CHARLOTTE – October 29, 2026 -- Replay Sports Cards won the Franchise Innovation Award for Most Innovative On-Boarding Program at Franchise Update Media's 2026 STAR Awards, and was the only brand honored in that category.
The Franchise Innovation Awards were presented alongside the STAR Awards at the Franchise Leadership & Development Conference in Atlanta, October 5-8. They recognize how franchise brands welcome, train and prepare new franchisees to open their doors.
Training covers counterfeits, buying and product cycles
Replay's program covers product cycles, condition and counterfeit basics, the buying process, community relations and in-shop experience. Franchisees also join a franchise community where best practices and real-world experience are shared regularly.
Tracy Timko, Director of Operations, said the curriculum is built around situations owners will face, from evaluating a collection to spotting counterfeits. "We want them to feel confident from the very first customer," she said.
Replay operates three shops and sells franchises to card collectors
Replay describes itself as the first franchise in America created exclusively for sports card collectors and traders. It runs three shops across the U.S. offering buying, selling, trading and grading, and has a presence at major card shows nationwide. The company, originally founded as One Stop Sports, also hosts weekly livestreams on Whatnot and TikTok.
Mike Weinberger, Co-Founder and President of Franchising, said post-opening support strengthens the system and sets franchisees up for long-term success. He said Replay plans to keep expanding the system with future franchisees on the award-winning onboarding program.