Dr. James Beckett: Sports Card Insights

1139 - Tribute: Bobby Knight, HOF Coach

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Enigmatic Bob Knight has passed at the age of 83.  You could not be neutral about him - he had his detractors - but his basketball success was undeni...

1138 - Texas Rangers Win!

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

First World Series Championship ever for the Rangers - so how might this effect their card values going forward - is this a dynasty? - and what about ...

1137 - Out-Takes on The National and Pre-Rookies from Hobby Hotline 101323

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why has the National not historically released attendance figures especially now as the event (and the sports card hobby) is really on a roll?  Could...

1136 - Out-Takes on Costco and QC from Hobby Hotline 101323

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I co-hosted Hobby Hotline two weeks ago with Danny Black and Logan Ward and we discussed a variety of topics with our listeners and commenters.  Chec...

1135 - Going Cashless, with Rich Klein

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Society is rapidly moving away from cash in terms of paying for stuff, including sports cards, which would really crimp my style as I prefer cash for ...

1134 - My First Show, with Rich Klein

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My first card show that I co-promoted with old friend Gervise Ford may have also been the first show I even attended - Rich had apparently always been...

1133 - Show Promotion Perspectives, with Rich Klein

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I had a question from Kyle (not Kyle Robertson) about how to promote and run a smaller sports card show.  I guess anybody can try to do it, ...

1132 - Mike Cramer, Pacific Trading Cards, Cramer’s Choice, Part 3, with Rich Klein

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The final part of our time together, which flew by.  Thanks Mike and Rich, for an enjoyable walk down memory lane. I met Mike even before I met Rich....

1131 - Mike Cramer, Pacific Trading Cards, Cramer’s Choice, Part 2, with Rich Klein

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Just three OG hobby guys talking about our greatest and favorite pastime (continued from the previous episode).  Be sure to pick up (and read) Mike's...

1130 - Mike Cramer, Pacific Trading Cards, Cramer’s Choice, with Rich Klein

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I interview our long-time friend and hobby pioneer, Mike Cramer, who has excelled at just about every aspect of this great hobby. He was trul...

1129 - Five Listener Questions 8.0

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Only five questions this time, which means slightly more in-depth answers to the selected sports card hobby questions you submitted - thanks again!

1128 - Out-Takes with Leighton Sheldon from Sports Cards Live 092323

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Regular guest Leighton Sheldon with his Vintage Spotlight traded questions with me and he gave me a fresh perspective on an old topic - plus some addi...

1127 - Out-Takes with Jeremy Lee from Sports Cards Live 092323

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I was on for the first hour of Jeremy Lee's very popular Sports Card Live call-in show - always a treat - great moderation from Jeremy plus interactin...

1126A - Tribute: Dick Butkus

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chicago Bears' Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus, the definitive middle linebacker, has passed away at the age of 80.  We are losing legends - this ...

1126 - Six Listener Questions 9.0

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Another batch of good listener sports card hobby questions - getting caught up finally - thanks and send your questions to [email protected]...

1125 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 1101-1124

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Another brief recap summarizing the last 25 episodes of this podcast - includes further reflections over the past eight weeks of hobby happenings - th...

1124 - The Allure of Metal Universe

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Thanks to Upper Deck I conducted another box battle and the winner was SkyBox Metal Universe - of course there's more to the story - and I got another...

1123 - After Market Autographs

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An in-depth look at various considerations for collecting and buying sports cards personally autographed or unautographed - it's more complicated that...

1122A - Tribute: Brooks Robinson with Danny Black

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Danny was my first choice to help me tribute the great Brooks Robinson, Hall of Fame third baseman and many say the best defensive third baseman ever....

1122 - Out-Takes from Hobby Hotline 092323

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I was on last Saturday's live Hobby Hotline with Danny Black and John Newman - these are edited excerpts from that hour-long show, which I heartily re...

1121 - Seven Listener Questions 9.0

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Typically there can be one or more of these sports card hobby questions where you listen and think - I want more on that topic - please just let me kn...

1120 - Five Listener Questions 7.0

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trying to get caught up with some of the excellent sports card questions my listeners and viewers have sent me or asked me in person - thanks and keep...

1119 - Nine Listener Questions 2.0

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Crammed nine different sports card hobby questions into this one 15-minute episode.  Please let me know if you prefer longer treatments on these kind...

1118 - Ramblings with Mike Obert and Alex Oswiecinski 3.0

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I distilled our 90-minute lunch into three 12-minute episodes.  This is the last segment, after which I gave them a tour of my card wall and card sor...

1117 - Do Kids Have an Edge?

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do kids have an advantage at a card show with their youthful energy and winsome salesmanship?  I explain why I think they do, especially if they lean...

1116 - Ramblings with Mike Obert and Alex Oswiecinski 2.0

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alex and Mike run their own companies and meet regularly with other peers to discuss their businesses.  However they came over here to mainly talk ab...

1115 - Ramblings with Mike Obert and Alex Oswiecinski

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mike and Alex came over for lunch and we spent an hour and a half talking about the hobby - I know Mike from his excellent work at the company many ye...

1114 - More on 1948-49 Leaf Baseball with Brian Kappel, Part 3

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The final installment but still perhaps not the last word on this set - but we're getting closer and closer to understanding what was going on in 1948...

1113 - Ramblings with Rich Klein 7.0

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

More ramblings with Rich - if you have sports card hobby topics you would like us to address, please send them to [email protected] and tha...

1112 - 2022 UD Skybox Metal Universe Champions

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Opened a box of this beautiful multi-sport product compliments of Upper Deck - retro works for new especially when modern touches are added.

1111 - Dueling Questions 2.0 with Dappz

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

More questions back and forth with Dappz as we shared our experiences including at the recent Chicago National - thanks Dappz.

1110 - Out-Takes on FB Hiatus and Ohtani from Hobby Hotline 082623

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Danny Black and Rich Klein joined me on Hobby Hotline last Saturday - what if no new football cards for a while and we discussed Ohtani's pitching inj...

1109 - Out-Takes on NFLPA and Brian Gray from Hobby Hotline 082623

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Danny Black and Rich Klein joined me on Saturday morning's live Hobby Hotline for these very timely topics - that should hopefully play out quickly.

1108 - More on 1948-49 Leaf Baseball with Brian Kappel, Part 2

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Brian vocational experience merged with his hobby experience helps shed new light on this enigmatic and alluring set.

1107 - Dueling Questions with Dappz

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dappz is a fellow creative content creator, who uses some platforms I do not.  We traded questions for each other with my Dueling Questions format ov...

1106 - Ramblings with David Marino 2.0

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David and I continued our conversation - among other topics we explore the ways communities are formed and enhanced in our hobby/industry - thanks Dav...

1105 - Ramblings with David Marino

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David and I caught up after a busy Chicago National - and we discussed what's going on in our great industry - growing pains?

1104 - Ramblings with Rich Klein 6.0

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Random topics from Rich and myself - always a good time - the sixth time we have done this format - thanks Rich!

1103 - 2022 UD Goodwin Champions Box Review

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Goodwin Champions has helped me get up to speed on the secondary sports and even non-sports - there is a reason this product is recommended for ages 1...

1102 - Nine Listener Questions

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

First time I have tried to answer nine listener questions in one 15-minute episode - keep your questions coming and thanks!

1101 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 974-1000

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A brief recap of the past few weeks of episodes including the recent very successful National - and announcing that I am continuing after and past my ...

1000 - Reflections with Rich Klein

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I "promised" 1000 episodes and now that milestone is here - I will keep going - appreciate your support and keep your ideas and questions coming - doc...

999 - 2023 Chicago National Aftermath

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My thoughts a week after the most successful and largest sports card show in history - congrats to the Broggi and Berkus families?

998A - 2023 Baseball Card Hall of Fame Ballot, Part 2

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is excerpted from their YouTube channel - thanks to Ray Fonio, Victor Roman, and Mike Steveline - still one more day to vote - go to https://docs...

998 - 2023 Baseball Card Hall of Fame Ballot

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ray Fonio, Mike Steveline, and Victor Roman join me for a discussion of my ballot this year - it's easy, please vote by 8/4/23 by going to https://doc...

997 - Out-Takes on Trimming from Hobby Hotline 070823

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trimming cards deceptively is a problem - not sure how big a problem but it needs to be stopped or at least consistently recognized by all the grading...

996 - Tribute: Mark Jordan, with Beth Grimsley

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the early pioneers at a precocious age, Mark wore many hats in his hobby career, but best known in the autograph and memorabilia business, buyi...

995 - Eight Listener Questions 7.0

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Another eight listener questions accumulated on a variety of subjects - send yours to [email protected] and thanks!

994 - Out-Takes on The National from John Newman’s Sports Card Nation

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

John Newman always asks his own personal brand of questions on his show and that frequently evokes a certain different response from me.

993 - 2023 National Final Preparation

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last chance on sharing thoughts on maximizing and optimizing your experience this year in Chicago at the National - see you there!

992 - Out-Takes on Regulation from Hobby Hotline 070823

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Self-regulation is better than government regulation - let's eliminate the bad guys by not doing business with them.

991 - Out-Takes on The National from Hobby Hotline 070423

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A small portion of the Hobby Hotline live show dedicated to the upcoming National in Chicago which I hope is the biggest ever.

990 - More on 1948-49 Leaf Baseball with Brian Kappel

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Brian's background in graphic design and production provided some additional insights into this highly collectible but tricky and challenging 98-card ...

989 - Out-Takes on Podcasting from John Newman’s Sports Card Nation

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

John and I talked on Zoom for an hour - here's 12 minutes on different topics - seemed like most of it was about podcasts and perhaps mine in particul...

988 - Father/Son: Mike/Nick Jaspersen, Jaspy’s, Part 2

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The final part of my catch up with Nick and Mike hearing about the latest in their sports card hobby journey as a father and son working together.  T...

987 - Sports Autographs with Jimbo Spence, JSA

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I go way back with Jimbo's dad as you know from my recent Father/Son podcast with them - this episode is just mainly Jimbo and I talking hobby.

986 - Grading Conversation with Rick Probstein, Part 3

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The final segment of our time on Zoom together including some of how her thinks graders operate - I can only speak for BGS during the time I was in ch...

985 - Vintage Inserts, with Mark Hoyle and Rich Klein

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mark is trying to get every Boston Red Sox card - as such, going for vintage inserts, has been a worthy quest for him - we talk about how the hobby's ...

984 - Torsten Bauer Questions 5.0

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The last round of my responses to Torsten's insightful questions and comments largely about hobby-related issues raised in previous episodes of this p...

983 - Grading Conversation with Rick Probstein, Part 2

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The second part of my conversation with Rick Probstein, about crossing over his 30 PSA 10 Jordan RC's to try for a BGS 10.  He also laments whether, ...

982 - Greg Morris, Greg Morris Cards, Part 2

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The second part of my interview with Greg - it is still important to know the implicit grade of the card even if (and perhaps especially if) the card ...

981 - Test Issues, with Mark Hoyle and Rich Klein

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I zoomed with Mark Hoyle - test issues can be a huge challenge to the consummate team collector - these are the cards where if you see them a...

980 - Grading Conversation with Rick Probstein

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Major eBay consignor Rick Probstein sat down with me over Zoom to talk about Beckett Grading, specifically BGS 10's and BVG vintage issues.

979 - Father/Son: Mike/Nick Jaspersen, Jaspy’s

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Generational transfer is heart-warming - three generations of Jaspersen's with the latest iteration culminating with their popular card shop and thriv...

978 - Father/Son: James/Jimbo Spence, JSA

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The father-son team at JSA autograph authentications have been working together for 16 years - Jimbo grew up in the business and obviously has his fat...

977 - Tribute: My Dad, James Beckett Jr.

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My dad passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 97 after a very full life - we are sad, especially my mom, but we know he is in Heaven now - I w...

976 - Greg Morris, Greg Morris Cards

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Greg is one of the largest consignors on eBay especially for raw vintage cards.  We talked about the growth of his business, and all the things we bo...

975 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 949-973

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My last 25 episodes synopsized for your review and recollection - send me your suggestions ([email protected]) for episode 1000, as well as...

974 - 2022-23 Upper Deck Hockey Series Two

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is an audio review of Upper Deck's Series Two hockey product, featuring Young Guns and much more - I got lots of Dallas Stars (that's good) but t...

973 - Dueling Questions with Cage Lawyer 2.0

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I knew Cage and I would not be able to fit all our questions into one episode - could barely fit into two 15-minute episodes - thanks Cage.

972 - Ramblings with Rich Klein 5.0

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the format where Rich and I just see where our sports card hobby conversation takes us - completely unscripted as always - thanks Rich!

971 - Torsten Bauer Questions 4.0

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

All the way from Frankfurt, Germany - Torsten is Shaq's biggest fan - but our conversation today was much wider than that - thanks Torsten!

970 - Mark Hoyle, Red Sox Master Collector, with Rich Klein

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I hear from Mark Hoyle a passionate team collector (Red Sox and New England) who is well along in his hobby quest - congrats Mark.

969 - Dueling Questions with Cage Lawyer

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Perhaps you have watched or listened to Cage - always interesting when trading questions with a attorney - especially one with a hobby background - th...

968 - Out-Takes on Trimming from Hobby Hotline 051323

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the segments on this multi-topic show happened to be card trimming - which is perhaps getting more controversial or at least more discussed.

967 - Tribute: Jim Brown, with John Newman

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary GOAT running back Jim Brown passed away on Friday at the age of 87 - John Newman and I remember his greatness during his nine-year career of...

966 - Torsten Bauer Questions 3.0

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My third round with Torsten across the Atlantic Ocean discussing his insightful questions and comments going deeper into some of my past episodes.  T...

965 - Out-Takes on Kevin Isaacson and BGS from Hobby Hotline 051323

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last Saturday's Hobby Hotline was focused on the recent hiring of my friend (and long-time hobby veteran) Kevin Isaacson as CEO of Beckett Media and m...

964 - Out-Takes with Dick Perez and Marq Evans

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dick Perez, The Diamond King, is being featured in Marq's documentary film to be released next year - this was our discussion after we talked about th...

963 - My Grading Origin Story

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This time I told my sports card hobby origin story from the perspective of modern grading - as I was presenting live to some grading trainees at BGS -...

962 - Dick Perez and Marq Evans, The Diamond King Documentary

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dick and Marq came on for a discussion of their upcoming (next year) feature-length documentary film.  Having already just listened to them on severa...

961 - Ramblings with Rich Klein 4.0

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

More ramblings with Rich - we were responding to some interesting listener questions - thanks Rich and thanks listeners.

960 - Ramblings with Rich Klein 3.0

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Another 15 minutes of ramblings about our great hobby - thanks Rich and thanks listeners - send your suggestions to [email protected]

959 - Personalization

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Various aspects of personalization in our sports card and collecting hobby are discussed, including several you might not be expecting - thanks for yo...

958 - Ramblings with Rich Klein 2.0

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I enjoyed the first ramblings so much we re-upped for another spontaneous session - we both rambled!

957 - Interview: Danny Black, Hobby News Daily

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Danny Black has launched Hobby News Daily along with a distinguished group of contributing writers - at this point it is free, so definitely check it ...

956 - Ramblings with Rich Klein

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I had accumulated a few different hobby topics for each other to chew on and this episode resulted - if you like it, we will do it again.  T...

955 - Upper Deck Hockey Box Battle Insights

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I did a fantasy tournament of four different Upper Deck hockey boxes evaluating each by non-standard criteria as befits an audio podcast - thanks Uppe...

954 - Five Listener Questions 6.0

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Five more listener questions and comments some from late last year as I got behind in responding, but please keep your questions coming, send them to ...

953 - Five Listener Questions 5.0

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You would not think a funeral is a place where sports card hobby questions come up but there are exceptions ... and exceptional people.

952 - 1966 Topps Baseball

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I followed up our discussion of the previous two years with this much tougher offering from Topps, challenging primarily due to the difficult...

951 - Tribute: Chandy Greenholt, Season Ticket, with Rich Klein

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Longtime respected National dealer from North Carolina, Chandy Greenholt has passed away - he will be greatly missed by Rich, myself, and so many othe...

950 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 924-948

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Getting closer to 1,000 episodes!  This has been fun.  If you have episode suggestions, send to [email protected] and thanks!

949 - Cards I Should Have By Now

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is inspired by John Keating's new podcast of that same name - I have my own list of cards (not just baseball) I should have gotten by now...

948 - 1964 and 1965 Topps Baseball, with Rich Klein

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rich and I compare and contrast these two unremarkable mid-decade Topps baseball products.  Nevertheless we find interesting aspects to share about e...

947 - Near Death Experiences

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Near Death Experiences discussed in terms of how you "hobby" when death is nearer, but perhaps not imminent.  Every year I am simplifying, and you sh...

946 - Out-Takes from That Seventies Card Show, with John Keating, Part 2

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The final portion of our longer conversation about the hobby with his particular emphasis on the Seventies - thanks John for an enjoyable ride through...

945 - Reductio Ad Absurdum

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the day before April Fools, we take a look at some extreme and/or absurd examples of hobby aspects that could be stretched beyond recognition.  Ha...

944A - Out-Takes on MINT Collective from Hobby Hotline 032823

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

John Newman, Chris Harris, and Jeremy Lee joined in for this segment discussing the upcoming (today!) and expanded MINT Collective in Las Vegas.  Hop...

944 - Next Big Thing?

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Collectors frequently ask me what will be the next big thing.  Just within the world of sports there are so many types of collectibles that have yet ...