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Buccaneers, Reds, and Bulls I’d say are always my targets when I go shopping lol

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I’m kicking myself for not getting into the launch break. There was a Derrick Brooks Super Bowl auto in it. On card. Was so cool!

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I live in Cincinnati, so it’s basically a food group here lmfao

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That’s still a pretty solid spread! And honestly, I like the “different menu every game” approach. Keeps the tailgates from turning into the same meal every weekend.

Sliders, wings, potato salad, chips and drinks is already enough to make me forget there’s supposed to be a football game happening.

Now I’m curious what the special occasion tailgate menu looks like when you really decide to go all out.

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Now THAT is a tailgate spread!!!!Ribs, pulled pork, bacon-wrapped jalapeños AND a seafood boil? You’re basically running a restaurant out of the parking lot.

The seafood boil is an awesome addition too. And Texas Longhorns + Dallas makes the football lineup pretty easy to get behind. 🤘🏈

I might have to steal the bacon-wrapped jalapeños idea for my next tailgate. That sounds dangerously easy to eat about 47 of. lmao

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Absolutely, and that 9-to-10 jump is what makes this submission so nerve-racking. 😂 A 9 is still a great grade, but a 10 can completely change the value.

Honestly though, that’s why I was comfortable sending it in. I’d be happy with an 8 or 9, and obviously hoping for that 10. Either way, it’s a Jordan I really like having in the collection, so there’s not much downside for me. Now we wait and hope the PSA grader woke up on the right side of the bed.

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Yeah, that’s pretty much how I’m looking at it too. If it comes back a 9 or 10, I’ll be thrilled, but even an 8 would still be a solid result for me.

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Lol yeah, that’s probably the smart way to do it. Once you start sending enough cards in, it gets way too easy to forget what’s where.

And honestly, picking the Degree label color ahead of time makes it even more fun. At that point you’re not just grading cards, you’re designing the slabs too.

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Lol ok so weird. I literally just pulled this right a few minutes ago 😂

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Yeah, that’s definitely the gamble with buying rookies early. A guy can look incredible for a year and then pitchers figure out how to attack him, or the league adjusts and suddenly the numbers aren’t quite the same. Murakami is one I’d be comfortable taking that chance on though. The talent is obviously there, and if he makes that adjustment, the cards could look very different a year from now. That’s the fun (and terrifying) part of prospecting, lol

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I agree though if they actually build around Flagg like they should, that redemption could end up being a monster card. He’s one of those players the hobby has been waiting on for years, and if he lives up to the hype, early autos are going to be highly sought after.

Of course, with redemptions, the real gamble is whether you get the card before Flagg signs his Hall of Fame induction speech. 😆

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That’s pretty much where I’m at too. The shop guy had me feeling pretty confident about it, and looking at it myself I’m having a hard time finding anything that would knock it down.

If it comes back a 10, I’m going to be VERY happy I decided to take the shot. Even a 9 wouldn’t hurt too badly, but obviously I’m sitting here hoping PSA agrees with us. Now comes the hardest part of grading: forgetting you submitted it until the email shows up. 😆

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Yeah, that pretty much confirms that one day at National is nowhere near enough. 😂 If you can spend the entire day there and still not even get close to every table, you almost have to treat it like a multi-day vacation.

Two days sounds like the sweet spot. One day for the “I need to find these specific cards” mission and another day to slow down, browse, talk to dealers, and actually take in all the crazy stuff you otherwise blow past.

And getting an Airbnb with friends would make the whole thing even better. National weekend is officially becoming a multi-day operation! 😂

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I think that’s a huge part of it. Shaq crossed over from being an athlete into being a recognizable pop-culture figure. Someone who couldn’t name five NBA players probably still knows who Shaq is.

That kind of mainstream recognition has to matter eventually in the card market. You’re not just selling the basketball player — you’re selling a personality and a piece of someone’s childhood.

Jordan obviously has that on an even bigger level, but Shaq is probably one of the few basketball players from that era who can reach way outside the actual basketball-collecting audience. That could be part of why the market is suddenly waking up to him.

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I’m with you on PCA. I think we’re getting to the point where waiting for the hobby to fully catch up could mean paying a lot more later. I’d rather grab a few cards now and be wrong than wait until everyone suddenly decides he’s a superstar. 😂

And the Pokémon situation is crazy. I have zero interest in fighting someone in a parking lot at 6 AM over a box of cards. 😂 I’ll happily let the scalpers do their thing, wait for the market to settle, and pick up the singles I actually want afterward. Much less stressful way to collect.