ALT HITS

April 7, 2023

Hi,
Ready for another look at the latest news in the collectibles space? Here’s an all new edition of Alt Hits.

🚩 Card Fanatics

It’s hard to cover the latest news in trading cards and alternative assets without mentioning Fanatics, and as always, they’ve been up to quite a bit. If it wasn’t for placing MLB Debut patches on rookie jerseys that will be used for exclusive RPAs, it was for the exciting news that Topps could be once again making NBA cards as soon as next season.

That’s not all. CNBC did a deep dive on how Fanatics is capitalizing on the current sports card boom. And while it seemed like Fanatics was responsible for a recent run of Panini employees resigning from their positions, it turns out those employees are now headed to Fanatics. Which is good news, as it means that Fanatics should be adding to a lot more jobs to the collectibles space in the near future.

Photo Cred: Forbes

🎥 An Emmy for Curry

Steph Curry is the next NBA star to make the move to Hollywood, as he’ll be co-starring in a series about a sports memorabilia dealer who played ball with Steph in 6th grade.

👟 Rare Air

The new Ben Affleck and Matt Damon movie Air covers Nike’s chase to bring Michael Jordan into the fold, and not surprisingly, the Jordan brand is seeing a boost in sales.

🍄 Super Mario

Another new film with ties to 80s culture is the Super Mario Brothers movie, which has opened to mixed reviews, but is responsible for some fun collectibles, included Super Mario movie branded Truffle hot sauce.

👴 Over the Hill

Dolphins’ WR Tyreek Hill says that he’ll retire when he’s 31, at the end of his current contract. Early retirements are something to keep an eye on, as they could have a major effect on the value of cards you’ve been stocking up on.

🕹️ On one on one

Love playing Madden, NBA 2K, or  any other sports video game? Here’s a look at the licensed sports game that started it all, Dr. J vs. Larry Bird’s One-on-One.

🎩 Crash the Boardwalk

NBA Prizm Monopoly is coming, which will likely be a fun version of the game if you’re willing to crack open the exclusive card packs.

🏌️Masters

The Masters has arrived. Need a preview? How about a look at the current state of Golf Trading Cards, or one of the week’s best articles, a (paywalled) profile of Harold Varner III and his open decision to join LIV for the money.

💃 Winning Women

Our last edition of Alt Hits covered the heat around the Women’s NCAA Tournament, and the Final didn’t disappoint, becoming the most watched NCAA Women’s game ever.

🤑 March Mad Money

One gambler put $100 on every underdog in March Madness and came out up $1,900.

LeBron Helps a Latte

LeBron James is always one to help out, and he recently opened a Starbucks in his hometown of Akron to help teach leadership skills in the community.

📈 Trump NFTs

Last but not least, Donald Trump’s indictment has caused his NFT trading cards to rise in value. So at least he’s got that going for him.