Dr. James Beckett: Sports Card Insights

413 - Tribute: Dale Earnhardt with Val Marz

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt passed away exactly twenty years ago today.  Val Marz, host of the NASCARD Radio podcast helps me remember this racing i...

412 - Transferable Skills with Torsten Bauer

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Torsten and I talk about the skills acquired in sports cards collecting that serve one well in their career and non-hobby life.

411 - Origin: Billy Celio, Upper Deck

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Billy talks about his sports card hobby origin story including how he got his job at Upper Deck.

410 - Origin: David Porter, Panini

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

David has some great stories to tell about his decades in the hobby including his worst deal ever from 30 years ago.  His goal was to get ALL the car...

409B - Upper Deck Hockey Box Battle

13 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Five of Upper Deck's hockey products from this year are evaluated: Chronology, Synergy, Team Canada Juniors, O-Pee-Chee, and Upper Deck Hobby series o...

409A - Out-Takes: Brody The Kid, Hobby Life

13 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brody turns the tables on his show - he gets to ask me the questions - at 12 and a half years old he holds his own!  Here's seven minutes of fun with...

409 - Then And Now: Beckett Subscriptions with Bob Richardson

12 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bob Richardson led our company's subscription effort for many years and we discuss the importance of monthly subscribers in print publications, especi...

408 - Out-Takes on Content, Media, and Crossing from Sports Cards Live

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Lee and I had several threads across his Sports Card Live show from January 9, 2021 - highly recommended that you listen to the whole episode.

407 - Dueling Questions with Charles Hodder, COMC ID

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dueling Questions with Charles Hodder stretched way beyond COMC, where he works, into other industry backlogs. 

406 - The 2000's: Card Shows with Dave Sliepka

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and I review the big shows of the decade of the 2000's, especially the Nationals each summer. 

405 - Dueling Questions with Terry Wickstrom

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Terry and I exchange thought-provoking questions about the hobby we both love.

404B - Grading Quotas

06 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many misunderstandings about graded cards and the companies who grade them.  Quotas have been whispered or suggested over the years but what does tha...

404A - Out-Takes with Carl Landau, I Used To Be Somebody

06 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I enjoyed being on Carl's podcast and these were the interchanges that seemed more relevant to our audience - but I encourage you to listen and enjoy ...

404 - Dueling Questions with COMC Barry

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

COMC Canada's Barry and I go back and forth with some hobby questions on a wide range of topics. 

403 - 1960-61 Fleer Baseball All-Time Greats with Rich Klein

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I discuss the 1960 and 1961 Fleer sets that featured baseball hall of famers and other old-timers.  I remember buying them in packs back in ...

402 - SLAM Interview Out-Takes with Jordan Hagedorn

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jordan interviewed me for an article in SLAM magazine.  These are the out-takes for that discussion.

401 - Interview: Carl Landau, Niche Media

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Carl sold his company, Niche Media, a year and a half ago, and we share stories about that as well as all the other start-ups, events, and consultatio...

400 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 379-398

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A brief recap of the past four weeks of episodes - you can send your comments or questions to [email protected] and they may "influence" a...

399B - Broken Hobby Resolutions

30 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

By the end of January many have given up on their New Year's resolutions - here are some hobby resolutions you should maintain throughout the year. 

399A - GameStop (GameStonk) vs. Sports Cards

30 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The amazing run-up in Game Stop stock lately has generated major news - what can we learn in terms of sports card insights?  Can bubbles be long-term...

399 - Player: Dale Murphy with Pete Williams

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sports writer Pete Williams is not the only knowledgable fan who holds Dale Murphy as their favorite player (and wants him in the Baseball Hall of Fam...

398 - Player: Todd Helton with Terry Wickstrom

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Terry and I discuss his favorite player's cards, career, and excellent HOF chances.

397 - Out-Takes on Consulting, FOMO, and Grading from Sports Cards Live

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Lee, host of Sports Card Live, and I discuss several interesting topics as mentioned in the title. 

396 - Origin: Charles Hodder, COMC ID

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Not everything you wanted to know about COMC's card identification process - but I certainly learned some things.  Charles' eclectic collecting backg...

395 - Tributes: Mike Gallela and Ernie Montella with Rich Klein

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I reminisce about our old friends, whom we regularly saw at the popular Philadelphia shows over many decades.

394B - Invitation to 2021 Hobby Convo "Dinners"

23 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send your email address to [email protected] explaining how you have promoted the hobby and this podcast for consideration to be included...

394A - Tribute: Hank Aaron

23 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hank Aaron has passed away from a massive stroke at the age of 86 - he was the premier power hitter of his generation and still holds the all-time rec...

394 - Then And Now: USA Today with Pete Williams

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The influence of a national daily newspaper with a ground-breaking approach to sports reporting was fundamental to the growth of the industry in my op...

393 - Out-Takes on Gretzky 10's from Hobby Hotline

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Lee, my co-host last Saturday on Hobby Hotline, and I got into an in-depth substantive discussion of the two Gretzky 10 RC's, which went for wo...

392 - Then And Now: Hobby Photographers with Ben Bram

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ben collects pre-rookie post cards and enjoys the quest for knowledge about these tougher cards and the photographers who produced them. 

391 - Origin: COMC Barry

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Barry and I talk about his key role in the development and operation of COMC Canada including their virtual show presence.

390 - Out-Takes on Big Hobby Stories 2020 from Sports Cards Live

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Lee, popular host of Sports Cards Live, interviewed me on the biggest stories of the past year - recommend you subscribe to Jeremy's YouTube ch...

389B - Bitcoin versus Sports Cards

16 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Would you invest in Bitcoin but NOT in Sports Cards?  They are similar in some ways but very different in other ways.  Compared and contrasted!

389A - Out-Takes on Promo and Preview Cards with Lee Markowitz

16 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lee and I continue our discussion on some baseball cards that are very hard to find, perhaps because they are hard to distinguish.

389 - Origin: Brody the Kid

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brody and I sit down for a wide-ranging discussion of his "career" in the hobby - great to talk about the future of kids in this hobby with a real kid...

388 - Origin: Pete Williams, author of Card Sharks

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pete's book, Card Sharks, back in 1995 was a must read - we catch up with him 25 years later and find out what interesting things Pete has been up to....

387 - Promo and Preview Cards with Lee Markowitz

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lee and I discuss the difficulty of finding some of the toughest baseball cards from the junk wax era. 

386 - Tribute: Gale Sayers with Dave Sliepka

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and I discuss the legacy of recently departed Gale Sayers as well as other Chicago Bears legends.

385 - Out-Takes from Hobby Hotline 010221

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This particular Hobby Hotline show was an hour and an half long - lots of good discussion and questions from live listeners - recommend listening to t...

384C - Tribute: Tommy LaSorda, Hall of Fame Manager

09 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tommy LaSorda has passed away from a fatal heart attack at the age of 93, the oldest living Baseball Hall of Famer.  Tommy was colorful and a huge pe...

384B - Out-Takes on Retail and PSA from Sports Cards Live

09 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Excellent questions and comments from Jeremy Lee of Sports Cards Live, where I appeared recently - very enjoyable show every week - highly recommended...

384A - Out-Takes with Geoff Wilson

09 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Geoff (Sports Card Investor podcast) and I discussed a range of hobby topics at his Holiday Virtual Show last month.

384 - Tribute: Floyd Little with John Newman

08 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Syracuse has had three amazing HOF runners carry their number 44: Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little.  John Newman shares his interactions with...

383 - Out-Takes on Future Projections from Hobby Hotline

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Val Marz, Jeremy, and John Newman, mainstays of the Hobby Hotline call-in show, join this wide-ranging (and live) discussion about the hobby's future ...

382 - 1961-62 Fleer Basketball

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This iconic set was under-appreciated until it wasn't.

381 - Tribute: Phil Niekro with Rich Klein

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Great Baseball Hall of Fame knuckle-balling pitcher Phil Niekro has passed away from cancer at 81 - his cards and memorabilia have always been very re...

380 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 359-378

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A brief recap of the past twenty episodes in case you missed any of them.  Episode ideas or suggestions can be sent to [email protected] ...

379B - Out-Takes on World Record Prices from Sports Cards Live

02 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Lee of Sports Cards Live interviewed me on his YouTube channel about the biggest stories of 2020.  We were largely in agreement.

379A - 2021 Predictions with Rob Veres, Burbank Sportscards

02 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We hear Rob's exciting predictions for the sports card hobby in 2021 - no secret that he is very bullish.

379 - 2021 Predictions with Mike Fruitman, Mike's Stadium Sportscards

01 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mike and I discuss what we think will happen next year in our industry (which is trending!).

378 - Year in Review 2020 with Mike Fruitman, Mike's Stadium Sportscards

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mime and I talk about the past year - a year like no other in our sports card hobby. 

377 - Pro Football HOF Semi-Finalists with Rich Klein

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I discuss the just-named 25 Pro Football Hall of Fame semi-finalists and their Hall chances as well as any potential impact on their particul...

376 - Tribute: Joshua Leland Evans with Rich Klein

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hobby sports memorabilia auction pioneer and co-founder of Leland's, Josh Evans has passed away - he is greatly missed and mourned.

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...