Cardinal Rules: Pope Leo XIV Takes Over as Topps NOW Card Sets Record
When the 2025 Topps NOW card commemorating the election of Pope Leo XIV dropped earlier this May, few predicted just how historic it would become. But with collectors now receiving their shipments, resale values rising, and short prints surfacing, it’s official: this is more than just a trading card—it’s a phenomenon.
For context, the 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter Pope Francis card and the 2015 Philadelphia Phillies “Rookie Card” for Pope Francis were produced in limited quantities—and while print numbers are not available, it’s a safe bet they were nowhere close to the astounding figures generated by the Pope Leo IV sales.
RELATED: Papal Power: Pope Leo XIV Topps NOW Card Shatters Non-Sports Record
A Record-Breaking Blessing
The base card—featuring Pope Leo XIV waving from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica—sold 133,535 copies during its four-day print window (May 8–11), making it the highest-selling non-sports Topps NOW card of all time. For context, it even outsold many Topps NOW baseball cards tied to LeBron James, Shohei Ohtani, and Victor Wembanyama.
Variants, Super Short Prints, and the Superfractor
🏆 RECORD SALE 🏆
— Topps (@Topps) May 27, 2025
This gold trading card of the pope limited to 50 just sold for $888.
This sale is an all-time record for any card of Pope Leo XIV. pic.twitter.com/8IRFVxzGND
Topps rolled out a series of rare and symbolic inserts. Here are a few that have been pulled, are for sale, or have been sold (so far)
- White Smoke SP (/267): A clever nod to Leo XIV being the 267th pope. Sales of these have sold $125 on secondary markets, with one currently listed for an astounding $505 (with almost 3 days left)
- /5 Red Variant: A Reddit user reported pulling a super-rare /5 card, but there’s no indication that it is for sale (as of today).
- /50 Gold Variant: Card 42/50 recently sold for $88 on eBay, setting an all-time record for any card of Pope Leo XIV—which is sure to be broken as more users start to receive the cards they ordered and limited numbers are discovered,
- Superfractor 1/1: Created as a special reward when the print run exceeded 100,000, this one-of-a-kind version has yet to surface publicly—though rumors swirl of a private sale in the works.
📈 POPE PARALLELS 📈
— The Collectibles Guru (@ericwhiteback) May 27, 2025
A Reddit user recently shared this MASSIVE Topps Now Pope Leo XIV hit /5. The collector bought 20 copies and found this in the middle.
If you recall, this card set the record for highest-selling non-sports Topps Now cards at 133,535 copies sold.
For… pic.twitter.com/VRPNwAI8uM
The Cultural Ripple Effect
More than a card, the Pope Leo XIV release became a full-blown cultural moment. T-shirts, memes, bobbleheads, and even a Chicago-style sandwich have emerged in tribute to the first American-born pope. Collectors and casual fans alike are getting in on the action, drawn by both religious significance and pop culture intrigue.
RELATED: From Conclave to Card: Topps NOW Marks Pope Leo XIV's Election
What It Means for Non-Sports Collecting
This release marks a shift in what drives hype and value in the hobby. Non-sports cards—often seen as niche, especially for Topps Now releases—now have proof of concept for mass appeal, especially when tied to real-world moments. The Pope Leo XIV Topps NOW card isn’t just collectible cardboard; it’s a snapshot of history, wrapped in chrome and numbered for eternity.
Lucas Mast is a writer based in San Francisco East Bay, where he’s a season ticket holder for St. Mary’s basketball and a die-hard Stanford athletics fan. A lifelong collector of sneakers, sports cards, and pop culture, he also advises companies shaping the future of the hobby and sports. He’s driven by a curiosity about why people collect—and what those items reveal about the moments and memories that matter most.