Michael Rubin Says He’d ‘Love to’ Get Taylor Swift Fanatics Trading Cards, Says He ‘Asked Her’ (Exclusive)

Friendship bracelets might not be the only things traded at Taylor Swift concerts in the future!

When speaking with PEOPLE on the red carpet at the “Holy Grails” auction on Tuesday night, Fanatics founder and CEO Michael Rubin revealed to PEOPLE exclusively a collaboration he has his sights set on with the pop superstar.

Fanatics is the newest official provider of trading cards in the sports universe — and while the decks primarily feature athletes across all the major leagues, they also have pop culture decks that include cards with the biggest names in music and cinema.

“We should have Taylor Swift cards,” Rubin told PEOPLE exclusively at the inaugural event hosted in partnership with Sotheby’s at the Harlem Parish in New York City on Sept. 25. “We actually asked her a year ago,” he reveals.

The timing of the ask was appropriate, given Swift’s newfound presence in the football space since her whirlwind romance with Travis Kelce began at the start of the 2023 NFL season and Fanatics’ immediate sales increase of the Chiefs player’s jersey as a result.

“Travis Kelce was one of the top 5 selling NFL players and saw a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com,” a Fanatics spokesperson told PEOPLE on Sept. 25, one day after Swift was first seen cheering on Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium.

While Rubin admitted they “didn’t push too hard” when the collaboration request was made at the time, he still says they’d “love to” make it happen in the future. “I mean a Taylor and Trav card together would be amazing,” he said.

The inspiration behind putting together the “Holy Grails” auction — which saw a selection of the rarest cards in sports history auctioned off in front of notable celebrities, athletes and business titans — was a way to “introduce trading cards and collectibles to new audiences,” Rubin told PEOPLE.

Among one of those new fans? Rubin’s 18-year-old daughter, Kylie Rubin, whom he says “was not interested” in trading cards until one of her favorite rappers was involved. “When we did the Travis Scott launch at Fanatics Fest, she’s like, ‘Dad, I want those cards! They’re insane,'” he recalled.

Scott dropped limited-edition Cactus Jack and Topps cards that were exclusively available at Fanatics Fest, including one of the rapper himself. Scott even joined Rubin on a panel to discuss the collaboration at the event on Aug. 17 — and signed and handed out cards to fans, too.

Ironically, Rubin expressed to PEOPLE his interest in collaborating with Swift on this sports-related endeavor exactly one year after she cheered on Kelce and the Chiefs on Sept. 24, 2023. At the time, the pair’s romance was unconfirmed.

After the game — in which the Chiefs defeated the Bears 41-10 — Swift and Kelce were seen walking out together before they left the stadium in his 1970 Chevelle 408 Stroker convertible. The singer’s continued support of the athlete continued romance speculation, ultimately confirming their status on Oct. 14 when they were seen holding hands as they left dinner in New York City.

Throughout the NFL season, Swift continued attending Chiefs games (13 in total) and ended with a Super Bowl LVIII victory. As the 2024 NFL season is underway, the superstar has already returned to the suite to support Kelce and the team at two of their three games to date.

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