Autographs
Fernando Mendoza, Kirk Gibson, Livvy Dunne signings highlight strong year for Leaf Trading Cards
CJ Breen, the director of marketing and licensing for Leaf Trading Cards, went to the college football national championship game on Jan. 19 in South Florida, where Indiana defeated the University of Miami, 27-21, to cap IU’s perfect season.
Breen made the multi-day trip to Miami for work, mostly, and walked into Hard Rock Stadium in neutral colors. He wasn’t rocking cream and crimson for the No. 1-ranked Hoosiers, nor was he dressed in green or orange for the host Hurricanes.
Breen has allegiance to both schools, though more toward Miami.
“Leaf tackled two signings [around] the national championship with [Miami’s] Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, marking Mesidor’s first-ever trading card appearance,” he said. “The timing was ideal for Leaf, with key players represented on both teams.
“One standout exclusive is [Miami’s] Malachi Toney, whose only trading cards are Leaf cards. His autographs have already exceeded $1,000 on the secondary market, including base 1/1s.”
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Other notable names on Leaf cards who played in the national championship game include Omar Cooper Jr., Elijah Sarratt, Mark Fletcher Jr., CJ Daniels, and Fernando Mendoza.
Ah yes, Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for the Hoosiers, who earned the CFP National Championship Offensive Player of the Game honor.
“Leaf is the only card company with Fernando Mendoza’s full signature, while other companies use abbreviated initials [from Mendoza],” Breen said. “Long-term, Leaf believes full-signature NIL cards will carry significantly higher collectability, even though many collectors are not yet aware of this distinction.”
Mendoza-signed cards can be found in Leaf sets Trinity Football, Optichrome and Sports Illustrated for Kids.
The Texas-based card company is coming off one of its strongest years in 2025 in terms of both quantity and return on investment, Breen said.
“While many companies increased prices and reduced signer depth, Leaf took the opposite approach by keeping products affordable and delivering deep, exciting checklists,” he said. “The focus remained on maximizing the opening experience and providing real value to collectors.”
Leaf expects 2026 to be another strong year for the company with new releases aplenty. It released an average of about one product per week in 2025, Breen said, across multiple sports, including licensed properties such as MiLB, PowerSlap, PBA, PBR and Sports Illustrated for Kids.
“The goal was to provide variety and accessibility while keeping the product lineup fresh and exciting throughout the year,” Breen said.
The top Leaf releases last year included:
• Leaf Metal Pop Century, a flagship celebrity-driven product with cross-collectability and secondary market demand.
• Leaf Pearl Multi-Sport, which has a premium multi-sport autograph checklist with limited production.
• Leaf Metal Authentics features an emphasis on on-card autographs.
• Leaf Photographic stands out for its visual storytelling with a hard-signed polaroid built into the cards.
• Leaf Optichrome Football, which features game-used patch autographs of Patrick Mahomes.
Leaf's biggest moment of 2025, Breen said, was a “Back to the Future” on-card quad autograph, which marked the first-ever certified Michael J. Fox autograph from a trading card company.
“It was a historic moment for both Leaf and the hobby as a whole,” Breen said.
Other noteworthy Leaf signings included former MLB star Kirk Gibson and gymnast and influencer Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, the girlfriend of MLB star pitcher Paul Skenes.
“Beyond the autograph session, hearing stories from [Gibson’s] playing days, visiting his Parkinson’s Foundation headquarters where he gives back through free treatment programs, and creating dual autograph cards with fellow Detroit legends—including Dennis Eckersley, the pitcher from Gibson’s iconic home run—made this signing special,” Breen said. “Capturing moments like these on-card takes the hobby to another level.”
Dunne’s signing was another big moment for Leaf.
“Getting her to sign fully on-card using her famous Sports Illustrated split-cover image was a major accomplishment,” Breen said. “Those cards have performed extremely well on the secondary market. Working with her team and seeing her excitement during the signing was a great experience, and she continues to become more engaged with the hobby.”
A NEW LEAF
Leaf plans to create more unique sets and designs in 2026. It’s goal is to sign more unique talent. It has already announced the signing of actor Johnny Depp.
New Leaf releases in 2026 include Paydirt Football, Optichrome Baseball and Glory of the Game Basketball. Returning releases include Trinity Football and Baseball, Metal Football and Baseball, and Leaf Pop Century.
Leaf has a partnership with TRISTAR Productions, Inc., and provided exclusive promotional cards for VIPs at TRISTAR’s three-day collectibles show in Houston Jan. 30-Feb 1.
This summer at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago, Leaf plans to bring exclusive athletes to its booth, giving fans the opportunity to meet them in person.
“Many of these athletes will be young NIL players who represent the next generation of college stars and professionals,” Breen said.
“Leaf’s philosophy centers on capturing players early on. Imagine what it would have been like to collect Patrick Mahomes in high school or college and building that connection with fans early in their careers.”
Leaf will feature a stronger mix of multi-sport products, new signers and household names in 2026, along with an increased emphasis on game-used memorabilia.
“Multi-signed cards, rare game-used pieces and bold concepts will continue to expand,” he said.
Leaf’s new Sports Illustrated for Kids cards will be added weekly to the Leaf website.
Additionally, Duke’s Boozer twins, the sons of former NBA star Carlos Boozer, will have ongoing web-exclusive cards commemorating each game from their freshman seasons.
Game-used debut patches of Cameron and Cayden Boozer will be featured in Super Sports Heroes in February.
Leaf also partnered with the Under Armour All-America Game, where players wore Leaf patches. Cards from that partnership are currently in the works.
