Sports Cards Live

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

We kick off Episode 293 with Jeremy Lee and Joe Poirot, starting with a new pickup for Joe’s collection: a 2008 Upper Deck Premier Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant Remnants quad jersey card numbered to 50. From there, we open up a fun chat-wide debate about dual player cards, what makes a pairing work, and which athlete combinations would be the ultimate hobby matchup. Then Ryan Veres of Burbank Sports Cards joins the show for a behind-the-scenes look at how Burbank has scaled, why the shop feels like “a show every day,” and how they think about liquidity, inventory turnover, dealer activity, and using clean data to track demand and guide smarter buying decisions. Sports Cards Live streams every Saturday night on YouTube, and the chat is part of the show, so jump in live and bring your takes, questions, and hot card debates. If you’re watching on YouTube, make sure you subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss a Saturday stream. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please 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’d appreciate the discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Adams joins Jeremy and Joe to close out the night and reflect on the first public reveal of the Hobby Spectrum project. The chat reacts in real time, asking about access keys, badges, the directory, archetype blends, the science behind the scoring system, and how collectors will eventually share and connect based on their profiles. Jeremy explains how early access works, why the waiting list is open, and how testers so far have responded to their archetype results. Joe shares what it was like to take the assessment, including how tough some questions can be when they force real self reflection. The conversation turns to how the directory will function, why opt in privacy matters, and how this tool can help collectors find people who think and collect the same way. From there, the group moves into wider hobby issues. Josh presses Jeremy about the PSA 9 to 10 controversy and the idea of reevaluation without new cert numbers. They talk through what makes the story suspicious, what is known so far, and where transparency is still missing. They also connect the dots between PSA Vault offers, approved buyers, repackers, and the structural opacity around who is actually placing bids and offers. The chat then raises the question of legal exposure for Upper Deck after the Gretzky Exquisite Tribute Cup card surfaced with a smudged autograph and a completely different patch than the solicitation image. Jeremy and Josh walk through the legal reality versus the ethical reality, why mockups give companies cover, and why the right move would still be to replace the card to protect the brand. The episode winds down with talk of auctions, employee bidding, the collector experience at shows, and a bit of football before Jeremy closes the night with gratitude for everyone who has helped bring the Hobby Spectrum to life. Follow or subscribe, leave a rating and review if you enjoy the show, and join us Saturday nights on YouTube for the live conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attention turns to Upper Deck and Jeremy does not hold back. He walks through the story behind the 2003 Exquisite Tribute Wayne Gretzky 1/1 from the new Cup release, comparing the slick solicitation image to the actual card that surfaced: a different patch and a badly smudged, weak gold autograph on what should be one of the key cards in the entire product. Jeremy explains why he thinks this is a failure at multiple levels. He questions why the mockup used a fantasy level patch that does not exist in the production run, why the autograph pen was not tested properly, and why the card was allowed to be packed out instead of being pulled and replaced with a redemption and a remade version. He is clear that he respects the people at Upper Deck but argues that this specific card makes the brand look careless at the top end of the market and that it crosses the line from acceptable variation into something that feels like bait and switch for a product that costs thousands per tin. From there, the conversation shifts into something Jeremy has been hinting at for months. He finally reveals the project he has been working on behind the scenes alongside his book: a collector identity assessment that maps hobbyists on a 0 to 100 collector–investor spectrum. He introduces the seven archetypes that live along that spectrum, from Purist and Nostalgic through Precisionist, Hybrid, Builder, Operator, and Tycoon, and explains how your answers place you into both a score range and a detailed written profile. Jeremy and Joe talk through why this spectrum exists, how it grew out of years of conversation about “collector vs investor,” and why most people live somewhere in between. They discuss how a shared set of archetypes can give the hobby clearer language, help collectors better understand their own motivations, and make conversations at shows and online more grounded in where people are actually coming from. Jeremy shares that the tool is in early beta with only a handful of people tested so far, that the core assessment is intended to be free, and that future layers will add modifiers, maturity progression within each archetype, and deeper optional insights. Sports Cards Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Follow or subscribe, leave a rating and review if you are getting value from these conversations, and join us live on YouTube Saturday nights to be part of the chat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremy Lee and co host Joe Poirot stay locked on two of the toughest topics in the hobby right now: shill bidding and the latest PSA controversy. Jeremy continues unpacking the listener email from a former prosecutor who feels that phrases like “essence of shill” normalize fraud. The chat weighs in, with some agreeing and others arguing that honest talk about how widespread shilling really is is exactly what protects newer collectors. Jeremy pushes back on the idea that he is endorsing anything, explaining why he refuses to pretend the market is clean while still choosing to participate in it. From there the conversation moves into what “going after” bad actors actually looks like. Jeremy walks through his work with multiple auction houses, including REA, to tighten up terms and increase transparency around active reserves, non paying bidders, and house bidding. Joe raises the distinction between true shill bidding and active reserves, and they dig into why transparency and education matter more than empty outrage, especially when it comes to giants like eBay. The back half of the segment shifts to the PSA buyback story that has the hobby buzzing. Jeremy and Joe react to reports that a batch of PSA 9 Pokémon cards sold through the PSA offer program later appeared as PSA 10s under the same cert numbers. Even allowing for missing facts and possible explanations, they walk through the optics, the conflict of interest concerns, and what it means when 11 out of 30 cards can swing from a 9 to a 10 after the fact. The bigger question becomes grade reliability itself and how much subjectivity collectors are really willing to live with. Follow or subscribe for free, leave a rating and review if you are finding value in these conversations, and join us live on YouTube Saturday nights to be part of the chat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremy Lee and Joe Poirot kick off this four-part run from Sports Cards Live episode 292 with a big vintage mailday and a tough ethical question for the hobby. Joe walks through his latest pickup, a T206 Cy Young “bare hand shows” in a PSA 1 slab with elite centering, color, and eye appeal that completes his three-card Cy Young T206 flight. That card opens a wider conversation about which Hall of Famers will actually stand the test of time and how storytelling keeps players like Cy Young, Larry Doby, Joe Jackson and others relevant for future generations. From there, Jeremy reads an email from a new listener and former prosecutor who worries that phrases like “essence of shill” risk normalizing shill bidding. Jeremy lays out his position on calling fraud what it is while still being honest about how much of it is already baked into comp data, and why pretending the market is clean does more harm than good for collectors trying to protect themselves. The segment wraps with a discussion on why hobby drama videos tend to out-perform thoughtful history content, how “evergreen” storytelling works on a different clock than breaking scandals, and why the community still needs both. Sports Cards Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow or subscribe for free, leave a rating and review if you enjoy the show, and join us Saturday nights on YouTube for the live conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation moves from Card Ladder and comps into a bigger, uncomfortable question: is opening modern product basically gambling, and what kind of culture do we actually want in the hobby going forward? Jeremy, Chris McGill (HoJ), and Josh Adams dig into group breaks, pack odds, “hits,” and the reality that some collectors have gone bankrupt chasing boxes. They balance that against the fun and nostalgia of ripping with kids, Tim Hortons packs, and building sets the way many of us did in the 80s and 90s. Along the way they tackle advertising, culture, and where the hobby goes next. Topics in this segment include: • PSA upcharges, comps, and why some people think PSA should have to buy your card at the value they assign• Arena Club criticism, “where collecting begins” marketing, and whether repack-centric products are aimed more at gamblers than collectors• Is opening any sealed product gambling, or does it depend on intent, price point, and expected return?• Pack odds, box price vs expected value, and why the emotional hit of losing on wax feels exactly like losing at the casino for some people• Breakers, gamblers, and the argument that the hobby “needs” high-volume product rippers to create singles for everyone else• Direct-to-consumer vs LCS distribution and whether cards should always come from packs or could one day go straight to auction• Getting more women in the hobby and how to treat everyone at shows as collectors first• What kind of culture shift the hobby actually needs: less divisiveness, more mutual understanding, more integrity from individuals and institutions, and less “my way is the only right way”• Leadership, voting with your wallet, and why content and conversations matter in shaping where the hobby goes next Sports Cards Live streams live on YouTube every Saturday night, and this audio comes from that live video show. If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, subscribe, and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and check out the full video replays on the Sports Cards Live YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IN this installment of SCL the conversation turns to conflicts of interest, price guides, and how the hobby leans on data. Jeremy, Chris McGill (HoJ), and Josh Adams unpack a pointed question about Beckett running both a price guide and a grading company, and whether that structure was ever as conflicted as people now claim it to be. From there, they move into how PSA uses Card Ladder as one data source, what Card Ladder Value actually is, and why no single comp should ever be treated as “the” price of a card. Topics in this segment include: • Beckett’s price guide plus grading model and whether the real concern is what would happen if someone launched that structure today• How conflicts exist everywhere in business and why safeguards and transparency matter more than pretending they do not• Chris’s breakdown of Card Ladder Value, confidence levels, and why different sales of the same card can show different CL values• Dan’s Gene Hackman one-of-one example and why getting a “good buy” can make algorithmic estimates look off• The problem with overreliance on comps and why the hobby is nothing like an efficient stock market• How shill bidding, thin markets, and buyer ignorance can distort individual sales• Josh’s card show story about sellers who freeze when there is no recent comp and what real critical thinking should look like• Arena Club’s “where collecting begins” slogan and a candid debate on repacks, gambling, and what collecting actually is• Whether Card Ladder is a price guide or simply a historical data tool that PSA and others use for due diligence Sports Cards Live streams live on YouTube every Saturday night, and this audio comes from that live video show. If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, subscribe, and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and check out the full video replays on the Sports Cards Live YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 291 continues with Jeremy Lee, Chris McGill (HoJ), Leighton Sheldon, Joe Poirot, and Josh Adams dig into two big threads: what autograph grades actually mean and how to tell real stories about your cards on social media without slipping into pump mode. They start with whether a PSA 10 autograph should factor in legibility, contrast, and visibility, then pivot into how collectors can write posts that go beyond “look what I got” and actually teach, connect, and document why a card matters. Topics in this segment include: • What grading companies might be grading on autograph labels: legibility, placement, contrast, or just ink quality• Why some collectors refuse autos they cannot read or see clearly, no matter what the label says• Using objective facts (print runs, set history, parallel structure) to balance out personal hype in card posts• Jeremy’s approach to pickup posts: why he wanted the card, how it fits his collection, and giving credit to the source• Leighton’s framework for when a pickup deserves a story and why provenance, history, and feelings matter• How to share genuine excitement about a card without coming across as a pumper• Joe’s behind the scenes perspective from writing auction house descriptions and trying to add value without empty sales fluff• Why posts that explain “why this matters to me” stand out more than pure flex shots• Josh’s Ice Bowl ticket win as a quick case study in concise, memorable storytelling Sports Cards Live streams live on YouTube every Saturday night, and this audio comes from that live video show. If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, subscribe, and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and check out the full video replays on the Sports Cards Live YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 291 continues with Jeremy Lee and Joe Poirot are joined by Leighton Sheldon of Just Collect for a focused conversation on where the line sits between cards and memorabilia. They dig into what happens when card prices climb into serious money, whether collectors should pivot to memorabilia at certain price points, and how space, display, and personal taste factor into those decisions. From there the trio shifts into a long, honest discussion about sticker autographs, PSA 10 autograph grades, and whether grading the auto itself adds real value or just marketing noise. Topics in this segment include: • Leighton’s main question: when your card budget hits its ceiling, do you start looking at memorabilia instead• Jeremy’s “cards only” stance and why game used gloves made the cut when jerseys did not• Space, storage, and display issues that push some collectors away from big items and back to cards• Jackie Robinson examples: 1950 Bowman in different grades versus signed pieces and scorecards• How memorabilia can offer historically significant items at prices below top tier card grades• Why some collectors chase one key piece of memorabilia per player while others stay strictly cardboard• Sticker autos versus on card autos and why some collectors refuse stickers entirely• PSA 10 autograph grades on modern pack pulled autos and whether the extra premium is justified• Vintage signed cards, fading ink, ballpoint quirks, and when an autograph grade actually helps• The psychology of “10/10” labels, population reports, and how grading companies changed how autos are valued Sports Cards Live streams live on YouTube every Saturday night, and this audio comes from that live video show. If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, subscribe, and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and check out the full video replays on the Sports Cards Live YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 291 kicks off with Jeremy Lee and co-host Joe Poirot taking questions straight from the live chat in a fully unscripted Q&A. The conversation zeroes in on the Probstein and Snipe situation, shill bidding realities, buyer risk, and how collectors should actually think about auctions and comps in 2025 and beyond. From there it branches into grails, card of the year talk, consolidation, and how personal collections are evolving. Topics in this segment include: • Probstein returning to eBay after the Snipe collapse and how the hobby is reacting• What the Snipe data breach could mean for user data and identity risk• Shill bidding realities, the “essence of shill,” and how much is already baked into comps• Would Jeremy or Joe bid on a card consigned with Probstein right now• If money were no object, which vintage box or case we would rip• “Card of the year” candidates: Joe Jackson, Ruth, modern hype pieces and more• The Griffey Jr. PSA 10 run-up and whether the premium over PSA 9 makes sense• Messi Mega Cracks, goat focus, and how star cards rose and cooled in 2025• If you had to reset your entire collection, what would your first card back be• Collection size in 2025: consolidation, upgrades, and how our PCs actually changed Sports Cards Live streams live on YouTube every Saturday night, and this audio comes from that live video show. If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, subscribe, and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and check out the full video replays on the Sports Cards Live YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What should a fair sports card auction actually look like if you are the buyer, not the consignor or the house? In this segment, Chris McGill (Card Ladder) and Josh Adams (90sAuctions) join Jeremy and attorney Paul Lesko to talk about auction environments collectors actually want to bid in, why hidden reserves and owner bidding feel wrong, and how 90sAuctions approaches consignor bidding and reserves. From there the conversation shifts to comp culture, why so many people try to apply comps with false precision, and how data tools like Card Ladder can help if you are willing to dig into context instead of outsourcing your thinking. Jeremy also connects it back to his upcoming book POPs and COMPs and the idea that not all comps are created equal. In this segment you will hear about: Chris’s ideal auction setting, only bidding against other true buyers How auction reserves and undisclosed owner bidding change the whole game Josh on why 90sAuctions banned consignor bidding and walked away from reserves Why buyers and sellers lean so hard on the last comp in 2025 How to look at comps with real scrutiny so you do not get burned by bad data Sponsor notes:  Go to ⁠⁠hellofresh.com/cards10fm⁠⁠ to get 10 free meals plus free breakfast for life, one per box. 👍 Follow Sports Cards Live on your favorite podcast app. ⭐ Leave a rating and review to help more collectors find the show. 📺 Subscribe to the Sports Cards Live YouTube channel for full live streams and new episodes every week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports Cards Live 290 keeps rolling as hobby attorney Paul Lesko sticks around and is joined by Chris McGill and Josh Adams from Card Ladder to unpack more of the biggest legal battles shaping the hobby. In this segment they hit: Panini vs Fanatics antitrust Wild Card vs Panini antitrust BCW vs Ultra Pro over “penny sleeve” and “top loader” trademarks LeBron RPA / Goldin / Card Porn business disparagement dispute Messi Green Kaboom one of one broken contract case Collectable fractional fallout and investor information rights Shill bidding, specific performance, and how courts might treat unique grails Sponsor notes:  Go to ⁠hellofresh.com/cards10fm⁠ to get 10 free meals plus free breakfast for life, one per box. 👍 Follow Sports Cards Live on your favorite podcast app. 📺 Subscribe on YouTube for the full live streams and future episodes. 💬 Join the live chat next time and be part of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports Cards Live 290 continues with hobby attorney Paul Lesko joining Jeremy for a sharp follow up to the auction house discussion with Jeff Marren of Rockhurst Auctions. This second of four segments from the November 22, 2025 live stream digs into bidder privacy, collusion concerns, and a stack of current hobby lawsuits that every collector should understand. In this episode you will hear: Jeff answering viewer Skeppy’s question about how important privacy and anonymity are in the auction world, and why most bidders and consignors do not actually want their identities shared. A hard look at the push for more transparency in bidding, what collectors really want to see, and why public bidder identities can open the door to collusion, harassment, and back-channel deal making. Jeremy’s comparison to real estate offers and client lists, and Jeff’s blunt take that bidder and consigner data is proprietary relationship capital for an auction house, not something the public has a “right” to. Chat reactions from vintage and “new school” hobbyists who were raised on eBay and mall card shows, why reserves and 150 year old rules feel archaic, and what it means to “vote with your wallet.” Discussion of fixed price and “buy it now” style listings on traditional auction platforms, private treaty sales, and how auction houses try to balance consignor risk with a functioning marketplace. Paul’s legal lens on bidder anonymity, client lists, and why courts often treat that information as protected business property under protective orders. Then Paul kicks off a rapid fire legal update round, including: Upper Deck vs Ravensburger (Lorcana case) – How Upper Deck claimed Lorcana stole game mechanics from its unreleased Rush of Ichor TCG, why game mechanics are very hard to protect with copyright, and how a multi year fight led to Ravensburger being cleared and only a small settlement with the individual designer. Blank vs Beckett – A new case where a collector alleges Beckett lost 87 rare Stan Lee autograph cards that he values at around 250 thousand dollars, and why the terms you click on for grading companies matter when cards go missing. Lance Jackson vs Collectors Universe and PSA – The nightmare scenario of sending in a key Kobe Bryant Topps Chrome rookie, getting it back with a lower grade and visible damage, and what a live trial could mean for how grading companies handle damaged cards and declared values. The “lost” T206 Honus Wagner vs BGS – A wild allegation that a Wagner was submitted 12 years ago and never returned, what statutes of limitation really are, and why waiting a decade to sue is usually a fatal mistake no matter how strong the story feels. A bigger conversation about terms of service, arbitration clauses, class action waivers, and why collectors almost never read what they are agreeing to when they click “I accept.” Jeremy’s question about whether anyone in the hobby will ever differentiate by surfacing key terms in plain language and forcing users to acknowledge the important parts, instead of burying everything in boilerplate. Sponsor notes:  Go to hellofresh.com/cards10fm to get 10 free meals plus free breakfast for life, one per box. If you enjoy these in depth hobby and legal breakdowns: 👍 Follow Sports Cards Live on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. ⭐ Leave a rating and review to help more collectors find the show. 📺 Subscribe to the Sports Cards Live YouTube channel for full live streams, interviews and hobby specials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports Cards Live 290 kicks off with co host Joe Poirot and special guest Jeff Marin of Rockhurst Auctions for a deep dive into how traditional auction houses actually work, why reserves exist, and what the latest Snipe and COMC drama says about trust in the hobby. This is the first of four segments cut from the full live stream recorded on November 22, 2025. In this episode you will hear: Jeremy’s Saturday night open, with updates on the Fanatics Collect Weekly Auction Ending Watch Party, the new “From the Front Row” series with Front Row Card Show, and his recent conversation with hobby OG Brandon Steiner. Recap of Jeremy, Joe and Chris McGill’s appearances on Graig’s Midlife Cards channel and how those conversations set up tonight’s focus on auctions, reserves and hobby trust. Gretzky rookie talk, Topps versus O Pee Chee, what population reports really tell you, and why more collectors are demanding strong eye appeal instead of just an old grade on the flip. Reaction to Dr Beckett’s appearance on Hobby Hotline, the Geoff Wilson interview, and the fatigue many collectors feel around apology tours and “can we move on yet” discourse. Breakdown of the Snype launch issues after Rick Probstein’s move off eBay, the site going dark on its first big night, worries about data and screenshots circulating on social, and what all of that means for any new auction platform. Discussion of fresh COMC rumors, a long time employee exiting, a tweet suggesting the company might be “in trouble,” and why broken telephone and the hobby rumor mill can distort reality fast. A full segment with Jeff Marren of Rockhurst Auctions covering how traditional auction houses handle reserves, why “active reserves” exist, why most lots actually run without reserves, how opening bids create momentum, what consignors misunderstand, and how bidders should assess whether to stay in or step out. Jeff’s take on how eBay trained the hobby to chase last second “wins,” why many collectors are addicted to the idea of scoring under market, and how old hobby scars from scams and bad deals make drama based content so magnetic. If you enjoy these in depth hobby conversations: 👍 Follow Sports Cards Live on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. ⭐ Leave a rating and review to help more collectors find the show. 📺 Subscribe to the Sports Cards Live YouTube channel for full live streams, interviews and hobby specials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports Cards Live host Jeremy Lee sits down with hobby OG Brandon Steiner of CollectibleXchange for a blunt conversation about grading, gambling, and greed in today’s sports card market. In this episode we tackle the uncomfortable questions. Are auctions broken for everyday collectors, how deep does shill bidding and market manipulation really go, and what happens when breaks, repacks, and live streams start to look a lot like gambling addiction instead of hobby fun. This episode also features: 👉 A look at Jeremy’s upcoming book POPs & COMPs 👉 Appendix F, a detailed review of auction house policies on reserves, house bidding, shill bidding, and employee bidding 👉 A frank discussion about grading monopolies, population control concerns, and whether collectors are being treated fairly Plus: 🔥 Are auctions now a fire sale for most collections 🔥 The rise of breaker culture and hobby addiction, and whether the hobby has a responsibility to respond 🔥 Fanatics, licensing control, and the risk of forgetting the little guy 🔥 Leadership, regulation, and why the hobby could still blow its biggest opportunity 💬 Share your thoughts below and let us know how you see grading, gambling, and greed shaping the hobby. 📺 Subscribe to Sports Cards Live for more long form hobby conversations. 📷 Follow on Instagram: @jlee_sportscardslive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan the Card Lawyer and Josh Adams from 90s Auctions join us to keep pulling back the curtain on shill bidding, reserves, and how auction houses really work behind the scenes. We look at where “accepted hobby practice” ends and fraud begins, why some newer hobby-first auction houses are drawing hard lines, and how much shill is quietly baked into the prices we all rely on. We also touch on eBay authentication horror stories, stolen mail, and whether it is even possible to collect without being touched by any of this. Highlights include: A criminal defense lawyer’s perspective on shill bidding, fraud, and why some practices cross the line An auction owner explaining why 90s Auctions walked away from reserves and house bidding How guarantees, reserves, and “system bids” can warp prices long before you place your max bid The uncomfortable question of how much shill is baked into almost every COMP in the hobby Your comments drive the show, so bring your questions and experiences to the live chat. If you find value in this conversation, please hit like, subscribe to Sports Cards Live, and share the episode with another collector who needs to hear it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices