McFarlane's SportsPicks line has expanded well beyond hockey, and a new collector now has three active leagues competing for shelf space and budget, each with its own release rhythm and player roster.
NHL, NFL, and MLB each bring a different mix of player selection, release pace, and secondary-market demand.
Here's how the three compare for a collector trying to decide where to focus first.
The NHL relaunch brought back marquee names like McDavid and Crosby, and it remains the most established of the three lines in terms of collector following.
Player selection leans heavily toward current superstars, which keeps secondary-market prices strong on the biggest names.
Collectors already invested in hockey have the deepest existing wave history to build a set around.
The NFL line launched with figures across ten teams, including the 49ers, Cowboys, Packers, Bills, and Eagles, giving collectors broader team-based options right out of the gate.
Football's larger overall fanbase gives this line strong long-term demand potential, even though it's newer than NHL.
Team-based collecting is a more natural fit here than player-chasing, since roster turnover affects football figures less predictably.
MLB's SportsPicks lineup has launched with high-profile names like Ohtani, Judge, and Crow-Armstrong, prioritizing star power over broad team coverage early on.
Baseball's long season and deep statistical culture give this line strong crossover appeal with traditional card collectors.
A smaller early roster means less to track, which can make MLB a simpler entry point for a brand-new SportsPicks collector.
NHL has the most established release cadence, since it's been running longest since the relaunch.
NFL and MLB are newer and still building out their wave schedules, meaning less backlog to catch up on for a collector starting fresh.
Starting with a newer line can actually be an advantage, letting a collector build a complete set from wave one.
A collector chasing NHL's earlier waves may need to rely more on the secondary market, since some of those figures are already out of initial production.
A collector who already follows a specific sport should simply start there, since existing team and player knowledge makes early purchasing decisions easier.
For a collector with no strong sport preference, MLB's smaller current roster offers the lowest-effort path to a complete early collection.
Displaying figures from multiple leagues together also works well, since the shared SportsPicks format keeps the collection visually consistent.
A collector unsure where to start can also simply wait a wave or two, watching how each league's demand and pricing settle before committing.
All three SportsPicks lines share similar figure dimensions, so a single display case system works across NHL, NFL, and MLB without needing league-specific storage.
A lockable case adds real protection for higher-value rookie or star figures, regardless of which league they represent.
Collectors mixing leagues in one display benefit from grouping by team colors or league rather than release date, for a cleaner shelf presentation.
For figures still in-box or awaiting display space, a 7-inch PET protector case sized for McFarlane's figure line keeps packaging pristine across all three leagues in the meantime.
NHL figures tied to established superstars have shown the most consistent secondary-market demand, benefiting from the longest track record since relaunch.
NFL figures are still establishing their resale patterns, with early exclusives and short-print variants likely to set the pace once more waves release.
MLB's smaller early roster means its handful of star figures could see stronger early demand relative to supply than the broader NFL line.
Spreading a collecting budget across three active lines can dilute focus, so many collectors find it easier to commit fully to one league before branching out.
Waiting for a league's line to mature before committing heavily can also mean better information about which players and variants hold long-term value.
Setting a per-league budget cap, even a loose one, prevents impulse buying from spreading resources too thin across all three lines at once.
McFarlane typically announces new waves through official retailer channels and social media, so following those accounts closely helps collectors catch preorders before they sell out.
NHL announcements tend to cluster around the regular season, while NFL and MLB releases often follow their own sport's calendar rhythms.
Tracking all three release schedules at once can be a lot to manage, which is another reason many collectors eventually settle on one primary league.
Yes, it has the longest wave history since relaunch.
No, it launched with figures across ten teams.
Yes, it launched with a more focused set of star players.
Yes, shared dimensions make mixed-league displays easy.
Protect your figures with EVORETRO's lockable display case.
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