Episodes

June 3, 2024

1229 - Fixing BGS, with Cage Lawyer

Dr. Beckett is asked directly by Cage how he personally would improve BGS to regain its former position and prestige. Addressing the competitive landscape of grading companies, they deliberate on BGS's challenges and Dr. Beckett's suggestions for imp...

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May 31, 2024

1228 - Upper Deck Hockey Hobby Box Semi-Finals

Box battle with four current hockey card products from Upper Deck. He evaluates the boxes based on contents from 2023-24 Trilogy, 2023-24 Black Diamond, 2022-23 Ultimate Collection, and 2023-24 SP Game Used. Initially ranking Trilogy the highest, the...

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May 29, 2024

1227 - Michael Jordan XRC Rejoinder

Dr. Beckett reviews Darren Rovell's investigative article and provides insights into the history and classification of the Michael Jordan Star Company XRC, including misconceptions around the XRC designation and reflects on the broader implications f...

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May 28, 2024

1226A - Tribute: Bill Walton

A heartfelt tribute to the late Bill Walton, reflecting on his illustrious career and his memorable moments at UCLA and in the NBA. Dr. Beckett shares personal anecdotes and insights into Walton's impact on the sport and his presence in the sports ca...

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May 27, 2024

1226 - Michael Jordan XRC, with Darren Rovell

Dr. Beckett is interviewed by investigative journalist Darren Revell. They delve into the history of Michael Jordan's XRC and the role of major grading companies. Dr. Beckett shares his insights on the early days of card grading, interactions with va...

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May 24, 2024

1225 - Recap: Podcast Episodes 1201-1224

Recapping and amplifying episodes 1201 to 1224. Overall, this recap presents a rich tapestry of topics, from the evolution of sports card collecting, market dynamics, historical perspectives, to personal growth stories within the hobby. 00:28 Founder...

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May 22, 2024

1224 - Dueling Questions with Chris Sewall 3.0

Nuances of collecting cards with a focus on buying collections, exploring the excitement around both high demand and low supply cards, and their mutual preference for low supply, low demand cards. They also discuss the significance of grading, with a...

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May 20, 2024

1223 - Dueling Questions with Chris Sewall 2.0

Dueling Questions with Chris Sewall, a discussion that spans various aspects of the sports card market. They touch on recognizing undervalued cards not reflected in price guides, share personal stories about discovering short prints, and delve into t...

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May 17, 2024

1222 - Basketball Tall Boy Hypothetical, with Cage Lawyer

A purely hypothetical discussion unfolds on the future of basketball cards, involving an upper level NBA leadership decision to shift all future basketball cards to 'tall boy' format to emphasize athletes' height and athleticism, diverging from the t...

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May 15, 2024

1221 - Dueling Questions with Chris Sewall

Dr. James Beckett interviews Chris Sewell, Baseball Card Collector Investor Dealer In That Order. Chris shares his transition from collecting to dealing full-time, and the inception of his YouTube channel to support his career in sports cards. He exp...

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May 13, 2024

1220 - Out-Takes on Topps Conference from Hobby Hotline 050424

Various crucial aspects of the sports card industry are examined, starting with the role of KPMG in auditing the fairness of case hits among bigger breakers, sparking a broad conversation on the perceived integrity within the distribution process. We...

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May 11, 2024

1219A - Panini Select vs. Panini Recon

In this special Saturday episode, Dr. Beckett celebrates his birthday unboxing basketball cards from Panini, comparing Recon and Select boxes. He discusses the pricing, the appeal of each brand, and the anticipated value from opening each type of box...

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May 10, 2024

1219 - My Dirty Jobs

In this special birthday episode, Dr. Beckett takes a personal dive into his life's journey, covers his early experiences, navigating through various challenging and enlightening jobs. He shares tales from his high school and college days, marked by ...

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May 8, 2024

1218 - Listener Questions on Grading, Alteration, and Restoration

The dialogue begins with debunking the myth that card grading is a scam, illustrating the rigorous checks, balances, and competitive nature of grading companies. Dr. Beckett emphasizes the importance of trust in these companies and how a grading syst...

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May 6, 2024

1217 - Non-Response

We explore the challenges inherent to large companies in maintaining effective communication and responsiveness to consumer inquiries and concerns. With an illustrative use of the starfish story, he portrays the significance and limitations of indivi...

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May 3, 2024

1216 - Ten Listener Questions

The episode kicks off with a discussion on the relationship between show dealers and buyers, highlighting preferences for pricing transparency and the strategic reasons some dealers choose not to display prices. Dr. Beckett shares personal anecdotes ...

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May 1, 2024

1215 - Nine Listener Questions 8.0

We discuss the nuanced evolution of rookie card significance, especially in the context of high-end releases and their accessibility to different economic segments of collectors. The conversation then shifts to the potential of a trading app for coll...

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April 29, 2024

1214 - Baseball Card Hall of Fame, with Ray Fonio, Ray from Philly

https://forms.gle/MPZdzJgWKNvZCtBa9 Analysis of the 2024 Baseball Card Hall of Fame Ballot with Dr. James Beckett and Ray from Philly providing insights into the historical context, aesthetic appeal, and rarity of these cards, alongside personal anec...

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April 26, 2024

1213 - Feedback on "Sensory Challenges"

The conversation extends to the therapeutic potential of card collecting for memory recall in retirement homes, and accessibility enhancements for collectors with impairments. Dr. Beckett also delves into the physical aspects of collecting, like endu...

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April 24, 2024

1212 - Feedback on "What Is a Card?"

In this episode, Dr. James Beckett delves deeper into the complex question of what exactly constitutes a sports card, spurring from earlier discussions and recent feedback from the community. Initially sparked by a listener's suggestion, the conversa...

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April 22, 2024

1211 - Out-Takes from Hobby Hotline 041324

This detailed discussion excerpted from Hobby Hotline with co-hosts Danny Black and Chris Carlin highlights the strategic movement within the collecting industry, focusing on the new partnership between eBay and Collectors facilitated by Ken Golden's...

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April 19, 2024

1210 - 50th Birthday, with Rich Klein

At Rich's request, Dr. James Beckett, delves into his personal leadership journey, particularly focusing on the initiative he took around his 50th birthday in 1999 to meet one-on-one with each of his approximately 150 employees. He discusses the logi...

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April 17, 2024

1209 - Experiencing 10X, with Rich Klein

The discussion kicks off with Rich's recent purchase of a Heritage high number box for less than its original cost, leading into a broader conversation about market fluctuations, notably concerning Fanatics' large production volumes. We examine Fanat...

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April 15, 2024

1208 - Hobby Mt. Rushmore (Future)

A future 'Mount Rushmore' for the card collecting world, exploring who might be immortalized in stone in the distant future. This episode focuses on contributors, all of whom are very much alive, with many in their primes, with more excellence from t...

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