Episodes

April 1, 2026

1517 - Gervise Ford, My First Hobby Friend, Part 2

Two longtime hobbyists look back on starting a small weekend card shop in Dallas, moving to a bigger location, and deciding to open a full-time store with Wayne Grove as a knowledgeable managing partner who could run the shop...

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March 30, 2026

1516 - Gervise Ford, My First Hobby Friend, Part 1

Two longtime friends reminisce about how a one-shot 1969 classified ad in the SMU campus paper connected them and changed lives, leading to trades, softball games, and deeper involvement in the national baseball card hobby. T...

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March 28, 2026

1515A - Panini March 2026

Dr. Beckett reviews a Panini mail day featuring 2025-26 EuroLeague Contenders Basketball and 2025 Prizm Black Football, noting value, inserts/parallels, and how products will be viewed years later based on the year/copyright ...

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March 27, 2026

1515 - Offensive Manipulation Defenses

Dr. Beckett addresses a question about “offensive” shill bidding, expanding the discussion to market manipulation as cards are treated like stocks and collectors take “positions” in multiple copies. He explains defensive mani...

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March 25, 2026

1514 - PSA MK?

Dr. Beckett responds to Mike Lach’s question about why grading companies don’t apply an MK (mark) qualifier to post-production, in-person on-card autographs. He explains PSA’s early-1990s introduction of qualifiers (OC, MC, S...

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March 23, 2026

1513 - Whatnot Arbitration from Hobby Hotline 032126

Dr. Beckett out-takes the recent Hobby Hotline segment with Adam Palmer and Victor Roman, focusing on Whatnot’s legal trouble over alleged backend practices tied to breaking, repacking, and quasi-gambling mechanics that may e...

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March 20, 2026

1512 - Watters Creek Show Report, March 2026

Dr. Beckett recaps attending all four days of the Watters Creek Show, noting it was slightly less crowded than the peak January show but still one of the best, and praises Kyle’s promotion work. He describes his approach to w...

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March 18, 2026

1511 - 1984 Donruss, with Rich Klein

Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein discuss why 1984 Donruss surged to the top of the baseball card market after trailing Topps in 1981–83 in response to a question from notable hobby contributor Skep1. They explore whether the set wa...

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March 16, 2026

1510 - Beckett Online Price Guide (OPG), with Rich Klein

Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein discuss the Beckett Online Price Guide (OPG) and how collectors can get value from it even when some pricing is imperfect. Using an email from Austin Goodman as a prompt, they explain that the OPG’s...

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March 13, 2026

1509 - Evaluating Non-Blind Boxes, with Rich Klein

Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein discuss strategies for buying card collections and “shoebox” lots when time is limited and you can’t comp every card. They compare top-down approaches that quickly pull out the biggest hits and trea...

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March 11, 2026

1508 - Ramblings 5.0

Dr. Beckett discusses opening three new Upper Deck hockey products, emphasizing he seeks “good” pulls rather than only “great” hits. He highlights 2025–26 O-Pee-Chee’s 600-card base set, inserts, and differential scarcity in ...

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March 9, 2026

1507 - BlindBoxification, with Josh Luber, Part 3

Dr. Beckett hosts Josh Luber about his 136 page white paper on “BlindBoxification”. They debate Shohei Ohtani’s “GOAT” case in comparison to Babe Ruth, including Ruth’s influence on Japanese baseball, and discuss hobby myths ...

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March 6, 2026

1506 - Blindboxification, with Josh Luber, Part 2

Dr. Beckett interviews Josh Luber, discussing Luber’s 136-page book on “BlindBoxification”, covering transparency versus mystery in the hobby, hybrid product concepts, and Panini’s outlook without full licensing. Beckett high...

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March 4, 2026

1505 - Blindboxification, with Josh Luber, Part 1

Dr. Beckett hosts a conversation with Josh Luber about Luber’s long “BlindBoxification” white paper (136 pages) and the broader trend of blind-box style products in sports cards and beyond. Luber discusses the paper as a conv...

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March 2, 2026

1504 - Out-Takes on Panini from Hobby Hotline 022126

Dr. Beckett shares outtakes from a Hobby Hotline appearance with Lauren Schafer and John Newman. The main discussion focuses on Panini’s future as Fanatics/Topps will control basketball and football licenses, leaving Panini p...

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Feb. 28, 2026

1503A - 2026 Topps 75th More!

Dr. Beckett responds to criticism he heard on other shows by sharing context from the selection process. He explains the list is tied to the 2026 Topps flagship baseball product and will appear as redemption cards, which infl...

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Feb. 27, 2026

1503 - Pokemon Illustrator from Hobby Hotline 022126

Dr. Beckett discusses the recent world-record $16.5 million sale of the Pokémon Illustrator card sold by Logan Paul and purchased by Paul Scaramucci, noting it is the only PSA 10 although 41 were made. He shares a Hobby Hotli...

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Feb. 25, 2026

1502 - Ramblings 4.0

Dr. Beckett covers recent mail, hobby questions, industry topics, and discusses Upper Deck boxes he recently received: 2025-26 SP Game Used hockey and 2026 Upper Deck Golf (marketed around the 25th anniversary of their inaugu...

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Feb. 23, 2026

1501 - Tributes: Roy Face and Bill Mazeroski

Dr. Beckett tributes two recently deceased Pittsburgh Pirates favorites from his personal botyhood fandom: relief ace Roy (ElRoy) Face and Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski. He reflects on the 1960 Pirates as his fav...

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Feb. 20, 2026

1500 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 1476-1499

Dr. Beckett reaps his past 25 episodes, covering mentoring and learning the hobby with Rich Klein, reactions to the parent of PSA acquiring the Beckett brands, end-of-year observations and his intention to keep podcasting, an...

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Feb. 18, 2026

1499 - Leaks, with Rich Klein

Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein discuss the leaked private Fanatics 2025 National meeting notes and treat it as an example of how sensitive corporate prep materials can surface, whether accidentally, intentionally, or spitefully. ...

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Feb. 16, 2026

1498 - Topps 75th Anniversary 75 Greatest Cards, with Rich Klein

Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein discuss Topps’ “75 Greatest Cards” list finalized over a Zoom call with industry and hobby voices (including Nat Turner, writer Tim Kurkjian, collector Evan Longoria, historian John Thorn, Fanatics ...

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Feb. 13, 2026

1497 Authentic Altered Re-Altered

Dr. Beckett delves into the intricacies of evaluating cards based on eye appeal versus technical grades, discussing the consistency and challenges faced by expert graders. Dr. Beckett also addresses the ethical considerations...

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Feb. 11, 2026

1496 - Twelve SCI "Mistakes" Ameliorated

Dr. Beckett discusses 12 sports card investing 'mistakes' originally outlined by Geoff Wilson on his channel two weeks ago. Dr. Beckett provides his insights, lessening the perceived severity of these 'mistakes.' Key topics i...

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