For the hockey card enthusiast longing for a twist on tradition, a sweet surprise awaits. After a two-decade hiatus, Topps, a brand deeply etched in trading card lore, is making an unorthodox comeback into the icy realm of hockey. This return, however, is less meteor shower and more northern lights—a subtle glow that hints at nostalgia while offering a new experience altogether.
Topps hasn’t been in the rink since the 2003-04 season. Back then, Upper Deck grabbed the exclusive rights to wave the trading card flag for the NHL, leaving Topps on the sidelines. Fast forward to the present, Topps is ready for its second act, though not in the way any traditionalist would expect.
Enter Fanatics, the sports merchandising behemoth that now owns Topps. Armed with its market prowess, Fanatics is bringing the Topps legacy back in style with the launch of Topps Under Wraps: Emanate 2024-25. Set to debut on April 3, Emanate is described as not quite a trading card series. But don’t bat your eyelids just yet; it promises to hit a sweet spot for collectors with a penchant for the extraordinary.
Forget your run-of-the-mill cards; think bigger—literally. Each Emanate offering is an 8×10 autographed photo meticulously crafted to mimic the classic trading card look and feel. With front and back artwork reminiscent of the beloved card design, Emanate is like a trading card that’s eaten its vegetables and grown up, complete with authentic vibes collectors yearn for.
“Photos on the back are quite a charming touch,” quipped Sal Barry, a veteran collector and dealer, through his PuckJunk.com newsletter. He captures the fascination stirring among collectors—a hint that what we’re dealing with here is no ordinary reentry.
What there is to chase in the Emanate series is as alluring as aurora borealis on a winter’s night. Each hand-signed photo—absent of any pesky sticker autographs—comes with a serial number and hologram to bolster trust. Topps takes presentation seriously, wrapping these beauties in a magnetic-ready-to-display folio case, emphasizing premium vibes.
The variety of this product screams collectibility. There are six distinct color variants to hunt:
– Gold (#/50)
– Orange (#/25)
– Blue (#/10)
– Red (#/5)
– The elusive Iridescent (1/1)
Emanate isn’t merely about size and style; it also boasts substance with over 70 players representing all 32 NHL teams. It’s a who’s who of hockey’s pantheon, with both contemporary stars and legends. Expect to see names like Connor Bedard and Auston Matthews rubbing shoulders with Alexander Ovechkin, Nathan MacKinnon, Igor Shesterkin, Macklin Celebrini, and Mark Messier.
Adding some more sizzle, Topps is stirring in rare multi-signed editions, spotlighting jaw-dropping collectibles like a 1/1 triple-signed piece adorned with signatures of Ovechkin, Bedard, and Matthews—a veritable Holy Trinity for the die-hard fan.
How much will it set one back to song-and-dance with Emanate’s extravagance? Priced at $130 per box, it’s less about casual collecting and more about curated art with a side of nostalgia.
This grand return does beg the essential question: Is Topps back in the hockey card business? Not in the customary sense—there aren’t any rookie-chases amid pack-ripping frenzy here. But if this dance is an indication of what’s to come, Topps is certainly breaking the ice—a confident glide that might one day evolve into a full spin on the rink. Fanatics, holding the reins of several marquee licenses, adds a sense of inevitability to this speculative scene. The synergy between tradition and innovation, hobbyist passion, and modern flair seems an open play for something more audacious down the line—a puck passed smartly from history into the hands of possibility.
