Episodes

Oct. 8, 2021

579 - Strong Hobby Friendships

I had a deeper discussion with four of my friends and former colleagues now at Panini, Tracy Hackler, David Porter, Rob Springs, and Tim Trout.  Friendships in our hobby can be deeper and more enduring.  It's fabulous to work (or hobby) with those you tr...

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Oct. 7, 2021

578 - Out-Takes on Industry Summit from Hobby Hotline 091821

Drew Herndon, Sam Shuford and I (co-hosts this week of Hobby Hotline) field questions about this year's Industry Summit in Las Vegas - we wish we would have been there!

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Oct. 6, 2021

577 - What If‘s 10/6/96: BGS?

What if there had been a different (fatal) outcome exactly 25 years ago?  How would Beckett Publications have been affected and specifically BGS at it was being rolled out?

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Oct. 5, 2021

576 - Interview: Bob Brill, Part 2, with Rich Klein

Rich and I hear the rest of Bob's story - including his radio and writing and PR careers, local card shop, collection brokering, and his short-lived grading company.

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Oct. 4, 2021

575 - Retrospective and Stretching (Tom Brady)

I reprise my episode from two years ago on my wife's birthday and her contributions to this podcast -  including her question about GOAT's - Tom Brady's longevity - how to recognize greatness earlier.

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Oct. 2, 2021

574B - Out-Takes on Early ‘80‘s from That Seventies Card Show, John K…

John and I discuss the decades immediately after and before his favorite, the 1970's that he deals with in depth in his excellent podcast, That Seventies Card Show.

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Oct. 2, 2021

574A - Interview: Sam Shuford, Women of the Hobby, Part 2

The overtime discussion between Sam and me about her vision for involving more women in  our great hobby of sports card collecting.

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Oct. 1, 2021

574 - Interview: Sam Shuford, Women of the Hobby

Sam and I discuss her origin story as well as her efforts to connect and attract women into our great hobby of sports card collecting - follow her on Instagram at Women of the Hobby.

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Sept. 30, 2021

573 - 1998 Topps TEK Baseball

I won two boxes of this innovative and overlooked product in the latest Huggins and Scott Auction - I opened the box and got almost exactly what I predicted - is that why this product was never really that successful?

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Sept. 29, 2021

572 - 1976 and 1977 Topps Baseball, with Rich Klein

Rich and I discuss our experiences and understandings of the 1976 and 1977 Topps baseball sets, when Topps was the only (baseball) game in town.

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Sept. 28, 2021

571 - Hobby Hiatus with Brad Bethune and Rich Klein

How hiatus is defined matters as Rich, Brad, and I discovered.  Thinking of gears like a car, hiatus does not have to mean being in reverse or neutral, but could mean downshifting to first gear.

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Sept. 27, 2021

570 - Basketball Dueling Questions 2.0 with Adam Gray, Basketball Car…

Adam and I could not fit our competing questions within 15 minutes, so here is the rest of our interchange - thanks Adam for your questions.

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Sept. 25, 2021

569B - Seven Listener Questions 2.0

Seven more questions about our great hobby of collecting sports cards - it seems they are picking up - which is fine - I want to talk about things you want to hear, so I sincerely appreciate your questions and comments - thanks.

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Sept. 25, 2021

569A - Out-Takes on Co-Op LCS from Hobby Hotline 091821

I co-hosted Hobby Hotline last Saturday along with Drew Herndon and Sam Shuford - toward the end of the show we discussed the interesting implications of a co-op arrangement for a local card shop.

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Sept. 24, 2021

569 - Out-Takes on Education from Wax Museum Kyle

Kyle asked me to be on his Wax Museum show, and the theme of his questions and our discussion was education, inside and outside the hobby.  Thanks Kyle.

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Sept. 23, 2021

568 - Fernando Valenzuela, with Victor Roman Sr.

Fernando Mania was a huge in 1981 and the early 1980's - Victor, the Rookie Card Specialist, and I experienced it (differently) - however Fernando's RC situation is not as straight-forward as you might imagine.

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Sept. 22, 2021

567 - Bulk Buying and Selling with Tanner Jones

Not everyone likes to buy a pig in a poke - a large unsorted diverse collection - could be many different sports and span many different years or even eras, but Tanner and I enjoy the thrill of discovery.

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Sept. 21, 2021

566 - Interview: Kyle Johnson, COMC Marketing Manager

Kyle Johnson discusses his on-boarding as a remote employee of COMC and how he is looking forward to the resumption of show travel for his marketing effectiveness for COMC.

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Sept. 20, 2021

565 - Dueling Questions 2, with Steve Grad, Pawn Stars and Beckett Au…

Steve Grad and I go a second round of Dueling Questions - mine more about his specialty and his about my reminiscences and possible regrets.  If you have suggestions for who I should "duel" with in the future, just let me know.  Thanks.

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Sept. 18, 2021

564B - Seven Listener Questions

Seven hobby and sports card questions have arrived and are dealt with briefly - send your questions to doctorjamesbeckett@gmail.com and thank you for listening.

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Sept. 18, 2021

564A - 2020-21 Upper Deck Hockey Box Battle

Four interesting products - which would you chose if you had $100 to spend?  Alexis LaFreniere, Star Rookies, UD Extended, or Trilogy? I am a law-abiding rule-breaker.

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Sept. 17, 2021

564 - Rookie Card Dueling Questions with Victor Roman Sr.

Victor, the Rookie Card Specialist and All-Time Greats blogger, and I trade questions back and forth exclusively about rookie cards, especially their history.

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Sept. 16, 2021

563 - Executive Proofs with Tanner Jones

Tanner and I share our understanding of these elusive collectible cards - their origin, distribution, and rarity - definitely not pack-pulled.

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Sept. 15, 2021

562 - Out-Takes on Economics from About The Cards

Stefan and Angela Loeffler and Ben Wilson asked me to guest for an hour on their weekly show, About The Cards.  Ben Wilson had apparently been saving up some questions and comments for me on Economics, which I enjoyed.

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