3rd Down Pulled

This week, Ben is joined live at London Card Show by Arunas (@arunasb_ltu). He grew up in Soviet Lithuania with nothing to buy, not even chewing gum, and now he turns up at The National with Jordans and Curry rookie autos.His first cards came from neighbours visiting from America: two packs of Hoops shared between eight kids, two cards each. He still has his Don Nelson coach card, and explains why it means more to him than any Jordan rookie.He talks about buying hobby boxes every payday while living in London, hitting Steph Curry rookies, grading, and why he'll happily upgrade a card and sell the lower grade. He also gives a tour of the European show scene, from the Nordic Card Show to Poland, France, Spain and Germany, and shares his advice on buying basketball cards, the lessons from buying the Luka hype, and the sealed Prism case he's saving for his birthday.Follow Arunas on Instagram @arunasb_ltuChapters00:00 Intro: the International Man of Mystery01:06 Growing up in the Soviet Union02:48 The Don Nelson card and 199204:58 Hobby boxes in London and Curry rookies07:31 Grading, upgrading and the US mindset10:04 Grails and sentimental value11:10 Card shows across Europe16:02 Getting to UK shows17:20 Selling Jordans at The National18:20 Where to start with basketball cards20:16 Buying the hype: lessons from Luka22:05 Saving a Prism case for his birthday23:03 Wrap-upFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

From the Recliner joins us live on the 3rd Down stand at London Card Show, fresh off a summer of Fanatics Fest and The National.We talk about why golf could be the next big sport in cards, getting lost in vintage at The National, and how twelve months in the hobby turned Instagram photos of his cards into a content brand. We also cover sports and Pokémon collectors crossing over, the real recliner behind the name, and a bit of NFL chat.Chapters00:00 Intro00:18 Welcome back to London Card Show00:28 Day one on the other side of the table01:44 Goals for the weekend02:12 A run of shows, from Fanatics Fest to The National02:53 Golf cards: the next big thing?04:46 Getting lost in vintage at The National05:48 Twelve months in the hobby06:24 How the content started07:51 Finding an audience08:30 The hobby as a happy place09:12 Sports and Pokémon collectors crossing over10:11 Where the name "From the Recliner" comes from11:08 A Sunday sports recap?11:30 This weekend's chase and the PC12:16 NFL talk: the Vikings and Soldier Field13:56 Wrap-upFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben is joined by Luke from The Hobby Box, to talk about his journey from breaking cards in the UK to building The Hobby Box and helping create the International Pavilion at The National.They discuss the growth of the card show scene in the UK and Europe, advice for collectors and vendors, the soccer card market, turning the hobby into a business, and the rise of Topps Chrome Disney. Luke also shares what he learned from some of the biggest shows in the US and what's next for The Hobby Box.Follow Luke on Instagram @thehobbybox_lukeChapters00:00 Meet Luke from The Hobby Box05:30 From UK box breaks to The Hobby Box08:50 £1 starts and growing on Whatnot17:22 Building The National's International Pavilion30:55 CLA Cards and the next generation34:35 Comparing the biggest card shows48:50 The European card show scene53:50 Advice for collectors and vendors58:12 The soccer market after the World Cup1:05:56 Collecting, investing and hobby education1:10:52 Turning the hobby into a career1:18:05 The rise of Topps Chrome Disney1:50:13 Quick fire and what's nextFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben is joined by the father-and-son team behind CLA Cards to talk about how a paper round, a few small card purchases, and a love for the NFL grew into their card business.They talk through the early days of collecting, learning how to buy and trade at shows, and what they look for when deciding whether a card is worth picking up. They also get into what makes unusual cards stand out, selling online versus in person, dealing with repackers, and all the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep inventory organised and ready for shows.They share how they prepared for their first time vending at the biggest card show in the US, what they're hoping to trade for, and some of the cards they're taking with them. Later, they discuss the growth of the UK NFL hobby, overrated players and sets, favourite cards, deals they wish they could take back, grading a Tom Brady rookie auto, and what could be next for CLA Cards.Chapters00:00 Meet CLA Cards06:00 From collecting to vending13:30 Selling online vs in person18:00 Learning from bad buys22:10 Preparing for The National30:10 Repacks and moving inventory36:25 The growth of the UK NFL hobby42:20 Card sets and player markets52:20 Managing inventory55:10 Advice for new collectors1:02:00 The future of CLA Cards1:09:55 Grading a Tom Brady rookie autoFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben is joined by Gus (Grails by Gus) ahead of his first time vending at The National in Chicago.Gus explains what makes The National different from UK shows, his tips for first-timers, the International Pavilion and the soccer section, and how he prepares to vend in the US. They also get into negotiating with American collectors, pricing rare cards, the vintage hall, and his favourite National stories from trade nights and dinners.Follow Gus on Instagram @grailsbygusChapters00:00 Intro01:15 Vending at The National for the first time05:00 What makes The National different08:45 Meeting US collectors10:00 First-timer tips13:45 The soccer section and International Pavilion17:30 Preparing to vend in the US21:15 Taking football cards to America26:15 Negotiating in the US vs the UK27:30 Pricing rare cards31:15 The vintage hall35:00 Soccer at The National36:15 Favourite National stories38:45 Chicago, dinners and trade nights43:30 What Gus is bringingFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.