Innholdsfortegnelse for January 1, 2026 i Sports Collectors Digest

When basketball great Lenny Wilkens passed away on Nov. 9 at age 88, the sports world and collecting community honored one of the most important figures in professional basketball. Wilkens was one of the winningest head coaches in NBA history, ranking third on the all-time win list. More importantly, he played a crucial role in the history and evolution of basketball as one of just five NBA legends to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach. He is one of only two to be inducted three times (also as an Olympic head coach), joining Lakers legend Jerry West. But what younger basketball fans may not know is that Wilkens also was one of the best point guards of all time, paving the way for…

Looking for a sound investment in the football card universe? How about Jonathan Taylor, the Indianapolis Colts’ explosive running back? He’s only 26, but thanks to his bone-bruising (and speedy) impact on NFL defenses, he’s become arguably the best running back in the game today. Taylor was absolute fire in his first two NFL seasons, rushing for 1,168 and 11 TDs in 2020 and 1,811 yards and 18 TDs in 2021, when he became the youngest player in NFL history to record 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 scrimmage touchdowns in a single season. He was also a rising hobby star, but, alas, injury-shortened campaigns in 2022 and 2023 deflated his stock. Healthy again in 2024, Taylor burst back into the spotlight, rushing for 1,431 yards and 11 TDs. This season,…

Before there was Magic Johnson, there was Lenny Wilkens. Before there was Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Steve Nash and Jason Kidd, there was Lenny Wilkens. Before Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kyrie Irvin, there was Lenny Wilkens. Before all the great NBA point guards today—Shai, Luka, and Cade; Brunson, Maxey and Murray—there was simply Lenny. Lenny Wilkens was not just a nine-time NBA All-Star and three-time Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer. He was a basketball pioneer. Wilkens passed away on Nov. 9 at age 88. Wilkens broke into the NBA in 1960 and promptly led the St. Louis Hawks to the NBA Finals as a rookie point guard. Two years later, he was an NBA All-Star and helped revolutionize the game with such legendary point guards…

KANSAS CITY, MO–When the elevator door opened to the second floor of The College Basketball Experience, I was greeted by a large photo of Bob Knight from the mid-1970s, instructing his Indiana University team in the locker room. I immediately knew this was going to be a great basketball journey—and it was. The College Basketball Experience, connected to T-Mobile Center, is 41,500 square feet of basketball joy. It houses the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, memorabilia, history and, of course, memories. See college basketball here, experience college basketball here. There are, for instance, plenty of interactive elements to The College Basketball Experience, such as “Beat The Clock,” where fans try to make a game-winning shot before the buzzer. At “Step To The Line,” they face the pressure of a…

Let’s be real, 2025 was a crazy hobby year. There were forgery scandals, card thefts, record-breaking sales, big card shows old and new, Topps regaining card licenses, and too much more to list. I said the same thing in 2024 and still 2025 said “hold my beer and watch this.” It’s scary to think what 2026 has in store. However, rather than focus on the macro level let’s focus on the micro—you, the collector. As a hobby year rolls to an end, I think we all reminisce about the year that was. We think about the show experiences we enjoyed, the people we met again, or for the first time ever. The individual cards we acquired and some of the great deals we made. Many are counting down the days…

Shohei Ohtani made history again in 2025, winning his fourth MLB MVP and leading the Dodgers to their second straight World Series championship during another record-breaking season. As a result, Ohtani continues to set records in the hobby as multiple game-used Shohei items brought big results in the Fall Premier Auction at SCP Auctions. An 2024 Ohtani game-used bat photo-matched to five home runs during his historic 50/50 MVP season sold for $300,000 to set an auction record for any Ohtani bat. The ball from the second of his three home runs at Dodger Stadium during his historic NLCS Game 4 performance took in $270,000. A game-used Ohtani bat photo-matched to two games during his first MVP season in 2021 also sold for $45,000. Other Ohtani items that sold included…

With Caitlin Clark cards setting records and WNBA cards holding solid demand on the sports card market, Panini renewed its license with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA). The multi-year deal marks the most lucrative licensing partnership ever for women athletes, Panini said. The collectibles company expects the new deal to generate record sales and player royalties. “Collaborating with the WNBPA has shown how strong this market can be, and we are excited to keep innovating and expanding our product offerings for fans and collectors everywhere,” Panini America CEO Mark Warsop said. Since partnering with Panini in 2019, WNBA cards have seen a surge in demand fueled by the rising popularity of such stars as Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers. Panini has exclusive partnerships with all three. Panini…

For baby boomers like myself, just the act of ripping open a pack of baseball cards creates a moment of nostalgia. But when Topps introduced the Heritage brand in 2001, collectors doubled the intensity of that blast from the past, feasting their eyes on the MLB stars of today displayed in the iconic Topps designs of yesteryear. If you remember that magical 2001 set, a modern rendition of the classic 1952 design, there was another connection to those beloved wax packs from the 1960s and ’70’s: a pink sheet of gum, albeit wrapped in cellophane to prevent those pesky gum stains we conveniently forgot (along with print spots, bad color registration, miscuts, etc.). Released in February 2001, Topps Heritage offered eight-card packs for $1.99 with a base set of 407…