In one of the most surprising and daring crossovers in the world of collectables, VeeFriends, created by entrepreneur and internet personality Gary Vaynerchuk, teamed up with Topps to launch the 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends trading card set.
Released on May 7, 2025, this set translated NFT characters like Empathy Elephant, Gratitude Gorilla, and Entrepreneur Elf into high-gloss, physical cards. Topps brings its decades of legacy to this collaboration, delivering stunning cards.
However, the 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends release has sparked mixed reactions in the collecting community. While some celebrate Gary Vee’s flock of friends making their first-ever appearance on Topps cards, others question whether the set was even needed. It leans too heavily on hype over traditional collecting value.
This review will objectively examine the 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends, from where it all started to its stunning inserts, investment potential, and how well this set resonates with traditional collectors.
VeeFriends began in 2021 as a groundbreaking NFT project created by entrepreneur, investor, and internet personality Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee).
Known for his deep belief in community, branding, and emerging technologies, Vaynerchuk launched VeeFriends to combine his passions for entrepreneurship, creativity, and Web3.
The original NFT collection featured 283 unique characters, each embodying a specific positive human trait like Empathy Elephant, Patient Panda, or Gratitude Gorilla.
There were 10,255 items for this inaugural collection. The project sold out quickly, and some NFTS fetched six-figure prices on the secondary market, establishing VeeFriends as a major force in the NFT space.
VeeFriends Series 2 was released a year after the Genesis VeeFriends collection on April 18, 2022. Series 2 consisted of 251 characters, including 236 from Series 1 and 15 new characters officially introduced to the VeeFriends universe in 2022.
It featured improved artwork, from Gary’s original doodles to professionally illustrated versions.
Later that year, VeeFriends partnered with Zero Cool, a Fanatics-owned trading card company focused on culture over sports. The Zero Cool x VeeFriends card set marked VeeFriends’ debut in the physical collectable space.
2022 Zero Cool VeeFriends has a 235-card base set, and packs were sold using a Blind Dutch Auction format.
The second series of Veefriends trading cards came shortly after the first had been released in 2022. Veefriends Series 2 was the “Compete and Collect” series, giving the collectible doodles a more animated version and their competitive TCG.
Following the success of its cards and multiple VeeCon events, VeeFriends expanded its brand into toys, apparel, and partnerships with major companies like Macy’s, Toys “R” Us, and Squishmallows.
Characters were adapted into plush toys, figurines, and even storybooks, targeting younger audiences. This stage proved that VeeFriends could operate as a multi-media franchise, not just as an NFT project.
In 2025, VeeFriends took its biggest leap into mainstream collectable culture through a high-profile partnership with Topps.
The 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends set was announced as a premium trading card series featuring chrome-finish versions of the most popular VeeFriends characters, complete with parallels, autographs, and refractor variations.
While there’s been a VeeFriends card before now, this Topps Chrome is a coveted brand traditionally reserved for sports and entertainment heavyweights.
VeeFriends has grown from an ambitious NFT collection into a multifaceted brand encompassing digital assets, live events, toys, media, and trading cards.
With the Topps Chrome collaboration, VeeFriends is attempting to gain credibility in the traditional collector market while continuing its mission to spread positivity, creativity, and entrepreneurship through new mediums.
The 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends release date was on May 7 2025.
This 2025 Topps VeeFriends Chrome Sapphire hobby box isn’t part of the broader release with Topps. It is a standalone set for Gift Goat holders. The design, foil, and card construction are entirely distinct, offering a new visual experience.
It’s out of stock on all retail websites, so I can’t find a price. However, Dave & Adam’s Card World offers to buy boxes at $3,000 a box.
The 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends checklist reveals a deep, multi-tiered product filled with base cards, parallels, inserts, rare autographs, and ultra-limited chase cards.
Each Base Set character has multiple refractor variations:
The Manga Speckle Set in Topps VeeFriends Chrome 2025 transforms all 100 VeeFriends characters into bold, manga-inspired trading cards.
With design inspiration from the Topps 1975 Baseball Set, 1975 Variation is the 50th-anniversary celebration of this collection, and also the year Gary Vee was born.
The ultra-rare subset ERUPT! features 10 VeeFriends characters illustrated by Gyula Németh, the artist behind Panini’s legendary Kaboom! Insert. Németh brings explosive energy and intricate detail to every card.
The Game On insert in Topps VeeFriends Chrome 2025 pays tribute to retro handheld gaming with 10 VeeFriends characters reimagined in a pixelated, 8-bit style.
Click here for the complete 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends checklist.
The biggest asset behind this set isn’t even on the checklist, it’s Gary Vee himself. As an entrepreneur, Gary Vaynerchuk is golden.
He isn’t just the creator of VeeFriends; he’s a globally recognized entrepreneur, investor, and brand architect. He’s the CEO of VaynerMedia, a multimillion-dollar marketing agency that has worked with household names like Pepsi, Walmart, DraftKings, and many more.
Gary understands how to build, scale, and sustain a brand. If anyone can bring long-term attention and momentum to a non-traditional IP like VeeFriends, it’s him.
One subtle but powerful vote of confidence? PSA, the gold standard in card grading, has a dedicated VeeFriends category. Your VeeFriends cards can be professionally slabbed, valued, and tracked like any licensed sports card.
One of the most pleasantly surprising elements of the set is how good the cards look. These aren’t just doodles turned into collectables.
Gary Vee tapped into real talents to bring the VeeFriends universe to life. Most notably, the checklist includes artwork from Gyula Németh, a legendary illustrator behind Panini’s Kaboom! inserts widely regarded as some of the most striking sports card designs ever made.
Pair that level of art direction with Topps Chrome’s premium finish, and you get a genuinely beautiful product. Whether or not you care about VeeFriends, it’s hard to argue about its aesthetic quality.
Lastly, Gary Vee is a seasoned businessman with a loyal army of fan that trusts his vision. His supporters genuinely believe in his ability to make VeeFriends valuable, and that belief creates some real demand. While the cards definitely won’t appeal to everyone, Gary has tons of believers to create demand.
While Gary Vee’s marketing genius is undeniable, his reputation is far from spotless. A quick search reveals allegations of grifting, insider trading (VeeFriends NFT presales), and overpromising on utility for his projects.
Some critics argue that his empire thrives on hype cycles rather than sustainable value, raising concerns about whether this card set is just another short-term play rather than a lasting collectable.
If public sentiment shifts against him (as seen with other crypto/NFT figures), it would totally tank whatever perceived value these cards have.
Gary often compares VeeFriends to iconic franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, etc., suggesting his characters could one day be just as valuable. However, here’s the problem: those IPs have decades of cultural penetration.
Kids grew up with Spider-Man; adults relive Star Wars nostalgia. VeeFriends has none of this, and without mainstream cultural adoption, these cards rely entirely on speculative demand, not organic fandom.
Even if Gary somehow puts forward several movies, TV shows, and video games just like these established IPs, there’s no guarantee they’ll achieve global acclaim. All VeeFriends have are Gary’s social media posts.
With traditional sports cards, a breakout season or a legendary playoff run can skyrocket demand. With entertainment cards, a blockbuster movie can revive interest in related cards.
But what drives demand for VeeFriends? Gary’s tweets? His podcast mentions? ‘That’s not a sustainable model. Viral posts disappear in a few days, they don’t create lasting value. Unless VeeFriends becomes a multi-media franchise (cartoons, games, merch), these cards lack real-world catalysts for long-term growth.
The prices for the various release formats have already more than tripled since their release.
The VeeFriends Hobby Box was released via raffle on May 7 at a retail price of $140, and it’s already reselling on eBay for several multiples of that figure. The same applies to the 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends Value Box and other release formats.
That early price surge isn’t surprising when a product launches through a raffle. Initial scarcity, FOMO, and hype tend to inflate secondary market values.
Many of Gary Vee’s supporters who missed out on the raffle but believed in his vision were willing to pay a premium to be part of the launch. However, a price correction is expected as this initial wave of demand wanes.
For single values, this post on X listed the top 2025 Topps Chrome VeeFriends sales in May.
The chances of VeeFriends becoming a global cultural phenomenon on the level of Marvel, Disney, Pokémon or Star Wars cards are a million-to-one longshot.
Gary Vee is a skilled marketer, but building that level of mainstream, multi-generational appeal takes more than tweets and podcast mentions. If it ever reaches those heights, it’ll require decades of brand-building. There will undoubtedly be better, cheaper entry points than buying into this initial hype cycle.
The reality is this is the worst time to invest in this product. The retail ship has sailed, and we’re in the post-release price bubble. Prices are inflated from hype, and boxes are now selling for multiples of MSRP on the secondary market.
Investing now is risky, especially for a brand with so much to prove. If you managed to grab boxes at retail, selling into this current demand spike is probably the best play.
That said, if you like it, collect it. If the art, message, or characters speak to you, enjoy it for what it is. But if you don’t, simply move on. There’s no need to tear it down. Many collectors have loudly dismissed the set, but the hobby should be big enough for everyone. Whether you’re into sports, anime, NFTs, or hand-drawn giraffes giving gratitude, there’s room for it all.
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