Sports Cards Live

Mark Hill, founder and CEO of MyCardPost, joins Jeremy for a wide-ranging conversation about what it looks like when the hobby stops behaving like a casual pastime and starts operating like a full-blown industry. They dig into the mental side of building something from scratch, including how impostor syndrome can either stall you out or become real fuel, and what the grind of bootstrapping actually feels like when you are building in public. Along the way, Mark shares perspective from launching new initiatives like Crown Auctions and how moments like the recent Hobby Awards recognition can create meaningful momentum without changing the day-to-day work. They also hit bigger hobby psychology and culture: imposter syndrome, community support for builders, and a lively debate on rookie cards vs early-career non-rookies, plus where “vintage” actually starts and ends. Jeremy also shares updates on the Hobby Spectrum snapshot and the status of POPs & COMPs as it moves closer to release. In this episode: Why “the hobby is an industry” is more than a talking point Impostor syndrome as a motivator, not a weakness The real grind of bootstrapping a hobby business Crown Auctions and what event-style auctions add to the hobby experience The impact of Hobby Awards recognition and organic awareness Rookie cards vs second-year cards, and why early-career cards still matter The ongoing debate around vintage definitions Golf cards, Bruins collecting, and niche community building Updates on the Hobby Spectrum and POPs & COMPs Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, leave a rating and review. It helps more collectors find the show. Join us live for Sports Cards Live on Saturday nights on YouTube, and bring your questions to the chat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The discussion turns inward as the panel explores how collectors actually decide what matters in their collection. Is value something you discover after the fact, or does price itself shape what you end up wanting? From year end pickup lists to war chests and oddball discoveries, this segment digs into how taste, memory, scarcity, and market signals quietly influence collecting behavior. The conversation also examines whether price is just opinion or a real source of power, why some cards only enter our consciousness once they sell for big money, and how story, provenance, and rarity create lasting interest in both vintage cards and on card autographs. In this episode: Whether seeing a big sale can change how desirable a card feels Ranking cards by personal meaning vs ranking them by market value Year end pickup lists as reflection, obligation, or performance The difference between mainstream comps and niche or oddball demand Why vintage cards retain relevance even without generational connection Price as a unit of exchange and why it still matters, even for purists Vintage on card autographs: durability, unknown supply, and rarity within rarity How story and provenance can outweigh condition and grade You can explore the Hobby Spectrum assessment and opt into the Spectrum Directory at HobbySpectrum.com. Sports Cards Live streams every Saturday night on YouTube, with the full audio released here on podcast platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this segment, the conversation shifts from results and strategy into something more fundamental: what “value” even means in the sports card hobby. The group digs into how price gets formed, why comps can both help and mislead, and whether the hobby can ever be considered an efficient market in any real sense. From vintage collectors who do not care about the money, to precision-minded hobbyists who do, the discussion lands on a core truth: this market runs on signals, stories, and human behavior. In this episode, we get into: The case for an all vintage show, and why vintage collectors often feel quieter online “I do not care about the money” vs “I enjoy the money part too” and how both can be true Price as the opinion of two people, and why that can be hard to anchor to Why comps and data tools can improve decision-making while also distorting it Grading as “better than nothing” and the problem of false precision What market efficiency actually means, and why sports cards break the rules The story of the card as a valuation lens, and why narratives keep engagement alive The evolution of pricing: dealer era → price guide era → big data era A quick detour into the “nice card” compliment, what it really means, and what it reveals about collectors Explore the Hobby Spectrum assessment and add yourself to the Spectrum Directory at HobbySpectrum.com. Want to catch the full show live? We stream Sports Cards Live on YouTube every Saturday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation stays lively as Joe Poirot joins Jeremy and Paul Hickey midstream, and the chat becomes part of the show. What starts as hobby banter quickly turns into a real discussion about market psychology, self awareness, and how collectors actually behave when nobody’s watching. Jeremy reacts to a key question about whether early Hobby Spectrum results are skewed by audience makeup, while Joe offers a sharp observation: even long time “collectors at heart” have moments where they check prices first and feelings second. From there, Paul puts real numbers on the table from his 2025 five athlete experiment, including total spend, net profit, and player by player ROI. The segment closes with a deep dive into Paul’s biggest mistake of the year: a Michael Jordan Star card play that didn’t go the way he expected, plus a fast-moving discussion about grading trends, crossovers, and what it would actually take for a grading company to compete with PSA. In this episode: Joe Poirot jumps in and the chat drives the discussion Is the Hobby Spectrum Directory skewed toward collectors and why that matters The “Beckett Price Guide arrows” effect and why motivation is rarely pure Paul’s 2025 results with real numbers: total spend, net profit, and cards still held Player by player ROI: Wembanyama, Ohtani, Jordan, Caitlin Clark, Arch Manning, Cooper Flagg Why Paul chose Anthony Edwards over SGA for liquidity and buyer confidence The Michael Jordan Star card mistake and what it cost Grading landscape talk: turnaround times, acquisitions, and crossover strategies Jeremy’s “how to compete with PSA” recipe and Paul’s devil’s advocate take Why comps can mislead when attention and timing change If you want to go deeper: Watch Sports Cards Live live on YouTube Saturday nights Follow Sports Cards Live on your podcast platform and leave a rating or review Take the Hobby Spectrum assessment at HobbySpectrum.com to see where you land Opt into the Spectrum Directory to connect with collectors who think like you Explore Paul Hickey at NoOffSeason.com and the Sports Card Strategy Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shohei Ohtani is the entry point for a wider conversation about strategy, timing, and identity in the modern hobby. Leighton Sheldon puts Paul Hickey on the spot with a question many collectors think about but rarely articulate clearly: if you have $1,000 or $10,000 to spend on Ohtani, what’s the smartest way to approach it right now? Paul answers from an unapologetic Operator perspective, explaining why Ohtani behaves differently than almost any other modern athlete, how raw-to-grade math actually works, and why early January can be one of the least crowded decision windows of the year. From there, the discussion expands into bigger hobby dynamics, including grading labels versus true condition, friction between Purists and Operators, and why Paul deliberately caps his premium community to protect both value and signal. This episode stands on its own whether you’re a collector, an investor, or somewhere in between. In this episode: A practical Ohtani buying framework for $1,000 vs $10,000 budgets One big card versus multiple plays, and how risk tolerance changes the answer Why Ohtani is a data anomaly in modern cards Raw-to-grade strategy explained without hype Timing buys around grading backlogs and the MLB calendar The grading company versus card condition debate Why Operator and Purist perspectives clash and why both still matter How community size can quietly impact markets If you want to go deeper: Follow Sports Cards Live and leave a rating or review on your podcast platform of choice Take the Hobby Spectrum assessment at HobbySpectrum.com to see where you land Opt into the Spectrum Directory to connect with collectors who think like you Explore Paul Hickey’s work at NoOffSeason.com and the Sports Card Strategy Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We kick off 2026 with Leighton Sheldon and Paul Hickey, and we go straight into the real stuff collectors are feeling right now: the hobby is bigger than ever, the content and event volume is getting overwhelming, and card shows are evolving fast. We dig into the Strongsville changes, the “curtain” concept, the rise of niche shows, and the growing tension around sports and TCG sharing the same floor space. Paul also shares early market observations that are starting to feel a little like 2021, and we talk through what it means if more new people keep entering the hobby. In this episode: 2025 hobby takeaways and why 2026 is almost guaranteed to surprise us The “too much intake” problem: content, auctions, card shows, and burnout risk Strongsville’s shift and the big question: can the hobby support another vintage only show? Where would a new vintage show even fit on the calendar? Sports vs TCG at shows: when “just walk past it” stops being realistic Why niche events and niche businesses keep winning Paul’s early pricing notes and what they might signal about demand Follow the show and leave a rating or review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Take the Hobby Spectrum assessment at HobbySpectrum.com and get your access code After you take it, opt into the Spectrum Directory and add your links Follow Leighton Sheldon and Just Collect, and check out Trading Card Therapy and The Vintage Spotlight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 5 is where the conversation stops being theoretical and gets brutally practical. The group circles back to a key question: if a card is reholdered years later, can a grading company responsibly “honor” the old grade when the card may have changed inside the slab. Sunlight, shifting, cracks, handling, even subtle edge impressions can all alter the card after encapsulation. The windowsill example becomes the perfect shorthand: you cannot blindly stamp the old number without confirming the card is still the same. From there, the show pivots into the eye appeal debate. A chat comment calls I appeal stickers a joke, and the response flips the argument: the sticker is just a physical way of saying what collectors already say every day, strong for the grade, weak for the grade, or average. The deeper issue is that grading compresses endless nuance into a limited scale, and the sticker market exists because grading is inconsistent and the scale is restrictive. Then the segment gets fun. Josh leans into his Purist identity, shows a beautifully ugly off centered vintage card, and the panel celebrates the whole idea of “honest cards” and how vintage should look like it lived a life. That naturally leads into a scorching vintage hot take about high grade 1952 Topps cards and what people are really chasing. Finally, the show lands the plane with a blunt truth: the hobby is a business, there will always be bad actors, and nobody is quitting. The best protection is education, risk awareness, and knowing what you personally can tolerate. Highlights in Part 5 include: Reholder without regrade: why “honor the grade” falls apart in the real world The windowsill problem: the card may not be the same card anymore Why eye appeal stickers exist: not because cards have only 19 conditions Strong for the grade vs weak for the grade, and why a sticker triggers people Beckett’s scale, subgrades, and why nuance still gets flattened in the end Josh calls grading “silly” and compares the hobby to a cult The real “win”: low grade cards with high eye appeal at a fraction of the cost Collecting miscuts, off center cards, and why charm beats perfection The emotional attachment angle: why we keep “our” copy, even if it isn’t perfect The hot take: skepticism around “natural” high grade vintage, especially 1952 Topps “Honest corners” and uniform wear as a collecting preference The closing message: this is a business, bad actors exist, education reduces regret Wrap-up plugs: Fanatics Collect watch party, upcoming Saturday show, Hobby Spectrum waitlist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 4 shifts from merger talk into the part of grading nobody likes to say out loud. It starts with the “I’ve heard stories” framing, then draws a hard line between pre Nat Turner ownership and post Nat Turner, including the point that Collectors inherited liabilities and has paid out on mistakes from earlier eras. From there, the panel gets into why the hobby quietly benefits from inconsistency, even while asking for standardization. And then the episode drops the best real world illustration of the entire debate: a card that graded 5.5 on a Beckett raw card review, then later came back as a BGS 9.5. Same card, same grader ecosystem, wildly different outcome. Highlights in Part 4 include: The “I’ve heard stories” disclaimer and why some things get talked around, not stated Pre Turner vs post Turner: inherited liability, payouts, and where blame actually belongs The uncomfortable truth: if grading was consistent, resubmissions would collapse Is there a tipping point where collectors stop paying for the slab number and start paying for the card The “record sale” culture and why nobody flexes a record low Big money entering the hobby and the moment investors realize how the sausage is made The raw card review story: 5.5 to 9.5, and what that says about grading as a product The ethics question: if you sell a card that jumped grades, what do you owe the buyer Reholder without regrade: should a card be reassessed every time it passes through the facility Old standards vs new standards: should an older PSA 7 stay a 7 even if it would grade lower today The health inspector analogy that nails the point: same item, changed condition, unchanged label Buyer beware vs “protect the hobby”: how those two ideas collide in the content era The practical takeaway: advanced collectors hunt lower grades with stronger eye appeal, not the other way around Part 4 is basically the grading debate in its purest form: what people say they want, what they actually reward, and what happens when reality shows up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 3 is where the conversation takes a sharp turn into the mechanics of power. We start with Josh asking the uncomfortable question: if PSA can decertify slabs selectively, what happens when they own Beckett too? From there, it spirals into the real stuff collectors argue about behind the scenes but rarely say out loud. This episode is part hobby debate, part reality check, and part rant. It also includes one of the most memorable analogies of the entire emergency stream: PSA upcharges as “insurance premiums” paid by someone else. Highlights in Part 3 include: The decertification question: what PSA can do, what they won’t do, and why it matters The real concern: what happens to Beckett slabs if the brand is sunsetted Why job cuts at Beckett are basically guaranteed if Collectors is building toward an IPO Will submissions slow down, or does demand stay bulletproof no matter what happens A blunt take on phantom POPs, resubmissions, and why pop reports mislead collectors The PSA upcharge rant: who pays, who benefits, and why the buyer wins Whether standardization in grading would help collectors or expose the whole system Registry culture, resale pressure, and why many collectors chase holders over cards The future question: machine-driven grading, consistency, and what it could do to premiums The Black Label premium debate and why some buyers pay like the number is the card The punchline: grading isn’t a scam, but it can still be a sham Part 3 is where the episode stops being about “PSA bought Beckett” and becomes a broader argument about what grading has turned the hobby into. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 2 picks up right where the emergency reaction left off, and the conversation gets more pointed. We dig into actual market share data, what Beckett’s role really was in the ecosystem, and the uncomfortable question nobody wants to answer: is there any scenario where a near-monopoly helps collectors? From there, we move into who benefits next, what alternatives could rise, and why some collectors feel like this is the moment the hobby’s power structure finally shows its hand. Highlights in Part 2 include: Ari’s take on what PSA could strip from Beckett immediately and why flat-fee models may disappear GemRate market share numbers and why “Beckett was irrelevant” is not the full story The Beckett booth reality check: lines at shows despite the online narrative The big question: could monopoly conditions ever produce any consumer upside? “Backhanded positives” and the risk of pushing collectors away from grading entirely Potential winners outside PSA: Mike Baker Authenticated, CGC, and other niche graders The CGC price increase timing and why it looks like a missed opportunity The growing frustration around PSA culture, dealer networks, and perceived unfair advantages Fanatics speculation: liquidity, conflict of interest talk, and why a Fanatics-Collectors deal feels unlikely IPO logic and why removing “future competitors” can matter more than saving brands The closing reminder: don’t let the industry chase you out of the hobby, enjoy cards without needing a slab Part 2 is where the discussion shifts from “what happened” to “what happens next”, and the answers are not comforting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(As there was no livestrewam on Saturday December 27, this weeks podcasts will be from the previously unreleased emergency episode we recorded on December 15, the day the Beckett acquisition was announced, before the letter was written from congressman Patrick Ryan to the FTC to look into the competitive power of Collectors Holdings.) In this emergency episode of Sports Cards Live, we react in real time to one of the biggest hobby developments of the year: PSA has acquired Beckett. Joined by Graig Miller (Midlife Cards), Ari, Josh Adams, and Mike Petty, the conversation quickly turns intense as we break down what this acquisition could actually mean for collectors, graders, and the future of the hobby. Topics covered in Part 1 include: Why almost nobody wanted PSA to be the buyer Whether this was about grading, talent, or pure market control The Fanatics factor and why keeping Beckett away mattered Lessons learned from the SGC acquisition Monopoly concerns and antitrust realities IPO speculation and why investor optics may matter more than collectors Who this deal actually helps, and who it doesn’t This is raw, unfiltered reaction from people who have lived through multiple hobby cycles and aren’t buying the corporate spin. Part 1 sets the table. The temperature only rises from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 295 of Sports Cards Live closes out with a blunt, necessary conversation about responsibility in the hobby. We finish unpacking the Wilt Chamberlain PSA downgrade and move past the shock value into the real issues: PSA’s grade guarantee limits, insurance caps, NDAs, and why the buyer likely absorbed the majority of the loss. We debate why a buyer would request a review on a card that sold as a PSA 10, what PSA is and is not obligated to do under its own terms, and whether exceptions behind closed doors create fairness issues for the broader hobby. The conversation also tackles a key question raised in the chat: should auction houses like Heritage bear responsibility for selling overgraded cards? From contract law to hobby ethics, we draw a clear line between counterfeit liability and misgrading reality. We explain why auction houses are middlemen, not graders, and why shifting that responsibility would create even bigger conflicts of interest. This segment also touches on reslabbing policies, reholdering versus regrading, contingent liabilities, and why older slabs represent a structural challenge no grading company wants to fully reopen. The episode winds down with broader end-of-year reflections: grading trust, accountability, collector responsibility, and why “buyer beware” still matters even in a slabbed world. We close by looking ahead to 2026, upcoming shows, the Sport Card Expo in Toronto, and continued development of the Hobby Spectrum and Spectrum Directory. In this episode: Why PSA cannot simply erase past sales or comps Grade guarantee caps and why $800K losses are not getting reimbursed NDAs, discretionary payouts, and fairness concerns Reholdering vs regrading and why that distinction matters Why auction houses are not liable for grading outcomes Counterfeit cards vs overgraded cards: a critical legal difference Buyer responsibility at the ultra-high end of the hobby Why reopening decades of grading would be chaos End-of-year reflections and what to expect in 2026 Sports Cards Live streams live every Saturday night on YouTube. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss breaking hobby news, deep dives, and guest-driven conversations. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms. If you haven’t yet, visit TheHobbySpectrum.com to join the waitlist, discover your collector identity, and add your social and hobby links to the Spectrum Directory. It’s free to use and built for discoverability. Thank you for an incredible year. We’ll see you in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We tackle one of the biggest hobby moments of the year: Shohei Ohtani’s 1-of-1 Gold MLB Logoman autograph selling for $3 million on Fanatics Collect, followed days later by a $3.1 million Jordan Kobe dual Logoman sale at Heritage. From there, the conversation widens into something much bigger than one card. Is modern ultra high-end moving too fast? Does a card need “time to breathe,” or does Ohtani’s career, global reach, and historical context override that idea entirely? We compare the sale to Paul Skenes’ $1.1 million debut patch, debate opportunity cost versus singular grail ownership, and question whether one or two buyers can drag an entire market upward. The discussion then pivots into a deep dive on the comp economy. How much judgment are collectors outsourcing to strangers? Are comps guidance or control? When do comps work, when do they break, and how do concepts like triangulation, opportunity cost, and buyer intent actually play out in real hobby behavior? The segment closes with a heavy PSA conversation following the downgrade of a Wilt Chamberlain rookie from PSA 10 to PSA 9, wiping out roughly $800,000 in market value. We discuss whether that sale should remain in public comp databases, if it deserves an asterisk, and what “descriptive vs prescriptive” data really means when trust, grading, and market memory collide. Join us live every Saturday night on YouTube for Sports Cards Live and be part of the conversation in real time. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss breaking hobby news, emergency streams, and guest-driven discussions. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms. And if you’re exploring collector identity, head to TheHobbySpectrum.com to join the waitlist, get an access code, and add your hobby and social links to the Spectrum Directory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We pivot from PSA market power into something more personal: how public identity labels change behavior. If Spectrum results are visible, do people “answer toward who they want to be” instead of who they are? Does the hobby stigmatize flippers and dealers in a way that creates bias and self-reporting issues? Leighton joins briefly to share holiday wishes, show a few personal pickups, and then drops a surprise giveaway for the Sports Cards Live community. From there, the show bounces into a fun but legit vintage debate: 1948 Leaf Jackie vs 1949 Bowman Jackie, why the price gap exists, and why true oddball scarcity like Bond Bread still gets ignored by many collectors. We finish with some classic end-of-year stream energy, including a Bears comeback story and a quick WAR trivia segment. In this segment: Spectrum Directory updates: add your links, build discoverability, help people find you across social and hobby platforms The “assessment vs quiz vs test” framing, and why self-reporting can get messy when results are public Stigma in the hobby: flippers, dealers, and why some sellers feel better when they learn a card is going to a PC Transparency talk: leading by example as a creator, and why “hiding” can create its own assumptions Leighton joins, shares PC pickups (including a T206 and a modern 1/1 story), then gives away a 1958 Topps Ted Williams Live giveaway draw and winner announcement 1948 Leaf vs 1949 Bowman Jackie: aesthetics, demand, set prestige, and the “PSA decides reality” joke The curveball: Bond Bread Jackie scarcity and why mainstream collectors still treat it like an oddball footnote Bears vs Packers: the onside kick swing and overtime finish WAR trivia: which player led MLB in WAR the most seasons (answer revealed in the segment) Reminder: The Spectrum Directory is currently visible only to members inside the system, and retakes will be limited to once every 30 days so the profile stays meaningful over time. Join us live every Saturday night on YouTube for Sports Cards Live. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss breaking hobby news, emergency streams, and guest-heavy episodes. If you prefer audio, you can listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. And if you’re checking out the Hobby Spectrum, head to TheHobbySpectrum.com to join the waitlist and get an access code as we onboard new users. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We keep digging into the PSA Beckett fallout, but the conversation shifts into the stuff collectors actually feel day to day: what “monopoly” even means, why PSA’s registry and resale values drive behavior, and how grading inconsistency has become the hobby’s accepted tax. We also get into cracking, resubmitting, phantom pops, and the Wilt Chamberlain PSA 10 to PSA 9 situation, including the uncomfortable questions around the guarantee and what we may never learn publicly. In this episode: Monopoly vs market leader: the definition debate and why it matters Fanatics licensing vs PSA dominance: which “monopoly” argument is stronger PSA criticism without the fake outrage: pricing and wait times vs the real issue (inconsistency) The registry effect: why uniform slabs still shape collector behavior Cracking and resubmitting: how big is it really, and where it’s concentrated Phantom pops and why pop reports can’t be treated like gospel Wilt Chamberlain downgrade: guarantee limits, compensation questions, and NDA speculation PSA standards drift: did they change, or did collectors change first Hobby Spectrum update: The Spectrum Directory is becoming a discoverability tool, not just a results page Add your social and hobby links so people can find you across platforms New sorting and filtering makes it easier to browse by archetype, score, and join date Retakes will be limited to once every 30 days, with score history saved to your profile Keep up with Sports Cards Live: Catch the Saturday night live show on YouTube and join the chat, your questions are always in play Subscribe so you don’t miss breaking hobby news, emergency streams, and guest-heavy episodes Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts If you’re enjoying these five-part drops, leave a rating and a quick review, it helps more collectors find the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the opening segment of Sports Cards Live Episode 295 (streamed December 20, 2025). We kick things off with Jeremy and Joe Poirot, reacting to the newest twist in the PSA Beckett story: a U.S. congressman urging the FTC to investigate Collectors Holdings and its acquisitions. Then we bring in Chris Sewell to dig into what this could mean for grading competition, pricing, and the hobby’s confidence in the “big three” becoming one portfolio. In this episode: The FTC pressure: what an antitrust investigation could actually change (or not) Why “monopoly” is the word everyone is thinking, even if the legal definition is messier The biggest unknown: what does Collectors do with Beckett long-term The BGS 9.5, Pristine 10, and Black Label issue living under the same umbrella as PSA PR vs reality: “broom closet” fears after what happened to SGC’s momentum Grading trust fatigue and why the hobby feels more on edge right now Chris Sewell joins and we talk Hobby Spectrum results, Builders, and what the early directory is showing Keep up with Sports Cards Live: Catch the Saturday night live show on YouTube and join the chat, your questions are always in play Subscribe so you don’t miss breaking hobby news, emergency streams, and guest-heavy episodes Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts If you’re enjoying these five-part drops, leave a rating and a quick review, it helps more collectors find the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We close out Ep 293 with a full walkthrough of HobbySpectrum.com and what’s coming next. Jeremy explains the core idea: discovering your collector identity by taking the Collector Investor Spectrum assessment and finding your placement across seven archetypes, from Purist to Tycoon. He also explains why the site is currently gated, why onboarding is gradual, and what listeners can do right now: join the waitlist and get ready to set aside 20 to 25 minutes for the assessment. Jeremy then shares a live look at the Spectrum Directory, including a new feature that lets you filter by score or archetype, see who matches your exact number, and quickly find like minded collectors. He also highlights a major update: members can now add their social links so the directory becomes a practical bridge to the platforms people already use, not a replacement for them. From there, the conversation shifts into a candid moment about the idea of transparency in the hobby. If we demand transparency from grading, auction houses, and platforms, what does it look like when collectors turn some of that transparency inward? Jeremy makes the point that opting into the directory is optional and privacy matters, but that the directory can help build real community if people choose to participate. The episode finishes with rapid fire comments and a fun closer: hobbyists share their favorite pickups and best hobby memories of 2025, from Ice Bowl history to Kobe refractors, Brady autos, vintage baseball, hockey heat, and everything in between. Jeremy and Josh also touch on the ongoing reality of grading inconsistency, why authentication still matters, and why buying the card, not the label, remains the best long term approach. Sports Cards Live streams every Saturday night on YouTube, with the chat driving the show. Subscribe so you do not miss an episode. If you are listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, follow the show and leave a rating and review. And if you want early access to the Collector Investor Spectrum assessment and directory, join the waitlist at HobbySpectrum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation continues with a wide ranging conversation that starts in Los Angeles and ends at the core of what the hobby really looks like. Ryan Veres shares his view on the Lakers market, LeBron’s long term place in LA after retirement, and why Luka in a Lakers uniform has instantly reshaped demand. The discussion highlights how superstar legacies evolve locally and why LeBron’s appeal goes far beyond one franchise. From there, the show pivots into a deeper conversation about hobby perception versus reality. Jeremy, Josh Adams, Joe Poirot, and Leighton Sheldon unpack the idea that “everyone is a flipper” and why that narrative simply does not hold up. Real world examples from card shows, shops, and personal collections point to a much quieter majority of collectors who buy for nostalgia, personal meaning, and long term enjoyment, often spending modest amounts and never posting online. The group digs into how social media distorts what we think the hobby is, why big money cards dominate feeds while everyday collectors stay invisible, and how platforms like Instagram and YouTube shape different versions of reality. They also discuss consolidation trends, why the same handful of vintage cards appear everywhere, and how many collectors are deliberately moving off the beaten path into second year cards, oddballs, sets, and under the radar material. The episode closes with reflections on collecting purely for joy. Stories of collectors building stacks from $5 to $50 boxes, discovering new personal collecting lanes late in life, and even shopping your own inventory underline a simple truth: there are endless ways to collect, and most of them have nothing to do with flipping, flexing, or chasing approval. Sports Cards Live streams every Saturday night on YouTube, and the chat is part of the show. Jump in live with your questions, takes, and debates. If you are watching on YouTube, subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss a stream. If you are listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow the show and leave a rating and review. It helps more than you think. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a hobby friend who will appreciate the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremy Lee, Joe Poirot, Ryan Veres of Burbank Sports Cards, and later Leighton Sheldon of Just Collect, moving from shop philosophy into what the market feels like right now in real time. Ryan explains why Southern California is, in his view, the best sports card market in the world, how Burbank became what it is through family roots that go back generations, and why the West Coast Card Show matters beyond revenue: it gives the region a true destination event that pulls collectors and dealers from all over. From there, we get into how a massive operation stays tight. Ryan talks checks and balances, logging purchases, accounting flow, and a core principle that sellers should get paid instantly. He also shares a behind-the-scenes experiment he’s building: real time wax pricing using electronic signage that can update like a gas station, with the goal of transparency and keeping prices fair as markets move. The conversation also tackles the “priced out of the hobby” narrative. Ryan breaks down how Rob constantly builds value sections like vintage boxes, $10-and-under, and $100-and-under showcases so collectors can still walk out happy without needing big money. Then the guys get into dealer reality: how “percentage” buying questions miss the point, when a dealer might pay what looks like full market on the right card, and why having a small, controlled high end vault can help facilitate major trade ups for customers. We close with what’s hot right now. Leighton shares what he’s seeing at the Philly Show, from the usual heavy hitters like Mantle, Jackie, Old Judge, and Jordan, to the truth that even seven copies of the same card still might not be the right copy for one buyer. Ryan talks modern demand for rare, high eye appeal cards that do not surface often, some hockey pickup momentum with Cup season, and what actually sells fast in a shop like Burbank. And one more collector nuance that matters: faded autos. Ryan explains why shops treat them as damaged, Leighton explains why he often avoids them entirely, and Joe adds the collector perspective on curating out anything that does not hold up visually. Sports Cards Live streams every Saturday night on YouTube, and the chat is part of the show. Jump in live with your questions, takes, and debates. If you’re watching on YouTube, subscribe and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss a stream. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow the show and leave a rating and review, it helps a ton. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a hobby friend who’d be into the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 293 continues with Jeremy Lee, Joe Poirot, and Ryan Veres of Burbank Sports Cards, digging into how Ryan values cards when speed matters: gut feel versus comp tools, why blanket “percentage” buying is a broken way to think, and how eye appeal can completely change the number even when the grade is the same. We also get an update on Burbank’s eBay status and the ongoing transition toward Fanatics Collect, why offers sometimes went unanswered in the past and what’s changed operationally, plus the real on-the-ground reality of TCG taking up more table space at local shows and what promoters can do about it. Ryan also shares practical advice for anyone opening a shop: build relationships with other store owners, create a strong local network, and do not rely on straight distribution if you want to survive. From there, the conversation touches on what it’s like running a bucket list store, whether Burbank worries about copycats, and the competitive mindset that keeps the team sharp. We also get Ryan’s perspective on PSA Offers and how Burbank participates as an approved buyer, along with a sober look at shipping theft risks this time of year and why insurance matters when you’re moving higher-end cards. We close with talk about the West Coast Card Show and how it feeds the Burbank brand, even if the economics of running a big show can be brutal. Sports Cards Live streams every Saturday night on YouTube, and the chat is part of the show. Jump in live with your questions, takes, and debates. If you’re watching on YouTube, subscribe and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss a stream. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow the show and leave a rating and review, it helps a ton. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a hobby friend who’d be into the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices