Nonsense Newsletter No. 111: Resolutions for the New Year, Gem Rate talk, 1970s hoops and so much more!
In this week’s festive edition of the Nonsense Newsletter, John Dudley open up the resolutions file and discusses some he has for the hobby. I get all nerdy and talk about the oft-ignored gem-rate factor. Plus, the Quick Hits section is a brilliant.. simple as that. So, fire up the holiday lights, grab the eggnog, and enjoy this week’s edition of the Nonsense Newsletter!
By John Dudley
It’s time to start thinking of New Year’s resolutions. Last year mine was hobby related and I plan to do that again this year. The question is which resolution to choose? I’m going to explore a few options and choose one in 2024.
Before diving in, it is worth looking at how I did last year. Last year I made a list of 52 cards and had a rule that I had to grab one of those each week before buying anything else. This worked well for the first few months, but I fell off the idea largely due to the fact that some of the cards were no longer desirable (Wander Franco) and others were priced excessively (2022 Sapphire cards). Rather than be beholden to a list made in December, I pivoted and made sure to have one PC card each week. I’ll give myself a pass on this one as I do all my resolutions. Let’s look at the options
No Wax
The first option I’m considering is going the singles only route. For me though, I love to rip packs and I’ve already cut my wax purchases down to the bone. My guess is I don’t choose this one, but I bet it is a popular choice for many, especially given the growing gulf between wax prices and the price of singles one gets from said wax.
By John McTaggart
Today, ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to drop some knowledge on all ya all!
You probably think I’m just another pretty face in the hobby, which is true (Not), but I am actually somewhat educated and less-so sophisticated.
Nonetheless, today, we are going to school.
A Game Changer
Grading has for sure changed the game in the hobby.
Back in the day, people literally laughed at the thought of a third-party telling me what condition my card was in — literally they did.
But that was then, when card evaluations could often turn into shouting matches at show tables, and the hobby was the wild west of card conditions! I can remember literally seeing two grown men arm wrestle to determine whether a card was mint condition or near-mint.
Nowadays, however, you’d have to be either very, very, very old school, or very, very, very ignorant to the hobby not to recognize that grading has changed everything.
Quick Hits
Hobby News- Topps Brooklyn is back with a bit of a funky 70s vibe this year, especially for the autos. This product doesn’t make a big splash, but it is one of the favorites of long-time collectors with beautiful on-card autos, extremely high quality, and a smallish checklist that keeps the dud boxes to a minimum. I had one of the worst boxes I saw last year (zero rookies) and I still wound up with a nice Randy Johnson auto as a consolation prize. Not too shabby.
Pop Culture News- Magic: The Gathering is continuing its inclusion of popular IP with Jurassic Park cards in the Caverns of Ixalan set. I might be a little late to the party on this one, but this might be one of the more amusing tie-ins MTG has done with one card paying nod to the shirtless Ian Malcolm/Jeff Goldblum meme so I had to mention it. The cards fall one in every 12 Draft Booster packs and one per each Collector’s Edition packs.
Vintage- Let’s imagine that we all eat, breath and sleep vintage basketball cards, particularly those from the 1970s. Perfect! Now that we have that picture in our collective mind, then check out this article outlining the best of that decade. Click here for the goods!
Hobby News- If you are looking for signs of life in the high-end market look no further than Topps Chrome’s Rookie Debut Patch Auto 1/1s. Even middle relievers have gone for over $3000. I’m not sure of the long-term viability of those prices, but it is a great sign that the high-end market is rebounding.
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.