Flagg, Ripken, & Topps Rip Night: Athletes & Celebrities Rip With Fans

There are certain occasions when collectors come together for events in the hobby. Card shows are one instance, but Topps Rip Night has been growing in popularity in recent years. The 2026 edition took taking place during the evening hours of Saturday, February 21st at hobby shops across the country. Special guests made appearances to rip packs and sign autographs for fans. It is an evening where collectors can build community, meet athletes, and try to obtain key cards for their collections.

Here is what everyone needs to know about the latest edition of Topps Rip Night.

What is Topps Rip Night?

Topps Rip Night is an evening when hobby shops look to bring their local collecting community together. Hobby shops around the country will be involved with the event, but collectors should look and see what specific giveaways and promotions their local shop are running. Additionally, the evening is typically reserved for opening packs and trading. This event could prove as a valuable opportunity for collectors to try and trade for a card they have been looking for, or even just to see what other local collectors have to offer. Regardless of what a collector does, Topps Rip Night provides a great face to face experience within the hobby world.

Special guests to capture the attention of hobbyists during rip night

One of the biggest draws of the event are the athletes that appear at hobby shops. This year's lineup featured some of the biggest names across sports. Some of the featured names include: Cooper Flagg, Cam Ward, Cody Rhodes. Cal Ripken Jr, Bryce Young, Mike Trout, and Jac Caglianone. These are some of the top athletes of their respective sports, making Topps Rip Night a must attend for any collector.

Saturday night, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin showed up at Dave & Adams in New York City. Dart was even able to pull a 1/1 R2D2 card out of a Star Wars product. Dart also interacted with fans, asking them questions about his collegiate career, handing out cards as a reward. The line to get into the store was three blocks long to get into the store three hours before the event even started.

Topps Rip Night proved to be an amazing experience for collectors. The event allowed collectors to participate in pack openings and giveaways, and possibly even meet their favorite athlete. Stars such as Jaxson Dart made appearances, and collectors were overjoyed. Many packs were ripped last night, and it would not be surprising to see future Topps Rip Nights be just as successful, bringing collectors together.