Nonsense Newsletter No. 45: MLB Playoffs, overreactions in the NFL and the guys visit Music City.
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In this edition os SCN newsletter, John Dudley breaks down overreactions after week no. 1 of the NFL season, Jessie and Mike get down in Music City on YouTube, and I share with all of you how excited I am for the MLB playoffs (even though they haven’t actually started yet). Oh, and Topps Chrome drops today. Get it on Card Shop Live!
Now it’s time to kick back and enjoy your favorite newsletter (it is, right?)!
Contributor: John McTaggart
It’s not officially playoff time for Major League Baseball — I’m aware of that.
And for those of you who are purist and true rule sticklers, this article is a few weeks too early.
However, I was the kid who began counting down to Christmas back in early September, and I’m now the grown man who starts decorating for the holidays two days after Halloween.
So, please feel free to post your “too early,” comments in the appropriate space below this article, and I will read each one with care and reason.
Now that I have that disclosure out of the way, I move forward.
The MLB playoffs are really, really, really near.
And really, really, really near is close enough for me to get excited about what is arguably my favorite time of year.
Up here in the Mitten State, the weather in October is chilly without being cold. The leaves are all turning and falling gently to the ground — and I can watch playoff baseball for what seems to be 24/7!
I love it.
So, let’s take a second here to take a quick look at a few players who might make some noise this postseason and, as a result, may make an impact (albeit brief, most likely) in the hobby.
We all know about superstars like Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso, and Ronald Acuna —players who have been front-and-center most of the season and players who have a hobby right now that won’t really need much of a bolster come playoff time.
Contributor: John Dudley
There is no greater time for overreactions in the hobby than after the first NFL weekend. Ok, that might be an overreaction itself, but just a small one. Card collectors are even more prone to hyperbole and knee-jerk reactions.
That said, there are good reasons for football collectors to move fast. The football market swings wildly during the season and collectors can make, or lose, a ton by being ahead or behind the trends. So let’s check out the reactions to the opening weekend’s big performances, be they good, bad, or ugly (injuries), and evaluate if the current hype around them is real or all smoke and mirrors.
The Good
Justin Jefferson is not a sleeper at all. He was projected to be a top-five receiver by pretty much every writer and organization. What he is is a great example of the advantages collectors can get when they notice a disconnect between pricing and perception. Jefferson was perceived as a top-five guy but was not getting priced like it at the end of last year. Consequently, many collectors have had Jefferson pegged as “their guy” they love to pick up on the cheap. Even so, the skepticism about any non-QB position kept his prices reasonable all off-season.
Quick Hits
NFT News- In what seems to be the growing trend for NFTs, Golden States co-owner Nick Swinmurn is starting a new NFT-based fantasy sports game or fantasy sports prediction game as they call it. The combination of fantasy sports and NFTs is intriguing and if either is up your alley, it might be worth checking out.
Vintage- It seems like super-valuable cool cards and memorabilia are coming up for auction every week! This week is no exception as Goldin Auctions offers up an amazing T206 Honus Wagner and a 1938 babe Ruth jersey. Check out the entire story here..
Grading News- NBA 2K3 added a new wrinkle to its card collecting aspect. You can now grade your virtual player cards in the game just like in real life. Just like in real life, you have to wait as the game mechanics strangely kept the most annoying part of the process. More info here.
Pop Culture News- Topps announced a T206 Star Wars set. The mini-card version comes with a wide array of parallels. If it is like its baseball counterpart, it will attract a slew of set collectors. Like the runaway hit Star Wars Sapphire, this set has great eye appeal. No word on how many Waves there are in this set yet, but I’d guess at least five.
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Events
The guys are back with their normal Monday and Tuesday Podcast talking NFL football. They are also going to be looking at the brand new Topps Chrome baseball.
Don’t forget to check out John Dudley’s By The Numbers live on the Card Shop Live!
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.