Talking 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball With the Card Czar

On the Staying Power of Topps Baseball

The story of the MLB season continues with the release of 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball. Around the country, the drop of the latest flagship set continued a tradition in local Hobby shops that has lasted decades. To mark the occasion, Topps RIPPED caught up with Luke Grilli, co-owner of Card Czar in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

“We have a pretty loyal group of baseball collectors who come in,” Grilli said. “They want to complete their set or they just want to rip a Jumbo Box or a Hobby Box every year. That’s kind of their tradition. And so they look forward to this day.”

For Grilli, the excitement surrounding the release of 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball is rooted in the same thing that brought him into The Hobby more than three decades ago.

“It’s The OG” — Why Flagship Matters

“Look at the rookies from yesteryear,” Grilli said. “Look at Ohtani, the Mike Trout Update — there are iconic cards in flagship. It’s one of those sets where the staying power continues to transcend The Hobby.”

For Grilli, it’s the enduring legacy of Topps Baseball that propels these releases. “It’s the OG. It’s the original. Everybody wants the first. For me, I want the rookie. I want that rookie shield. Whether it’s Series 1, Series 2, or Update, that rookie shield represents these guys playing in the big leagues. To me, that’s more important than them starting out in Single-A.”

As with all product releases, Card Czar prides itself on helping their customers find what they’re after, catering to how and what they collect, and delivering product education in the shop and online.

“What we do is try to promote every single product with its own social media reels,” Grilli explained. “We want our customers to know about the set. We talk about the chase, so people aren’t coming in blindly and just ripping. We also put on trade nights that feature the releases.”

The Story of the Card Czar: From Breaking To Brick-and-Mortar

Speaking of traditions, Luke Grilli and his team want to create their own in Londonderry. “I want to build a legacy here,” Grilli said. “I want people to remember Card Czar like I remember going to my LCS growing up.”

The shop itself came from a moment of reconnection. At the time, the two now-owners were running other businesses. Grilli’s old friend Adam Kaufmann reached out to him to see if he wanted help redesigning his website. “We were collecting as far back as middle school,” Grilli said. “It was great to catch up.”

Naturally, it wasn’t long before they started talking The Hobby.

“I asked, ‘Do you still have that Scottie Pippen Rock Stars card I traded you back in ’97?'” Grilli said. “And he said, ‘Yeah, I do.’ He was a huge Bulls fan, I liked all the teams they beat, so I would always trade him all my Bulls cards. The next time we met up for a business meeting, he brought the card. That kind of started the whole idea of starting a sports card company. But we weren’t sure what we wanted to do at first.

“All I knew was he could build websites. He did a great job with ours.”

Card Czar began by selling singles, then started moving into the Hobby space in a bigger way through breaking. “At first, it was a fun little side hustle,” Grilli said. They started creating Hobby content, interviewing people, and reviewing sets.

Eventually, the business went brick-and-mortar and began to carve out an important role in the community. “Breaking was very important to building our reputation and name, and certainly helped us become the destination we are today,” Grilli explained.

With him and Kaufmann both working full-time jobs, they looked to a member of the com”munity to run the shop. “My neighbor, Phil, who had just retired, collected cards his whole life,” Grilli explained. I said to him, ‘Phil, I got the perfect retirement job for you. I need you to run my shop!’ And he instantly said yes.” Phil Stockton remains Shop Manager to this day.

Today, the shop is in its second location, having moved from a smaller space that opened in March 2023 into its current home in October 2025. “We invested a lot of money into making it a very collector-friendly experience,” said Grilli.

The investment included a recent expansion that finished in early June. The shop, now 4,500 square feet, is a phenomenal Hobby destination.

“We have a 40-foot wall of singles and sealed wax,” Grilli said. “We have four big-screen TVs, a lounge; it’s a really relaxing atmosphere. That was important to us because at our last spot we simply couldn’t do that.”

The shop also features plenty of table space to sit down, and boxes of singles for people to go through, all broken out by team and sport. On top of that, the shop houses two streaming studios.

“Building the collectible and sports card community is at the forefront of our mind,” said Grilli.

That sense of community extends beyond the shop itself. Card Czar helps sponsor local Little League teams in the Londonderry LAFA Cal Ripken Baseball league and Babe Ruth softball leagues. The shop also donated to a recent fundraiser, Restore The Rec, that helped to rebuild a local basketball court.

“We’ve had a basketball court in town that’s not been fixed up since I was in elementary school,” Grilli explained. “They put so much work and time into the restoration. It was really cool to be even a small part of.”

Flagship Baseball and the Power of Nostalgia

“For me,” Grilli told RIPPED, “sports cards are incredibly nostalgic. Flagship is the perfect anchor for that type of nostalgia. They’re very accessible. Flagship does sort of take you back, and tie into the history of The Hobby.

“What I love, too, is when you find the guys after the fact. When you find a Cal Raleigh rookie card that you’ve been sitting on for three or four years, just sitting in the Mariners row.”

What Collectors are Chasing in 2026 Topps Series 2

As part of the New England Hobby community, the passion of the Red Sox fanbase certainly plays a part in the chase when it comes to Topps Series 2 Baseball and Card Czar.

“Roman Anthony is still the guy, big rookie up here,” Grilli said. “Obviously, people are looking for Jacob Misiorowski too with what he’s been doing.”

Beyond the coveted rookie chase, “Any time David Ortiz’s autograph is involved, we’ll see an uptick. He’s David Ortiz. We put an Ortiz autograph in our case, it’s gone within hours. He’s still a hot draw.”

Ultimately, Grilli views the job of the shop as being a guide. “We want to learn: What do you like to collect? How do you like to collect? Do you want to collect the whole set? Do you want to collect a certain player? Numbered cards?’ We lay out options, but we want our customers to decide.”

He mentioned a couple of inserts that stand out in this year’s release. “Home Field Advantage is always fun to look at, it really ties the player to the town they’re playing in. I really like the old-school 1991 design, too. Seeing Frank Thomas and Ken Griffey Jr. with that throwback, really brings you back.”

Giving Series 2 to the Next Generation

As the chase for 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball continues, Card Czar plans to bring the set right to the community.

“We’ll be giving away some packs,” Grilli said. “We’ll be bringing over some boxes for the Little League teams we sponsor, to give out some cards to the kids. It’s always so great seeing kids rip packs. It’s really cool to play a part.”

2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball Collector FAQs

• Why do collectors value Topps flagship baseball cards?
  • Collectors value Topps flagship cards because they feature key rookie cards, iconic designs, and a direct connection to the history of The Hobby.
• Which players are collectors chasing in 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball?
  • According to Luke Grilli of Card Czar, collectors in the New England area are especially pursuing rookie cards of Roman Anthony and Jacob Misiorowski, while David Ortiz autographs remain highly sought after among regional collectors. 
• Which inserts stand out in 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball?
  • Home Field Advantage inserts and cards featuring the throwback 1991 Topps Baseball design are among the standout insert collections in 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball. 
• How do local hobby shops help collectors?
  • Local hobby shops provide product education, community events, singles, sealed wax, and personalized collecting experiences. Shops like Card Czar also support youth sports and foster connections within the Hobby community. 

Key Facts

• Featured Shop: Card Czar — Londonderry, New Hampshire
• Featured Product: 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball
• Popular Inserts: Home Field Advantage, 1991 Topps Baseball
• Community Impact: Card Czar sponsors local youth sports teams and supports community projects
• Collector Appeal: Combination of nostalgia, rookie cards, and accessibility gives Topps Series 2 Baseball enduring staying power

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