Listen and subscribe to Opening Bid Unfiltered on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. AJ Scaramucci, son of Skybridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci, looks to be a chip off the old block. The younger Scaramucci — described by his hedge funder dad as a venture capitalist with a keen eye toward collectibles investing — was the winning bidder for Logan Paul's prized Pokémon card this month. The bidding ended on Feb. 16, after bringing in 97 bidders ...

Listen and subscribe to Opening Bid Unfiltered on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. AJ Scaramucci, son of Skybridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci, looks to be a chip off the old block. The younger Scaramucci — described by his hedge funder dad as a venture capitalist with a keen eye toward collectibles investing — was the winning bidder for Logan Paul's prized Pokémon card this month. The bidding ended on Feb. 16, after bringing in 97 bidders ...

Another T206 Honus Wagner baseball card, considered to be the "Holy Grail" of the collectible space, was recently discovered and has been sold at auction for $5.124 million. The sale was conducted via Goldin Auctions, and it included the buyer’s premium. It’s now the third-most expensive T206 Wagner card ever after a $6.606 million copy was sold in August 2021 and another for $7.25 million in August 2022. This recently discovered copy had been in the family of Douglas and Dennis Shields for 116 yards. Their ...

Worcester, Massachusetts, Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vystar Corporation (OTCQB: VYST), a diversified innovation company with operations spanning eco-friendly products and collectibles monetization, today announced to increase awareness and drive exposure to the GoPaid platform and its collectibles ecosystem with an emphasis on the tokenization of collectibles will conduct a free sweepstakes for the next 14 days. Following the release, we will coordinate a focused social media push on X. This campaign ...

Core Viewpoint - Funko, Inc. has successfully amended and extended its existing credit agreement, enhancing its financial flexibility and extending loan maturity [1] Group 1: Credit Agreement Details - The maturity date of the loans under the credit agreement has been extended from September 17, 2026, to December 31, 2027 [1] - The amendment includes waivers and modifications to certain financial covenants [1] - Revisions to pricing terms were made as part of the agreement [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net income for Q2 2026 increased to $9.4 million, up from $7.1 million in the prior year, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 32.4% [5][17] - Adjusted EBITDA rose to $18.5 million, an increase of $2.4 million year-over-year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin improving to approximately 5% from 4.1% [5][17] - Gross margin expanded by 210 basis points to 12.8%, driven by a favorable product mix and operational discipline [5][16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Physical movie revenue increased 33% year-over-year to $114 million, supported by strong demand for premium formats [9] - Collectibles revenue grew 31% year-over-year, reflecting momentum in premium and licensed offerings [11][12] - The gaming hardware segment experienced a decline, with a $24 million drop in revenue, primarily due to supply issues with Microsoft consoles [34][45] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The overall net revenue for Q2 2026 was $369 million, down from $394 million in the prior year, attributed to softness in lower-margin categories [16] - For the six months ended December 31, 2025, net revenue was $623 million, essentially flat compared to the prior year, indicating a shift towards higher value products [18][19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on building a business that generates sustainable profitability through higher quality revenue and disciplined growth [6][7] - Strategic partnerships with studios like Paramount and Amazon MGM are expected to enhance the premium physical media portfolio and improve revenue quality [10][26] - The introduction of NState Authentic aims to enhance the collectibles market through technology-enabled trust and authentication [13][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the durability of the margin profile and the ongoing shift towards premium and exclusive content [25][28] - The company is not providing formal guidance but remains optimistic about the long-term trajectory and profitability discipline [25][28] - There is a focus on scaling the Alliance Authentic initiative and expanding the collectibles portfolio [26][28] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with approximately $74 million in working capital, reflecting disciplined inventory and payable management [21] - A new $120 million senior secured revolving credit facility was established, reducing borrowing costs and extending maturity [22][23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you talk about your ability to sign additional exclusive deals with studios? - Management is in active conversations with various studios and believes that the recent partnerships position the company as a premier solution for licensing physical DVD products [32] Question: Can you discuss the impact of external forces on gaming hardware revenue? - The gaming hardware segment has been affected by supply issues, particularly with Microsoft, while Nintendo has performed well [34][45] Question: What are your thoughts on strategic M&A opportunities? - The company is constantly in discussions regarding M&A and is optimistic about finding the right opportunities that are financially accretive [37][38] Question: Can you provide an update on music sales trends? - Vinyl and CD sales remain strong, with over 16 million vinyl records and 13 million CDs sold in 2025, indicating continued interest in physical music formats [60][61] Question: What is the expected timeline for the rollout of NState Authentic? - The initial rollout is underway, with expectations for traction in the market as marketing efforts ramp up [53][69]

Listen and subscribe to Opening Bid on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. In the world of high-stakes investing, the "next big thing" may look less like a chatbot and more like a Labubu (9992.HK) doll. "It really is just supply and demand," Josh Luber, co-founder of StockX and founder of Ghostwrite, told Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast (see the video above; listen below). "The demand half of the equat ...

PLANTATION, Fla., Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: AENT), a leading distributor and omnichannel fulfillment partner for entertainment and pop culture collectibles, announced today that it will exhibit at the New York Toy Fair (NYTF), taking place February 14–17, 2026 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The Company will showcase its expanding licensed collectibles portfolio, including a featured presentation of Handmade by Robots™, i ...

February 5, 2026 04:15 PM GMT Pop Mart | Asia Pacific Thoughts on Stock Rebound and Market Feedback Pop Mart's buybacks are an effective catalyst, enhancing near- term risk/reward for dip buyers. Strong popularity of the new products from Twinkle Twinkle and Skullpanda will keep its IP- product flywheel spinning. The stock likely has more room to run in March-April given investors' positions. Recap of stock rebound: Pop Mart is up 38% from its low on January 16 (vs. the HSI down 1%). Its share buyback was t ...

Group 1 - Kayou officially debuts at Spielwarenmesse 2026, marking the full launch of its European strategy and showcasing its integrated product ecosystem and collaborative operational capabilities to European partners [1] - Founded in China in 2011, Kayou has become a leader in collectible cards, stationery, and toys, managing nearly 100 licensed and proprietary intellectual properties (IPs) with over 400 products reaching millions globally [2] - The European market represents the next strategic phase for Kayou after its expansion in Asia and the United States, with a focus on reinterpretation of design and quarterly launches of new series to respond to cultural trends [2] Group 2 - Kayou adheres to a "global vision, local operation" philosophy, establishing logistics centers and regional teams to foster collaboration with local distributors and retailers, providing comprehensive support including product language adaptation and targeted marketing [3] - The exhibition features new collectible cards from IPs like My Little Pony, NARUTO, and Tokidoki, along with stationery, plush toys, and innovative items, showcasing the diversity of Kayou's portfolio [4] - Kayou also introduced original IPs such as Kolorful Ball-joint Doll and NeZha 2 Mechanic-joint Doll, highlighting its strategic expansion in the collectible action figure market [5] Group 3 - Kayou's initial focus includes Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain, utilizing flexible collaboration models such as distribution agreements, retail supply, co-brand launches, and joint marketing [6] - The company aims to share IP resources, supply chain capabilities, and community experience to build entertainment brands rooted in local culture [6] - Kayou is recognized as a leading entertainment product company listed in the Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2025, building a multidimensional ecosystem through "content + product + community" [7]