Top 10 Sports Card Predictions for 2026 😳 Fanatics, Topps, Grading, Shows, and the Next Boom

In this episode of Sports Cards Are Dope, Tyler ranks his top 10 predictions for how the hobby evolves in 2026, plus five honorable mentions, from AI reshaping grading to Topps owning the big three licenses to the hobby shifting into a full-blown experience economy.

Timestamps (approx.)

• 0:00 Welcome, what the episode is
• 1:33 5 Honorable Mentions (AI in grading, wax polarization, private deals, quality reset, kids re-entering)
• 5:29 #10 Live shopping gets organized (Whatnot, Fanatics Live, TikTok Shop, eBay Live)
• 6:44 #9 Grading companies polarize further (PSA vs the field, transparency pressure)
• 8:15 #8 Cross-sport concepts become normal (Topps “tests” ideas across leagues)
• 9:13 #7 Debut Patch becomes the “best card” for players
• 9:50 #6 Cards get treated like art (and more mainstream coverage)
• 11:25 #5 More athletes drive hobby growth (Fanatics effect)
• 13:44 #4 Card shops and shows become hybrid media spaces
• 17:16 #3 Creator-dealers become more influential than traditional dealers
• 18:53 #2 Topps football license reshapes the ecosystem
• 20:28 #1 The hobby becomes an experience economy (stories, access, community)
• 25:45 Giveaway + Chicken Nugget Nation plug, wrap-up

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