How To Share Pickups Without Pumping + Autograph Grades + Legibility Debates + What PSA 10 Really Means
Description
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.
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