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In the world of collecting, there are plenty of “good” products. There are sets that look nice, sets that hold value, and sets that are fun to rip.
But at the 2025 Mantel Hobby Awards, the voters didn’t just look for “good.” They looked for innovation. They looked for the products that didn’t just sit on shelves but created genuine cultural moments.
That is why Topps was the undisputed king of the night, taking home two of the most coveted awards: Best Sports Card Product for 2024 Topps Chrome Update and Best Non-Sports/TCG Product for 2024 Topps Chrome Disney.
Both releases proved that the most valuable asset of any product is still the thrill of the hunt.
Best Sports Card Product: Topps Chrome Update
Topps Chrome is always a highlight of the calendar, but the 2024 Update series felt different. It wasn’t just a card set; it was a nationwide treasure hunt.
The driver was the MLB Debut Patch program, specifically, the 1-of-1 rookie patch autograph of Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes. Topps and the Pirates created a frenzy around this card, with the team offering a “bounty” that included 30 years of season tickets behind home plate to anyone who pulled it.
But the story of who actually found it is better than any marketing campaign.
The card wasn’t pulled by a high-volume breaker or a millionaire investor. It was found by an 11-year-old kid in Los Angeles on Christmas morning. According to reports, the hobby box (which retails for over $300) was the only gift he asked for, and because of the price tag, it was the only one he got.
At 6 a.m., ripping packs under the tree, he hit the redemption card that changed his life.
His family ultimately declined the Pirates’ season ticket bounty—a smart move, considering they live in L.A.—and instead sold the card through Fanatics Collect. The final gavel price? $1.11 million. The young collector is reportedly using the cash to fund his and his brother’s college education (and, of course, to buy more packs).
The Chase Isn’t Over
While the Skenes card is gone, the product remains red-hot for one massive reason: The Yoshinobu Yamamoto Debut Patch is still out there.
The Dodgers’ phenom and World Series champion has a 1-of-1 debut patch autograph hiding in a box somewhere. Unlike Skenes, this card hasn’t surfaced, meaning every unopened box of 2024 Chrome Update still holds a potential six-figure lottery ticket. Products that manufacture this level of excitement don’t come around often.
Best Non-Sports/TCG Product: Topps Chrome Disney
On the non-sports side, 2024 Topps Chrome Disney took home the trophy, and frankly, it wasn’t close.
For years, “non-sports” has been a niche category. 90’s kids grew up with movie and Marvel cards but they took a back seat for a decade or two. As quickly as they faded Topps Chrome Disney kicked down that door by applying the hobby’s secret weapon, the shiny, refractive “Chrome” finish to the world’s most beloved IP.
The real game-changer, however, was the chase. For the first time in a product of this magnitude, the insert lineup was stacked with hobby-defining hits. Collectors hunted for the return of facsimile autographs and innovative “Chrome Layers” cards, alongside ultra-short prints like “Magical Mickey” and “Scorched.” The set also introduced “Super Strength Chrome”—a thick-stock tribute to Disney’s mightiest heroes that became an instant favorite.
The defining success of Topps Chrome Disney was its universality. Walk into a card shop on release week, and you’d see a 40-year-old sports card investor ripping packs next to an 8-year-old Frozen fan.
It was a product that bridged the gap. Stores couldn’t keep it on the shelves because it appealed to everyone. It turned kitchen tables into trading floors and introduced an entire new demographic to the concept of “sleeving up” a card.
You can check the whole Hobby Awards stream here.
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