From nostalgic franchises to bold crossovers, trading card games continue to redefine what it means to collect, play, and connect. The Best Non-Sports Card Product category honors releases that blended gameplay innovation, worldbuilding, and artistic storytelling into unforgettable sets. These products brought fresh audiences into the fold, expanding the reach of the trading card game world while rewarding collectors with rich design and lasting cultural impact.
Nominees
Disney Topps Chrome
Topps Chrome Disney, released in 2024, celebrated nearly a century of Disney storytelling through Topps’ signature chromium design. The set brought together classic and modern characters—from Mickey Mouse and Pixar icons to Marvel heroes and Frozen’s Elsa—reimagined in refractors, parallels, and rare short prints.
Coinciding with Disney’s 100th anniversary celebration, the 2024 edition became one of the year’s standout non-sports products. Collectors embraced its blend of nostalgia and innovation, with chase cards, autographs, and hobby-exclusive inserts driving excitement across both retail and secondary markets.
By merging Disney’s timeless characters with Topps’ premium hobby presentation, Chrome Disney’s 2024 release became a defining example of how entertainment IP and trading cards continue to intersect, captivating fans and collectors alike.
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Leaf Metal Pop Century
Leaf Metal Pop Century, released in 2025, continued Leaf’s legacy as the leading celebrity autograph series, uniting stars from film, music, television, and sports in bold metal designs. Each box included four autographs and two one-of-one printing plates, with case guarantees of on-card, multi-signed, and Pearl autos. Featuring themed inserts like Blockbuster Movie Stars and Villains, and names such as Al Pacino, Margot Robbie, and Ozzy Osbourne, Pop Century 2025 turned fame itself into the ultimate chase.
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Magic: The Gathering — FINAL FANTASY
Released in 2025 as part of the Universes Beyond line, the Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY collaboration brought one of gaming’s most storied franchises into the TCG world. The set spanned the breadth of FINAL FANTASY’s 16 mainline games, reimagined through Magic’s mechanics.
Cards appeared across Commander decks, collector boosters, and starter kits, blending gameplay depth with collectible appeal. Wizards of the Coast emphasized iconic characters and summons while ensuring play balance within the wider Magic ecosystem.
The crossover demonstrated how trading cards can act as a medium for cultural storytelling, uniting FINAL FANTASY’s global fandom with Magic’s player and collector base. It quickly became one of the most anticipated Universes Beyond releases to date.
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Topps Chrome VeeFriends
Topps Chrome VeeFriends returned in 2025 with a new trading card release, launched on May 7, 2025. The product brought Gary Vaynerchuk’s VeeFriends universe to Topps’ signature Chrome format, featuring characters such as Empathy Elephant and Patient Panda in base cards, parallels, refractors, and special insert sketch cards.
The set blended hobby chase elements with VeeFriends’ character-driven storytelling, creating a crossover between digital IP and traditional trading card collecting. Designed for both seasoned collectors and VeeFriends fans, the checklist combined cultural novelty with Topps’ established hobby prestige.
As one of the year’s most distinctive non-sports products, Topps Chrome VeeFriends highlighted how emerging brands can find a home within established trading card formats, bringing new audiences into the hobby.
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Vibes — Enter the Huddle
Launched in December 2024, Enter the Huddle marked the debut of VIBES TCG, the official trading-card game from the Pudgy Penguins universe, developed by Orange Cap Games. Blending character-driven artwork with strategic gameplay, the release introduced Pudgy Penguins to a physical TCG format for the first time.
The set featured booster packs, starter decks, serialized chase cards, and limited 1st-Edition variants, capturing attention from both TCG players and Pudgy’s large Web3 community. A high-profile Miami launch during Art Basel 2024 brought together collectors, influencers, and grading companies.
In 2025, VIBES expanded with Series 2, adding new gameplay elements and artwork while maintaining its cultural momentum. By uniting a top NFT brand with traditional card gaming — and backed by Orange Cap Games’ design, manufacturing, and distribution capabilities — Enter the Huddle carved out a distinct place in the hobby, bridging culture, competition, and collectible storytelling.
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These products showcase how TCGs have evolved — from fantasy worlds and film icons to cultural crossovers and digital-born IPs. Each nominee elevated the art and storytelling of the game, proving that trading cards can connect generations, genres, and global communities.
Voting for Best TCG Product is now open.
All registered Mantel users who vote will automatically be entered to win a limited /50 Ghostwrite Hobby Awards Trophy.
To see all categories, nominees and vote, visit TheHobbyAwards.com.
