Above the Mantel: Too many parallels, not enough protection

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SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 21: Outfielder Mike Trout (27) shows his base card of 2024 Topps Series 1 baseball cards during Los Angeles Angels photo day on February 21, 2024 at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, AZ. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Don’t forget to use a penny sleeve, Collectors.

If you listened carefully on Tuesday you could hear a whole community of baseball card collectors let out a simultaneous “argh” when a 1/1 Yoshinobu Yamamoto Superfractor hit eBay with a photo showing the card in a top loader without a penny sleeve, and a good portion of the autograph mistakenly wiped away. The card, likely worth tens of thousands in pristine condition,has 9 bids as of publication, with the top one just north of $1K.

AsMantel’s Mike Metzler said, the penny sleeve might cost just a cent, butneglecting it can cost thousands.

Defector: That’s Too Many Baseball Cards!​

A question all of us in The Hobby have asked at one time or another. Topps Series 1 has 350 base cards, and each of those commons has upwards of 50 variations (Rabbit, Sandglitter, Watering Can and Spring Training Black Foilboard are all real parallels in this year’s set). While the industry sees an increased demand, with streamers and investors driving the boom, the vast number of cards makes it unclear which will retain long-term value. Is it all too much?Let us know over at Mantel.

NYT: Little Plastic Bricks Fetch Thousands of Dollars in the Lego Black Market​

Lego sets and mini-figures have become a hot commodity on the secondary market, with some rare kits fetching prices in the thousands. The skyrocketing prices have fueled an underground market, leading to an increase in thefts, like when thieves recently stole $100K worth of Lego kits from specialty shops in California. The allure of limited edition and discontinued Lego sets has helped drive the trend, with some collectors even investing in Lego as an asset. As the market grows, experts warn that it’s harmful to both the toy industry and consumers, and making it hard for kids and collectors to find popular products at retail.

B/R: WWE, Topps Announce WrestleMania 41, Debut Patches To Be Worn For 1/1 Trading Cards​

This weekend’s WrestleMania 41 is adding a unique twist to its spectacle with every wrestler donning a special WrestleMania patch on their gear. These patches will later be removed and transformed into 1/1 cards, which will be randomly inserted into packs in a future set from Topps. In a similar move to its successful MLB debut patch cards, Topps will also start introducing patches for every WWE Superstar making their main roster debut from here on out. Rapper and frequent Topps collaborator Travis Scott is confirmed to make an appearance at WrestleMania, and is already teasing limited product releases.

Today: Gotta Trade 'em All: Pokémon Cards See Resurgence in Popularity​

The current Pokémon craze was covered by the team at the Today Show this week, with reporter Brain Cheung diving into the phenomenon, even sharing his own experience collecting these sought-after cards.

The Athletic: Roger Maris Jersey Worn in ‘Asterisk Game’ of His 61 Home Run Season Going to Auction​

Roger Maris’ jersey worn during his historic 59th home run in his record-breaking year is now up for auction at Sotheby’s, with an estimated value of $2M. This jersey is especially significant as it’s tied to the controversial “asterisk” moment, worn during the season baseball increased the number of games played to 162, up from the 154 Babe Ruth, the previous record holder, played in. The 59th home run was hit in the 154th game, causing many to claim Maris didn’t actually break Babe’s record. The jersey, which has also been photo-matched to the 1960 World Series, offers a rare look into Maris’ career and the intense pressure he faced during his record-breaking season.

USA Today: Trader Joe's Easter Mini Tote Bags Listed Online for Up to $400 Shortly After Debut​

Trader Joe’s Easter mini tote bags, available in four pastel colors, made a highly anticipated return last week, and just as quickly were sold out everywhere. Despite retailing for just $2.99, many were posted on resale platforms like eBay and Mercari for as much as $400, a trend that began last year when bags were listed for up to $500. But Mantel community members know the price something is listed at on eBay is different from what it actually sold for (as J.R. Fickle reminded us this week in Mail Day), and plenty are now available on the site forless than $15.

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