Hobby Shops Kick Off the New Season with 2026 Topps Series 1

Kicking off the Flagship Topps Baseball Season

Date: Feb 20, 2026

Topics: 2026 Topps Series 1 Baseball, Baseball, MLB, Topps Baseball Series 1, Trending

Length: 913 Words

Reading Time: ~5 Minutes

Last week, the year in Topps Baseball began, with the Flagship release of 2026 Topps Series 1 Baseball. In the run up to release, we spoke with three Hobby shops about their plans to kick off the season.

Today, we’re stopping back in to see how the Series 1 release went and what lies ahead for 2026 Topps Rip Night.

Ahead of the release of 2026 Topps Series 1 Baseball, card shops across North America turned Flagship Day into a community event. This piece spotlights how stores like S&B Collectibles, Mintink, and Doubles celebrated with in-store promos, raffles, giveaways, grading specials, and breaks.

Doubles: New Hope, PA

IG: @doublesnh

For the 2026 Topps Series 1 Baseball release, the team at Doubles — a combination Hobby Shop and Brewery — ran one of their popular Bingo Breaks. Co-Owner Keith Shore explained, “One ticket gets you one pint and one spin. 30 MLB team balls get put in a bingo cage, you get your team that way. The event was completely sold out.”

Highlights from the four-Hobby Box pull included cards from three of the brightest young stars in The Hobby: A Nick Kurtz Golden Mirror, a Bobby Witt Jr. 1991 Topps Baseball on-card auto, and a James Wood Heavy Lumber.

When it comes to the new release of Series 1 Baseball, Shore said, “My favorite elements of the product are the color matching parallels, and I love the 1991 retro design.”

Rip Night at Doubles: The brewery is back at it for 2026 Topps Rip Night. “We’re offering a free pint for every purchase of a Value Box or tin,” said Shore.

S&B Collectibles: Philadelphia, PA

IG: @sbsportscollectibles

A family business and Pennsylvania Hobby institution, S&B first got started all the way back in 1988. S&B COO Stefan Leon told RIPPED, “My dad started doing card shows on the East Coast.” S&B’s first location opened 25 years ago.

For the recent release of 2026 Topps Series 1 Baseball, the shop went all-out. “We ran our annual chocolate and cards promo starting on release day through Valentine’s Day,” Leon said. “Our Series 1 giveaway raffle ran from release day until Sunday. The winner got a Jumbo Box! On Saturday, we had hot dogs at Montgomery for whoever bought Series 1 Baseball, and people were loving it!”

In the early days since release, Leon says that the excitement has continued. “We had a ton of nice pulls all week. Between in store and online, we had a lot of big ones. From a sweet Roman Anthony Heavy Lumber as the very first Jumbo Box on Wednesday to a Colson Montgomery on-card auto later in the week.”

Now for Rip Night: S&B is ringing in 2026 Topps Rip Night on Saturday, February 21. “It’s a huge day for us,” Leon said. “We have a big one planned, including a special guest and a Rip Night party starting at 5. We are giving away more Series 1 and have a ton of different specials, free giveaways, and food.”

Mintink Trading Cards and Live Experience: Vaughan and Ajax, ON

IG: @mintink10

Mintink has been building on its success in The Hobby up north in Canada since 2020, last year adding a shop in Ajax in addition to its space in Vaughan – with plans to further expand in 2026. For Mintink founder John Amendola, events are key to giving collectors a premier Hobby experience.

For 2026 Topps Series 1, Amendola explained, “We had in store specials & some giveaways. We also ran some fun live streams. We didn’t have any huge hits, but it was a ton of fun. In terms of the Series 1 Baseball set, we really love the price point, and the new inserts look great. Loved the look, feel, and variety of the SKUs.”

Rip Night at Mintink: It’s all systems go for Rip Night at Mintink on Saturday, February 21. “It’s going to be big,” Amendola said. “Both of our locations are running full day events and promos. A lot of deals and giveaways to celebrate, and we’ll be putting on a trade night, bringing in a photo booth, and we’ll have pizza & drinks.”

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2026 Topps Series 1 Baseball FAQs

What are the most common release-day promotions for Topps Series 1 Baseball?
- Doorbuster pricing and purchase-based perks like raffle tickets or bonus packs are common at hobby shops.
How do card shops use breaks to celebrate the Series 1 launch?
- Many shops run in-store and livestream breaks to spread product across more collectors, create “shared rip” energy, and keep engagement high all day.
Why do raffles and giveaways work so well during release week?
- They reward participation, keep excitement high, and encourage multiple visits — especially when entries are tied to purchases or trade nights.
How do shops promote Topps Series 1 Baseball beyond the store walls?
- Social posts, live shopping streams, email/text alerts, event ticket pages, and partnerships with local venues or community groups.

Key Facts:

Release-week events drive foot traffic and build community (trade nights, rip parties, family/kid-friendly hours)
In-store promos are common (bundles, freebies, themed giveaways, “buy a box, get X”)
Breaks help move product and include more collectors (in-store breaks, livestream breaks, “dollar” breaks)
Raffles + prize drawings create excitement and repeat visits (box giveaways, hit-based prizes, entry with purchase)
Giveaways boost reach on socials (Instagram posts, story giveaways, tag-a-friend promos)