{"id":102742,"date":"2025-05-02T06:27:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T10:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/?p=102742"},"modified":"2025-05-02T06:27:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T10:27:52","slug":"crash-course-2025-topps-chrome-veefriends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/crash-course-2025-topps-chrome-veefriends\/","title":{"rendered":"Crash Course | 2025 Topps Chrome\u00ae VeeFriends"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"hero-container hero-image-container\" id=\"hero-image-container\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hero-image\" src=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2051_FR_SPARKLE.jpg\" \/>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alex Giaimo Gets to the Heart of VeeFriends <\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block stats-box-container\">\n\t<div id=\"stats-boxblock_6daf7c76d6fca3bf8a8116df31b1c0dd\" class=\"wp-block stats-box stats-box-post\">\n\t\t<div class=\"stats-box-column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"stats-box-date stats-box-stat\"><span class=\"stats-box-header\">Date:<\/span> May 2, 2025<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"stats-box-author stats-box-stat\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"stats-box-header\">Author:<\/span> Alex Giaimo\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"stats-box-column\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"stats-box-length stats-box-stat\"><span class=\"stats-box-header\">Length:<\/span> 1523 \tWords<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"stats-box-reading-time stats-box-stat\"><span class=\"stats-box-header\">Reading Time:<\/span> ~8 Minutes<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.topps.com\/pages\/topps-chrome-veefriends?utm_source=RIPPED&amp;utm_medium=site&amp;utm_id=VeeFriends\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"674\" height=\"311\" src=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-09-at-2.53.25\u202fPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98969\" style=\"width:492px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-09-at-2.53.25\u202fPM.jpg 674w, https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-09-at-2.53.25\u202fPM-300x138.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-09-at-2.53.25\u202fPM-210x97.jpg 210w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Gary Vaynerchuk\u2019s VeeFriends is like stepping into Willy Wonka\u2019s chocolate factory \u2014 a world fueled by imagination, innovation, and valuable life lessons. If you still don&#8217;t know what VeeFriends is or you haven&#8217;t started collecting yet, that will change soon when 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends drops on May 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m starting my collection for many reasons &#8212; the main one being Vaynerchuk himself. VeeFriends and its creator embody the pure imagination spirit: If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Believing in the trading cards also means believing in Gary Vaynerchuk, and why not? He\u2019s one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, amassing his wealth through ventures like his family\u2019s wine business, founding VaynerMedia, and making incredible investments with an unmatched ability to spot trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-topps-education-color-6-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">  <div\n    class=\"carousel-inline carousel-inline-trading-card-vertical carousel-inline-slidestoshow-4\"\n    id=\"carousel-inline-block_0acdecbaed909021379ec01c9907897f\">\n          <div class=\"carousel-inline-single-item\">\n                  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"carousel-inline-single-item-image\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_1004_FR-700x980.jpg\" \/>\n                          <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"carousel-inline-single-item\">\n                  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"carousel-inline-single-item-image\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_1006_FR_Blast_Off-700x980.jpg\" \/>\n                          <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"carousel-inline-single-item\">\n                  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"carousel-inline-single-item-image\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2040_FR_Green_Parallel-700x980.jpg\" \/>\n                          <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"carousel-inline-single-item\">\n                  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"carousel-inline-single-item-image\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2051_FR_SPARKLE-700x980.jpg\" \/>\n                          <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"carousel-inline-single-item\">\n                  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"carousel-inline-single-item-image\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2083_FR_Black_Lava-700x980.jpg\" \/>\n                          <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n  <script>\n\n  jQuery(function ($) {\n    $(document).ready(function () {\n\n\n\n      if (($(window).width() > 767) && ($(window).width() < 1024)) {\n        var carousel_inline_slider_width = $('#carousel-inline-block_0acdecbaed909021379ec01c9907897f').width();\n        var carousel_inline_single_slide_width = Number(carousel_inline_slider_width) \/ 3;\n        $(\"#carousel-inline-block_0acdecbaed909021379ec01c9907897f .carousel-inline-single-item\").width(carousel_inline_single_slide_width);\n      } else if ($(window).width() > 1023) {\n        var carousel_inline_slider_width = $('#carousel-inline-block_0acdecbaed909021379ec01c9907897f').width();\n        var carousel_inline_single_slide_width = Number(carousel_inline_slider_width) \/ 4;\n        $(\"#carousel-inline-block_0acdecbaed909021379ec01c9907897f .carousel-inline-single-item\").width(carousel_inline_single_slide_width);\n      }\n\n\n\n      $('#carousel-inline-block_0acdecbaed909021379ec01c9907897f').slick({\n        slidesToScroll: 1,\n        slidesToShow: 4,\n        autoplay: false,\n        autoplaySpeed: 6000,\n        infinite: true,\n        arrows: true,\n        variableWidth: true,\n        centerMode: false,\n        responsive: [\n          {\n            breakpoint: 768,\n            settings: {\n              slidesToShow: 2,\n            }\n          },\n          {\n            breakpoint: 480,\n            settings: {\n              slidesToShow: 1,\n              centerMode: true,\n            }\n          }\n        ]\n      });\n\n\n      setTimeout(function () {\n        window.dispatchEvent(new Event('resize'));\n      }, 1000);\n\n\n\n\n\n    });\n  });\n\n<\/script>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Facebook, Twitter, Uber, NFTs \u2014 Vaynerchuk got in before most of us even knew they were a thing. But he\u2019s much more than that. He\u2019s also known worldwide for his inspirational content, which focuses on a no-nonsense approach with ideas like hustle, perseverance, and embracing failure. Then there\u2019s the creative side, which he admittedly kept behind the scenes until he took a trip to Malibu in 2021.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe world doesn\u2019t know this version of me,\u201d Vaynerchuk said. \u201cI went off the grid with my Sharpies and paper and created this whole universe over the course of a week.\u201d He doodled 251 characters that live in the VeeFriends Universe. Each character has a story that uses alliteration to amplify practical positivity. \u201cBetween my creativity and imagination as a kid \u2014 plus the collectability factor \u2014 VeeFriends is like a culmination of my life,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ripping open a pack of VeeFriends cards isn\u2019t just about collecting tangible things; it\u2019s about unlocking experiences money can\u2019t buy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve always been interested in the Gary Vaynerchuk story but never knew much about VeeFriends, so I went to his VaynerMedia office in NYC to listen and learn \u2014 a rare time when I let somebody else do most of the talking. After what felt like five minutes, our hour-long discussion left me believing in the magic of VeeFriends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Special shout out to VF Marketing Manager Jason Koeppel and Platform Strategy Producer Bobby Schmidt for further filling in the blanks of the VeeFriends mystique. Thanks to their tutelage, I\u2019m back with another Crash Course for the release of&nbsp; 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Importance of Chrome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you dive into collecting VeeFriends, you need to know the product\u2019s history. VeeFriends Series 1 and Series 2 launched in 2022. Both were huge successes, even though most of The Hobby hadn\u2019t been exposed yet. Now, the Topps partnership and the benefits that come with it have been added to the equation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gary-3.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The first VeeFriends Topps release means all 100 characters featured in the set will have a \u201cFirst Chrome\u201d badge on their rookie cards. \u201cChrome is going to be a movie; It\u2019s the first time VeeFriends is hitting The Hobby,\u201d Vaynerchuk said. \u201cThe first time hobby shops will have the product in their store and the first time people can go into a card shop to buy it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What You Should Know about Topps Chrome VeeFriends<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re all in for a treat because this product differs entirely from previous releases. That means that original and new VF collectors have tons to chase. Thanks to Topps, we&#8217;ll see VeeFriends SuperFractors for the first time. Amen! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEveryone remembers the first time they pulled a super,\u201d Koeppel said. \u201cYou automatically become invested in that player, and that same energy will go into VF characters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The set also includes autographed cards from people other than Gary Vaynerchuk for the first time. The Entrepreneurial Elf insert cards are available in both autographed and non-autographed versions. Tycoons like Michael Rubin, Kevin Hart, Arianna Huffington, Dana White, and Bethenny Frankel will appear. And if you\u2019re lucky enough to pull the Gary Vaynerchuk SuperFractor, you should know he\u2019s already stated that he&#8217;s interested in buying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the VF Universe includes 251 characters, only 100 will be featured in the set. Keep in mind that some characters are more valuable than others. If you want to learn more about character rarities, I highly suggest following the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/veefriendscards\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/veefriendscards\/\">@VeeFriendsCards<\/a> IG page and watching the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fanatics.live\/shops\/vee-friends\">VeeFriends stream on Fanatics Live<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why I&#8217;m Starting My Topps Chrome\u00ae VeeFriends Collection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gary Vaynerchuk, the Human<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way I can explain this is by making a sports comparison. People love asking me what sports teams I root for. I used to be one of those crazy, die-hard fans, but the deeper I got into my career, the more things changed. Today, I mostly root for good games and people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m looking at the VeeFriends brand similarly. I believe in VF because I believe in Gary Vaynerchuck.&nbsp; Take this for example: Just before recording our interview, he checked in with me and asked how I was doing personally. It wasn\u2019t for show, either. He genuinely cared. And in proper, authentic form, I responded candidly and told him I was going through a rough patch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve interviewed a lot of famous people in my life. Nobody has ever shown as much empathy towards my situation as Gary. Then, halfway through the interview, he made a concerted effort to relate his message to what I was experiencing in my personal life\u2014he listened. And then there\u2019s the relatability factor, which is always great for The Hobby. You\u2019ll find him on his feet at big card shows, engaging with everyone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vaynerchuk has built the VeeFriends community to be about so much more than collecting. It\u2019s rooted in authentic connection, camaraderie, and genuine love. Now, that\u2019s a group I can\u2019t wait to be a part of. \u201cThe entire community engages on social media, but we aren&#8217;t just rooting for each other to pull big cards; we\u2019re rooting for success in life,&#8221; Koeppel said. \u201cIn our community, we say that strangers become acquaintances, acquaintances become friends, and friends become family. That\u2019s our mantra.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It doesn\u2019t matter how full his schedule is. He will always find the time to interact and engage with his community, which he acknowledges helped build the foundation of VF. If you catch him on one of his daily live streams, Schmidt said, \u201cYou\u2019ll probably hear him shout that he\u2019s \u2018building VeeFriends in your face.\u2018\u201d The community loves how much he cares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gary Vaynerchuk, the Entrepreneur<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gary knows what he\u2019s doing, and most of what he touches turns to gold, so I like my odds. In case you didn&#8217;t know, as a young boy, he immigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union with his working-class family. It\u2019s refreshing to hear a success story about a self-made person in a world full of nepotism\u2014someone who hustled to become one of the most influential entrepreneurs of our time. \u201cMany people are collecting because they see my 30 years of success and think I can pull this off,\u201d Vaynerchuk said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Hobby doesn\u2019t realize how deep the collector base is,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s a much bigger economy to these trading cards than people understand.\u201d He believes The Hobby is in for a shock this spring and summer when the cards are out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Characters&#8217; Stories&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like established comic book universes, the world of VeeFriends is built on memorable characters that emotionally connect with fans. Like all of us, most of their story is still being written. The first VeeFriends comic book will be released next month. That means that Chrome VeeFriends collectors can potentially rip open a box in May, fall in love with their favorite character, and continue to follow their journey through the comics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FYI: Gary\u2019s best advice for newcomers like myself is to \u201cfigure out which character best resonates with you.\u201d In my case, I fell in love with the Fearless Fairy because she has specific qualities that I hope I can develop over time. Unlike stars in the real world who deal with injuries, trades, and scandals, the Fearless Fairy will never disappoint. The fictional character market is safer in that way, and we all love a good fantasy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More Than Just Collecting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I want to leave you with this fun VeeFriends fact to think about. Initially, the official VeeFriends brand color was green, so you\u2019ll notice the greenbacks on the original cards. However, Vaynerchuk decided to switch the color to purple. \u201cHe feels as though the world is too blue or red,&#8221; Schmidt said. \u201cThe purple means finding balance in life or meeting somebody in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, think about the next time you hear him say, \u201cLet\u2019s find the purple.\u201d We can all do a better job at that. Also, the original green color was used to represent his love for the <a class=\"auto-internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/team\/profile\/nfl\/new-york-jets\/\">New York Jets<\/a>\u2014a team I happen to know a thing or two about\u2014and you better believe I wasn\u2019t leaving his office without throwing in some football questions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"731\" src=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2009_FR_Red_Parallel-1024x731.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98367\" style=\"object-fit:contain;width:420px;height:300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2009_FR_Red_Parallel-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2009_FR_Red_Parallel-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2009_FR_Red_Parallel-210x150.jpg 210w, https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2009_FR_Red_Parallel-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2009_FR_Red_Parallel-980x700.jpg 980w, https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2009_FR_Red_Parallel-420x300.jpg 420w, https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25VFCR_2009_FR_Red_Parallel.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alex Giaimo Gets to the Heart of VeeFriends Gary Vaynerchuk\u2019s VeeFriends is like stepping into Willy Wonka\u2019s chocolate factory \u2014 a world fueled by imagination, innovation, and valuable life lessons. If you still don&#8217;t know what VeeFriends is or you haven&#8217;t started collecting yet, that will change soon when 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends drops on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":98375,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[8760],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized-uk"],"acf":{"color_theme":"rgba(255,80,119,1)"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102742\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ripped.topps.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}