Ohtani Heats Up, Tatum Returns, and a New Forgery Scandal Hits the Hobby

Shohei Ohtani's All Aces Cards Are Catching Fire in the Hobby (SI) — SI says two overlooked Ohtani All Aces inserts have suddenly surged ahead of the 2026 MLB season as collectors rush into a once-underappreciated niche.

Why The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Could Be Worth $10,000 By 2030 (SI) — Brian Hough argues Griffey’s iconic 1989 Upper Deck rookie is benefiting from nostalgia, recognizability, and broader hobby momentum, with PSA 10 copies already trading around $4,000-$5,000.

Jayson Tatum Is Back: Should You Invest in These Cards? (SI) — With Tatum returning faster than expected from an Achilles injury, SI spotlights his 2017 Cornerstones Downtown, Prizm Silver, Donruss Optic Auto, and Flawless Patch Auto as key cards to watch.

Record Prices for Gilgeous-Alexander, Knueppel Rookie Cards (Sports Collectors Daily) — Sports Collectors Daily reports one-of-one cards of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kon Knueppel reached record levels as collectors chased MVP and rookie upside.

Panini and NWSL Partner: What Soccer Card Collectors Should Know (SI) — SI breaks down Panini’s new exclusive multi-year NWSL/NWSLPA deal, including Panini Instant cards, parallels, autographs, and the players and rookies collectors should track first.

Million Dollar Card Sales Kick Off a Blazing Start to March for The Hobby (SI) — Four cards topped $1 million in the first week of March alone, led by a mix of Curry, Babe Ruth, and Charizard sales that underscored how hot the ultra-high-end market has become.

Cardboard and Capital: What Makes a Blue-Chip Sports Card (Mantel) — Mantel examines why certain cards become “blue-chip” assets, arguing that cultural significance, scarcity, condition, liquidity, and shared belief drive the market’s top end.

Topps RIPPED Trivia | March 2026 (Topps RIPPED) — Topps used a Women’s History Month-themed trivia feature to spotlight crossover cardboard from Star Wars, Cyndi Lauper, Simone Biles, Bowman U, and Topps’ “Women in Baseball” subset.

Beyond the Guitars: Record Sales From The Jim Irsay Collection Auction (SI) — SI highlights strong results from Christie’s Jim Irsay sale, where sports pieces like Muhammad Ali memorabilia and a Wayne Gretzky game-worn jersey shared the spotlight with major music and literary artifacts.

eBay's Top Selling Athletes & Pokémon Cards for February (SI) — SI says February eBay data showed Pokémon staying resilient, Jack Hughes surging, Drake Maye cooling, and One Piece climbing into the top tier of graded TCG activity.

Fake Dominique Wilkins autographs, 1990s Fleer Basketball cards targeted in new forgery scandal (Sports Collectors Digest) — SCD reports that a collector uncovered what appears to be another counterfeit operation using old Fleer authentication stamps to create and sell forged autograph cards on eBay.