Sports collectibles became one of the breakout stars of an otherwise rotten 2020. While shops and shows took a COVID pause, online business boomed. There was still plenty of uncertainty in the world as the 2021 calendars arrived but whether you were part of “the industry” or “the hobby,” a new year brought new anticipation and it didn't disappoint. In 2021, the … [Read more...] about 2021 Was Hobby’s Wildest Ride Yet
Target
1, 2, 3 Strikes and He’s Not Out Yet: VA Cops Hunt Target Card Theft Supsect
It went off without a hitch the first time. The second time went OK, too. Now, after more boxes of trading cards were carted out the door of a Target store by a suspected thief, crime stoppers in Virginia are sounding the alarm. Police there are looking for a man they believe is responsible for a trio of trading card thefts between November 10 … [Read more...] about 1, 2, 3 Strikes and He’s Not Out Yet: VA Cops Hunt Target Card Theft Supsect
Video of Target Sports Card Fight Released
Video of the altercation that led to Target pulling sports card boxes out of its stores last month shows the moment when one man pulled a gun. Milwaukee’s Fox affiliate filed an open record request with the local district attorney after no charges were filed in connection with the incident and aired a story on Wednesday night. A man who had been attacked by four men … [Read more...] about Video of Target Sports Card Fight Released
Notes: Target Spoils Flipper’s Fun; Alonso Jersey Relics; Yankees Collection
The flipping rush that just caused Target to pull sports cards from its shelves has been going on since before COVID, but only in 2021 did it start to get really ugly. You probably already know about the fights and nastiness that accompanied some of the Friday drops at stores, but there was plenty of other stuff going on you probably didn’t know about. SB Nation’s James … [Read more...] about Notes: Target Spoils Flipper’s Fun; Alonso Jersey Relics; Yankees Collection
Editor’s Blog: Why the Buzz Over Target’s Trading Card Halt is a Hobby Bonanza
At 5:45 PM last Thursday, I hopped on Twitter to post a link to a story I had just confirmed with Target's corporate office in Minneapolis: the company would no longer be selling baseball, football, basketball or Pokemon cards in its stores. Up until that point, it had been little more than social media chatter and scattered signs inside some stores but later … [Read more...] about Editor’s Blog: Why the Buzz Over Target’s Trading Card Halt is a Hobby Bonanza
Notes: Target Pausing Some Card Sales; New Denver Show; eBay Issues; Ticket Man
Target stores will temporarily halt the sale of some sports and Pokemon trading card boxes this Friday. The company is citing ongoing incidents involving aggressive customers as a reason for its decision. A Target spokesman confirmed the move to SC Daily Wednesday afternoon, issuing this statement: "The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority. Out … [Read more...] about Notes: Target Pausing Some Card Sales; New Denver Show; eBay Issues; Ticket Man
Notes: SGC Lowers Costs; Koufax Selling Direct; ATL Show; Big Brady Pull; Panini on Retail Situation; Cubs Love Cards
After being inundated with orders earlier this spring after PSA suspended most services, SGC raised the base rate for trading card authentication and grading from $25 to $75 per card. Fast forward a little over five weeks and they say they’re not only caught up but have lowered the cost to $30 with a turnaround time of 20-25 business days. Cards valued at $1,500-$3,499 … [Read more...] about Notes: SGC Lowers Costs; Koufax Selling Direct; ATL Show; Big Brady Pull; Panini on Retail Situation; Cubs Love Cards
Dispute Over Cards Leads to Gun, Lockdown at Milwaukee Area Target
Shoppers going about their business at a suburban Milwaukee Target store Friday morning found themselves in the middle of the sports card hobby's latest ugly incident. A dispute between five men over the weekly distribution of retail boxes, many of which are flipped for a profit, erupted into a fight outside the store. That's when one man who was on the receiving end of the … [Read more...] about Dispute Over Cards Leads to Gun, Lockdown at Milwaukee Area Target
Shop Talk: Waiting Hours Outside Target for Cards? Count Me Out
This week's Shop Talk finds itself piggybacking of sorts off of last week's topic of retail sports card madness.Dave, one of our long-time customers, is known to make the trek out in the wild and try to track down sports cards all over creation. We spoke to him this week and he informed us that he went to our local Target at 3:45 in the morning-- yes, you read that right-- to … [Read more...] about Shop Talk: Waiting Hours Outside Target for Cards? Count Me Out
2019 Topps Fire a Target Exclusive
With a flashy design from Australia-based artist Tyson Beck, 2019 Topps Fire is returning as an exclusive to Target stores. A few boxes have been popping up online but we should see more in the coming days. A checklist has been released by Topps and you can see it below. Fire appears in two configurations: a hobby box-style "Premium" box with 20 … [Read more...] about 2019 Topps Fire a Target Exclusive