Nonsense Newsletter #31: Worst hobby beats ever! Cards as art? Plus, the guys rise from the ashes with Capital Nonsense!
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Welcome back loyal reader to another action-packed installment of the finest newsletter in all the land. This week John M. tackles the painful subject of hobby bad beats, John D. gets all artsy, and the guys rip some wax for their ongoing experiment. And don’t miss the debut of Bleecker Trading breaking on Card Shop Live! Let’s dive in!
Contributor: John McTaggart
What’s the one card that haunts your dreams?
The list would be far too long for this newsletter, or most any newsletters, really.
If I had to count the amount of times I thought I had a sure-thing in this hobby only to see it go up in flames over the past three decades in this game the number would blow your mind.
Everyone from baseball’s Alec Bohm to basketball’s Larry Johnson, Greg Oden, Gary Trent (Sr., that’s how long I’ve been in the game) and Rodney Stuckey, just to name a few — the list in mind-boggling.
And, of course, I've been working with my therapist to deal with the amount of money I’ve literally tossed in the trash on players like the aforementioned and many more.Â
The business of the hobby is, to put it mildly, and in-exact science at its best, and a flat-out gamble at its worst.
And, like most gamblers, you’re going to likely lose more than you win.
Contributor: John Dudley
Recent sales of Wander Franco’s Topps Project 100 (P100) card sparked renewed interest in art cards. Art cards are cards that are clearly designed and developed to function both as trading cards and as pieces of art. They are a growing segment of the hobby and one it can pay to be aware of.
The intersection of art and cards has produced some gems from the start of the hobby. Check out the 1888 Goodwin Champions card to see for yourselves. Other cards, such as the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, are sought as both collectibles and as works of art. Cards have even been featured in art museums and galleries and are a permanent part of the M.O.M.A. collection. A few sets over the years have been artist-focused. Donruss Diamond kings with Dick Perez art and Upper Deck’s Ioos collection were early attempts to garner buzz by using popular artists. Other products have included sketch cards which are tiny one-of-a-kind pieces of art.
Join us at 7pm for breaks and giveaways. Make sure you are following their shop to enter.
Quick Hits
Grading News- Massive news this week as PSA reopens its $30 service level for members of its collector’s club with no lottery or waitlist. This is great news and it should be interesting to see how the other grading companies respond.
Pop Culture News- Stranger Things is everywhere these days including the hobby world. The show has a few releases in various formats, but it is the 2018 Topps Hobby Boxes that are picking up steam on eBay. While box prices are hot as people search for autos, unautographed single prices have not seen much movement and are still very affordable.
NFT News- Josh Allen is the latest to get into the NFT business partnering with DraftKings and Metabilia. Interestingly, holders of the NFT get special future benefits including discounts on memorabilia. For more fairly in-depth information and analysis, check out The Buffalo News’s coverage of the launch.
Need More Nonsense?
In bonus grading news, BGS has finally caught up on its backlog according to their newly minted CEO. Kunal Chopra has some big ideas about developing Beckett and this is the first glimpse collectors have of his plans for the former unquestioned hobby authority.
$100,000 Panini Prizm pull of a lifetime for teenager! A teen pulled and successfully sold a Prizm 1/1 Mac Jones RC for $100,000. Absolutely amazing!
2022 Topps Series 2 is out today which means it is time to brush up on identifying those SPs!
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.