Dream Pop Tart Mascot Relics

JR Fickle (and, by extension, Mail Day, until Mantel’s had enough of this tomfoolery) lives by one mantra — everyone’s our friend. Except breakers who don’t send all the base cards for the team you bought (shoutout Women on Topps). And people who use CT scanners. And people who bring scales to Target. They can all get eternal pink eye. But everyone else — we love you. And so we marveled at the genius of Darren Rovell and our friends at cllct putting together a “Coming to America” night at a St. John’s game last week. 

Shall we count the ways?

1. They didn’t wait three years for a round number like “40th anniversary” — they went for it on the 37th

2. They offered money for ticket stubs from the game in 1987 where Coming to America was filmed

3. Rovell had a display case of memorabilia from the movie in the lobby

4. Rovell wore a Mets jacket and MacDowell’s hat like Eddie Murphy did watching the game in the film

We have no idea what collectibles he passed out besides a t-shirt (which we wish would’ve had a back full of  sponsors like Soul-Glo and My-T-Sharp — maybe for the 38th anniversary?) but this was a very cool thing to see unfold. 

Unfortunately they went up against the cultural phenomenon known as the Pop Tarts Bowl that same night. And holy crap, if they ever decide to issue figurines of the mascots, those will sell out in 5 minutes. Maybe less. Sure, there’s a Funko “Pop Tart Mascot” that sells for $12, but we need the Pop Tart BOWL Mascot. These nuances matter!

In fact, here’s a quick ranking of Pop Tarts Bowl mascot memorabilia we want immediately:

1. Bowman U Now cards of the mascots (40k print run, easily)

2. Super 7 3.75” figures of the mascots

3. Insert cards in the next Allen & Ginter with relics of the costumes

4. Autographed SSP inserts in next year’s Topps Holiday

5. Limited edition Leaf cards of female influencers holding Pop Tarts 

If you’re like me, you love nothing more than shopping for holiday boxers the days and weeks after Christmas for 50-60% off. Yes, I wear candy canes year round — who’s seeing them? And in that same vein, I’ve been searching for Christmas cards as all the holiday hype wears off. Specifically these 1899 German ones. I am full Michael Salfino “Vintage Is The Way” when it comes to my non-sports holiday cards. 

I’m also keeping a close eye on Peter Billingsley “A Christmas Story” inscriptions. I love the look of this card — Leaf rarely gets credit for their fantastic designs — but I may have to soon decide on look vs. inscription. In other words, do we go after the aesthetics of a beautifully crafted card OR the novelty of making a grown man re-live his childhood typecasting on a card by writing “Ralphie” under his name? I have this dilemma more often than you would think. 

If there’s a “best offer” option, I’ve found that a bird in hand at 30% off list price is better for a seller than two in a pear tree 11 months from now. 

“Rampant Mouse Sexism” isn’t something I thought I’d write about in a newsletter this year (that was more of a 2026 goal) but here we are — it is alive and well as this thread on X suggests; a Minnie Mouse Topps Chrome Sapphire is estimated at ⅓ the price of a Mickey:

You may know the LA Beast for his Crystal Pepsi campaign. Here’s a fun fact: he’s a collector, and he’s opening packs looking for a rare 1994 Macho Man Randy Savage Action Packed autographed /500 card (one just sold for $5500+):

JR Fickle has many loves, but I will never pass up a chance to link to old LA Beast videos. If you do nothing else today… buy Christmas boxers at 60% off. If you have time for two things, watch some LA Beast content (including the reverse sushi roll challenge if you have a strong stomach). 

You may have noticed we didn’t do a “card collecting resolutions for 2025!” thing. You’re welcome. Though we heard rumors of a 2025 Collectible Hot Takes Above the Mantel coming later this week…

Enjoy your festivities, hug everyone around you, text your entire phone at midnight and tell them you love them all. See you next week!!