Nonsense Newsletter #23: NBA Players to Avoid, the Rise of Pop Culture, and the Guys get into Wrasslin'
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Welcome to the Sports Card Nonsense Newsletter! This week we’ve got a packed issue with a look at NBA players that might be bad calls for the Playoffs. We also look at the top five pop culture properties to watch. Did Mike deliver a Stone Cold Stunner to Jesse? Hopefully not, but find out on their YouTube adventures where they get into the WWE world this week.
-J. Dudley
Contributor: John McTaggart
A few weeks back, I penned a little article about some players to watch in the upcoming NBA playoffs. Now that the actual playoffs have arrived, I could pen another article with any revisions, re-writes, or downright different thoughts I may have about the postseason’s potential to usher in a new crop of NBA hobby stars.Â
Honestly, though, that would be too easy.
So, instead, I’m sitting here this morning crafting a little story about the exact opposite of what I probably should be crafting a story about given the NBA playoffs are underway. Today we’re going to look at a few players who I would avoid adding to my collection, regardless of whether I’m flipping or collecting.
Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not just going to list players like Bruce Brown or the guy at the end of the bench for every team. Nope, these are going to be players you’ve likely heard of heading into this exciting time of year for basketball fans.
After the guys check out a non-dealer card show in Montana, thanks to Ryan with Breakout Cards, they rip a box of 2022 WWE Prizm - the first year of the new product.
Can the guys make their money back on the box?
Finally, Goldin currently has what very well could be the highest-priced item they've ever had. It is super cool and something you don't want to miss.
Contributor: John Dudley
This is the week I stopped worrying and learned to love pop-culture cards. I both bought my first graded non-sport cards (PSA 8 1977 Star Wars Wonder Bread Han Solo and Luke Skywalker for those wondering) and was extremely disappointed to miss out on zerocool’s Jackass cards by $1 in their Blind Dutch Auction. Â
Definitely a pop-culture-heavy week for me, but it’s really not my first foray into pop-culture cards though. Growing up I got numerous packs of cards for whatever movie was the big thing at the time. I mean, pop-culture cards have been around so long they share the same tobacco-card origin with baseball cards.  The sudden popularity of pop-culture cards is really a return to the roots of the hobby. Â
I’m not the only one returning to pop-culture cards. PSA’s fastest-growing category is non-sports cards. Importantly, this category does not include TCGs like Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Magic: the Gathering. In fact, the growth is so big that last month PSA graded more non-sport cards than they did either hockey or soccer. Non-sports has become the fourth largest category for PSA excluding collectible card games.   Â
Quick Hits
Grading- This past March for the first time ever, PSA graded over 1,000,000 cards in a month. Interestingly, the category with the most cards graded wasn’t a sport, but Pokemon. With over a quarter of a million of the little pocket monsters graded in March, you’ll have ample opportunity to catch them all.
-J. Dudley
Vintage- Collecting vintage cards seems like a very straightforward process, particularly when it comes to baseball cards.Â
However, delving into the vintage market for sports other than baseball can be tricky. This article on Sports Collectors Daily, though, can help shed some light on some vintage markets other than baseball.Â
Check it out by clicking here.
-J. McTaggart
Pop Culture- Jackass proved to be a hit for zerocool. While the box price of $101 was far lower than the previous offering, this one had a much higher print run and is more in line with a traditional card product. Secondary prices have gone up quickly with boxes selling for $180-$200. Let the great Johhny Knoxville RC debate commence! 2016 Topps or 2022 zerocool?Â
-J. Dudley
Need More Nonsense?
Topps Archives is normally an afterthought, but it is an interesting set this year with the influx of touted rookies and its later release date meaning that most should be included. Here is a great preview of the upcoming product.Â
Josh Allen didn’t win a Super Bowl. Heck, he didn’t even make it there. That’s not stopping his cards from setting records. His National Treasures RPA /10 in PSA 10 grade went for a massive $312,000 recently.Â
Trading Card Games (TCGs) are hot, but which one is worth the most. Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: the Gathering and Pokemon are all popular, but which one is worth the most? Find out here.Â
Upcoming Events
The guys are back on their regular schedule. Chris Costa from Big Night Breaks will be coming on the show on Monday, 4/18.
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The Sports Card Nonsense newsletters reflect the opinions of only the authors and contributors. They are for informational purposes only and are not a recommendation for purchases or of an investment strategy or to buy or sell any assets.