2026 Hobby Predictions

Oh you asked for 2026 Hobby Predictions? No? Of course you didn’t – those get dumped in a few weeks everywhere else when there’s nothing else to write about. But your old pal J.R. Fickle doesn’t play by those rules — you deserve these early to plan accordingly. I had so many predictions, in fact, I’m splitting it up into two parts. YOU CAN’T STOP ME!! NOBODY CAN!!!!

1. Degree Grading and Beckett Grading will make significant gains in the space. 

I recently “re-organized my collection” into three tubs from several tubs, backpacks, shelves, etc — I think we all know how it is. And I separated things into separate piles: “stuff I love and I don’t care how much it’s worth,” “stuff that is generally worthless now,” (thanks mostly to some misguided Luis Robert prognostication) “stuff I should probably sell ASAP,” “a tub full of unopened Topps Holiday boxes,” “stuff I need to look up,” (believe it or not I have at least two things there are absolutely zero comps for), and “stuff that needs to get graded.”

And I found myself doing a funny thing with that “needs to be graded” pile. There was a 1984 Don Mattingly Fleer that I pulled from a cello pack. I wanted it graded, but not to re-sell, just to look cool in a case, basically. And I immediately went to Degree for that, because their cases are super-pretty and fun (they’re on my list of “Hobby Awards snubs”). And they’re cheap (5 for $50!). I don’t care so much about the grade (although the card IS beautiful) as much as how it’ll look when slabbed. 

On the other hand, I have a bunch of cards to get graded with selling them in mind. Here’s where the fun starts — my instinct was PSA, of course, but Beckett has lowered their prices significantly and nobody seems to be making a big deal out of this. Beckett, in my mind, is still the gold standard. I’m pretty certain they still have an absurdly spotless reputation — the knock was they were too expensive. But no longer. Someone there got smart and basically said “let’s lower our prices and get back into this!” And for me, a person who doesn’t grade much and bounces around from company to company… the price is now more than right to run into Beckett’s arms. I think a lot of people will follow this thinking, too, as PSA acts more like a monopoly in a space where there are a lot of options. 

And I will probably lose some money just because people search “PSA 10” and here’s my Beckett card. But they’ll find me. Maybe I’ll sell somewhere else, anyway. That eBay % cut is so disheartening, right?

2. Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn card prices are going to skyrocket

Right after Christmas, people are going to start remembering this is a Winter Olympics year. And there are a lot of familiar names — Chloe Kim, especially. But there are a pair of US women’s figure skaters — Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn – who have the perfect storm for a giant leap in card prices. 

1. There’s a void in card collecting in February with baseball still off, football done, and NBA in mind-season doldrums.

2. Liu and Glenn are social media savvy. Glenn has almost a million Instagram followers.

3. They both retired from figure skating to get away from the heavy mental toll it was taking on them and then returned to basically dominate the American (and, in some cases, world) competitions. If this sounds familiar, we just watched it happen over the last year with Amanda Anisimova, who is now the No. 4 tennis player in the world. 

   1. The difference is Anisimova has 5-6 big tournaments a year; figure skating commands your attention for one week every four. 

4. Their stories will be EVERYWHERE in January and February.  

5. Liu has a Godwin Champions card; Glenn has a few in Leaf’s 2025 Women in Sport. UR Welcome. 

Let me tell you what I did, because I love you all and J.R. Fickle puts his money where his mouth is! 

I bought some of their cards. I made sure they were autographed; if a casual fan wants a card, it won’t be a PMG — they don’t know that language. They do know autographed. I’m going to get those cards graded (Beckett, obvi). And then I did a deep dive on figure skating over the last week. And I discovered that Lui, Glenn, and The Quadgod (Ilia Malinin) are all part of the Stars on Ice cast. And that entire cast has a signed photo you can buy for $40. I’ll then send that to get authenticated and my hunch is that’ll be a $300 photo three weeks before the Olympics. I could be wrong and I’ll just eat the $40, but man – they should be charging more for this. Malinin is expected to dominate the men’s side, and you can’t discount the value of a cool nickname. 

So old-school autographed photo it is, with a smattering of cards. I think this plan could work!

3. People are going to turn against the influencers

At least the inauthentic ones. And they don’t even know who they are, but one day they’ll realize their views have been nose-diving for months and can’t wave it off as seasonality. They’ll move on to shilling for Polymarket by August. 

4. Someone mainstream is going to figure out breaking and that’ll change it forever

It’s a TV show, people! One that sells cards. QVC was popular because their hosts had magnetism and the production value was great. And once in a while they put callers on air. They didn’t sit there not looking at the screen saying they’d sell this tru-fit bra “in a little bit. Just waiting for a few more people to join. Come on guys, let’s go. Waiting for one more. Then we sell this bra…”

Someone is going to make this a show. A fun show with interludes and personality and rundowns between the breaking. And they’re going to revolutionize the whole space.

5. Sophie Cunningham will sign a Fanatics exclusive deal and that will be the beginning of her going to the next level

I wouldn’t be surprised if, in 2026, Sophie Cunningham:

1. Has some kind of collaboration with Sydney Sweeney

2. Shows up at FanaticsFest to the biggest crowds there

3. Is on the cover of the SI Swimsuit Issue

4. Is a celebrity judge for something big on network TV

5. Appears in a Super Bowl commercial with Joe Pesci 

6. Appears on a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day float with New Kids on the Block

7. Serves a multiple-game suspension for defending/enforcing for Caitlin Clark

   1. This will likely be a high-profile confrontation like Angel Reese or Cameron Brink

      1. Not because Cunningham is performative or calculating — she is incredible because she’s authentic. I think she’ll want to show on a big stage that you need to stop messing with my teammate.  

8. Plays in a golf pro-am as Bill Murray’s partner

9. Wins a WNBA title after Indiana makes a questionably lopsided and controversial trade mid-season to add a superstar

10. Drops a surprise song produced by Timbaland and featuring Lady Gaga

11. Reveals she is dating Ben Affleck

12. Reveals she is engaged to Ben Affleck

13. Does an episode of Hot Ones and is completely unfazed by all the sauces

14. Appears on an episode of The Simpsons as herself

15. Dumps Ben Affleck for fast food collectible guru Markie Devo 

16. Dumps Markie Devo for Joe Pesci

8. Suni Lee will get an actual card and not just a McDonald’s sticker

As people get into the Olympics she is arguably the most recognizable summer Olympian (non-NBA, non-Simone Biles) with the most upside. She is super marketable, has a great story, big following, and is our best bet at gold in the most popular non-basketball sport. And all she has is a Panini Happy Meal sticker. 

7.  Leaf will issue a Boozer Twins card every hour of every day

They might actually be doing that now.

I had about 15 of these but I feel like we’re running very long. I blame my lists! Come back next week for more!!