ArchRivals Collector Fest

09/28/2026

IMPORTANT ARCHRIVALS COLLECTOR FEST UPDATE

After a great deal of consideration, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the ArchRivals Collector Fest scheduled for November 14 at the Moolah Shrine Center.

We sincerely apologize to everyone who was planning to attend, vend, participate, or support the show.

All vendors who have already paid for their space will receive a full refund.

We also want to thank everyone who has supported ArchRivals Collector Fest. From our vendors and guests to the collectors and families who have walked through our doors, your support has meant a great deal to us.

While the November show will not be moving forward, we aren't ready to say goodbye to ArchRivals. We may take some time, regroup, and look at the possibility of returning in the spring.

For now, we simply want to say thank you to everyone who has been part of ArchRivals and supported what we've been building.

We hope this isn't goodbye — just see you later.

09/25/2026

TODAY, SEPTEMBER 25, IS NATIONAL COMIC BOOK DAY — AND ITS ORIGIN IS KIND OF A MYSTERY.

Comic shops, publishers, collectors and fans across the country are celebrating National Comic Book Day today, recognizing a form of entertainment that went from cheap, disposable reading material to one of the foundations of modern pop culture.

But for a hobby obsessed with documenting first appearances, publication dates, creators and pedigrees, National Comic Book Day has one pretty big hole in its own history:

Nobody seems to know who created it—or why September 25 was chosen.

You'd expect a great origin story.

Maybe a major publisher declared it.

Maybe September 25 marked the release of some legendary comic.

Maybe Stan Lee climbed to the top of a mountain, raised a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 toward the heavens and yelled:

“EXCELSIOR! SEPTEMBER 25 SHALL FOREVER BE COMIC BOOK DAY!”

😂

Unfortunately…nothing that exciting.

There is no clearly documented founder behind National Comic Book Day, and researchers haven't established a definitive reason September 25 became the date.

That's particularly funny considering comic collectors document everything.

We know when Superman first appeared.

We know when Batman first appeared.

We know the first appearances of Spider-Man, Wolverine, Harley Quinn and thousands of other characters.

Collectors can debate whether a barely visible character in the background of one panel counts as a cameo or a first appearance for the next 30 years.

But apparently nobody wrote down who invented National Comic Book Day.

And look at what we're celebrating.

For generations, comic books were folded, rolled up, traded between kids, stuffed into drawers and sometimes thrown away when Mom cleaned the bedroom.

Today?

They're bagged and boarded.

Pressed.

Authenticated.

Graded.

Encapsulated.

Displayed.

Collected as original art.

And some of those little books that originally cost 10 cents now sell for staggering amounts of money.

The characters inside them have also become the foundation for movies, television, toys, games, conventions and an enormous worldwide collectibles industry.

So today, September 25, we celebrate the comic book.

We just can't tell you exactly who decided we should do it today.

And somehow…

that might be the greatest unsolved mystery in comics that doesn't involve Batman. 😂

📚 Happy National Comic Book Day from ArchRivals Collector Fest!

09/24/2026

✍️ DOES AN AUTOGRAPH MAKE A COLLECTIBLE BETTER…OR DOES IT RUIN IT?

There's an interesting auction happening TODAY that got us thinking about something much bigger than Pokémon.

Heritage Auctions is holding its Pokémon Sketch and Signed Collection auction tonight, featuring Pokémon cards that have been signed, sketched on and transformed into something very different from the cards that originally came out of the pack.

Some even feature original artwork drawn directly onto the cards.

🔥 The auction goes live tonight at 6 PM Central.

But here's where the argument gets interesting…

This isn't really a Pokémon question. It's a COLLECTOR question.

📚 COMIC BOOKS — Would you let the writer or artist sign directly on a valuable key issue?

⚾ SPORTS CARDS — Does an athlete's autograph make the card better…or would you rather have a clean high-grade copy?

🧸 ACTION FIGURES — Do you want the actor's signature across the packaging, or does writing on the box ruin the display?

👤 FUNKO POPS — Is a signed window the ultimate version of the Pop…or do you want that box untouched?

🃏 TCG CARDS — Would you let the artist or voice actor put a marker directly across a rare card?

🎮 VIDEO GAMES — Would you have the creator or voice actor sign the game case, cartridge or console? And what if the game was still factory sealed?

Two collectors can look at the exact same collectible and see completely different things.

One sees:

🔥 A ONE-OF-A-KIND AUTOGRAPHED COLLECTIBLE.

The other sees:

😱 SOMEBODY JUST WROTE ALL OVER IT.

And then there's another level entirely…

🎨 What if an artist doesn't just sign it—but adds an original sketch directly onto the collectible?

Does that make it even more special?

Or did they just permanently alter something you would have rather kept original?

So let's open this up to EVERY type of collector:

Does the RIGHT autograph make a collectible MORE desirable to you?

Or do you want your comics, cards, figures, Pops, video games and other collectibles exactly the way they originally came?

And if your answer is “it depends”…

👇 What are you willing to have signed—and what collectible would you NEVER let someone put a marker on?

🔨 Want to see what collectors are bidding on? Heritage's Pokémon Sketch & Signed Collection auction is happening tonight:

America's Auction House

09/23/2026

🏆 COLLECTOR’S CORNER: ONLY THREE GET YOUR VOTE…WHO BELONGS IN THE TOY HALL OF FAME?

Forget arguing about the greatest toy of all time…

Today you can actually vote for it. 🗳️

The National Toy Hall of Fame has announced its 12 finalists for 2026, and this year's ballot puts some VERY different generations of toys and games against each other:

🧸 Care Bears
💥 Bop It!
🔥 Tickle Me Elmo
👾 Monster High
🎀 Polly Pocket
⚡ Pokémon Trading Card Game
🐭 Mouse Trap
🎲 Yahtzee
🎲 Sorry!
🎱 Bingo
🀄 Mahjong
🛝 The Slide

And honestly…there are some legitimate arguments here.

🧸 Care Bears have been around since the early 1980s and became much more than stuffed animals—cartoons, movies, merchandise and generations of kids grew up with them.

⚡ Pokémon TCG turns 30 years old in 2026 and grew from a children's card game into one of the largest collecting phenomena in the world.

🔥 Tickle Me Elmo caused one of the most infamous holiday toy crazes of the 1990s.

🎀 Polly Pocket has survived generations of kids, redesigns and revivals since the late 1980s.

And then you have games like Yahtzee, Bingo and Mahjong whose histories stretch back much further.

So we're NOT picking a favorite for you today.

You tell us.

🚨 PUBLIC VOTING ENDS TODAY — SEPTEMBER 23!

You can cast your vote through the National Toy Hall of Fame's official ballot:

👇 VOTE HERE:
https://www.toyhalloffame.org/players-choice-ballot/

Then come back and defend your picks.

🔥 If YOU were deciding who enters the Toy Hall of Fame this year, which THREE are getting your vote?

Care Bears?

Pokémon?

Polly Pocket?

Tickle Me Elmo?

Or are you throwing all of them out and going old school with something like Yahtzee or Mouse Trap?

Let's see which generation wins this argument. 😂

September 16–23, 2026 Which toy do you think is most worthy of joining icons such as LEGO, Monopoly, and the Rubik’s Cube in the National Toy Hall of Fame? Vote below for the one you think best meets the criteria of icon-status, longevity, discovery, and innovation. The three toys that receive t...

09/22/2026

🍔 WHEN DID THE KIDS’ MEAL BECOME A COLLECTIBLES INVESTMENT?

Remember when the toy was just the thing you begged your parents for with your Happy Meal?

Apparently those days are over. 😂

Right now, limited-edition promotional items from McDonald’s, Burger King and even Starbucks are hitting the secondary market almost immediately—and adults are helping drive the frenzy.

🥤 Starbucks recently released a limited-edition Snoopy cold cup for about $40. After it sold out online, examples were being offered for as much as $120.

🍍 McDonald’s new SpongeBob promotional toys are already showing up on the resale market.

🐉 And Burger King currently has six Dragon Ball Super figures featuring Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and Beerus. Complete sets have already sold online for considerably more than you might expect from fast-food toys.

And maybe we shouldn't be surprised.

Some of us grew up chasing McDonald's toys, Burger King figures, cereal-box prizes and whatever else companies could convince our parents we absolutely HAD to have.

The difference?

Now those kids have adult money. 😂

And resellers know it.

So here's today's question:

🔥 Are these actually collectibles worth chasing—or is this mostly FOMO that will disappear once the promotion ends?

And be honest...

Have you ever bought a meal you didn't really want just to get the toy? 😂

Because somewhere out there right now, a grown adult is probably eating their sixth Whopper trying to find Beerus.

09/21/2026

DC COLLECTORS…MATTEL IS ABOUT TO SHOW US WHAT'S NEXT.

And right now, they're keeping the first collectible a secret. 👀

DC has confirmed that Mattel's brand-new DC Collector line will officially launch worldwide on January 1, 2027.

But we won't have to wait until January to see what Mattel has planned.

🔥 On October 8 at New York Comic Con, Mattel will reveal the FIRST-EVER item from the new DC Collector line.

And here's where it gets interesting…

Collectors will be able to preorder the mystery item immediately after it's revealed.

No character has been announced.

No price has been announced.

And DC's announcement simply calls it the first “item”—so we're still waiting to see exactly what Mattel has up its sleeve.

For DC collectors, this could be the beginning of an entirely new era on the shelf.

So let's make a prediction BEFORE Mattel shows us:

🦇 Batman?
🃏 Joker?
🦸 Superman?
⚔️ Wonder Woman?
💚 Green Lantern?
😈 A villain nobody expects?
🤯 Or something other than an action figure entirely?

If YOU were Mattel and had to choose ONE DC character or collectible to launch the entire new DC Collector line…what are you putting out first?

We'll come back to this post October 8 and see if anybody called it. 👀

09/19/2026

40 YEARS LATER…LABYRINTH IS ENTERING THE TRADING CARD HOBBY.

“You remind me of the babe…”

If you grew up in the '80s, there's a pretty good chance you already know the rest. 😂

Upper Deck has announced a new licensing agreement with The Jim Henson Company, and the first release from the partnership will celebrate the 40th anniversary of LABYRINTH with its first-ever trading card set.

Yes…

Jareth. Sarah. Hoggle. Ludo. The Goblin Kingdom.

They're coming to trading cards.

The cards will be released under Upper Deck's Skybox brand, and this isn't apparently going to stop with Labyrinth.

The agreement also opens the door for Upper Deck collectibles based on other Jim Henson properties including:

🔮 Labyrinth
⚔️ The Dark Crystal
🚀 Farscape
🐸 Fraggle Rock

For collectors, we think there's something particularly interesting happening here.

Trading cards aren't just baseball, football and Pokémon anymore.

Movies, television shows and pop-culture properties from decades ago are increasingly becoming part of the modern card hobby.

Which brings us to today's question…

🚨 YOU GET TO CHOOSE THE NEXT MOVIE OR TV FRANCHISE TO RECEIVE A SERIOUS PREMIUM TRADING CARD SET.

What are you picking?

And we're not talking about simply putting screenshots from a movie onto cardboard.

Give us chase cards. Autographs. Sketch cards. Rare inserts. Costume or prop relics. Serialized cards.

👇 What movie or television franchise would YOU want to collect an entire trading-card set from?

And for the Labyrinth fans…

Would you chase a David Bowie/Jareth card?

🔗 Upper Deck announcement:

Carlsbad, CA (September 17, 2026) – Upper Deck, the worldwide leader in entertainment and sports collectibles, is expanding its premium licensed entertainment portfolio with the addition of the storied and trailblazing Jim Henson Company. Honoring Henson’s legendary and innovative career as a be...

09/18/2026

WE DIDN’T GROW UP…AND TOYS “R” US NOTICED. 😂

Remember walking into Toys “R” Us as a kid?

Those endless aisles of action figures.

Video games behind the glass.

Hot Wheels.

LEGO.

Trading cards.

And that ONE toy you desperately wanted while your parents kept saying...

“PUT IT BACK.” 😂

Well, apparently we grew up, got jobs, got our own money...

AND WENT BACK TO BUY THE TOYS ANYWAY.

🔥 Toys “R” Us is making another major comeback.

The iconic retailer has announced plans to open 120 new standalone stores across the United States this holiday season, marking its biggest U.S. expansion in nearly a decade.

And here's the part collectors should pay attention to...

Adults aren't just occasionally wandering into the toy aisle anymore.

WE'VE BECOME A MAJOR PART OF THE TOY BUSINESS.

Recent consumer data cited in coverage of the announcement says adults now account for 55% of toy sales. 😳

Think about what's sitting in adult collections today:

🦸 Action figures
⚡ Pokémon and trading cards
🏎️ Hot Wheels
🧱 LEGO
👾 Retro toys
🎬 Movie & TV collectibles
📦 New versions of the toys we wanted 30 or 40 years ago

Maybe Toys “R” Us isn't just coming back for today's kids.

Maybe it's coming back for all the kids who never really left. 🦒

So here's today's question...

🚨 A FULL-SIZE TOYS “R” US OPENS NEAR YOU TOMORROW.

Are you going?

And when those doors open...

👇 What's the FIRST section you're heading toward?

Action figures? Trading cards? LEGO? Hot Wheels? Video games? Something else?

And be honest...

Would walking through a real Toys “R” Us again make you feel like a kid—even if you're walking out carrying $300 worth of toys you swore were “investments”? 😂

📰 READ MORE ABOUT THE TOYS “R” US EXPANSION:

Toys “R” Us is kicking off its biggest expansion in nearly a decade, opening 120 stores amid surging demand from adult customers, the company said Thursday.

09/16/2026

🕷️ COLLECTOR'S CORNER: 1,000 ISSUES. 63 YEARS. ONE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.

Spider-Man has fought the Green Goblin.

He's buried Uncle Ben.

He's lost Gwen Stacy.

He's battled Venom and Carnage.

He's married Mary Jane...had that marriage erased...died...come back...been cloned more times than we're going to attempt to explain...😂

And somehow, Peter Parker is still swinging.

Marvel is celebrating one of the biggest milestones in Spider-Man history:

🔥 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1000.

But here's what makes this issue interesting to us as collectors.

Marvel isn't simply putting “1000” on the cover and calling it a celebration.

They're reaching across generations of Spider-Man history.

🕸️ Previously unpublished artwork from Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko is being used for a special cover.

🕸️ Frank Miller and Peach Momoko are collaborating for the first time on a Spider-Man story.

🕸️ Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen reunite for another Spider-Man story.

🕸️ Creators from different eras of Amazing Spider-Man return to celebrate the milestone.

🕸️ And Peter faces a brand-new villain named Ravage.

And because this is modern comic collecting...

Of course there isn't just one cover. 😂

There are dozens of covers featuring work from Alex Ross, J. Scott Campbell, Mark Bagley, John Romita Jr., Humberto Ramos, Skottie Young, Steve Ditko and many more.

But here's what we really want to talk about...

What does issue #1000 actually mean anymore?

Because this isn't literally one uninterrupted series that Marvel published from #1 straight through #1000.

Amazing Spider-Man has been cancelled.

Relaunched.

Renumbered.

Restarted at #1.

Returned to its original numbering.

And yet, through legacy numbering, all those different eras eventually add up to...

🔥 1,000.

So here's today's Collector's Corner question:

📚 Do milestone numbers like #1000 still mean something special to you as a collector?

When you see AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1000 on a comic-shop shelf, does it feel like owning a little piece of comic-book history?

Or after decades of relaunches, renumbering and multiple #1 issues...

Has the number on the cover lost some of its meaning?

Either way, there's something pretty incredible about a character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962 still having new stories published more than six decades later.

And somewhere out there is a collector looking at all those covers and saying...

😂 “Yep. I'm gonna need all of them.”

👀 Want to see the different covers available for Amazing Spider-Man #1000?

Check out the cover gallery here:

https://comicade.com/catalog/editorials/marvel/series/amazing-spider-man/issues/67701

Then come back and tell us...

👇 Which cover would YOU add to your collection?

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN AMAZING SPIDER-HISTORY! Spider-Man faces his greatest fear and his most frightening new villain in decades...RAVAGE! Plus, some of the...

09/13/2026

COLLECTORS FINALLY SAY “ENOUGH” — RETAILER EXCLUSIVES ARE BANNED FOREVER.

Would you celebrate...or would collecting become a little less fun? 👀

🎯 Target's Fall Geek-Out is back, with several weeks of new collectible reveals and exclusive drops.

And it got us thinking about something that has become a HUGE part of modern collecting...

THE RETAILER EXCLUSIVE.

🎯 Target Exclusive
🛒 Walmart Exclusive
🟠 GameStop Exclusive
📦 Online Exclusives
🎟️ Convention Exclusives

Sometimes it's an entirely different figure.

Sometimes it's a different costume or accessory.

Sometimes it's a special card or variant.

And sometimes...

😂 they change the color, slap an “EXCLUSIVE” sticker on the package and somehow convince us that we NEED another one.

Then comes the fun part...

Checking three Targets.

Driving across town to another Walmart.

Refreshing a website at midnight.

Finding an empty peg where the figure was SUPPOSED to be.

And then seeing somebody selling it online the next morning for twice the price. 🤦‍♂️

So here's today's collector debate:

Imagine Hasbro, Funko, Mattel, NECA and every other manufacturer announced tomorrow:

🚨 NO MORE RETAILER EXCLUSIVES.

Every collector gets the same opportunity to buy the same products regardless of where they shop.

Would that make collecting BETTER?

Or is hunting down those hard-to-find exclusives actually part of what makes collecting fun?

👇 Which side are you on?

And while we're at it...

😂 Which store has caused you the MOST frustration trying to find an exclusive?

Check out what's happening with Target's current Fall Geek-Out collectible drops:

Target's Fall Geek-Out 2026 returns with four Friday collectible drops from September 11 through October 2. Here's what collectors need to know.