A line wrapping from 35th to 37th St. — that was the scene from Topps Rip Night at Dave & Adam’s card world on Saturday. Topps Rip Night, an annual, worldwide celebration of card collecting, is hosted by local card shops around the United States thanks to Fanatics and Topps. In 2025, the event was a hit, with over 600 shops participating and premier athletes making appearances. This year, the event was hosted in over 800 local card stores worldwide — even reaching Europe.
The event brings collectors together, offering pack rips, pack battles, and opportunities to trade cards. Several athletes across the country were present at their local events, including Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards and Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg. In New York City, several hundred fans waited for New York Giants rookie sensation Jaxson Dart and Fanatics owner Michael Rubin, who made a surprise appearance.
“This is without question one of the funnest days of the year,” Rubin said. “I say this all the time, collectors are the best fans in the world — these are the superfans. It’s so rewarding to see, it’s humbling to see the great people come out.”
Rubin has owned the merchandising brand Fanatics since 2011, acquiring the company for $330 million after selling his previous firm, GCI commerce, to eBay. Under his leadership, Fanatics has become one of the world’s biggest brands, drawing in several billion dollars, and now serves as the largest sports merchandising company in America.
Whether it’s trading card collectibles, jerseys, or even the sports betting industry, Rubin has fully committed to the Fanatics brand, selling his stakes in the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils in 2022.
“For us, it’s about how do we keep getting better at what we do?” said Rubin when asked about how he envisions the future of sports merchandising with Fanatics. “Sports fans are different; we have to figure out how to take care of the average fan, the king, someone interested in high-tier, it’s about how we take care of each segment for fans.”
From the kick, the Dave & Adam’s employees were all for fulfilling their guests’ needs, tossing out a large amount of packs into the sea of collectors. The packs were a fun way to get everyone engaged, with the chance of pulling something worthwhile. When Rubin arrived, he began giving away rare cards from his personal collection by asking fans trivia questions. Some cards included autographs and rookie cards of the most talented players, even including his own personal favorite Julius Erving card.
Adam Martin, the CEO and owner of the beloved New York card show, played host for an event organized by Fanatics. Martin opened his first card store in his hometown of Buffalo in 1991 before branching out globally — opening a store in New York City on May 25, 2025.
“We can get people here, we make sure that everyone who comes through the door gets a $25 coupon,” said Martin. “We make sure everyone gets a heavily discounted or free item. They’re going to open them up, love what they get, keep coming back, and love the hobby of cards. It’s great for me, and the entire industry.”
Fanatics holds several events throughout the calendar year, with its biggest event, Fanatics FanFest, taking place in July. The event is a full weekend-long extravaganza that brings together card vendors from across the country for one of the largest card expos in the United States. In 2025, the event saw the likes of Tom Brady, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and even rapper Travis Scott, who launched his own line of Topps basketball cards.
This year, Rubin has even bigger plans for the highly anticipated event.
“FanaticsFest will be going to a fourth day this year,” said Rubin. “We’re going to make baseball the focus of Thursday. Of course, the Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, and Mets will be there. As crazy as it was last year, it will be even crazier this year. For us, it’s the hardest thing we do all year, but it’s such a great give back to fans. It’s like what we did times 100 today.”
The world of sports cards is expanding, and the craziest part is that the ages range from kids to adults, along with their level of knowledge, from average sports fans to people who make a living off flipping cards.
“I’m 58, I’m not going to be around the industry forever,” said Martin. “The kids today who got these free cards, they’re the card dealers of the future.”
