After a two-decade-long hibernation from the icy orbit of hockey collectibles, the iconic brand Topps has taken a bold yet unconventional step back onto the rink. Not with the classic flutter of card packs but with something more grandiose—an oversized, photo-centric homage aptly named “Emanate 2024-25.” It’s a new take under the creative leadership of Fanatics, which currently wields the power of the Topps brand. The debut is set for April 3, marking a tentative return that, while not fully repossessing the throne from Upper Deck, certainly stirs nostalgia. The innovative approach incredibly elevates the experience by designing these 8×10 inch photos to resemble the beloved trading cards of yore, towering and tactile with both front and back artistry conjuring that familiar cardboard charm.
In a move that marries tradition with present-day expectations, each photo concocted in the Emanate line comes with a personal touch—a genuine, hand-scrawled autograph. No sticker shortcuts here. These signatures are indelibly inked onto each piece, shining under a holographic seal of authenticity. As if that weren’t premium enough, the photos are carefully nestled within a magnetic, ready-to-display folio case, ensuring collectors can flaunt their prized captures without delay. With a finish lying somewhere between a modern art piece and a collector’s treasure, these are not your average sports collectibles.
Few features bolster a product’s prestige quite like the allure of rarity, and Topps deftly plays this card with Emanate by introducing tiered color variants. Here, the exclusivity beckons with six metallic tones to chase: gold (numbered to 50), orange (numbered to 25), blue (numbered to 10), red (numbered to 5), and the coup de gras, the one-and-only iridescent, each serving as a badge of distinction for the discerning collector.
Beyond the shimmering allure, the star-studded lineup boasts a deep roster spanning from tomorrow’s puck prodigy, Connor Bedard, to the immortal likes of Mark Messier. Peppered throughout are other legendary figures and current greats including Auston Matthews, Alexander Ovechkin, and Nathan MacKinnon, making it a veritable who’s who of the hockey world. For those with aspirations pitched even higher, multi-signed editions offer the ultimate grail, most dazzlingly exemplified by a unique triple-signed piece featuring Ovechkin, Bedard, and Matthews—a 1/1 testament to the sport’s highest echelons.
All this fanfare comes packed in hidden mystery, much like the crack-open-an-unknown thrill synonymous with opening traditional packs, though at $130 per 8×10 insert, it’s a price reflecting the curated elegance and authenticated pedigree of what lies within. It marks a juncture of collectible and connoisseurship, pitched less at spontaneous pocket money picks and more at collectors aspiring to attain or trade for singular art forms.
Is this Topps’ grand reclamation of its trading card legacy? Not quite. Yet this striking stride into oversized memorabilia indicates a significant step, a tentative foot poised at the ice’s edge. The strategy hints at more multifaceted offerings under Fanatics’ ambitious banner—one that holds a myriad of the sport’s licenses—and leaves aficionados eagerly anticipating just what direction the puck might veer next.
