Draft:Alan Narz
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Alan Narz is an American entrepreneur, trading card expert, and long-time hobbyist best known as the owner of Big League Cards, a prominent sports and Pokémon card store based in Casselberry, Florida. He is widely recognized in the collectibles community for his contributions to the trading card industry, including his role in the creation of the Topps Rip Card, his hosting duties on Topps TV, and his educational outreach to hobby stores across the United States.
Career in the hobby industry
[edit]Narz has been a central figure in the trading card world for decades. As the listed inventor of the Topps Rip Card, he introduced a unique product that added an element of suspense and strategy to card collecting.[1] He was featured on an Allen & Ginter mini card and on a special insert card in 2008 Topps Finest Baseball, appearing in one out of every five cases.[2]
He is also known for his role as the Topps TV “Ripmaster,” hosting live events and interviews with top rookies and athletes during national Rip Parties and promotional events.[3]
Narz is credited with popularizing the interactive game format known as Pack Wars, where participants open trading card packs and compete based on specific card attributes such as card number, height, or weight. Winners receive prizes, creating a fun and engaging experience for collectors of all ages. He has hosted Pack Wars at major events including the National Sports Collectors Convention, the Super Bowl, the World Series, and various Make-A-Wish Foundation events — including one featuring Lionel Messi.[4] The format has since been widely adopted by other card stores across the country.
He also developed the long-running Retailing for Success conference, which has been attended by hundreds of card store owners since 1998. The program covers topics such as Pack Wars, Fantasy Sports, Trade Nights, School Programs, Little League Relations, Birthday Parties, Bid Boards, and more.[5]
Narz has worked closely with Topps on numerous promotional and educational initiatives and has authored over 100 articles for Krause Publications.[6]
In 2005, he was named one of the Top 20 Most Influential People in the Hobby Industry over the Past 20 Years by the official Industry Trade Conference, alongside figures from eBay, Topps, Upper Deck, and PSA.[7]
In 2025, Narz made headlines by offering a $100,000 bounty for a rare Topps bat knob card featuring Evan Longoria with a cameo of the Pokémon character Charizard.[8]
Athletic background
[edit]Before his rise in the collectibles world, Narz was a standout athlete. He holds the all-time receiving record on Florida Field at the University of Florida. His record is attributed not only to his skill as a wide receiver but also to the countless hours he spent training on the field. Later restrictions on public access to Florida Field have made his record even more enduring.
Topps card appearances
[edit]Alan Narz has been featured on several official Topps trading cards:
- 2008 Topps Finest – Topps TV Autographs #FA-RM
- 2023 Topps Stadium Club #300 – Short Print Variant ("The Rip Master")
- Allen & Ginter Mini Card
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Rip Card". 15 November 2024.
- ^ "Alan Cards | Trading Card Database".
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Topps+TV+Ripmaster+Alan+Narz
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Topps+TV+Ripmaster+Alan+Narz
- ^ https://krause.com/
- ^ https://krause.com/
- ^ https://www.beckett.com/
- ^ https://www.sportscardinvestor.com/
- ^ "Alan Cards | Trading Card Database".
Category:Living people Category:American businesspeople Category:Trading card games Category:University of Florida alumni Category:American sports businesspeople