Upland Sports Cards

07/30/2026

Imagine being the guy that pulled this, $10,000,000 bounty.... What are you going to do with that kind of money? Would you hold out for more? ...or do you think that's an insane amount of money for a modern card?

07/13/2026

Topps Unseals Chrome Update Basketball in Wild Anti-Scalper Test 🚨✂️

The hype for the upcoming 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball release is officially through the roof, 📈 but it’s a surprise move from Topps that has the whole hobby talking! 🗣️✨ Following unprecedented demand for their early pre-orders, Topps announced a brand-new pilot program to protect everyday collectors: shipping their upcoming online Mega Box pre-orders with the outer factory plastic seal entirely removed. 📦🚫

By breaking the seal before shipping, Topps hopes to tank the immediate resale appeal for bots and flippers 🤖📉 while ensuring individual collectors can actually buy packs at retail price. 🛒 While the inner contents and packs remain 100% untouched it’s a bold experiment in an era dominated by secondary-market markups. 💸 Whether you're hunting for the first-ever NBA Rookie Debut Patch Autos 📝🔥 or the wild new "Alter Egos" SSPs, 🎭👀 this release is going to change the game when it officially hits shelves on August 6, 2026! 🗓️🏀

05/29/2026

Time for a Pivot? What PSA’s 10-Million Card Backlog Means for Collectors, $80 per card min for starters.

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the hobby this week, you probably caught the massive news over at Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). In a stunning announcement, PSA revealed that a massive 20% surge in submissions added another 1.6 million cards to their queue in just two weeks.

The result? PSA’s active backlog is currently staring down an unbelievable 10 million cards.

Because of this bottleneck, PSA is taking drastic measures. Starting Tuesday, June 2, 2026, they are officially pausing all of their Value service tiers—including Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus, and Value Max.

What does that mean for the everyday collector looking to get cards graded? Until the backlog drops significantly (which PSA projects could take up to four months), the cheapest service tier left open at PSA is "Regular," which starts at a hefty $80 per card.

Ouch. Spending eighty bucks a pop just to grade a standard modern card or a fun personal collection piece? Yeah, that’s a tough pill to swallow.

But look at the bright side—this is the perfect excuse to finally branch out and try something else. If you've been on the fence about trying a service like CGC or Beckett, now's the time to give them a shot.

Their turnaround times are actually fast, it won't cost you an arm and a leg, and honestly, those SGC black "tuxedo" slabs look clean as hell on pretty much any card you put in them. Plus, the market value on alternate slabs has gotten better and better, so you aren't sacrificing your margins if you're looking to flip.

Sitting around for four months waiting for PSA to clear out a 10-million-card mountain just sounds like a headache. Why let your raw cards gather dust when you can get them slabbed, back in your hands, and looking sharp without breaking the bank?

What do you guys think about this PSA news?
Are you going to ride out the storm or give one of their competitors a run?

Hit us up in the comments or come by the shop and let’s talk strategy!

PSA is temporarily pausing Value, Value Bulk, Value Plus, and Value Max submissions starting June 2, 2026, to reduce a 10M-card backlog. Here's what's changing.

04/09/2026

Nothing worse than hitting a big redemption and waiting eons to receive it and it shows up damaged. You can't tell me that they don't see these cards are damaged before they send this stuff. C'mon Fanatics this is just basic quality assurance. Let's step it up for the collectors. The fact that it's big news that y'all will replace the damaged product you sent us is the absolute bare minimum.

Edit: at least they are finally doing SOMETHING though to address it.

03/15/2026

The Mountain vs. The Rollercoaster: Why Vintage is Still the Smartest Play in 2026.

If you’ve spent any time in the hobby lately, you know the feeling of "Modern Market Whiplash." One week, a prospect is the next coming of Mantle; the next week, he’s a cold streak away from his 1/1s dropping 40% in value. It’s a rollercoaster ride fueled by hype, manufactured scarcity, and endless parallels.

But then, there’s Vintage.

At Upland Sports Cards, we’ve watched the market cycles come and go. While the ultra-modern market offers the thrill of the "chase," the vintage market offers something far more valuable: Stability.

1. Fixed Supply vs. Endless Parallels
In 2026, we are seeing more 1/1s and "limited" parallels than ever before. True scarcity is getting harder to find in modern packs. With vintage, the supply is already written in history. They aren't printing any more 1954 Topps Hank Aarons. What exists is all there will ever be, and high-grade survivors only get rarer over time.

2. Legacies are Already Written
A modern rookie's value is tied to their health, their stats, and their next game. A vintage legend’s value is tied to their legacy. Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, and Roberto Clemente aren't going to have a "bad season." Their place in the pantheon of greats is permanent, making their cards a resilient hedge against the volatility of today's sports news cycle.

3. The Steady, Slow Rise
While modern cards can see 100% gains in a week (and 80% losses the next), blue-chip vintage has maintained a steady, upward trajectory for decades. It’s the "mountain" of the hobby—slow to move, but incredibly firm. For the collector looking to build a long-term portfolio, vintage provides a level of peace of mind that a "Prizm Rainbow" simply can't match.

The Bottom Line
Whether you are a seasoned investor or a collector who loves the history of the game, there is no substitute for the feeling of holding a piece of sports history. The hype might be in the new releases, but the wealth is in the classics.

Ready to trade the rollercoaster for the mountain? Come see us at our Upland showroom @ 1623 N. Mountain Ave, Upland (Stater Bro's Parking Lot) this week. We’ve just added some incredible "Blue Chip" vintage grails to the case that are ready for a new home.

Mention Spring Training for 15% off!!

03/11/2026

BAM! History has been made! 🏀🔥

Did everyone just witness that?! Bam Adebayo just dropped a staggering 83 POINTS against the Wizards, officially passing Kobe Bryant for the second-most points in a single NBA game!

Only Wilt stands above him now. From 31 points in the first quarter to a record-breaking 36 free throws, it was a night the record books won’t forget anytime soon.

Who else is checking their collection for Bam rookies right now? Or better yet, who’s ready to see what he does for an encore?

The veteran big man passes his basketball idol, Kobe Bryant, for the second-highest scoring game ever in NBA history.

02/17/2026

The "Holy Grail" of Pokemon Cards just shattered records! ⚡️💎

You read that right—Logan Paul just sold his one-of-a-kind PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card at auction for a mind-blowing $16,492,000! This isn't just a record for Pokemon; it’s now officially the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction. The winning bidder, A.J. Scaramucci, even got the custom diamond-encrusted necklace Logan famously wore at WrestleMania 38 as part of the deal.

From the wrestling ring to the auction block, the "Logan Paul effect" on the collectibles market is real. Whether it’s rare cardboard or front-row seats to the next big event, the value of being "in the room" has never been higher.

What do you think? Is a single card worth $16M, or is the collectibles market reaching a new peak? Let us know in the comments! 👇

02/13/2026

Finally a reason to buy modern, the odds are still pretty astronomical, but we definitely support this move.

01/21/2026

FINALLY!

12/11/2025

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas from all of us at Upland Sports Cards and Captain Ticket! Here's a throwback to one of our first videos to bring some Christmas Cheer 😁