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Dude you are got incredible balance here. Vintage, Modern, GOATS, cool 90s inserts, even some dope Fantasy Footballers cards lol

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Yeah, that’s what makes me lean toward grading the Pokémon. If I get 9s on the Charizard and Blastoise, I’m basically at break-even, and a 10 on either would be roughly an 8x profit. That’s enough upside to make the grading gamble pretty interesting.

The MJ is a little different. I’d only need about a 7 to break even, which makes me more comfortable sending it in despite PSA being tough on Jordan. If it somehow comes back a 9, though, we’re talking roughly a 25x increase from what I have into it.

And Wemby is probably the biggest swing. I’d need an 8 just to break even, but a 10 would be around a 30x profit increase. That one makes me want to take a really hard look at the corners and surface before sending it.

So now I’m basically trying to decide whether I’m seeing potential 9s and 10s or just seeing what I WANT to see. 😂

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I’m kind of in the same boat with buying during the season. I know the smart move is probably to wait for the offseason when prices cool off, but actually sticking to that is another story, lol.

The 30th Anniversary Pokémon stuff is what has me really curious right now. Some of the previews look absolutely incredible, and I’m wondering how much supply they’re actually going to put out. The set does have some built-in demand with the classic reprints, 30 different Pikachu cards and some big chase cards, so I have a hard time believing the popular stuff is going to stay cheap.

My guess is that they’ll print a LOT of it, but that probably won’t mean the big hits are cheap. We’ve seen how quickly Pokémon can absorb a huge amount of product when collectors, investors and people chasing specific cards all want the same thing.

I’m actually hoping for a massive print run. Give everybody a chance to rip the set, let the initial hype die down, and then let the singles find their natural prices. If they make it too limited, I think the chase cards are going to be stupid expensive right out of the gate.

What do you guys think? Are you planning to rip 30th Anniversary, buy singles, or just watch the chaos from a safe distance? 😆

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There’s a few Bucs out there too that I have a feeling is going to have a huge season but are being overlooked right now….*cough* Tez Johnson *cough* lol

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I think its a big put up or shut year for Maye. He’s got the experience, he’s got the weapons, just need to put it all together

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I’m a big Bulls fan. So sad Rose never got to live up to his full potential. Bad knees will stick with you. Plus I know he would have gotten a Championship if Lebron didn’t “Take his talents to South Beach” lol

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I haven’t. The experience looks genuinely like a Star Wars fan’s dream but I’m not really a fan of Disney’s lightsabers. They kind of went function over form. To make the blades easily interchangeable they had to make them a little fatter, so they don’t look very screen accurate. There are companies that make more advanced ones that are smaller and can do more complex blade effects.

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I really appreciate you sharing that. And honestly, that’s exactly why I think having someone with you can make a huge difference at a show like National.

The part about your friend being brand new to the hobby really stands out too. You don’t need to know every set, player, parallel, or comp to belong at a card show. You can literally just be excited about cards and learn as you go.

And I appreciate the invite. I may have to take you up on that next year. Having a few familiar faces to wander around with would definitely make the whole experience more fun.

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Yeah, the travel cost is a whole different part of the hobby that people don’t always think about. Tickets are one thing, but once you add gas or flights, a hotel, food, and everything else, it gets expensive fast.

I really like the idea of going with someone, though. A big show seems like it would be a lot more fun when you have a friend to wander around with, split a room, and have someone to geek out with when you find something crazy. Hopefully you get the chance to make it to one eventually!

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That sounds like an incredible National experience. A 1953 Jackie would be enough to make the trip memorable on its own, but seeing that kind of growth in the hobby has to be pretty exciting too. Younger collectors and families getting involved is a really good sign.

And $3.1 million for the screen-used Luke saber hilt?!(I actually know the guy that designed that very lightsaber) That’s one of those numbers where you almost need to hear it twice. I can totally understand coming home that hyped and not being able to sleep. 😂

Nationals seems like one of those places where you could walk around for hours and still feel like you’ve only seen a fraction of what’s there.

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That’s exactly the kind of card where the grade almost doesn’t matter. You could spend more grading it than the card is technically worth, but you’re not really paying to increase the value—you’re paying to preserve the memory.

Getting your first real interaction with a ballplayer and having him sign that card in person is something you can’t replicate with a perfect copy bought online. That’s a true PC card, regardless of the grade.

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I really like the “don’t have expectations” part. That’s probably one of the easiest ways to make a card show more enjoyable. If you go in expecting to find a grail at a steal, you can leave disappointed even after having a great day.

And the point about talking to dealers is spot on too. Some of my favorite show experiences have come from conversations that had nothing to do with actually buying a card. You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll run into when you treat it as more than just a shopping trip.

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I actually like that kind of PC even more than a pure “buy before the hype” strategy. Having the local connection makes the Chase Brown cards mean something to you regardless of what the market does.

And I agree he could be an interesting one to watch. He already put up over 1,000 rushing yards and 69 catches last season, and his production really took off once Burrow was back

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Yeah, I think that’s a totally different kind of collecting, and I actually get it. Sometimes you’re buying the insert itself rather than the player. Honestly, that’s probably a pretty good way to enjoy some of the hobby’s iconic designs without completely destroying the wallet. Lmao

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Exactly 😂. I understand the sentimental attachment to a college number, especially if you had a great career there, but at some point you have to say, “Dude… it’s a jersey number.”