Holidays
Dec 16, 2025
In the world of trading cards, there’s never a dull moment.
Whether you’re Cuba Gooding Jr. screaming “Show me the money!” after pulling a chase card, or you’re Tom Cruise pleading “Help me, help you,” while reading about a fellow collector deciding to hold onto a card worth more than most houses, there’s something for everyone—and this week was no different.
Here at Courtyard, we’re just as passionate about trading cards as you are. Some of us love Pokémon, while others are eagerly awaiting the Premier League’s return and the latest soccer cards that go with it. No matter what you’ve got in your binder(s), we all have one thing in common: We see a whole lot of news about releases, pulls, trades, and more. Why keep that goodness all to ourselves, we thought? So, without further ado, here’s what came across our feeds throughout the past week.
New Flagship, New Face:
Today is a big one for football fans. 2026 Topps Flagship Football officially hits shelves, the product’s first release since reclaiming the NFL license back in April. The 2025 season skipped Flagship entirely, jumping straight to the highly coveted Chrome, so this release sees the set snapping the format back to its normal cadence, complete with short print chases like “Touchdown,” “Struttin’,” and “Billboard Material,” plus a 1957-style rookie variation for the vintage heads.
The cover athlete for these packs is none other than quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the #1 overall draft pick and the future of the Las Vegas Raiders. The best part? Mendoza is one of us! He’s reportedly traded playoff tickets and a jersey in exchange for his 2025 Bowman Chrome University 1/1 Superfractor. If that sounds like quite the offer, consider that an unsigned copy of the same card sold for $78,000 back in January. Not to mention Mendoza is inscribing some of his rookie cards with “Viva Las Vegas.” Maybe this guy really is Tom Brady Jr.
Want to bolster your football collection ahead of the 2026 NFL season? Check out our Football Packs, which are stocked and ready for action.
Pokémon Just Had One Of Its Biggest Weeks Ever:
While football fanatics were waiting for Friday’s release, Pokémon collectors rewrote the record books. Last Friday, a 1996 Japanese CoroCoro Comic Promo Glossy Incorrect Illustrator Pikachu— CGC Gem Mint 10—sold for $1.3M in a private sale, taking home the title of the all-time highest price for the card. That card was hardly alone, either.
Goldin’s Summer TCG Auction, which closed earlier this month at over $18M, produced all-time records for a Bulbasaur (809.9k), a Charmander ($640.5k), a Raichu ($640.5k), and a Squirtle ($555.1k)—all vintage Japanese promos that many might not have had on their radars.
And with the world’s most popular trading card game turning 30 this year, anniversary edition cards are set to be released next month, adding to the growing number of decades-old cardboard being removed from safekeeping in shoeboxes and places for sale.
If chasing a Charizard is more your speed than a high-priced auction, Courtyard’s Pokémon packs are a great way to get in on the action.
The Flagg Has Been Captured:
A 50-year-old collector named Jason Williams from Clover, South Carolina spent $515 on a group break in search of Cooper Flagg, and man, did it pay off. Now, Williams is the lucky recipient of the 1/1 Cooper Flagg Rookie Debut Patch Autograph, Flagg’s best card ever. With a bounty of $1.5 million, Williams has got to sell…right?
Think again.
The Mavericks offered him 32 years of season tickets, a signed, game-worn jersey, and a private meet-and-greet. Ken Goldin’s Goldin Auctions went even bigger, publicly offering the $1.5M cash advance with a promise to auction it off after. The bounty eventually reached a whopping $3 million ($3.6 million if you include the buyer’s premium). Still, the card remains in Williams’ diamond hands.
“I’m not even looking at the money,” he told reporters. “I am looking forward to the experiences that I’m gonna get.” Respect.
If you’re looking for some new long-term holds ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season, Courtyard’s Basketball Packs have you covered.
Demon Hunters Enter the Chat:
Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, already a full-blown pop culture phenomenon, now has its own trading card line—and the hobby has taken notice. KAYOU, the company behind both Naruto and My Little Pony cards, has given collectors a few options to choose from, with a mythical “Golden Rumi”, akin to a Superfractor, touted as the chase card. It’ll be worth watching the longevity of these sets, but given the success of the IP thus far, we wouldn’t be surprised if this had some staying power.
In the meantime, fans looking to capture the magic of their favorite show can scope out the One Piece: Grand Voyage limited drop packs on Courtyard, a multi-day series of packs inspired by the Straw Hats’ journey from East Blue to the Grand Line and beyond.
A Big Week, A Big Month:
However you collect, from football and basketball to Pokémon, KPop Demon Hunters, One Piece, and more, this hobby has something for everyone. No matter what you’re chasing, Courtyard’s got packs and a marketplace full of pulls for you to explore.