Dr. James Beckett: Sports Card Insights

375 - MLB Including Negro Leaguers Implications with Rich Klein

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I discuss the impact on the sports card hobby of MLB deciding to now include and integrate 1920-48 Negro Leaguers and their certified playing...

374B - Notable Sports Deaths 2020

26 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A quick review of the notable sports deaths this past year, undoubtedly the deadliest ever.

374A - Out-Takes with Dave Sliepka

26 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and I discuss some miscellaneous issues on a range of hobby topics.  If you have questions, try [email protected] and feel free to a...

374 - Unsolicited Gifts

25 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Christmas means gifts to many, but most of those gifts are expected reciprocal gift exchanges - but what about unsolicited gifts within the hobby from...

373 - Deferred Gratification

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Christmas Eve we have anticipation for what we might get for Christmas - deferred gratification is a helpful trait for sports card collectors.

372 - Cleveland Baseball Team Name? (with Rich Klein)

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cleveland has announced they are retiring the Indians name to be replaced with something else - Rich and I ponder the possibilities and whether that m...

371 - Out-Takes on StarStock's New Investors from Hobby Hotline

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Val Marz and Jeremy Lee, co-hosts of Hobby Hotline, join the discussion of the impact of the noteworthy new round of investors in StarStock, including...

370 - Tribute: Phil Spector with Rich Klein

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Phil Spector, good friend of Rich's and mine, and all who knew him, passed away early last week.  He was a mainstay in the hobby at the Nationals, Ea...

369B - Out-Takes on PSA Buyout Benefits from Hobby Hotline

19 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I joined with Val Marz and Jeremy Lee on Hobby Hotline for this short thread on additional benefits that may accrue to the owners of PSA if they are t...

369A - Out-Takes on Post and Jello with Ken Marks

19 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ken Marks and I continued our conversation on his very challenging and successful master set quest.

369 - Dueling Questions with Kevin O'Keefe

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin and I trade questions based on his thoughtful email to me at [email protected] - thanks Kevin!

368 - 1973 Topps Baseball with Rich Klein

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich Klein and I discuss this turning point set from Topps - more complicated than you may think.

367 - Dueling Questions 2.0 with Ken Capell

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ken Capell and I go a second round of dueling questions initiated by his thoughtful email to [email protected] and its implications.

366 - Baseball Magic Years with Rich Klein

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I discuss those special instances where demand is strong for certain world champs, especially in vintage baseball cards, for example, the 196...

365 - Player: Shaquille O'Neal with Torsten Bauer

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Shaq's biggest card collecting fan in Germany is Torsten Bauer.  Some guy named Dirk is Torsten's second favorite.

364B - Wax On, Wax Off?

12 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Karate Kid and Cobra Kai have popularized this cryptic saying - but here's an application for sports card collectors and investors.

364A - 2020 Topps Baseball: Chrome Black and Inception

12 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some notes about these boxes (one pack per box!) as well as related hobby topics about modern sports cards.

364 - Dueling Questions 2.0 with Dane Coenen, Dynasty Breaks

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dane and I got on a roll and kept the microphones on for some additional back-and-forth questions and answers - including the one thousand episode con...

363 - Kid's Crate and Other Hobby Kid Ideas with Joe Palke

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Palke, teacher and coach, and I discuss the opportunities for attracting more kids into our hobby sooner rather than later.

362 - Player Tribute: Dick Allen

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dick (Don't Call Me Richie) Allen passed away at 78 on Monday.  I believe he is future Baseball Hall of Famer, which will undoubtedly impact the valu...

361 - 1988 Upper Deck Baseball with Rich Klein

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Upper Deck did not accidentally pop on the scene in 1989 - behind the scenes the year before..

360 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 339-358

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brief recap of the past 20 episodes in case you missed some.  Contact [email protected] if you have episode ideas - thanks!

359B - Out-Takes from Hobby Hotline

05 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I was honored to be a panelist on Hobby Hotline last month.  Recommend listening to (and watching) that show regularly as it is live on Saturday morn...

359A - Out-Takes with Bill Sutherland, Entrust Global VP of M&A

05 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bill and I discuss various topics in this overtime session - I thought worth sharing - if you have ideas for guests or topics for this podcast, please...

359 - Beckett Ownership Transition(s) with Bill Sutherland, Entrust Global VP of M&A

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bill discusses his leadership roles over the years as Beckett Media has evolved.

358 - 1990-91 Hockey Licensee Explosion with Ken Capell

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1990-91 was the pivotal year for hockey collectors with the debut of several hobby mainstay products. 

357 - 1961 Post Cereal Baseball with Ken Marks

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Veteran advanced collector Ken Marks discusses his master set of 1961 Post baseball and more.

356 - PSA Buyout!

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Exciting news that collector-extraordinaire Nat Turner along with some other serious financial investment entities have reached agreement to purchase ...

355 - 2020 Topps Archives from Dynasty Breaks with Rich Klein

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I enjoyably break a couple of Archives baseball hobby boxes (masked up and behind a wall) courtesy of Dane Coenen of Dynasty Breaks.

354B - Out-Takes with Adam Gray, Basketball Card Fanatic

28 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stuff from our conversation that did not make the finished episodes including my fantasy five basketball starting line-up.

354A - Tribute: Frank Steele, Perez-Steele Galleries

28 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A couple of stories about my departed friend Frank Steele, who was a true Baseball Hall of Famer in this industry.

354 - Out-Takes on Content and Predictions from Sport Card Nation, John Newman's 100th

27 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

John Newman's very entertaining podcast show, Sports Card Nation, included a roundtable discussion of Content Creation in the hobby as well prediction...

353 - Thankful for Rich Klein

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich Klein has been on so many of these episodes always adding his wonderful stories - this is my opportunity to say thank you to my friend Rich.

352 - Top Ten All-Time Basketball Cards with Adam Gray

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I give Adam my top ten and he comments and compares to other rankings he has received in his Basketball Card Fanatic e-Magazine (available for free at...

351 - Origin: Bill Sutherland, Beckett Media and Entrust Global VP of M&A

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bill discusses his hobby journey before and after coming to Beckett Publications back in late 1996, always having a sense of the business aspects.

350 - Beckett Ownership Transition(s) with Peter Gudmundsson

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Gudmundsson was the successor CEO when Beckett Publications was sold to Apprise Media back in 2005.

349B - Investment Fallacies: Bad Rookie Class?

21 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Every year there are new rookies and new excitement in the basketball card market - but it's not all bad if this year is a little weaker than the past...

349A - Watters Creek Show Report

21 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Promoter Kyle Robertson's recent Watters Creek show in Plano, Texas, was very successful each day of this three-day show.

349 - Out-Takes on Kids Ideas from Sports Card Nation, John Newman's 100th

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I was honored to be a guest on John Newman's 100th episode along with Brody The Kid and Drew Herndon.  John's first question concerned the opportunit...

348 - Dueling Questions with Dane Coenen, Dynasty Breaks

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dane had saved up some questions for me but I was ready with my own questions.

347 - Unopened Rack Packs with Eddie Healy

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eddie Healy shares his experience with his dad and the 1974 Topps rack packs they were able to resist opening all these years.  

346 - Then And Now: Local Card Shops with Alex Bell

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Bell's card shop was operational from 1988-1995 with lots of local brick and mortar competition.  Now card shops compete with the digital world ...

345 - All-Time Great RC's with Victor Roman

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Victor Roman collects RC's of Hall of Famers in the four collecting major sports as do I - we discuss our respective approaches.

344B - Out-Takes on Mortality with Brad Askew

14 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brad and I had an extended conversation about several subjects related to the discomfort of our finite mortality and how to deal with our valuable spo...

344A - Out-Takes on 1949 Leaf Baseball with Karl Dykstra

14 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Karl's father only collected and completed only one baseball card set - but it was a great one - plus he kept his daily journal from 1949! 

344 - International Aspect of Beckett Magazines with Torsten Bauer

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Torsten's experience as a basketball card collector in Germany over the years was heavy reliant on his trusted Beckett magazines.

343 - Bowman and Topps Salesman Panels with Anthony Nex

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Advanced collector Anthony Nex shares his quest for completing these elusive panels, which were intended to preview the upcoming set, but were apparen...

342 - 1949 Leaf Baseball with Karl Dykstra

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Karl shares his family's positive story involving his dad's cards and how they were handled over the decades since the exact day they were purchased.

341 - Mortality with Brad Askew

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brad and I discuss this difficult topic that perhaps every serious collector will eventually face.

340 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 319-338

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A brief recap of the most recent twenty episodes of this podcast in case you are curious.

339B - Out-Takes on Post and Jello with Dr. Rick Johnson

07 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Rick and I rambled on for some of the other interesting Post and Jello sets from the early 1960's.  The year 2020 has taught us that "ridiculous"...

339A - 2020 Panini Origins Football thanks to Dane Coenen, Dynasty Breaks

07 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Breaker Dane Coenen, who has appeared on this show before, kindly sent over a couple of boxes of Panini Origins for our review.

339 - 1963 Post and 1963 Jello with Dr. Rick Johnson

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Rick and I discuss the similarities and differences between these two challenging sets, both with the allure of intriguing short prints.

338 - Basketball Card Fanatic e-Magazine with Adam Gray

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Gray's e-Magazine is highly recommended - contact him at [email protected] for a free copy of his first issue.

337 - Where to Sell with Joe Palke

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Palke wants to sell some of his cards - don't many of us?  What are the preferred selling platforms or methods for selling cards of various value...

336 - Card Storage and Protection with Alex Bell

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Bell and I discuss different methods of storing and protecting sports cards - the more valuable as well as those less valuable.

335 - Tribute: Herb Adderley

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Recently deceased Pro Football Hall of Famer Herb Adderley is worthy of a second look - his cards look like utter bargains based on their supply compa...

334B - Out-Takes on Fractional Ownership from Hobby Hotline

31 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hobby Hotline is a great show (live!) that I encourage you to listen to in its entirety.  I was joined by John Newman, Jeff Dinson, Jeremy Lee, and J...

334A - Out-Takes on Customer Service Fixes from Hobby Hotline

31 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hobby Hotline is always interesting and worth your attention.  We had an interesting exchange last time I was on this live show, worthy of sharing.

334 - The 1990's: Card Shows with Rich Klein

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I examine the big shows, especially the Nationals, over the decade of the 1990's.

333 - The Real RC with Victor Roman

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Victor Roman has done extensive research and reporting on rookie cards, which he shares with us.  What defines an RC has evolved.

332 - Kids and the Hobby with Kevin O'Keefe

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin, a second grade teacher, and I discuss ways to get more kids into our great hobby.

331 - Seven Price Guide Hacks

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Looking through the political lens with next week's election, here are seven price guide hacks along with some connections to popular controversial to...

330 - Out-Takes from Beckett Industry Summit with Ray Schulte

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The recent Beckett Industry Summit had a number of excellent sessions.  Ray Schulte interviewed me for one and this was the segment I thought was par...

329B - Faux Sponsor: Autograph Legibility Service

24 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to this episode if you agree that athletes and celebrities should do a better job of signing their names in terms of legibility and recognizabi...

329A - Arrows

24 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The introduction of up and down arrows in Beckett Baseball Card Monthly was a turning point back in 1985.

329 - Explosive Corporate Growth with Rich Klein

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We are in another period of explosive hobby growth - Rich interviews me on what we can learn from the last time?

328 - The National Re-Imagined

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I go down a path of "what if's" reimagining our annual National Sports Collectors Convention, considering that this year is the first year since incep...

327 - Faux Sponsor: Sports Card SPAC

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A SPAC is a special financial approach for helping companies go public more easily.  Is there another public company in the hobby's future?

326 - 1972 Topps Baseball with Rich Klein

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I reminisce about the largest-ever (to that point) Topps baseball card set.

325 - Heritage Auctions Specialties with Derek Grady, HA VP

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Derek and I discuss the hobby, what makes it great, and how Heritage is strategically positioned.

324B - Anti-Analytic

17 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I am obviously not anti-analytics, but I realize there are some trailblazers out there who write their own "music" and scripts for success.  

324A - 2020 Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball

17 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A review of this popular Topps baseball product and a discussion of pack and box odds.

324 - Interview: Pete Calderon, Heritage Auctions

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pete and I discuss third-party grading, coming from the auction house perspective.

323 - Tribute: Eddie Van Halen

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Music superstar and guitar hero Eddie Van Halen's life and death suggest insights for us sports collectors.

322 - Grading Skill with Derek Grady, Heritage Auctions VP

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Derek was former head grader at SGC and has brought his keen eye and knowledge to Heritage serving as VP for the past nine years and evaluating and ha...

321 - Tribute: Joe Morgan

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Morgan, perhaps the greatest second baseman in baseball history, passed away this past Sunday of polyneuropathy.

320 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 299-318

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A very quick summary of the episodes of the past four weeks - thanks!  [email protected]

319C - Tribute: Whitey Ford

10 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Whitey Ford was an even greater pitcher than I remembered.

319B - Tribute: Barrie Sullivan

10 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

My friend Barrie Sullivan passed away almost six years ago.  He was an early strong contributor to the health and expansion of our hobby based on his...

319A - 2019-20 Upper Deck Stature Hockey Experiment

10 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I took three routes to see which would be most pleasing or profitable in pursuing Stature.  I was surprised.

319 - Huggins & Scott Auction Logistics with Bill Huggins and Kris Fraley

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Huggins & Scott's auction logistics expertise allows them to profitably handle large lots as a service to the industry.

318 - Tribute: Bob Gibson

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A closer look at Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson's life, career, and cards, after his tragic passing at the age of 84 to pancreatic cancer.

317 - Great Moms with Claire Amano

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

My sister Claire and I share stories about the early days of Beckett Publications and our mom's influence on this her 95th birthday.

316 - Heart Attack Reminiscences with Claire and Jeff Amano, both former Presidents of Beckett Publications

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

My sister Claire and her husband Jeff really stepped up when I had my heart attack exactly 24 years ago today and led Beckett Publications during that...

315 - US Election Concerns

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pew Research nationally surveyed for and then ranked the top 12 most concerning social and political issues involved in this coming presidential elect...

314B - Feedback Contest

03 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rewards for substantive feedback - listen and find out how and why during the month of October 2020.

314A - Types of Flippers

03 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Not all flippers are good ... or bad for the hobby.

314 - Professional Money Manager's Views on the "Hobby"

02 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan Krueger's firm helps clients manage their investments.  Ryan and I compare and contrast publicly-traded stocks and publicly-traded sports cards....

313 - Origin: Derek Grady, Heritage Auctions VP

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Derek and I have a wide-ranging conversation including his sports cards and collectibles hobby journey and the key brands to which he has strongly con...

312 - Dueling Questions with Steve Grad, Beckett Authentication Services

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Premier autograph authenticator Steve Grad and I trade questions on a variety of hobby topics.

311 - Hobby? Dealer? Mike Chark's Definitions

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mike and I discuss the various meanings attached historically to the words hobby and dealer.

310 - Best First Basemen NOT in the Hall of Fame with Rich Klein

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I discuss the respective chances of some hobby favorites waiting hopefully for their Hall call. 

309B - Out-Takes from Hobby Hotline on the "Junk Gem Era"

26 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Live caller Kevin Jones had an interesting question which was addressed - recommend you listen to the whole hour-long show, Hobby Hotline, another exc...

309A - Out-Takes from Hobby Hotline on Future Shows and Retail Distribution

26 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Last Saturday's Hobby Hotline had many great moments (as a live show) - I encourage you to listen to the whole show with Drew Herndon, Texas Card Dude...

309 - Then And Now: Pacific Trading Cards with Rich Klein

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I discuss the baseball card products of one of the most innovative card companies and the people involved including some history-repeated sto...

308 - Dueling Questions 3.0 with Rich Klein

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I go round three of the Dueling Questions format.

307 - Origin: Pete Calderon, Heritage Auctions

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pete shares his strong background in the hobby, landing at Heritage for the past 12 years.

306 - Origin: Ryan Krueger, Professional Money Manager

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan discusses how he has applied what he learned as a young collector to his current career in money management.

305 - Origin: Steve Grad, Beckett Authentication

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Steve gives his hobby origin story starting as a young card collector in Chicago.