Nonsense Newsletter No. 118: Downgrading, Chasing the Dream, Topps Series 1, 1948 Leaf and more.
In this week’s stupendous edition of the Nonsense Newsletter, John Dudley takes a long hard look at the realities of the market today. I, on the other hand, wax poetic about chasing dreams. Plus, we have a Quick Hits section that will likely leave you smiling for the rest of the week. So, knowing all this, kick back and enjoy this week’s installment of the Nonsense Newsletter!
By John Dudley
The card market is down. That fact is undebatable but while the market is far from the heady days of the early pandemic, grading seems to be one area that has been immune from a downturn. Month after month, the market hits new records in terms of grading volume despite the cost of grading remaining substantially higher than it was pre-pandemic.
I’ve been looking at the notion that grading hasn’t been affected by the downturn with more skepticism recently though. In short, I’m worried I’ve been looking at grading volume instead of actual pricing and drawing some incorrect conclusions. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed very low prices for ultra-modern cards compared to what one would expect given the raw prices. I’ve seen numerous posts about people getting steals on graded cards. I’ve gotten gem mint cards for less than twice the raw price. That means it is time to gather a bunch of data and answer the question as to if grading prices have declined even if grading volume hasn’t.
By John McTaggart
I don’t consider myself old, yet I am keenly aware, based mainly on the sore ankle, bum hip and tricky back I deal with almost daily, that I am not as young as I once was either.
But, there is a blessing in all of the experience gained from life.
When you get to be mid-life, which is what I fall into nicely, you can take a step back and look over your life. You have a better understanding of what you want out of the remaining time you have, and you have a little less nerves and a touch more courage.
I’ve taken some time recently and done a lot of reflecting.
And what came of all this introspection — trading cards.
Seriously, I looked back and noticed that a lot of my enjoyment, particularly in my career, has come when I was a sports card dealer — buying, selling, trading — with a community I have been a part of since I was 14 years old.
Quick Hits
Hobby News- Topps Series 1 is out and early reviews are good. The team variations have been a hit and collectors will likely give the Independence Day parallels more love than normal this year with a great design. The other major new chase is remarkable for its plainness removing all design elements on the card except the photo. All of that pales in comparison to the unannounced Kevin Hart parallels. These include small photos of the comic and are /52. So far, these have only been found on Phillies cards as far as I can tell which would make sense as Hart is from Philadelphia. The question is if these will be like Tacofractors with further prizes in store for the cardholders.
Vintage- Who doesn’t love the Antiques Roadshow, right? Well, there’s more to the Roadshow than Tiffany lamps and fine art. In fact, every so often they stumble upon a set of rare baseball cards. Recently, someone brought to the stage a collection of 1948 Leaf baseball. Let’s just say, mind-blown! Check more of it out here.
Hobby News- The other big release, Prizm Basketball, is also doing well with Wembanyama base cards fetching about $80. That’s about what a Luka Doncic Prizm rookie goes for raw as well. That’s a very strong performance for the Wemby card in a very down market. The early reception of this card is a positive indicator for the hobby.
Hobby News- Do you just love booklet cards? If so, Leaf has the product for you with Leaf History Book Sports Edition: Chapter One. Each box comes with two cards with both being booklet cards. That’s right, this product is all booklet all the time. It’s also pricy, but folks do love their booklets. It’s limited quantities so be sure to book it to snag a box.
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.