A Season of Gratitude

As we head into Thanksgiving, there’s no better time to pause, reflect, and appreciate the incredible journey that Replay Sports Cards has been on this year. For us, collecting has always been about more than cards. It’s about people, memories, shared experiences, and the community that continues to grow around the hobby.

This year, we sat down with Replay Co-Founder Brent Schepel to talk about what we’re most grateful for and what made 2025 an unforgettable year.

What moments from this past year in the hobby are we most grateful for?

Brent doesn’t hesitate — the Replay Gives Back program stands at the top of the list.

“We are most grateful for the continued success of the Replay Gives Back initiative in our shops, at shows across the country, and through our digital streams. We crushed our goal of 1 million cards early in the year and have since received over 1 million more donations from the members of our expanding community. The continued support has allowed us to impact the lives of thousands of kids across the country this year and will keep us busy impacting the lives of thousands more this holiday season!”

Giving back is core to who we are — and seeing the community show up in record numbers to support young collectors nationwide has been nothing short of inspiring.

Which card or collectible this year brought the most joy — and why?

Many products passed through Replay stores and streams this year, but one release stood out.

“I think the most recent Topps Flagship Basketball release has brought us the most joy. Topps released the first licensed NBA Topps product in over 15 years and has rejuvenated the collecting habits for so many avid basketball and sports card fans. The chance at exclusive Cooper Flagg rookie cards, LeBron James autographs, and ultra rare chase cards at an affordable price point has sparked the collections of so many new collectors.”

A product that brings new energy — and new collectors — into the hobby is always something to celebrate.

How has the Replay community helped us grow and thrive?

Replay is growing because the community is growing — and Brent sees that firsthand every day.

“We have been so fortunate to integrate the Replay Brand into so many platforms across the country and we couldn’t do it without our community. We have so many awesome members of our community that visit our shops, engage in our virtual streams, travel to card shows and visit our booths across the country, come to many of our trade nights, and also visit us at our activations at professional sports games. Replay expands beyond the 4 walls of our stores, and seeing so many people participate in many of our integrations means the world to us.”

Replay isn’t just a store. It’s a network of collectors who show up — online, in person, and everywhere in between.

What does collecting mean to us during the holidays?

For many of us, the holiday season is full of nostalgia — and trading cards are part of those memories.

“Collecting means so much to us during the holidays. It’s rooted in nostalgia and the memories of ripping packs of football cards with our families while watching football on Thanksgiving day, wishing for packs of cards in our stockings when we were young, and sharing the joy of collecting with our family and friends in our community. Every year, we put extra emphasis on giving back to our amazing community and including as many people as we can in the joy of opening a pack during the holiday season.”

Whether you’re a seasoned collector or opening your first pack, those moments stick with you forever.

What new milestones from this year are we thankful for?

2025 brought major growth — and major reasons to celebrate.

“This year we are most thankful for the ability to take Replay westward and open a new location in the Denver, Colorado area. It is very special to us to have a Replay location in the same town as each of our owners, it feels right. We are beyond thankful to announce the signing of our very first Replay Franchise Location, set to open in early 2026.”

From expanding new locations to welcoming new owners into the Replay family, this year marked the beginning of a whole new chapter.

Which Replay memories stand out most this year?

There were a lot — but Brent narrowed down a few unforgettable ones:

“I reflect a lot on our setups that we had at a few minor league stadiums this year. Being able to bring the joy of collecting to a baseball park and hand out packs to young baseball fans brought me so much joy as I was once that young fan who wanted to rip a pack with my dad at the ballpark.”

“We also had a young collector who pulled a Cooper Flagg autograph from one lucky box of Topps Basketball, had us get it graded for him, and is going to use the money from selling the card to get his pilot’s license. It is amazing the impact that sports cards can have!”

“And then one final awesome memory was in Chicago at this year’s National Sports Card Convention. Replay was a lead sponsor of the event and collected cards for donation all event long. The National community really showed out. Mike, Mike, and I were able to spend time on stage, giving out free packs to young collectors at the show and gave them time to share some of their favorite collecting memories with everyone at the convention. This truly was a special moment for Replay!”

Cards aren’t just collectibles — they’re catalysts for life moments.

How do sports and collecting bring people together during Thanksgiving?

Brent paints a vivid holiday picture:

“Members of my family every year look forward to what cards I am going to bring to our holiday gatherings. Not everyone in my family collects, but they all have various favorite sports teams and I am sure to bring them a cool card of one of their favorite players every time we get together as a family. I bring packs for everyone to open and experience while we watch football and I know that the cards we exchange on holidays provide timeless memories for everyone to look back on when they see them in their collection.”

Even family members who aren’t collectors still love the tradition — and that speaks to the heart of the hobby.

What future opportunities are we excited about heading into next year?

Replay’s next chapter is going to be big.

“We are excited to open the doors to our first franchised Replay locations. Replay is set to open many Replay locations in 2026 and excited to bring the joy of collecting and giving back to communities across the country. We look to attend over 25 card shows nationally, set up at major sporting events, stream 24/7, and continue growing the Replay brand in every way possible!”

The hobby is growing — and Replay is growing right along with it.

What does gratitude look like at Replay?

For us, gratitude is something you can see, feel, and participate in.

“Gratitude is shown through spreading the joy of collecting. Through donating cards with Replay Gives Back, community driven trade nights once a month at all shops, live breaks and streams every day, loyalty programs for our repeat customers, special deals on holidays or product releases, and sponsoring large shows across the country, Replay strives to make collecting easier for all! We know we can’t do what we do without our amazing community and we want to be sure we give back as much as we can.”

We believe you measure gratitude through action — and the Replay community has given us endless reasons to keep giving back.

Thank You, Replay Family

From our shops and franchise partners to the collectors who rip with us, stream with us, trade with us, and grow with us — we are grateful for you.

Wishing you a warm, happy, memory-filled Thanksgiving full of family, food, football…
and maybe a great pack hit or two.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Replay Sports Cards team!