Nonsense Newsletter No. 150: Five to watch in the NHL, Cards Dudley is buying, Topps 206 and much more!
Welcome to another incredible edition of the Nonsense Newsletter! This week, John Dudley talks about the cards he’s got on his radar right now. I, on the other hand, skate into the NHL season by talking about five players who may breakout in 24-25. Oh, and the Quick Hits section — it’s dope (as the kids say). So, take a deep breath, exhale and then prepare yourself for a mind-blowing edition of the Nonsense Newsletter!
By John Dudley
Ask anyone whose cards they want to stock up on and you are met with prevarication, hemming and hawing, and outright lying. None of that here. I’m going to walk through my thinking process to get my list of guys to target this offseason. I’m choosing five guys total this year: one HOF-bound superstar, one HOF-bound hobby-dud, one current superstar, one youngster, and one from a special category.
One of my favorite rituals of the baseball season is planning out what players to target for offseason buying while watching the first round of the playoffs. I like getting a handle on things before the postseason colors my perceptions too much, so I always make plans before too many postseason games are played. So, this week I’m giving you a glimpse into my baseball buying thought process.
By John McTaggart
The season is finally upon us — or it’s close enough, anyhow.
That said, tet’s take quick look at five players who could have a breakout season in 2024-25, thus meaning a breakout moment in the hobby.
Juraj Slafkovsky (Montreal Canadiens)— 2022 Upper Deck #451— Slavkovsky wrapped up the 23-24 campaign with 50 points (20 goals/30 assists), which, considering the struggles the No.1 overall pick had prior, this is progress. More than that, he finished last season looking like a player worthy of his draft spot. Slavkosky can really shine in Montreal this season along side Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki.
Quick Hits
Hobby News — Topps 206 is back for its fifth year in a row! The little set that could keeps on tricking! Aside from being one of your newsletter writer’s absolute favorite sets, this year’s set is especially attractive as Topps has really nailed the details including offering the tobacco-sized cards in “cartons” which display attractively. The popular Night Game parallels return, but the big draw for many will be the autos and the fact that most “cartons” will have a slew of cards with a print run under 25. It’s also a set builder’s dream. It’s still available on the Topps’ website currently. – John Dudley
Vintage — Okay, normally I’m complaining about somebody finding a ’52 Mantle in a shoebox at a garage sale. This week, however, it’s a more serious tone I’m taking. In an indication of the stakes of the hobby, I’m reporting on a card shop in Rhode Island who had a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth PSA 4 stolen from the shop last week. Please check out the article here and keep your eyes peeled for this card popping up on Ebay or other sites.
Hobby News Correction — In a first for the SCN Newsletter (there probably should have been more by now), it’s time to offer a correction. Last week, I reported that there were 6000 boxes of Topps Mercury: Victor Wembanyama. There are 3000. A miscalculation occurred when I read odds as 1 in 70 boxes instead of 1 in 70 packs. With two packs per box, that 6000 number is halfed. That’s still a lot of Wemby autos, but not as unconscionable as the 6000 number. I regret the error. – John Dudley
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.