Sports Collectors Digest – October 1, 2026

Summary

Jeff Owens' October 1, 2026 issue of Sports Collectors Digest, Vol. 55 No. 14, crowns Drake Maye as the lead NFL quarterback to collect heading into a new Topps era, while Heritage announces a December Winter Sports Catalog Auction featuring the USD 12.9 million Jordan-Kobe Dual Logoman — the most expensive sports card ever sold. The USD 7.99 issue runs 75 pages covering new quarterback cards, the Topps transition, and world-record auction prices.

Owens' "Leading Off" column reports that Fernando Mendoza — the 2026 No. 1 pick who has not yet thrown a regular-season pass — had his Topps Rookie Patch Auto sell for USD 125,000 within days of release. Mendoza joins Drake Maye, Caleb Williams and Cam Ward as quarterbacks whose card values have exploded before proving anything at the NFL level. The "Prospecting for Gold" feature on page 44 examines how the new Topps era is reshaping football card values. The auction pages include world-record prices: the Jordan-Kobe Dual Logoman at USD 12.9 million, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle SGC 9.5 at USD 12.6 million, and Babe Ruth's "Called Shot" game-worn jersey at USD 24.1 million. Grey Flannel's holiday auction results include a Lew Alcindor UCLA game-worn jersey at USD 1.25 million.

—————

Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / Quarterbacks

p.44 · Prospecting for Gold
New QBs drive a fresh crop of football cards as Topps era begins. Mendoza's first card sold for USD 125,000 before his first regular-season pass. The economics of prospecting in the NFL's most valuable position.

p.8 · New QBs All the Rage
Jeff Owens on why every young quarterback's card is hot — even the ones who have not played yet. Tom Brady's effect on the football card market compared to Jordan's effect on basketball.

▸ Auctions

p. — · World Record Prices
Jordan-Kobe Dual Logoman: USD 12.9 million. 1952 Topps Mantle SGC 9.5: USD 12.6 million. Babe Ruth "Called Shot" jersey: USD 24.1 million. The winter auction market resets every benchmark.

p. — · Grey Flannel Holiday Results
Lew Alcindor UCLA game-worn jersey: USD 1.25 million. 1954-55 Mickey Mantle game-worn glove: USD 342,877. Twelve results that show the memorabilia market catching up to cards.

▸ Features

p.34 · GOATS
A collector builds an impressive set of the top 50 sports cards. The methodology behind assembling a true cross-sport masterpiece collection.

p.56 · Fathead
Former NFL player and Fathead CEO on collecting and sports cards. The business perspective from someone who played the game and now sells the product.

p.62 · Gold Medical Class
Basketball Hall of Fame celebrates the 1996 USA Women's Olympic team. A collecting angle on the greatest women's basketball team ever assembled.

—————

Editor's Take

Owens' October issue captures a inflection point in the football card market — the Topps transition, the rookie-QB frenzy, and the record auction prices that make collecting a legitimate asset class. The Mendoza story — a USD 125,000 card for a quarterback who has not played a regular-season snap — is either a sign of a healthy market or a bubble, and the issue does not take a firm position either way. The world-record auction coverage is comprehensive: the Jordan-Kobe Logoman at USD 12.9 million and the Ruth "Called Shot" jersey at USD 24.1 million deserve the space they get. The "GOATS" collector feature is a profile of obsession that any serious collector will recognise. Weakest: the Fathead CEO interview reads as a press release. Best for: football card investors and anyone tracking the record-breaking auction cycle.

Strengths
• QB prospecting content is timely and well-sourced
• World-record auction coverage is encyclopedic
• GOATS collector feature profiles genuine obsession

Weaknesses
• Fathead CEO interview reads as advertorial
• No bubble-or-boom take on the Mendoza price

Verdict: Recommended — The definitive issue for football card investors navigating the Topps transition.