Nonsense Newsletter #51: Hockey, the hobby's toughest graders, a PSA 8 Mantle RC, sandwiches, and more!
Sponsored by SGC Cards gosgc.com
Welcome back to another edition of the Nonsense Newsletter! This week I share the gist of a little chat I had with an old friend about hockey cards. John Dudley searches for the hobby’s toughest graders. Heritage puts up a PSA 8 1952 Topps Mantle just in time for the holidays, and Allen & Ginter arrives — and they brought sandwiches! Also, a few weeks ago, I wrote about my favorite card; now it’s your turn to share. SCN and Card Shop Live are doing a fun giveaway and all you have to do is share your favorite card story. See all the details below.
Who could ask for more out of a sports card newsletter, right?
Contributor: John McTaggart
Before either of us could say a word, the smile crept across his weathered face, stretching from one ear to the next, wide, satisfying and filled with joy.
The lines in his face stretched and his eyes narrowed in a way only true happiness could reveal.
His Detroit Red Wings, my Detroit Red Wings, are relevant again — at least after the opening week of the NHL season.
For fans like my old friend, Lucas, this was enough.
He celebrated his 84th birthday back in May.
He renewed his Red Wings season tickets, for the 40th season, not long after last year’s dismal campaign came to an end.
“I want to celebrate one more Stanley Cup before I turn 100,” he smiled. “And after seeing this team, I’m believing this might just happen — maybe more than once!”
Contributor: John Dudley
If you were blindly given the choice of a PSA 10, an SGC 10, a BGS 9.5, and a CSG 10 and told that if you chose the best condition copy without examining them that you would win a million dollars, which would you choose? It is a hard question and slightly different from the more familiar which company should I grade with.
Besides how much grading can increase value, quality is the next criterion collectors turn to when choosing a grading company. There are many ways to look at quality, but most are subjective. I love BGS for thicker cards but tend to avoid them for thin cards to save space. While that’s interesting, it doesn’t tell us anything about BGS’s quality.
Aesthetics and customer service aside, quality can be measured in part by strictness and by reputation. I’d argue that reputation is reasonably measured by actual sales prices, but strictness warrants a deeper examination.
Quick Hits
Grading News- BGS is out to beef up its digital footprint. Currently, they are offering an all-access pass to their digital price guide and market report offerings for a robust $349.99. Normally one attracts customers with great introductory prices or by having a killer product that everyone wants. This price point has me intrigued to see what they will unveil in the next few months to justify the price tag.
Vintage- In case you were upset you missed out on the 1952 Topps Mantle SGC 9.5 that fetched north of $12 Million a couple months back, here’s your chance to get back into the game for a high end Mantle rookie. Heritage is auctioning off a PSA 8 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle and it could be yours for what figures to be upwards of $2 million or more. Check out the story here.
NFT News- Sports dominate the NFT sales charts, especially in terms of volume. Sorare, of the awesome fantasy game and even more awesome promo fame, cracks the top five in terms of sales price and volume. They may be just starting out, but they are already doing big things. It’s an exciting time to check them out.
Pop Culture News- Topps Allen & Ginter finally comes out in mid-November. Ostensibly a baseball set, the annual offering has gathered more of a following for its non-sports autographs and zany inserts and subsets. This year they offer a ”Get That Bread” subset celebrating everyone’s favorite sandwiches. Could a PBJ rookie eventually outsell an OBJ? Let’s find out.
It's time for a GIVEAWAY!
Make a video showing us your favorite card and post it on social media. Make sure you tag BOTH @thecardshoplive and @SCN_Pod for a chance to win a @SlabStrong case, $100 in CSL cash, and swag!
Ends in a week. We can’t wait to hear your stories.
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.