THE ATHLETIC: Topps invents trading card holiday celebrated by everyone from Emma Roberts to a rival company

The first day of the year seems like such an obvious day to create the trading card hobby given how Jan. 1 signifies the imprint every collector dreams of holding: 1/1.  

Any card possessing the “1/1” or “one of one” branding induces instant excitement and jubilation for the owner, and typically the heftiest value for the card of that player in a particular set. It is a one of a kind version of a card — as rare and unique as it gets. Some of 1/1 cards for players like Luka Doncic, Patrick Mahomes, Mike Trout, Michael Jordan and more have sold for millions of dollars in recent years. The 1/1 LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant triple autographed card released by Topps (pictured above) sparked a frenzy among collectors over the summer, with over 588,000 copies of the non-autographed base version of the card ordered by customers hoping to land the randomly distributed 1/1 version. Then the still ongoing chase for the 1/1 Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card has arguably been an even bigger hit, with the Pittsburgh Pirates making an offer for it that has garnered national attention. 

So if you’re looking to create a universal sports card hobby “holiday,” why wouldn’t someone suggest Jan. 1 given the date’s connection to an important element to the industry?