Fanatics Fest Wasn’t a Show—It Was a Movement

If you walked into the Javits Center in New York last weekend and didn’t feel the electricity in the air, you might not have a pulse. Fanatics Fest 2025 wasn’t just another card show — it was a full-blown celebration of sports, collectibles, and culture that pulled in an eye-popping 125,000 fans.

Let that sink in. One hundred and twenty-five thousand collectors, fans, flippers, families, sneakerheads, and sports nerds all under one roof — trading cards, snapping selfies, cracking wax, and soaking in the spectacle. It was loud. It was packed. And it was absolutely glorious.

What Fanatics Fest delivered this year felt like the blueprint for the future of the hobby. Gone are the days of folding tables in a conference room. This was a sports and entertainment festival, and it looked the part.

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It was as if Comic-Con met the Super Bowl and had a collectible baby.

Over 250 trading card dealers filled the show floor — but this time, they weren’t off to the side. They were in the heart of the action.

Whether you were hunting for a PSA 10 Jordan, a raw Elly De La Cruz RC, or just hoping to rip a box of Prizm with your kid, you were in the right place. Tables were buzzing. Grails were everywhere. Slabs were flying.

Even more impressive? The mix of collectors. Gen Z kids were grabbing Pokémon hits next to longtime hobby vets swapping Mantles and MJs. First-timers and veterans were shoulder to shoulder, geeking out together.

The celebrity presence wasn’t just window dressing — it was integrated right into the show. Kevin Durant led a live Q&A session. Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford made an appearance before their big fight this fall. And the Fanatics Games brought fans face-to-face with athletes in a live sports-style challenge that had people cheering like it was March Madness.

It wasn’t just about watching — it was about doing. That’s the kind of thing that turns casual fans into lifelong hobbyists.

What stood out to many vendors and attendees was how intentional the show layout felt. Instead of separating the collectibles from the "fun stuff," Fanatics Fest wove them together.

Want to meet your favorite UFC fighter? Cool, now you’re walking past graded slabs and wax boxes on the way. Going to a panel? You’ll have to pass a wall of rare sneakers, signed jerseys, and Topps Chrome heat first.

It created a flow that made collecting feel not like a niche — but like the thing. That matters.

Pulling in 125,000 attendees for a collectibles-focused show is no joke. This is the kind of turnout you’d expect for Coachella or Comic-Con. And it's proof that the collector space — physical, digital, or somewhere in between — has fully crossed into mainstream territory.

Card shows used to be just for insiders. Now they’re culture.

And this is Fanatics’ event — meaning the company that owns Topps, has licensing deals with every major sports league, and continues to invest billions into collectibles… is just getting started.

Fanatics has confirmed the show will return in 2026, and with the FIFA World Cup coming to the U.S. (and NYC) next summer, expect an even bigger international presence. The brand knows how to scale, and if this year was any indicator, the next round is going to be wild.

Fanatics Fest 2025 wasn’t just a success — it was a statement. A record-setting, line-around-the-block, holy-wow-these-are-my-people moment.

The hobby isn’t slowing down. It’s leveling up. And Fanatics Fest is quickly becoming the place where that evolution plays out in real time.

If you’re a collector, this was your Super Bowl. And if you missed it? Start clearing your schedule for 2026.

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