The Year the Hobby Could Change Forever | What Happens if Topps Buys Panini?

✍ The Collector’s Crossroads
by Brews & Breaks

Panini is officially up for sale, and Topps (aka Fanatics’ prized possession) is rumored to be in serious talks to buy them out by mid-2026. The hobby’s on fire about it.

Collectors are torn. Some are polishing their pitchforks, shouting “Monopoly!” while others are popping popcorn to watch it all go down. Because let’s be real, this feels like the next great chapter in hobby lore: Fanatics: The Return of the License.

At first glance, the idea of Topps owning everything sounds terrifying. One brand to rule them all, one slab to find them, one vault to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. (Okay, maybe I’m getting carried away.) But hold up before we toss the One Card into Mount Doom.

What if this isn’t the end? What if this is actually the reset we’ve needed?

Picture this: Topps controls both the NFL and NBA licenses but releases products in alternating years.

🏈 2026: Topps Chrome Football, Panini Prizm Basketball
🏀 2027: Panini Prizm Football, Topps Chrome Basketball
Then they swap.

Instantly, scarcity is back. No more year-round product fatigue. No more “I’ll wait for the next drop.” We’d actually miss Chrome or Prizm for a year, which means when it returns, it hits. Collectors would chase again. Breaking would feel special again. And eBay wouldn’t be flooded with 800 listings of the same rookie parallel.

Imagine a setup where Panini stays its own brand, keeping its signature lines like Prizm, Select, and Impeccable. But behind the scenes, Topps runs the engine room.

• Topps provides distribution and manufacturing power… no more delays, no more off-center nightmares, no more “why did my auto fade?” disasters.
  

• Panini keeps its creative fire and bold insert designs… the reason collectors fell in love with their stuff in the first place.
  

• Both companies share Topps-level quality control, giving every collector the product experience they deserve.

That’s not a monopoly. That’s a tag-team.

The truth is, the hobby doesn’t need more products. It needs more moments. The smell of fresh wax, the mystery of a one-pack box, the buzz when a hobby shop fills up with laughter instead of price talk. It needs collectors to care again.

So yeah, Panini being for sale sounds chaotic. But maybe chaos is what brings balance. Maybe the future of the hobby isn’t one brand winning over the other, but both realizing they’re stronger together.

Because at the end of the day, we don’t want a villain running the hobby. We just want our cards to matter again.

☕ Keep Sippin’ & Rippin’.

#SportsCards #Topps #Panini #Fanatics #CardCollecting #HobbyNews #BrewsAndBreaks #CollectorsCrossroads #CardMarket #HobbyTalk #SportsCardInvestor #NBAcards #NFLcards #TradingCards #HobbyFuture

Today marks 100 days on Mantel, and I can honestly say this community couldn’t have come at a better time. Before finding it, I was deep down the path of chasing the next big hit — ripping, flipping, and losing sight of why I started collecting in the first place.

These last few months have helped me find my way back to the heart of the hobby — enjoying the stories, the memories, and the connections that come with it. I’m thankful for everyone here who shares their finds, their PCs, and their passion. It’s been a great reminder that collecting is about more than the cards — it’s about the people behind them. Here’s to the next 100 days!

Who are a few of the more “philosophical” folks in the hobby? Here on Mantel, particularly, but also YouTube and other places. Not limited to the investors, breakers, rippers or streamers per se, unless they have a “deeper” view on collecting as a whole. I’m looking to get into some more in depth conversations about the “soul” of collecting, if this makes any sense.

An autographed portrait of Barbara Eden to help make my “wish” come true 😂😂😂