Episodes

April 24, 2021

459B - Genamint and AI Grading: Edges

Interesting news from PSA acquiring Genamint to enhance or lead their AI grading initiatives - this episode discusses the difficulty of AI Grading specifically with respect to edges.

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April 24, 2021

459A - Showing (Describing) Your Collection

Some sports card collections are simply too large to be "shown" in their entirety, but they can be described, hopefully in summary form, drilling down for more details if asked.

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April 23, 2021

459 - Origin: Jimmy Estruch III, RetroBoomin

Jimmy Estruch of RetroBoomin shares his origin story with us - he had written in and sought advice on shaping and growing his sports card hobby business now that he is full-time.

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April 22, 2021

458 - Modern Convo: Budgeting

Our modern virtual dinner guests (Ken Capell, Jason Granet, Jordan Hagedorn, Jeremy Lee, and Mike Sommer) each had an opinion of the value of budgeting in this exciting time in our hobby.

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April 21, 2021

457 - NASCAR Cards, with Val Marz, NASCARD Radio

Val, co-host of NASCARD Radio, and I discuss the history of NASCAR cards and other related racing subjects.  NASCAR is America's second most popular spectator sport!

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April 20, 2021

456 - Psychology of Collecting and Nostalgia, with Gabriella Fettman

Gabriella is a psychology major at Stern College for Women in New York and has both a father and brother who collect sports cards - she is writing a paper on our hobby and we discuss those issues practically and a little bit scholarly.

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April 19, 2021

455 - Detroit Tributes: Charlie Brooks, Tom Tuschak, and Ed Budnick

Detroit collector Frank Guastella and I fondly remember three great collectors from Detroit who were all outstanding ambassadors for our sports card hobby.

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April 17, 2021

454B - Market Manipulate-ability

How easy is it to manipulate the sports card market or at least the price or value of a specific card or player?

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April 17, 2021

454A - Current Grading Submission Strategies

Lots of changes from the card grading companies - restrictions and increases - how should collectors and submitters react and respond?

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April 16, 2021

454 - My Pro Bono Consulting with Rich Klein

Rich basically interviews me on what I like to do when I am not collecting or handling sports cards.  Helping solve the problems of others is easier than solving your own!

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April 15, 2021

453 - Out-Takes with Rocco Rosato

As you recall, Rocco has been totally blind for the past 15 years, but that has not slowed his sports card collecting passion.

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April 14, 2021

452 - Dueling Questions with Chris Harris, Stale Gum

The economist, Chris Harris, asks the statistician, me, questions, and I reciprocate.

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April 13, 2021

451 - Magic Years vs. Dynasties, with Rich Klein

Rich and I discuss the relative merits of magical years vs. dynasties vs. superstar-dominated eras across all the major sports.

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April 12, 2021

450 - Tribute: Frank Nagy, with Frank Guastella

Frank Nagy was a hobby icon from Detroit who had on of the top collections in the world but was very willing to share first-hand information and promote this great hobby.

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April 10, 2021

449B - Your Collecting Avatar

Using basketball as an analogy - here are six considerations for an avatar that might fit the way you collect during this bull market on basketball (and other sports) cards.

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April 10, 2021

449A - Six Listener Questions 3.0

Another six questions (with answers!) submitted by listeners, all concerning the hobby we all love.  Your questions can be submitted to doctorjamesbeckett@gmail.com as an email and thanks!

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April 9, 2021

449 - Out-Takes on Pricing Considerations from Hobby Hotline 030621

This Hobby Hotline show (a weekly live show but I am on as a recurring guest once a month) featured John Newman (Sports Card Nation) and Rich Klein as well as the questions and comments of all the live viewers.  Hope you like these excerpts as much as I ...

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April 8, 2021

448 - Kids Card Product Idea

I give specific details on how I would configure an interesting sports card product/set that I believe could be a winner - especially intentionally for kids at a lower price point.

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April 7, 2021

447 - The Greatest National, with Rich Klein

I make a case for the Anaheim National of 1991, the largest attendance and the first to really feature corporate promos.  Rich, on the other hand, has a sentimental favorite.  Finally, we both hope the next one is the greatest!

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April 6, 2021

446 - Returning to Golf vs. Sports Cards, with Frank Guastella

Golf professional Frank Guastella and I compare and contrast returning to playing golf after a long hiatus, with returning to sports cards collecting after decades off.

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April 5, 2021

445 - Dueling Questions with Joe Davis, Got Baseball Cards

A Dueling Questions episode with Joe's first question to me being about PSA's latest shocking news with regard to their backlog, and how it will be preferentially addressed for the next three months.  Then my first question to him was about how I should ...

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April 3, 2021

444B - 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists

There are 14 finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame calass of 2021 - I don't have a vote, but I obviously have an opinion - here are my seven, who I think will get in later this year, starting with Paul Pierce.

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April 3, 2021

444A - Six Listener Questions 2.0

Six fresh new listener-submitted questions - the easiest way is sending email to doctorjamesbeckett@gmail.com for your question to be considered.

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April 2, 2021

444 - Ethical Dealers 2021, with Joe Davis, Got Baseball Cards

Today is Good Friday, and Joe and I discuss how "evangelism", that is, the sharing of "good news" could be applied secularly to this, the greatest hobby, and how "making disciples" can be co-opted in the context of training up new collectors to fully enj...

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