Edition 34 . Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Joshua Baez writes MLB history and the hobby reacts by lunch

A three-homer debut no player had ever managed sent Baez cards flying the same afternoon, while Chrome LogoFractor and Motif hit shelves.

Mover of the Day

First player in MLB history to homer in his first three at-bats (per ESPN and CBS Sports); 12,000-plus Baez cards sold on eBay in one day per Sports Collectors Daily.

Joshua Baez homers in his first three MLB at-bats, a league first, and his cards move the same day

Cardinals rookie Joshua Baez went deep in each of his first three career at-bats against the Cubs on August 15, the first player in MLB history to do it (per ESPN and CBS Sports). The hobby moved within hours: a 2022 Bowman Chrome Superfractor PSA 9 bought under $10,000 in April sold for $17,000 half an hour after a price bump, and a Bowman Transcendent Superfractor auto (BGS 9.5) picked up for $117.17 in late 2024 changed hands at $14,000. Sports Collectors Daily counted more than 12,000 Baez cards sold on eBay that Saturday alone, and there are still roughly 6,000 listed today, including a fresh Topps NOW 'GEM-MT 10 3 HR MLB Debut' presale slab. If you want in, the raw and low-grade base is where a name like this stays reachable.

The report

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) St. Louis Cardinals at Fanatics

Source: Redbird Rants . Published August 15, 2026

Drop Radar

Confirmed for full release August 19 by Topps; hobby boxes $119.99 for six packs of five.

Topps Chrome LogoFractor Baseball goes on full sale August 19 at $119.99 a hobby box

After a limited August 5 run at the MLB NYC Flagship store, 2026 Topps Chrome LogoFractor Baseball opens wide today. Hobby boxes are $119.99 for six packs of five, and every card in the 300-card checklist carries the tiled MLB logo running diagonally across the front. Parallels climb from Orange (/25) to Black (/10) to a Rose Gold 1/1, and the autograph checklist is all rookies, led by Paul Skenes, Roman Anthony, Samuel Basallo, and Jac Caglianone.

The checklist

Topps Topps Chrome LogoFractor Baseball Paul Skenes Roman Anthony

Source: Checklist Insider . Published August 19, 2026

Confirmed for August 20 release by Topps; hobby-box presale $1,399.99, First Day Issue closed at $3,800 on June 4.

Topps Motif Basketball releases August 20 with full NBA licensing back in play

2026-27 Topps Motif Basketball drops tomorrow with the NBA license restored, and the presale is still open today. Hobby boxes are $1,399.99 now, rising to $1,419.99 on release day, for one pack of eight with five autographs; the First Day Issue tier opened at $4,000 in a Dutch auction and closed at $3,800 on June 4. The signer list runs deep: Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokic alongside rookies Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and Dylan Harper, plus dual and triple cards pairing current stars with legends.

The checklist

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) Cooper Flagg collectables at eBay Stephen Curry collectables at eBay Cooper Flagg jersey at Fanatics

Topps Topps Motif Basketball Stephen Curry Cooper Flagg

Source: Checklist Insider . Published August 19, 2026

Confirmed for September 4 by Panini; about three autographs per box across a 300-card base set.

Panini Prizm Baseball confirmed for September 4, hobby boxes running about $175 to $316

Panini has set 2026 Prizm Baseball for September 4, with hobby boxes listed around $175 to $316 (12 packs of 12, 12 boxes a case). Expect roughly three autographs per box, 22 base Prizm parallels including new Cherry Blossom, Lotus Flower, and White Knight colors, and 12 inserts. Licensing limits push the 300-card base toward prospects and retired legends, with signers including Paul Skenes, Bobby Witt Jr., Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., and Kevin McGonigle. Time to plan the pre-order.

The checklist

Panini Panini Prizm Baseball Paul Skenes Nolan Ryan

Source: Checklist Insider . Published August 19, 2026

Reported August 18 by Footy Headlines; the featured jerseys are now live through official Adidas and club channels.

Adidas reveals its 26-27 club home kits in one group shot spanning its full partner roster

Adidas opened its new season campaign with a single group photo lining up its partner clubs in their 26-27 home kits, under the line 'we are so back, new season, new chaos, same love for the game.' Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Declan Rice (Arsenal), and Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) headline, alongside players from Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Liverpool, Juventus, Newcastle United, and clubs across Europe and South America. The featured home jerseys are now rolling out through official Adidas channels and club stores, so this is a real shopping list, not a teaser.

The post

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) Arsenal at Fanatics Real Madrid at Fanatics

Adidas Real Madrid Arsenal Inter Miami

Source: Footy Headlines . Published August 18, 2026

Under the Radar

7 upvotes and 4 comments on r/hockeyjerseys, with replies confirming the design and calling complete examples hard to find.

r/hockeyjerseys surfaces a 1998-99 Rangers white 'Lady Liberty' alternate that is hard to find complete

A collector posted a CCM-made 1998-99 New York Rangers white 'Lady Liberty' alternate, worn by Todd Harvey (#20), size L. The Lady Liberty design was a short-lived late-1990s Rangers alternate carrying the Statue of Liberty shoulder patch, and the thread's regulars treated a complete example as the catch here. One reply called it a classic, another noted you rarely find them with the whole kit intact, and a DM came in from someone wanting to buy.

The thread

New York Rangers Todd Harvey CCM Lady Liberty

Source: r/hockeyjerseys . Published August 18, 2026

Live Heat

Sold August 13 for $503,116, the week's second-biggest card sale per Sports Illustrated.

Lamine Yamal 1/1 Topps Chrome Sapphire rookie, graded PSA 9, sells for $503,116

A 2023 Topps Chrome Sapphire UEFA Club Competitions Lamine Yamal rookie, a 1-of-1 Padparadscha parallel in PSA 9, sold for $503,116 on August 13, second in Sports Illustrated's roundup of the week's five biggest card sales. The same 1-of-1 was mid-bid at $154,000 when we tracked it on August 14, so this is the close on a card we watched climb. A half-million-dollar soccer rookie is a marker for a section usually run by US stick-and-ball cards.

SI's roundup

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) Lamine Yamal collectables at eBay Lamine Yamal jersey at Fanatics

Lamine Yamal Topps Chrome Sapphire

Source: Sports Illustrated (Collectibles) . Published August 13, 2026

Sold August 15 for $489,830, the week's third-biggest card sale per Sports Illustrated.

Kobe Bryant 1/1 Panini Flawless Momentous signed patch sells for $489,830

A 2015-16 Panini Flawless Momentous Autographed Memorabilia Platinum Kobe Bryant patch, a 1-of-1 in BGS 8.5 with a Beckett 10 autograph, sold for $489,830 on August 15, third in Sports Illustrated's weekly top five. This is a different card from the Flawless Emerald patch auto ($367,830) we covered on August 17: different parallel, different grade, different price. Kobe's top-tier 1-of-1s keep printing near the half-million line.

SI's roundup

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) Los Angeles Lakers at Fanatics Kobe Bryant collectables at eBay Kobe Bryant jersey at Fanatics

Kobe Bryant Panini Flawless Los Angeles Lakers

Source: Sports Illustrated (Collectibles) . Published August 15, 2026

Documented on Just Collect's August 18 live stream; both #216 rookies from a single 12-card cello pack.

Two 1981 Topps Joe Montana rookies come out of one pack on a Just Collect live break

During a Just Collect live-streamed break, two 1981 Topps Joe Montana rookies (#216) pulled from the same 12-card cello pack, one from the second slot and one from the tenth. The pack had been marked down from $125 to $75 for a pre-NFL-season promo, which makes the odds of it more fun. For scale, Just Collect cites reference values of about $170 for a PSA 6, $3,000 for a PSA 9, and around $50,000 for a PSA 10. This is a pack-break moment, separate from the record Montana Super Bowl XXIV jersey sale we covered on August 15.

Just Collect's account

Joe Montana 1981 Topps Just Collect

Source: Just Collect Blog . Published August 18, 2026

eBay sold listing shown in Rovell's August 17 post: $5,225 after 55 bids.

Darren Rovell: a $2 1995 Pinnacle Griffey Jr., graded PSA 10, sells for $5,225

Darren Rovell posted a 1995 Pinnacle #128 Ken Griffey Jr., a card worth about $2 when it was pulled, selling as a PSA 10 for $5,225 (plus $25 shipping) after 55 bids. His post shows the graded slab beside the eBay sold-listing panel, price, bid count, and an August 17 sale date on screen. A reminder that junk-wax-era commons in a perfect grade can carry their own market.

Rovell's post

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) Seattle Mariners at Fanatics

Ken Griffey Jr.1995 Pinnacle Seattle Mariners

Source: Darren Rovell (X) . Published August 17, 2026

From the Feed

Posted August 11 by @bballforever_ on X.

Basketball Forever shares the NBA's five-game 2026 Christmas Day schedule

BREAKING: the NBA Christmas Day 2026 schedule is here 🎅 🎄Spurs @ Knicks 🎄Heat @ Celtics 🎄Sixers @ Lakers 🎄Thunder @ Timberwolves 🎄Nuggets @ Warriorsq

The full Christmas Day slate is set: Spurs at Knicks, Heat at Celtics, 76ers at Lakers, Thunder at Timberwolves, and Nuggets at Warriors. Five marquee matchups is an early cue for which jerseys and tickets fans will be chasing come December.

The post

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) Los Angeles Lakers at Fanatics New York Knicks at Fanatics Philadelphia 76ers at Fanatics

San Antonio Spurs New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Los Angeles Lakers

Source: Basketball Forever (X) . Published August 11, 2026

Posted August 18 by @altxyzofficial on X.

Alt says a Michael Jordan Precious Metal Gems card just sold for $1,473,989, a record for the parallel

RECORD SALE: This Michael Jordan Precious Metal Gems just sold for $1,473,989. The most expensive PMG ever sold at auction, of any year, any player. Before it came to auction, the seller turned down a private offer of $900,000. The card went on to sell for far more.

Alt posted that a 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems #23 Michael Jordan, graded BGS 8, sold at auction for $1,473,989, which it calls the most expensive PMG ever sold, of any year or player. The account adds that the seller had turned down a $900,000 private offer before letting it go to auction.

The post

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) Chicago Bulls at Fanatics Michael Jordan collectables at eBay Michael Jordan jersey at Fanatics

Michael Jordan Precious Metal Gems Chicago Bulls

Source: Alt (X) . Published August 18, 2026

Posted August 17 by @SportsCardInv on X.

Sports Card Investor says a 2024 Allen & Ginter Chrome Mini SuperFractor Ohtani 1/1 sold for $92.7K, up from $34.5K in June

Up $58.2K in just over two months!? This 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter Chrome Mini SuperFractor Shohei Ohtani 1/1 just sold for $92.7K on Goldin this weekend. The last time we saw this card sell was on June 5th for $34.5K on eBay

Sports Card Investor posted that a 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter Chrome Mini SuperFractor 1/1 Shohei Ohtani sold for $92,700 on Goldin this weekend, up from $34,500 when the same card last sold on eBay on June 5. Same card, roughly triple the price in a little over two months.

The post

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) Shohei Ohtani merchandise & collectables at Fanatics Los Angeles Dodgers at Fanatics

Shohei Ohtani Topps Allen & Ginter Chrome Los Angeles Dodgers

Source: Sports Card Investor (X) . Published August 17, 2026

Posted August 17 by @TheDunkCentral on X.

NBACentral: nine of the NBA's ten priciest games this season feature the 76ers

The LeBron effect is real 👑 Nine of the 10 most expensive NBA games this season feature the Philadelphia 76ers: Knicks vs. 76ers — $2,605 Lakers vs. 76ers — $830 76ers vs. Knicks — $539 76ers vs. Cavaliers — $478 76ers vs. Celtics — $316 76ers vs. Trail Blazers — $272 76ers vs. Pistons — $259 Hornets vs. 76ers — $234 Pacers vs. 76ers — $178 Philly had ZERO games in the top 10 last season. (Ticket prices via @TickPick )

NBACentral lined up the ten most expensive NBA tickets this season, per TickPick, and the 76ers are in nine of them, led by Knicks vs. 76ers at $2,605. Philadelphia had zero games in last season's top 10, so this is a full season-over-season swing in where the ticket money is going.

The post

Gear check · curated picks (disclosure) New York Knicks at Fanatics Philadelphia 76ers at Fanatics LeBron James collectables at eBay

Philadelphia 76ers New York Knicks LeBron James

Source: NBACentral (X) . Published August 17, 2026

Community posts surfaced by the editor from public feeds. Posts may not be independently confirmed.

Today's Video

“Easy Deals At The NATIONAL CARD SHOW! 🔥 #shorts” by CardCollector2 on YouTube, published August 18, 2026. Watch on YouTube.

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