Dr. James Beckett: Sports Card Insights
Episodes
270 - Origin: Scott Prusha, Sports Marketing Director, Panini
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scott shares his hobby journey.
269B - Out-Takes from The Card Shop with Mike and the Big Dog
01 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I was interviewed last month for this excellent podcast and this was a slice I wanted to be sure my listeners heard.
269A - Out-Takes from Beckett Live (with Eric Norton)
01 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Short excerpt from my recent appearance on Beckett Live with Eric Norton discussing then and now type issues.
269 - Shipping Part One (with Mike Sommer, Wax Pack Hero)
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Sommer of Wax Pack Hero shares his accumulated knowledge of helpful shipping tips relative to sports cards.
268 - Origin: Jeremy Lee, Sports Cards Live
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jeremy shares with us his hobby origin and journey up to this point.
267 - Paywalls (with Geoff Wilson, Sports Card Investor)
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Geoff provides plenty of free information, but has structured his program in such a way that investors can choose to pay for certain products and serv...
266 - Dueling Questions 2.0 (with Drew Herndon)
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Round two for Drew and me with back-and-forth questions about the hobby.
265 - Tribute: Tom Reid (with Rich Klein
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
National sports collectibles dealer Tom Reid had great stuff and was a great guy. He is missed.
264C - NBA Playoff Predictions
25 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A chance to predict who will win and potentially why, although many basketball stars seem to already be fully priced.
264B - 2020 Panini Football Dueling Box Breaks: Luminance vs. Chronicles
25 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Comparing and contrasting these two recent football card releases from Panini. Listen to find which one I prefer, as they are ironically the same pr...
264A - 2020 Panini Baseball Dueling Box Breaks: Diamond Kings vs. Optic
25 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks Panini for putting out and sending over for review two excellent baseball card products, each with its own merits.
264 - Origin: The Card Shop with Mike and the Big Dog
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Shawn Barker and Mike Fruitman are co-hosts of the popular podcast, The Card Shop with Mike and the Big Dog.
263 - Origin: Grant Wescott (COMC)
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Grant is COMC's Director of Business Development. He shares his hobby origin story.
262 - Football Cards: 1968 and 1969 Topps (with Rich Klein)
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rich and I compare and contrast 1968 Topps football and 1969 Topps football cards.
261 - Tribute: Sy Berger
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sy Berger, who helped build Topps into the hobby power that it became, is missed by all who knew him.
260 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 239-258
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recapping the past twenty episodes in rapid fire form in case you missed one.
259B - Follow-Up: Mortality (Hockey)
18 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A further prioritization and reflection on yesterday's Mortality episode, which you should listen to before this follow-up episode.
259A - Investment Fallacies: Low Pop Cards
18 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There is more to the story than just whether a particular card has low population report status.
259 - Mortality (Hockey Card Collection)
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hockey cards in your will?
258 - Sports Card Scammers Exposed (with Drew Herndon)
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The popular Facebook Group and website is de-mystified by Drew Herndon (Lemme Get That Podagraph).
257 - 1984 Fleer and Fleer Update Baseball (with Rich Klein)
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rich and I discuss the relative merits of these iconic sets.
256 - Football Cards From 1960-67 (with Dan Hitt)
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and I discuss the relative merits of the mainstream sets put out by Fleer, Philadelphia, and Topps during the competition between the AFL and NFL....
255 - Grail(s)?
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is a Grail or Holy Grail card? What does that mean?
254B - Investment Fallacies: Positive Cash Flow
11 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How important is Positive Cash Flow to your collecting experience?
254A - Out-Takes from Scott Greenberg (StarStock)
11 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Out-Takes from the interview with Scott Greenberg, co-founder of StarStock.
254 - Photo-Bombed Cards (with Rich Klein)
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rich and I discuss the many cards which have celebrities or superstars in the background of the front photo and how that can drive value.
253 - Then and Now: Beckett Publications/Media Advertising (with Todd Westover)
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Todd's successful hobby ad sales career at Beckett spanned all three regimes.
252 - Then And Now: Beckett Media (with Derek Ficken)
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Derek shares his Beckett Media experience especially BGS.
251A - Panini Basketball Card Distribution (Chris McGill Out-Takes)
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chris questions current Panini distribution trends and we discuss those implications.
251 - Players: Richie Ashburn and Earl Averill (with Rich Klein)
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Comparing and contrasting two long-retired Hall of Fame center-fielders.
250 - Player: Michael Jordan (with Chris McGill)
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Jordan advanced collector Chris McGill shares his knowledge.
249B - Price Guide Methodology (Chris McGill Out-Takes)
04 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chris asks a pointed, analytical question about price guide methodology.
249A - Looking at Sports Cards vs. Looking at Sports on TV (Chris McGill Out-Takes)
04 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chris asks "Would I rather look at cards or look at sports on TV"? I give a surprising answer and an explanation of the "tell" as to how someone might...
249 - Media Professional Collecting Etiquette (with John Clemens)
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Veteran collector and announcer discusses proper collecting etiquette when having close access to the players.
248 - Origin: Scott Greenberg (StarStock)
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scott shares his hobby origin story up to and including co-founding StarStock.
247 - Interview: For The Hobby (Jordan Hagedorn)
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jordan tells us about his excellent podcast, For The Hobby.
246 - Dueling Questions (with Dan Hitt)
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and I exchange tricky, unedited and unscripted, questions and answers about the hobby and our experiences.
245 - Dueling Questions (with Grant Sandground)
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Grant and I bat some questions back and forth, dealing with the past, present, and future of our hobby.
244B - BGS Sub-Grades (Chris McGill Out-Takes)
27 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chris asks a provocative question about sub-grades with an excellent example showing the nuances of high grade cards and their values.
244A - Why People Love to Collect Cards (Chris McGill Out-Takes)
27 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chris of House of Jordans asks why people love to collect sports cards in particular.
244 - Set: 1957 Topps Baseball (with John Clemens)
26 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Media pro John Clemens describes his long love affair with and on-going pursuit of the 1957 Topps baseball set.
243 - Dueling Questions 2.0 (with Rich Klein)
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rich and I go another round of dueling questions.
242 - Origin: Chris McGill (House of Jordans)
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chris McGill's hobby origin story including his popular podcast House of Jordans.
241 - Origin: Derek Ficken
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Derek shares his origin story up to the point he joined Beckett Media in 2007.
240 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 219-238
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A very brief recap of the past twenty episodes.
239C - Veres Father's Day Episode Out-Takes (Burbank)
20 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Out-takes from the Father's Day episode - a behind the scenes look at Burbank Sports Cards
239B - 2019-20 SP Authentic Hockey Box
20 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We open a box from Upper Deck - their newly released SP authentic brand - good stuff!
239A - 2019-20 O-Pee-Chee Platinum Hockey Box
20 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Opening an O-Pee-Chee Platinum hockey box from Upper Deck and sharing the contents with you.
239 - Father's Day Appreciation (with Stephen, Rob, and Ryan Veres of Burbank Sports Cards)
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Three generations of the Veres family behind Burbank Sports Cards give us a glimpse of their dynamic and why Burbank has been such a huge success.
238A - Football Cards vs. Basketball Cards (with Jordan Hagedorn)
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jordan and I discuss relative valuations for equivalently scarce cards - whether basketball or football - basketball is typically priced higher.
238 - Origin: Grant Sandground
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Grant is Upper Deck's Director of Product Development. He shares backstory on some of his favorite products.
237 - Tribute: Jackie Robinson (with John Newman)
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Following up on my earlier Jackie Robinson Player episode, John and I discuss the totality of Jackie's impact on baseball, other sports, our culture, ...
236 - Origin: Dan Hitt
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Hitt, long-time Beckett Football Price Guide editor, sits down for a chat about his hobby journey from his earliest days.
235 - Then and Now: Fat Packs (Eric Norton and Paul Wirth)
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the history of Fat Packs, the long-running, successful weekly podcast, that is now morphing into Beckett Live Presents.
234B - What If? Card Show Masked Robbery?
13 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wearing a mask hides your identity. It seems every robber wears a mask, but obviously all mask-wearers are NOT robbers.
234A - Investment Fallacies: New Money?
13 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How is "new money" in our industry different from "old money"?
234 - Upper Deck Product Development (with Grant Sandground)
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since immediately after graduating from college, Grant has held key positions at two hobby stalwarts, Beckett Publications first, and now Upper Deck a...
233 - Player: George Brett (with Tim Shepler)
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Shepler (aka Big Shep of About the Cards) discusses his favorite player, George Brett.
232 - Origin: John Clemens
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sports media personality, announcer, and radio voice, John Clemens, shares his hobby origin story.
231 - Interview: Kristina Thorson (House of Jordans)
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kristina, co-host of House of Jordans, tells us her hobby origin story.
230A - Topps Project 2020 Trivia Answers
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to Episode #229A for the questions, but here are the answers as promised, plus my surprising (and perhaps unrealistic) 20th pick for the next s...
230 - Set: 1967 Topps Baseball (with Rich Klein)
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An excellent offering by Topps, considered by some to be the best baseball set of the decade.
229B - Topps Project 2020 Next?
06 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who would you select for Topps if they were to do another 20 baseball players in the artistic format of Project 2020 next time?
229A - Topps Project 2020 Player Trivia
06 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Each of the 20 selected players from Topps Project 2020 is the answer to a trivia question. See how many you can get.
229 - Mortality (with John Newman)
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John Newman's recent provocative episode on his shorter Hobby Quick Hits, IMHO deserved further consideration. Please listen to his episode first, t...
228 - Origin: Todd Westover
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Todd Westover spent more than a decade successfully selling non-indigenous ads within this hobby/industry, while building his sports card and memorabi...
227 - Interview: Paul Wirth and Eric Norton (Fat Packs)
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We interview Paul and Eric about their hobby experiences.
226 - Topps Project 2020 Explosion (with John Newman)
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John Newman of Sports Card Nation and Hobby Quick Hits discusses the exploding phenomenon, which is Topps Project 2020.
225 - Origin: Tim Shepler (Big Shep)
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Shepler, co-host of the weekly "About the Cards" podcast shares his hobby origin story.
224B - Our Disposable Culture
30 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is worth saving? What should be disposable? Cultural opinions and tastes evolve over time. Last generation's trash can be this generation's...
224A - The Hobby Is Not a Balloon!
30 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The sports card hobby is not a balloon, but, if it was, how can we let a little air out of it.
224 - Show Promoters Beware! (with Rich Klein)
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rich and I discuss the considerations for card shows reopening (including his own).
223 - Faux Sponsor: Front and Center Grading (FCG)
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Faux sponsor FCG proposes a radical approach to sports card grading which focuses on the concept of the card's eye appeal.
222 - Player: Jim Bouton (with Rich Klein)
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The impact of Jim Bouton, author of Ball Four, on the game of baseball and collecting.
221 - Tribute: Barry Halper
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Barry was a part owner of the New York Yankees and was the face of high-end sports card and memorabilia collecting in the late 20th century. We shar...
220A - Memorial Day Heroes
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Memorial Day honors those who have lost their lives in the military serving and defending their country in war.
220 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 199-218
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A quick recap of the past twenty episodes.
219B - Topps Project 2020
23 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Topps has a big winner that is sure to be emulated.
219A - Fear!
23 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Fear of missing out (FOMO) compared to fear of embarassment as applied to our sports card industry.
219 - Property Tax Protest Parallels (with Buck Easley)
22 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Veteran property tax consultant Buck Easley discusses the parallels between his profession and the valuation of sports cards.
218 - 1971 Topps Baseball (with Rich Klein)
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rich and I discuss our experiences with the black-bordered 1971 Topps baseball card set.
217 - Are You a Gambler?
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Compulsive gambling is a problem - exposed when the winning stops - as it alway does when you are relying on luck and not on skill and self-control.
216A - Last Dance Aftermath
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just finished the ten-part ESPN docu-series on the Last Dance and am reflecting on the future hobby impact.
216 - Dueling Questions (with Angela Loeffler)
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Back and forth questions with Stephan's wife, Angela Loeffler, getting her female perspective.
215 - Then and Now: American Football League (with Todd Tobias)
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Todd shares his long-time love for all things AFL.
214B - NSCC (The National) in December?
16 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The National has been tentatively re-scheduled to December 12-16, 2020, still in Atlantic City. That will likely mean some changes - some for the be...
214A - Huggins & Scott Catalog: Most Bids 5/28/20
16 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Huggins & Scott's latest auction features more than 1200 lots - highlighted here in this podcast are the early leaders in most bids.
214 - Tribute: George Lyons
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
George Lyons (1937-2001) seemed to be at the epicenter of the hobby back beginning in the late 1970's, armed with his WATS line. Many of that eras big...
213 - Players: Bob Uecker and Joe Garagiola (with Rich Klein)
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rich and I discuss two light-hitting, but media-savvy, former baseball catchers, a funny guy and a comedian.
212 - The Ripple Effect (with Joe Davis)
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Davis of GotBaseballCards.com, and co-host of the new podcast, The Collector and The Dealer, shares his theories of the causes of the latest drama...
211A - About "About the Cards" (Out-Takes)
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listening in on the pre-show discussion with Stephan and Angela Loeffler.
211 - About "About the Cards" (with Stephan and Angela Loeffler)
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stephan and his wife Angela sit down for a behind the scenes look at their popular podcast.
210 - Origin: Todd Tobias
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Todd shares his precocious hobby journey through vintage baseball cards to AFL cards and AFL history.
209B - The MVP Machine
09 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The thesis of this baseball book is that great players are made, not necessarily born - they sometimes take a non-conformist path.
209A - SMART Goals
09 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Goals "should" be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. As a hobbyist that's not necessarily so.
209 - Mother's Day Appreciation
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How to show appreciation to your mother in the context of loving sports cards - you, not necessarily her.
208 - Dueling Questions: Rich Klein
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rich and I go back and forth with questions in turn.
207A - COVID-Safe Card Shows
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What will the shows of the future look like - what safeguards and protections might be put in place?
207 - COVID-Safe Card Shops (with Joe Davis)
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Respected Georgia card shop owner Joe Davis discusses what the post-COVID environment might look like for his shop.
206 - Tribute: Jefferson Burdick (American Card Catalog)
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jefferson Burdick (1900-1963), was one of truest and noblest pioneers of our great hobby, our initial cataloger. His selfless contributions to our l...