Dr. James Beckett: Sports Card Insights

517 - David Lee's On-Line Seven-Hour Course

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

David unpacks his seven-hour virtual course covering what it takes to be successful in this complicated hobby.

516 - Combo Cards with Rich Klein

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I discuss the long, storied history of combo (combination) cards featuring two or more players linked together by some connection.

515 - Interview: Kyle Robertson, dallascardshow.com

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kyle's Dallas shows have been the biggest over the past twelve months - we hear Kyle's philosophies and why his show have emerged as the standard in t...

514B - Teach Us to Grade?

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Would the grading companies consider having a formal grading seminar where they taught their customers how to grade like they do?

514A - What If: Stagnant Prices?

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What if prices in the hobby stayed the same for an extended period of time?  How would various sports card hobby entities be affected?

514 - Hobby CEO Challenges, with Rich Klein

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rich has some question about some of the past difficult management dilemmas over the years and how they relate to today's leaders in this en fuego mar...

513 - Show Table Optimization with Ron and Rhett Palmer

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of the local dealer tables I frequent has been the Palmers - so I wanted them to share how they do it - it works for me, but obviously it is also ...

512 - Dueling Questions with Jay Swartz

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jay and I, both former professors, go back and forth with (practical rather than scholarly) questions and answers.

511 - Dueling Questions with Brett McGrath, Stacking Slabs

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brett and I traded extemporaneous questions (and answers) about the sports card hobby for 15 minutes - every DQ is unrehearsed and different! 

510 - Dueling Questions with Mike Moynihan, Golden Age of Cardboard

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mike and I went back and forth with our provocative questions with an emphasis on vintage baseball, which we both love.

509C - Collectors Holdings LP's Acquisition of Goldin Auctions

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Collectors Holdings LP, fresh from the acquisition of Collector's Universe and PSA, has now acquired Goldin Auctions, with the stated intention of kee...

509B - Blackstone's Acquisition of CCG, Parent of CSG

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Blackstone ($650 billion  strong) has acquired a controlling interest in CCG at a reported valuation of more than $500 million - CCG until last year ...

509A - Impact of NIL (Name Image Likeness)

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

July 1 marked the beginning of a new era in college athlete's potential financial opportunities - how will this impact the sports collectibles world? ...

509 - Origin: David Lee, CoachDavidLee.com

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

David shares his origin story including his time at Beckett and onward with his free-lance career helping others inside and outside the sports card ho...

508 - John Broggi, National Sports Collectors Convention, with Rich Klein

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Broggi and his sons share their optimism for this year's National in Chicago - we hope their expectations are exceeded!

507 - Interview: Dr. Eric Strachan, Research Psychologist, Part 2

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The second part of my in-depth interview of Dr. Eric Strachan about our hobby and psychological constructs - although with a psychologist the question...

506 - Out-Takes with John Newman, Sports Card Nation

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John had me as a guest on his excellent show (Sport Card Nation, highly recommended) early this month and asked me many interesting questions - here a...

505 - Origin: Mike Moynihan, Baseball Collector and Golden Age of Cardboard

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mike never took a hiatus from this great hobby which is the exception - he enjoys the hobby, especially vintage baseball, delights in showing his grea...

504B - Out-Takes from Golden Age of Cardboard with Mike Moynihan

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mike interviewed me on his excellent show (highly recommended) and we enjoyed the conversation, as we both love vintage baseball and have been around ...

504A - Six Listener Questions 6.0

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Six more listener questions from various platforms and venues - send your questions to [email protected] and thanks!

504 - Impeached from the Hall of Fame?

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What would it take to get impeached from any of the Halls of Fame - how could it even happen and how might that affect sports card values?

503 - Out-Takes from Go GTS Live with Rob Bertrand and Ivan Lovegren

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I was featured on an interview segment of Rob and Ivan's excellent show - listen to the whole two hours - but in case you don't, here's ten minutes of...

502 - Father/Son: Ron and Rhett Palmer

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ron and Rhett are mainstays on the Dallas card show scene working their diverse inventory - truly something for everyone - and great customer service....

501 - Father/Son: Mike and Sam Fruitman

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mike and Sam enjoy Denver sports and the hobby - they both, in a sense, have two jobs - both of which sound like a lot of fun.  Sam is a locker room ...

500 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 479-498

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A brief recap of the past four weeks of our daily episodes - as usual a diverse mix of eclectic sports card hobby topics. 

499B: Father/Son: Palmer and Mike Moynihan, Baseball Collector

19 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Popular YouTuber Mike Moynihan joins in with his dad Palmer and together they explain their collecting gene (and love of baseball) with some great sto...

499A - Grandfather/Father/Son: Barry, John, and Jordan Newman, Part 2

19 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The second half of our Father's Day interview - we were having too much fun to stop considering three generations - a lot of laughter about the world'...

499 - Grandfather/Father/Son: Barry, John, and Jordan Newman

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sports Card Nation podcaster John Newman guests along with his dad and his son for an episode of all things Newman - hobby is the people - an enjoyabl...

498 - Father/Son: Bill and Ricky Huggins, Huggins and Scott Auctions

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Long-time auction house Huggins and Scott has a unique approach - Bill and his son Ricky have enjoyed the ride together over the decades.

497 - Father/Sons: John, John Jr., and Jeff Broggi

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rich Klein joins me as we interview the Broggi's on their sports card hobby involvement and leadership and experience together. 

496 - Fathers/Sons: Brittons and Mills

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen Britton and son Ryan and Brandon Mills and son Jackson share their hobby stories in father and son sports card collecting including their fami...

495 - Origin: Jay Swartz

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jay discusses the wild ride he has had in his hobby journey recovering from a devastating theft, but now riding high, as he has applied his professori...

494B - Out-Takes on Lud Denny with Bill Chandler, Hawaii Pro Bowl

12 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More discussion of a fallen comrade who had a huge impact on our hobby thirty years ago - literally trying to bring his cards into every home!

494A - Out-Takes on Retail from Hobby Hotline 052921

12 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brad Bethune and Rich Klein joined me in a discussion of retail - this was a small part of the hour-long live show, that you should check out.

494 - Tribute: Lud Denny with Bill Chandler, Hawaii Pro Bowl

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bill and I (with Mike Conroy contributing in the background) discuss the meteoric rise and fall of Lud Denny and his huge impact, marketing wise,  on...

493 - Interview: Dr. Eric Strachan, Research Psychologist

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Eric looks at our hobby through the lens of a research psychologist and he questions what's going on with grading and how to make sense of that. 

492 - Origin: Brett McGrath, Stacking Slabs

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We listen to fellow podcaster Brett McGrath's sports card hobby journey as well as his vocational journey.

491 - Origin: Mike Steveline

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mike brought his passion for collecting baseball cards and his technical expertise to the Baseball Card Hall of Fame in simplifying its voting structu...

490 - Stepped Up Basis Considerations with Eddie Healy

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Stepped Up basis may be eliminated by the Congress, which would affect hobby generational wealth transfer in a big way.

489B - Instagram Questions

05 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An accumulation of related questions and themes from Instagram on how I do hobby - spoiler alert - I am not typical.

489A - Out-Takes on Shows from Hobby Hotline 052921

05 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Co-Hosts Brad Bethune (TX Card Dude), Rich Klein, and I fielded questions from this live Saturday morning hobby show about shows, old and recent.

489 - Origin: Ray Fonio aka Ray from Philly

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ray shares his baseball card collecting journey - leading him all the way to the founding of the Baseball Card Hall of Fame.

488 - Content Convo: Sustainable Growth

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do we maintain momentum and continue to sustain the remarkable recent growth in our great hobby?

487 - Content Convo: Conflicts of Interest

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Conflicts of interest in the sports card industry may not be illegal but they can be destructive to the long term health of the hobby if too many new ...

486 - Content Convo: Motivation and Consistency

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The distinguished panelists at the dinner in late May in Dallas had suggestions for how they maintain motivation and consistency in the delivery of th...

485 - Collecting Baltimore with Eddie Healy

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Eddie and I tout the benefit of collecting the popular players from your schools or area - a great focus allowing for every budget.

484B - Content Convo: Transparency

29 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The question of transparency - too little or even too much - came up in our group discussion - lots of expert voices chiming in.

484A - Out-Takes on my Wall of Fame with Ray Fonio aka Ray from Philly

29 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ray and I kept rolling as we referenced prominent baseball cards pictured on my (multi-sport) Wall of Fame.  

484 - Content Convo: Inspirations

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The first question of the evening was: who inspired you in the beginning of your sports card hobby journey - a brief, but well-deserved, shout-out to ...

483 - Content Convo: Intros

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We had 26 in attendance at the first Hobby Content Creators dinner, held  immediately after the huge Dallas card show on May 22nd - this episode prov...

482 - Baseball Card Hall of Fame with Mike Steveline

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Steveline brought his tech skills to the Baseball Card Hall of Fame project, but like Ray, his two hobby loves are baseball cards and the Hall of...

481 - Out-Takes from Cardboard Chronicles with Josh Johnson

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Josh had me on his Cardboard Chronicles show as a guest and we batted ideas around for 45 minutes - check out his show regularly - this was about ten ...

480 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 459-478

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A brief recap of the past four weeks of daily episodes - hopefully something for everyone - whether you are a pure collector or an aggressive investor...

479B - The Patient Flipper

22 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I confess that I flip cards - but patiently, and on a smaller scale - in fact my selling horizon is ten years.  Whereas some flippers at shows barely...

479A - Out-Takes about my card Wall of Fame with John Keating

22 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I kept the recorder going for this after-the-interview back-and-forth explaining some of the cards on my wall of Fame as John pointed some of them ou...

479 - Dueling Questions with John Keating, soccer enthusiast

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John and I trade questions about his first and current "sports" loves.  The questions do not have to be explicitly about sports cards, but they need ...

478 - Six Listener Questions 5.0

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Six more listener questions on a variety of sports card questions - timely and timeless - please send your questions to [email protected] ...

477 - Baseball Card Hall of Fame with Ray from Philly

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ray Fonio aka Ray from Philly created a Baseball Card Hall of Fame four years and voting is by collectors - this year's class is available for voting ...

476 - Dueling Questions with Brad Bethune, TX Card Dude

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brad and I trade questions - most of his questions centered on the early days of BGS card grading - but my questions to him were more personalized.

475 - Dueling Questions with Josh Johnson, Cardboard Chronicles and Card Ladder

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and I had questions for each other and we enjoyed the back-and-forth comparing our hobby experiences then and now.

474B - Buy the Card, Not the Holder!

15 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I further complicate this adage - it is true, but there are additional considerations raised - when all is said and done, the answer can be neither (h...

474A - Topps Box Battle: Chrome F1 and Museum Collection Soccer

15 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Comparing and contrasting two boxes received thanks to Emily Kless of Topps - these are from two of the world's most popular sports - Formula 1 is com...

474 - Six Listener Questions 4.0

14 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Six more eclectic sports card questions addressed from recent feedback from a variety of sources and on a variety of topics - if you want your questio...

473 - The Retail Dilemma

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hard to find or impossible to find wax at Walmart or Target - facetiously are you more likely to find a fight than to find a desirable box - what can ...

472 - Origin (and Analyzing Soccer): John Keating

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John's origin story involves him originally and still collecting baseball cards, but apparently now loving soccer even more, although surprisingly he ...

471 - Breaking into Breaking, with Jimmy Estruch III, RetroBoomin

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jimmy asked about the best way to break into breaking cases - to be profitable a breaker has to acquire desirable sports card cases at a reasonable co...

470 - Dueling Questions with John Newman, Sports Card Nation

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John's Sports Card Nation is one of my favorite podcasts.  In this episode we trade alternating questions about the hobby we both love.

469B - GaradeA.id Follow-Up with Brad Bethune, TX Card Dude

08 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brad and I discuss the technical challenges inherent in what GradeA.id's press release and marketing mock-up seem to suggest.

469A - Out-Takes on GenaMint from Hobby Hotline 042421

08 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Co-hosts Brody the Kid and Brad Bethune joined me for a stimulating conversation about this breaking news story and how it might impact the grading wo...

469 - Card Ladder, with Josh Johnson, Co-Founder

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and I discuss Card Ladder - an impressive analytical app that provides a 21st century price guide approach to many of the inter-related high dema...

467 Out-Takes on Kids' Product and NFT's from Hobby Hotline 042421

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brody the Kid and Brad Bethune (@TXCardDude) were my co-hosts a couple of weeks ago on Hobby Hotline (available live or as an audio podcast) - this wa...

468 - 1989-91 Bowman Baseball, with Rich Klein

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bowman came back with a splash in 1989 when Topps brought back the first of these prospect-driven baseball card sets, which have continued to be antic...

466 - Interview of Me, by Gabriella Fettman

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Gabriella had some questions she wanted to ask me about the sports cards hobby for her college psychology paper about how nostalgia has played an impo...

465 - Buy the Dip, with Jimmy Estruch III, RetroBoomin

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Buy on the big dip, the little dip, the future dip, the permanent dip?  Very confusing especially in a raging bull market for sports cards.

464B - No Respect for 9's?

01 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In sports card grading the spread between the values of 9's versus 10's is not a fixed constant, as it floats and is dependent on many factors especia...

464A - Grading 1 of 1's

01 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Question submitted about whether 1 of 1's should be graded - here's ten considerations that are relevant to me on my decision in that regard.

464 - Origin: Brad Bethune, TX Card Dude

30 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We hear Brad's sports card origin story including how his wife surprisingly encouraged him at a strategic crossroads.

463 - Dueling Questions with Val Marz , NASCARD Radio

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Val and I trade questions back and forth, and not all questions were NASCAR related.  Val's love of sports card collecting, especially racing, and NA...

462 - Origin: Josh Johnson, Cardboard Chronicles and Card Ladder

28 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Josh shares his sports card origin story and how he began his content creation activities culminating in co-founding Card Ladder. 

461 - Out-Takes on GradeA.id and Pre-Grading from Hobby Hotline 042421

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I was on Hobby Hotline last Saturday with Brad Bethune (TXCardDude) and Brody The Kid and this segment came up with respect to the recent press releas...

460 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 439-458

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We briefly recount the highlights of the past four weeks of daily episodes - if you have episode ideas, please send them to [email protected]...

459B - Genamint and AI Grading: Edges

24 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

459A - Showing (Describing) Your Collection

24 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

459 - Origin: Jimmy Estruch III, RetroBoomin

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 busine...

458 - Modern Convo: Budgeting

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our modern virtual dinner guests (Ken Capell, Jason Granet, Jordan Hagedorn, Jeremy Lee, and Mike Sommer) each had an opinion of the value of budgetin...

457 - NASCAR Cards, with Val Marz, NASCARD Radio

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

456 - Psychology of Collecting and Nostalgia, with Gabriella Fettman

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 p...

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

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

454B - Market Manipulate-ability

17 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

454A - Current Grading Submission Strategies

17 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

454 - My Pro Bono Consulting with Rich Klein

16 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

453 - Out-Takes with Rocco Rosato

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

452 - Dueling Questions with Chris Harris, Stale Gum

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

451 - Magic Years vs. Dynasties, with Rich Klein

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

450 - Tribute: Frank Nagy, with Frank Guastella

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 promo...

449B - Your Collecting Avatar

10 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 (a...

449A - Six Listener Questions 3.0

10 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Another six questions (with answers!) submitted by listeners, all concerning the hobby we all love.  Your questions can be submitted to doctorjamesbe...

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

09 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

448 - Kids Card Product Idea

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I give specific details on how I would configure an interesting sports card product/set that I believe could be a winner - especially intentionally fo...

447 - The Greatest National, with Rich Klein

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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, ha...