Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-9qutg-1b4e589 Dr. Beckett discusses current grading company dilemmas, noting PSA and BGS pauses and SGC’s sharp basic-rate increase, and asks why PSA graded fewer cards in August despite attacking its backlog. He argues output varies with submission mix because higher-tier cards take longer and require greater scrutiny, and the…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-m5z5y-1b492ad Dr. Beckett welcomes longtime friend and former colleague B.A. Murry for a wide-ranging conversation covering their decades in the sports card hobby. They discuss Murry’s distinction as one of the “three amigos” who have set up at every National, Beckett’s attendance at every National, and memories of the…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-922zp-1b4929a Dr. Beckett returns with a “Pushback 2.0” episode responding to discussions from Jeremy Lee’s Sports Card Live, offering added context from his experience. He argues grading isn’t haphazard contrasting PSA’s whole-grade approach with BGS subgrades and pristine/black label concepts. He traces modern grading standards back to early-1970s word-based…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-qfjtm-1b3fc9f Dr. Beckett and Hobby Hotline co-hosts Rich Klein and John Newman enjoy an unscripted chat-driven discussion. They examine market “pumping,” focusing on rising Star Wars card prices ahead of the franchise’s 50th anniversary, and how first appearances and recognizable stars can drive a pecking order in value. The…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-kdhyt-1b3fc93 Dr. Beckett hypothetically and creatively explores whether age seven is really the ideal time to start collecting sports cards, reflecting on how his own strongest collecting years were ages 10–12 despite getting a first card at seven in 1956. Using an artificial ChatGPT voice to simulate a conversation…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-qqbwb-1b359f5 Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein discuss whether Pokémon has long-term staying power, arguing it has “legs” because its static characters avoid scandals, but questioning how nostalgia, generational cycles, and the lack of era-based debate like sports GOAT conversations affect TCG durability. They compare vintage appeal in older cards…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-t9d6s-1b359da Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein discuss the need for a better way to connect employers and candidates in the sports card industry, weighing an Indeed-style job aggregator against the hobby’s historically successful word-of-mouth, relationship-based hiring. They reference openings like Beckett cataloging roles, internal postings at COMC, and CGC…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-bbf99-1b359c0 Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein discuss the recent very crowded National convention and how the nearby Dallas Card Show better fits Rich's collecting lanes. They compare the Dallas show’s layout and focus with the more modern, Pokémon-heavy NTX show and talk about how show organizers fill extra tables.…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-ynnmr-1b3861f Dr. Beckett records an episode after learning that pitcher Tommy John has passed away, honoring John’s unusual and inspiring career and arguing he deserves the Hall of Fame for his on-field accomplishments, not just the surgery that bears his name. Beckett cites John’s 26 seasons, 288 wins, 3.34…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-3rt7k-1b35995 Dr. Beckett pays tribute to Don Nelson, reflecting on his NBA playing career with the Celtics (14 seasons, five championships) and his Hall of Fame coaching legacy built on innovation, experimentation, and position-less, mismatch-focused basketball. Beckett shares a personal story of playing 18 holes of golf with Nelson…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-zb3ac-1b31751 Dr. Beckett recaps episodes 1551–1574, highlighting Father’s Day two-part interviews with Greg Miller (Midlife Cards) and his father Michael, Cage Lawyer and son Ian, and Ben Bush with sons Ryan and Sterling. He revisits a tribute to Jack Smalling, outtakes from Hobby Hotline with Adam Palmer, Rich Klein…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-2tngj-1b1d82a Dr. Beckett talks with Brian Gray about the need for execution over ideation, and urges collectors to be selective about whose content they trust, valuing original thinkers with real industry experience over frequent, polished “rehash.” Gray discusses calling out fraud, the lack of organized consumer pushback, and how…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-xs5tm-1b1d823 Dr. Beckett interviews Brian Gray recorded before the National. Gray describes enjoying a lean, nimble operation with three (family) employees, streaming for fun, and the thrill of hobby arbitrage and “wheeling and dealing” rather than running a large company, noting his next venture won’t have him as CEO.…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-4xzvq-1b2a07c Dr. Beckett recaps his week at the 2026 National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago, describing the event as maximally crowded, the biggest National ever, with long lines and high energy. He details his buying-focused approach centered on dollar boxes, especially with the Singles Club, noting which days and…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-eaw76-1b1d81a Dr. Beckett talks with Brian Gray about high-volume card buying at the National, including last year’s long sell-to-him lines driven by many $1,000–$20,000 transactions and $3.1M spent in cash, and this year’s plan to use QR-coded five-minute appointment windows due to booth location constraints. Gray explains how modern…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-jjqbs-1b1219f Dr. Beckett argues that as the sports card hobby has grown into a larger industry, it needs a more organized “clearinghouse” to connect employers with qualified talent across full-time, part-time, remote, seasonal, and contract roles. He cites fragmented hiring, word-of-mouth recruiting, and scattered job listings (including Brett McGrath’s,…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-ud632-1b12190 Dr. Beckett discusses how job seekers can use the National as the best place to connect with most major hobby companies, compared with smaller shows, and urges “free agents” to present themselves as problem solvers with a clear, direct elevator pitch and a digital resume. He advises candidates…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-q3urg-1b12187 Dr. Beckett discusses hiring in the sports card hobby after a young friend asked for help, focusing on what hobby companies actually need beyond job titles. He emphasizes identifying the business problem or growth opportunity first, separating teachable skills from foundational traits like work ethic and integrity, and…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-chjkd-1b1d815 Dr. Beckett discusses the buzz around Keith Olbermann’s T206 “Restored Die-Cut Wagner” being sold via Love of the Game (auction closing August 8), explaining how the card was historically altered and later skillfully rebuilt using authentic card material, raising debate over restoration vs. deceptive alteration and how graders…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-f4pc4-1b1216f Dr. Beckett interviews David from Card Boredom about his 24-page deep-dive research (free at Cardboredom.com) on 1949 Leaf Baseball, focusing on 28 true graphic-stage variations clearly caused by a plate change rather than printing defects. They discuss why price guides and grading companies have been slow to update…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-eq79w-1b17eff Dr. Beckett recaps the biggest non-National show weekend in hobby history, with three major events running simultaneously—Fanatics Fest, the Dallas Card Show, and the West Coast Card Show, without the cannibalization some feared. He argues there’s enough cards, dealers, money, and interest to support all three and says…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-4wdhc-1b1214e Dr. Beckett and this week's Hobby Hotline crew (Adam Palmer and Tony TJ is Online) discuss news that Michael Jordan has extended his exclusive legacy partnership with Upper Deck, including Goodwin Champions redemptions for signed 1986 Fleer basketball wax packs and an eBay-auctioned 1-of-1 signed 1986 Fleer box…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-w28za-1ade059 Dr. Beckett compares going to Disney World with attending The National sports card show, drawing on trips to Disneyland and Disney World from the 1960s to the 1990s and his long history of attending The National, including taking his family in 1990. With an extended-family Disney World trip…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-n7keg-1b0b062 Dr. Beckett rambles and discusses how grading companies like PSA and BGS can make occasional labeling mistakes, noting the scale issue when volumes are high, and compares it to an Amazon shipping error that benefited him, suggesting AI checks could reduce such problems. He reflects on dynamic pricing…