Chris HOJ-Cast

This episode has four segments. First, a few select stories from walking the floor at the 2026 National. Second, the rising market for commemorative 1/1 cards—with specific examples from Ohtani, Brady, and McGwire. Third, a recent pickup: the 1998 Topps Gold Label Class 3 Red 1/1 of Peyton Manning. And fourth, a conceptual framework for understanding the financialization of sports cards.

This episode dives deep into the Highway 99 Gold 1/1 of Michael Jordan, contemplating the card through the lenses of metaphor, design, and historical importance. It then shifts to discussing whether the collector is also an artist. The episode concludes with a few thoughts on how markets for “trophy cards” function.

This episode has three main sections. The first discusses Brock Purdy and the predictive power of analytics in anticipating historic breakout performances like KAT’s 2026 playoff run. The second tees up multiple topics relating to the philosophy of collecting, including: how information changes the way we “see” cards, the gifts of research and storytelling, and the logic of the first. And the third reveals a Purdy 1/1 that boasts a special distinction.

This episode has six parts: 1) a reveal of the release dates of Michael Jordan's first seven 1/1s, 2) a deep dive into the first basketball 1/1 checklist (which happens to be an MJ card); 3) a quick look at some recent MJ 1/1 sales; 4) a discussion of "iconic" status in the sports card context; 5) some thoughts on Nikola Jokic's $1 million logoman autograph 1/1 sale; and 6) thoughts on Jokic's early playoff exit and legacy.

This episode has five parts. 1) A quick dive into my Luka fandom. 2) Reflections on how research shapes collecting—and how research builds meaning. 3) Using my recent pickup (2024-25 Silhouette Holo Platinum 1/1 Luka Doncic) as a case study in how research creates meaning. 4) A review of the market for Luka's first Lakers 1/1s. 5) Some closing remarks on the legacy Luka Doncic is etching into basketball history.