The repack wars escalate, plus Allen Iverson won't sign about practice, and Messi art sells for nearly $2M

Prince Williams via Getty Images

Collectors, I’m getting increasingly excited about heading to The National next week. If you are heading to Rosemont, IL. for the show,drop us a line and let us know when you’ll be there, and what you’ll be hunting for.

Me? With a newborn at home, I’ve only been granted 24 hours shore leave, so my plan is to pack it in on Thursday, July 31st. I’ll be sprinting through the aisles looking for playing days Sandy Koufax autos, and if I’m lucky, I’ll add another card or two in my quest to complete theAdam Wharton rainbow for Panini Select Premier League ‘24/’25 (holding the Jade Dragon Scale /48 or Tessellation /15? I’m a buyer).

The Athletic: Allen Iverson Isn’t Writing About Practice: What Athletes Won’t Sign at The National

Inscriptions are taking center stage at this year’s National, with collectors shelling out big for personalized flair. Want Lawrence Taylor to write “LT was a Bad Mother F—er”? That’ll be $105. David Ortiz offers a menu of phrases like “Curse Reversed” and “This is our F’N City,” while Ricky Williams will lean into his brand with cannabis-themed quips for $49. But not every legend is game; Allen Iverson won’t touch “practice,” Bo Jackson’s got a blacklist longer than a CVS receipt, and Albert Pujols is dodging HOF talk altogether. If you’re heading to The National and looking to score a unique inscription in the Autograph Pavilion, give this piece a thorough read before you go.

Sports Collectors Digest: PSA, CardsHQ Look to Curb Repack Scams with New Graded Grails Repack Certification Service

Repacking is the talk of the card industry, and it’s starting to feel like every company in the space has their own take on it. Yesterday, the repack game got even more crowded as PSA and CardsHQ teamed up to launch Graded Grails, the first PSA-certified repack product. The move targets long-standing concerns in the hobby, like chase cards that mysteriously never make it into boxes or shop owners reserving hits for insiders. With PSA now certifying full checklists, verifying pack odds, and overseeing the sealing and randomization process, buyers should be able to rip with confidence. It’s a bold step toward transparency in a space that’s often felt like the Wild West, and one that could set the standard for how repacks are done moving forward.

cllct: Ripping Packs on Your Phone? New Courtyard App Offers the Experience

Courtyard, the digital collectibles marketplace known for its vending machine-style pack rips (see graph above…), launched its first mobile app this week. The platform allows users to digitally open packs of graded Pokémon cards, sports cards, and comic books, with the option to redeem physical slabs or sell them instantly on the marketplace. Courtyard claims to price packs at expected value and offers immediate buy-backs at 90% fair market value. With $50M in monthly GMV and over 1M Pokémon packs sold, the app aims to elevate the ripping experience through features like haptic feedback, bringing that dopamine hit of cardboard crack straight to your phone.

The Athletic: Digital Artwork of Lionel Messi’s Favorite Goal Sold for $1.87M to Mystery Buyer

“A Goal in Life,” a digital artwork by Refik Anadol inspired by Lionel Messi’s iconic 2009 Champions League header, sold at Christie’s for $1.87M. Created using AI and 3D tech to reimagine Messi’s favorite goal, the piece was displayed at Christie’s New York and attracted thousands of fans before selling to an undisclosed buyer. Proceeds will benefit the Inter Miami CF Foundation and UNICEF education programs across Latin America and the Caribbean. The immersive 20-by-12 piece now enters private hands, though how they’ll display the work is anyone’s guess.

Mantel: Topps Chrome’s Biggest 2025 Rookie Chase Has Been Pulled Early—Now What?

Pre-release breaking is once again stirring controversy, as 2025 Topps Chrome hit some collectors’ mailboxes days ahead of schedule this week. While individuals tearing early packs are hard to police, professional breakers face serious risks: those with direct allocation from Topps or Fanatics could lose access entirely. Still, some rolled the dice, using third-party middlemen to get product early and capitalize on the demand surge. The damage? It dilutes launch-day hype, deflates market value for pre-ordered breaks, and frustrates collectors chasing grails like the Jacob Wilson superfractor, which was pulled two days before the official product launch. Until stricter enforcement arrives, the integrity of release day remains on shaky ground.

Complex: Pharrell Williams' Joopiter Auction House Launches Luxury Watch Bidding Extravaganza

Joopiter’s “Rare & Coveted Watches” auction breaks from tradition with a 27-lot lineup that skips the usual Paul Newman Daytonas in favor of the eccentric, ultra-rare, and design-forward pieces. Highlights include a lapis-dial platinum Rolex Day-Date, a coral-dial crafted by Piaget for a Cartier Tank, and a playful trio of ’90s Franck Mullers. Even cult Japanese maker Otsuka Lotec makes a cameo. The catalog spans from a Zenith-powered Ebel chronograph to a gem-set AP Royal Oak Concept, with estimates ranging from four to six figures. For collectors tired of blue-chip reruns, this drop serves up pedigree with a twist.

NYT: A Professor’s Hunt for the Rarest Chinese Typewriter

After decades of searching, Stanford historian Tom Mullaney has finally located the MingKwai — the long-lost prototype of the only Chinese typewriter designed by famed linguist Lin Yutang. Invented in 1947 in Manhattan, the machine ingeniously combined character components to display multiple options in a “Magic Eye” window, offering a solution to typing tens of thousands of Chinese characters with only 72 keys. The machine vanished after a failed demo and was presumed scrapped, until it resurfaced in a Long Island basement in 2025. Now acquired by Stanford Libraries, the 50-pound relic may finally reveal the mechanical and linguistic genius behind a pivotal moment in Chinese tech history.

WSJ: Why People Are Buying $8,000 Lifelike Baby Dolls

We don’t judge what people collect here at Mantel. Just last week we wrote about collectors shelling out nearly$10K on intricate puzzles, remember? But I can’t say I understand every collectible. Case in point: The Journal this week wrote about collectors of “reborn” dolls, which sell for as much as a fancy puzzle! These eerily lifelike dolls, which can cost up to $10,000, have become the center of a devoted community, with collectors treating them like real babies: dressing them, pushing them in strollers, even outfitting them with sound machines and pacifiers. I will say… as the father of a newborn, I love the idea of a baby that doesn’t cry…

Lastly, huge congratulations toMantel member@theBoovier, who took the top spot from me on theMantel Points Leaderboard. I had sat in P1 since we launched the board last year, which was inevitable because, as the first person to join Mantel, I was posting and accruing points long before most of our users had ever heard about the app.

I couldn’t be happier to get knocked down a rung, as it’s a clear sign that our community loves what we built and are as active on it as the team behind the product. And even better, @theBoovier postsnothing but HEAT, always with a story or bit of information behind the piece, and he does it all while being a fun, supportive and positive member of our growing crew.

Hats off.

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