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🔟 Top 10 News in the Collectible Space
From million-dollar sports cards and blockbuster comic launches to record-setting Star Wars props and NFT market shifts, this week was packed with headlines that show how fast the hobby is moving. Here are the 10 biggest stories you need to know:
NFT Market Rebound – Weekly NFT sales volume climbed to $109.8M (+4%), with CryptoPunks leading at $7M (+136%).
UFC x FightFi Web3 Collectibles – UFC expands into blockchain fan engagement with FightFi, rolling out NFT fan products and digital IDs tied to fighters and events.
Messi Rookie Card Hits $1.5M – A PSA 10 Panini Mega Cracks Lionel Messi rookie sold for $1.5M, a record for soccer cards.
Pokémon $4M Sale Fizzles – Reports of a $4M Pikachu Illustrator sale were false; the eBay “buyer” never paid.
Batman #1 Relaunch Booms – DC’s September 3 relaunch of Batman #1 has sold over 500,000 copies, likely the best-selling comic of 2025.
Spider-Man’s Debut Sets Record – A CGC 9.6 Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962), Spidey’s first appearance, sold for $3.6M, the most ever for a comic.
Darth Vader Lightsaber Auction – A screen-used Vader saber from Empire and Jedi sold for $3.65M, setting a new Star Wars record.
OpenSea Flagship Collection – OpenSea launches a $1M+ acquisition program to showcase blue-chip NFTs and support creators.
Fanatics vs. Panini Escalates – Their legal battle over exclusive licenses could reshape the $50B trading card industry.
HasLab Gunship Funded – Hasbro’s crowdfunded Star Wars Republic Gunship closed with 9,776 backers, unlocking bonus add-ons for the $450 piece.
🔥 Upcoming Heat (Sept 21–27, 2025)
This week is stacked with releases across the collectible spectrum — from comics and trading cards to Funko collabs, phygital experiments, and major digital comic drops. Whether you’re chasing digital scarcity or physical grails, here’s what to watch and set your reminders for:
2025 Topps Triumphant Tennis (Sept 25, Topps – Trading Cards) – Premium debut tennis set featuring Djokovic, Gauff, Nadal, and legends. Every box includes 3 autographs and rare parallels like Trophy Gold Foil (/50).
Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution (Sept 26, Pokémon – Trading Card Game) – A massive global expansion with the return of Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, 180+ cards, and 50+ illustration rares. Each booster also unlocks digital cards in Pokémon TCG Live.
Battleworld #1 (Sept 24, Marvel Comics) – Marvel resurrects Secret Wars’ Battleworld concept in a new miniseries. Heroes from across the Multiverse are forced to fight for the survival of their timelines.
Marvel Digital Comics – Amazing Spider-Man #529 (Sept 23, Marvel/VeVe – NFT Comic) – First appearance of the Iron Spider suit goes digital with only 3,000 editions. Five cover variants in VeVe’s blind box format, with unsold copies burned after 30 days.
Star Wars: Age of Republic – Anakin Skywalker #1 (Sept 26, Marvel/VeVe – NFT Comic) – VeVe digital comic drop with 5 variant covers in blind box waitlist format. A must for Star Wars and comic fans alike.
Ice Cream Family – Phygital Drop (Sept 20–26, Ice Cream Family/OpenSea – NFT + Merch) – Each NFT comes paired with an exclusive physical fashion item, blending digital ownership with tangible collectibles.
Funko x Supreme Limited Edition Pop! (Sept 23 at Hot Topic; Sept 26 at Toy Temple – Toy/Figure) – A 9,500-piece crossover collab with Supreme. Exclusive packaging and branding make this one of the most hyped Funko drops of the year.
📚 Nerdcave’77 Pulls of the Week
Every week we spotlight the comics with the strongest potential to gain value fast — whether through big first appearances, major new arcs, or breakout creative teams. These aren’t just great reads, they’re the books savvy collectors are stashing for the long haul. Here are this week’s five hottest pulls:
Wonder Woman #25 (DC) – Oversized anniversary issue delivering the first appearance of The Matriarch, a harbinger of death who’s being set up as a central villain in Diana’s future. DC explicitly teased that this debut will “set the stage for all Wonder Woman stories to come,” which makes it more than just a one-off. First appearances of major villains in iconic runs (think Cheetah, Punchline, etc.) often climb in aftermarket value, and the striking design of The Matriarch already has collectors buzzing. This is a cornerstone issue for Wonder Woman fans and speculators alike.
Detective Comics #1101 (DC) – Begins the new Courage That Kills arc and includes the possible cameo of The Lion, Gotham’s next big villain teased to fully debut in Detective #1103. Cameo appearances can fly under the radar, but once a character proves important, those early glimpses get hot fast. (See what happened with Punchline’s cameo before her full appearance.) If The Lion sticks as a new rogues’ gallery player, this issue could go from a quiet pickup to a must-have key for Batman collectors.
Battleworld #1 (Marvel) – A five-issue Marvel event that revives the Secret Wars concept. Big events always draw attention, but this one goes further by introducing new multiverse variants of Spider-Man, Wasp, and Captain Marvel. With the Multiverse still front and center in Marvel’s comics and films, any new variant that resonates could become the next Spider-Gwen or Cosmic Ghost Rider. Add Maestro as the shadowy figure behind it all, and you’ve got first appearances, event hype, and nostalgic ties to one of Marvel’s most beloved crossovers. This is pure speculator fuel.
Skinbreaker #1 (Image) – A brand-new fantasy/action epic from Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible) and superstar artist David Finch. Kirkman has a track record of launching franchises that explode in value, and when he puts his weight behind a new #1, it usually draws heat (see Invincible #1, Walking Dead #1). The book introduces a crumbling society, a legendary weapon, and hints at a sprawling saga. Skybound/Image also pushed this with a wide variant lineup, signaling high collector interest from day one. If this series gains traction, issue #1 will be the entry point everyone wants.
Ultimate Hawkeye #1 (Marvel) – A 40-page one-shot spotlighting Charli Ramsey, the new Hawkeye of Marvel’s relaunched Ultimate Universe. Marvel has already positioned Ramsey as a breakout character in The Ultimates, and this solo adventure pits her against The Maker, with promises it will have a “massive impact” on the line’s future. First solo stories of new Ultimates characters could mirror the trajectory of past Ultimate debuts (Miles Morales being the biggest example). It’s priced low now, but if Charli Ramsey sticks as a core Ultimate hero, this issue becomes a key early milestone.
📈 Top 10 Trending Comics This Week
From iconic first appearances to controversial cancellations, these are the books lighting up the secondary market right now. All of them are seeing big sales spikes and renewed collector attention:
Rank | Comic | Publisher / Year | Key Facts | Market Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Absolute Batman #7 | DC · 2025 | Intro of Mr. Freeze (cameo) | 📈 +350% sales vs last week |
2 | Avengers #144 | Marvel · 1976 | Patsy Walker becomes Hellcat | 📈 +333% |
3 | Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #1 | Image · 2025 | Error edition with full interiors instead of blank | 📈 +300% |
4 | Superman #199 | DC · 1967 | First Superman vs Flash race (tie) | 📈 +275% |
5 | Red Hood #1 | DC · 2025 | Multiple new character debuts; series cancelled after controversy | 📈 +250% |
6 | Amazing Spider-Man #124 | Marvel · 1973 | First appearance of Man-Wolf (John Jameson) | 📈 +220% |
7 | Preacher #1 | Vertigo/DC · 1995 | First appearances of Jesse Custer, Tulip, Cassidy, Saint of Killers | 📈 +180% |
8 | Red Hood #1 | DC · 2025 | Jason Todd in New Angelique + 1st Henrietta Forrest, Royale, Tower (cameo) | 📈 +160% |
9 | Amazing Spider-Man #328 | Marvel · 1990 | Iconic McFarlane cover; his final Spidey interiors | 📈 +142% |
10 | Absolute Batman #9 | DC · 2025 | First Bane + Deathstroke (photo cameo) | 📈 +117% |
🖼️ Top 10 NFT Projects This Week
NFT markets saw strong movement this week with blue chips regaining momentum, gaming projects climbing, and collectibles like Courtyard and Panini adjusting after recent highs. Here’s the leaderboard by trading volume:
Rank | Project | Chain | Volume | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | DMarket | Mythos | $6.73M | 🔻 38.26% |
2 | CryptoPunks | Ethereum | $5.55M | 🔺 16.68% |
3 | Guild of Guardians Heroes | Immutable-Zk | $5.15M | 🔺 14.78% |
4 | Moonbirds | Ethereum | $5.11M | 🔺 133.27% |
5 | Bored Ape Yacht Club | Ethereum | $4.49M | 🔺 84.64% |
6 | DKTNFT | BNB | $3.68M | 🔻 15.40% |
7 | Courtyard | Polygon | $3.54M | 🔻 69.32% |
8 | Pudgy Penguins | Ethereum | $3.08M | 🔻 8.01% |
9 | Panini America | Panini | $2.64M | 🔻 41.50% |
10 | Sorare | Ethereum | $2.40M | 🔻 20.84% |
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🙌 Wrap-Up
Thanks for tuning in to this week’s Nerdcave77 Report! The collectibles world is moving fast — from comics with game-changing first appearances, to digital projects surging in volume, to physical drops that have fans lining up early. We’re here every week to track it all and bring you the insights that help you collect smarter.
Your support keeps this community growing, and we’re grateful to share the journey with such a passionate group of collectors. Stay sharp, stay curious, and most importantly — keep collecting what you love.
Until next week,
Ceelow @ Nerdcave77