Dr. Beckett unretires to share sports card stories, analyses, and opinions, based on his six decades of intensive experience.
Episodes
Monday Apr 14, 2025
Monday Apr 14, 2025
Dr. Beckett welcomes Reagan Jobe to discuss the legacy and evolution of Premier hockey cards. They reminisce about the early 90s when the brand first came out under OPC and its impact on the card collecting community. The conversation covers the history of the Premier brand, its significance in the hobby at the time, and how it has transformed into today's premium cards with higher quality and more features. They also share fond memories from a trip to Vancouver, exploring local card shops and the enthusiasm of young collectors.
00:31 Reagan's Influence and Early 90s Card Scene
01:38 Vancouver Card Shops Tour
04:57 Evolution of OPC/UD Premier Sets
06:24 Grading and Collecting Trends
09:03 Brand Recognition and Licensing
Friday Apr 11, 2025
Friday Apr 11, 2025
Join Dr. Beckett, Samuel Evans, and John Newman as they dive deep into various hot topics in the hobby. They discuss the competitive nature of card grading, particularly eBay's integration with PSA, and the complex relational dynamics it introduces. The hosts also explore how the sports card market reacts during periods of economic uncertainty, including tariffs and stock market fluctuations. Additionally, they examine the trend of active and retired athletes buying into or owning local card shops, highlighting cases such as Tom Brady and JJ Hoover.
00:54 Grading and eBay's Role in the Hobby
04:05 Economic Impact on the Hobby
05:11 Tariffs and Their Effects on the Hobby
07:22 Card Prices and Market Dynamics
11:19 Players Investing in Card Stores
Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein discuss strategies for monetizing Rich's weekly email newsletter, which he has developed over the past decade. Despite technical difficulties with the audio, they explore various monetization tactics, including obtaining sponsors, accepting non-cash payments, and enhancing the content's usefulness. They also touch upon the growth and evolution of sports card shows, the importance of fresh inventory, and effective promotional techniques for dealers.
00:45 Rich's Newsletter: Origins and Evolution
01:37 Expanding the Newsletter's Reach
02:49 Monetization Strategies and Challenges
06:09 Effectiveness and Feedback
07:29 Innovative Event Ideas and Experiences
Monday Apr 07, 2025
Monday Apr 07, 2025
Dr. Beckett and Rich Klein delve into the complexities of sports card variations. They discuss the history and philosophy behind cataloging and classifying these variations, highlighting specific examples such as the 1974 Topps checklist variations and the 1984 Donruss Diamond King variations. Despite technical issues with the audio, the episode offers valuable insights into the intricacies of card collecting, the importance of both card fronts and backs, and the efforts of platforms like Beckett and COMC in providing detailed catalogs.
00:58 Discussing Card Variations
02:38 Cataloging and Price Guides
03:55 Challenges in Identifying Variations
06:22 Importance of Card Fronts vs. Backs
11:02 Modern Card Variations and Challenges
Friday Apr 04, 2025
Friday Apr 04, 2025
The final part of Dr. Beckett's conversation with Angela from COMC's marketing team. They discuss COMC's strategies for national shows, including daily specials, robust Wi-Fi setups, shipping logistics, and the meticulous care taken with high-value cards. The episode also covers how COMC handles card submissions, the importance of data, and projections for the upcoming Chicago National. Angela also shares behind-the-scenes insights on the team's work dynamics, their crucial FedEx partnership, and the honor of being part of COMC's national team.
00:48 Show Activities
01:30 WiFi and Technology at the National
02:43 Shipping Logistics and FedEx Partnership
04:09 Card Valuation and Submission Process
10:47 Employee Experience at the National
Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
Dr. Beckett and COMC's Angela Loeffler discuss the inside scoop on COMC's presence at the upcoming National Sports Collectors Convention. Learn essential hacks for efficiently submitting and selling your sports cards, including how to sort your collection to avoid common pitfalls.
01:13 Card Submission Strategies
02:16 Navigating the National
03:31 COMC Booth Experience
05:21 Using the COMC App
09:54 Customer Service vs. Marketing
Monday Mar 31, 2025
Monday Mar 31, 2025
Dr. Beckett delves into the controversial topic of shill bidding in sports card auctions. The discussion, taken out of his recent appearance on Jeremy Lee's Sports Card Live, explores both offensive and defensive forms of shill bidding, why they matter, and their impact on the sports card ecosystem, as well as on current comp-ologists, such as Chris HOJ McGill of Card Ladder.
02:20 Defensive Shill Bidding
03:49 Ethical Dilemmas in Auctions
05:40 Impact on Market Comps
07:24 Historical Perspective on Price Guides
13:10 Auction vs. Buy It Now: Comparative
Friday Mar 28, 2025
Friday Mar 28, 2025
Dr. Beckett reviews various hockey card boxes from Upper Deck including 2024-25 OPC, 2024-25 Upper Deck Series 2, 2024 Upper Deck Skybox Metal Universe Champions, Clear Cut, Allure, and EX 2000. Dr. Beckett offers his insights on the value, design, and features of these products, including serial numbered cards, inserts, autographs, and the market dynamics.
02:58 In-Depth Look at Upper Deck Series Two
05:00 Exploring Skybox Metal Universe Champions
06:13 Clear Cut: Premium Autograph Cards
08:43 Allure: Beautiful and Affordable
10:27 Skybox EX 2000: Nostalgic and Condition Sensitive
Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
Key topics include Fanatics' distribution mode clarity, PSA's response to tariffs affecting the hobby, and the emerging role of breakers in the market. Dr. Beckett (and other panelists) discuss Whatnot's challenges, debut patches, the abundance of one-of-one cards, and the evolving nature of sports card collecting.
00:49 Fanatics Distribution Model Discussion
04:01 Impact of Tariffs on the Hobby
07:39 Fanatics vs. Whatnot: Platform Standards
09:11 Debut Patches and Player Involvement
Monday Mar 24, 2025
Monday Mar 24, 2025
Dr. Beckett delves into the history and growth of soccer cards and stickers, focusing on Greg Landsdowne's upcoming 10th anniversary update of his book 'Stuck on You.' Dr. Beckett answers questions about the rise of card grading in the UK and Europe, and the globalization of the sports card market, especially post-COVID. We also discuss the evolving value of soccer cards and the impact of major events like the World Cup on the hobby, and why knowledge is crucial in this expanding field.
00:23 Panini Soccer Stickers: A Historical Perspective
01:22 Greg Lansdowne's Questions and Insights
04:35 The Evolution of Sports Card Grading
05:58 The Future of Sports Card Publications
10:01 Collector, Investor, Dealer: A Personal Journey
10:51 The Impact of the World Cup on Soccer Cards