see on a secure platform whether or not the card remains as we originally created it, without the risk of purchasing a manipulated card or needing to go through the extra step of shipping it to us or a third-party for verification.' Upper Deck's Rookie Auto Patch cards are the most highly chased, high-end rookie cards and typically carry extremely high valuations on the secondary market thanks to their on-card autographs, low numberings, and colorful patches. The 2023-24 Upper Deck The Cup Hockey trading card set will be available for purchase at local Certified Diamond Dealer hobby shops and Authorized Internet Retailers on June 4, 2025. Those who score Rookie Auto Patch cards can visit to test the Upper Deck Rookie Auto Patch Authentication process using The Authority Authenticator. Learn more at About Upper Deck Upper Deck is a global entertainment company creating trading cards, memorabilia, collectibles, games, and online platforms that deliver the experiences collectors crave. Upper Deck has set the unmatched industry standard for quality, authenticity, and innovation, and continues to bring generations of fans closer to their favorite athletes and characters with unique and authentic sports and entertainment product offerings, as well as its digital trading ecosystem. The company prides itself on creating collectibles that produce invaluable experiences for sports and entertainment's most dedicated and loyal fans, with a goal to deliver excellence to the community across the most coveted properties as a means to develop memorable moments for collectors of all kinds. Find more information at or or follow us on Facebook ( /UpperDeck ), Instagram ( UpperDeckSports ), X (formerly known as Twitter) ( UpperDeckSports ), and YouTube ( UDvids ). Media Contact: Nicole Brief, [email protected] Matt Burkey, [email protected]
