Dr. James Beckett: Sports Card Insights

Dr. Beckett dedicates the episode to hobby giant Jack Smalling, who died last week at age 85. Beckett reflects on his friendship with Smalling beginning in the 1970s Midwest show circuit and credits him as foundational to the through-the-mail autograph hobby through his exhaustive baseball autograph address list, built to be encyclopedic, inclusive, and constantly updated with debut years, addresses, and death dates. He describes Smalling’s ties to publisher/distributor Denny Eckes and later boo

Dr. Beckett interviews Waco dealers Ben Bush and sons Ryan and Sterling, sharing how their family built a fast-turn, buy-right/sell-right card business. They discuss learning basics like comps, triaging and organizing inventory as a team, adapting to each show’s changing demand, and growing through live streaming and Whatnot while managing growth carefully to avoid failure. Ben describes their “do unto others” approach as rooted in faith, aiming to treat people well, avoid making negotiations pe

Dr. Beckett interviews the Bush family of Waco: dad Ben and sons Ryan and Sterling about running a family sports card business built around Whatnot and frequent card-show buying. Ben explains they have seven children, with five family members involved: Ryan and Sterling run the Whatnot shows, Ben moderates, their sister handles shipping, and their mother manages administration. Their first show setting up was in Dallas in September 2022, and eventually shifted full time as their Whatnot channel

Dr. James Beckett welcomes Cage Lawyer and his 13-year-old son, Ian (who really wants to go to this year's National). They discuss hobby friendships, how Ian and his dad differ in what they collect (sports vs Pokémon) and risk tolerance, and the fun and financial lessons around breaking versus other uses for money. Beckett explains why he started Beckett to provide card accurate values and protect collectors, reflects on how fast comps move today, and shares hopes that more collectors, especiall

Dr. Beckett hosts a father-son episode with Cage Lawyer and his 13-year-old son Ian (“Cage Lawyer Jr.”) discussing their hobby experiences and what cards teach about life. They share stories of Cage being recognized at shows and even at an airport, Ian’s interest in becoming an investor, and how negotiating and handling rejection at card tables builds confidence and sales skills. They compare modern vs. vintage preferences, with Ian leaning modern and Cage crediting Ian for expanding his collect

Dr. Beckett welcomes Graig Miller (Mid-Life Cards) and his dad, Michael, discussing why they collect, the appeal of old “artifacts” cards, and the imagined journey of items like an 1888 N76 Thomas Edison. They contrast collecting “lanes,” with Michael focused and Graig boundary-pushing, and explain why value matters less to them because they built collections with “hobby money” through buying, grading, selling, and trading. Greg shares what his daughters learn from the hobby about preservation a