Nonsense Newsletter No. 66: Legacies, conversations about cards, $100,000 packs and Some Hall of Fame fun!
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In this week’s Big Game edition of the Nonsense Newsletter, John Dudley breaks down the legacies that may be on the line this weekend when the Chiefs battle the Eagles. I talk about myself (shocking) and my impending television/small screen debut on the Card Shop Live app, and someone out there paid more than $873,000 for eight packs of baseball cards (I kid you not)!. And there is, of course, much more in this week’s edition of the Nonsense Newsletter!
Contributor: John Dudley
While baseball players can become the epicenter of the hobby world through stats alone, basketball and football players need postseason success to sustain hobby relevance. It seems a bit unfair for one game in a player’s career to define their hobby legacy, but except for Dan Marino, a Super Bowl win is a prerequisite for long-term hobby value. That means that next week’s game will be critical for the hobby legacy of some of the players on the field.
This is a ranking of who has the most to gain and lose in the hobby based solely on the Super Bowl. It is not who is the best in the hobby or whose cards are the most valuable. Instead, this list is based on two things: the short-term and long-term impact of the game on the players’ card values. I’ve limited the list to players likely to actually have hobby value so apologies to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but 26-year-old wide receivers with one Pro Bowl appearance won’t move the needle, win or lose. Likewise, few defensive players ever achieve hobby value so they will, as always, be underrepresented here. Sadly no rookies made this list. If you are looking for rookies though, check out Dr. Collectable’s Donruss Preview on CSL’s Instagram.
Contributor: John McTaggart
I’m getting my own show on the Card Shop Live app.
I am way excited about this, to be honest with you, and not because I enjoy seeing myself on the screen.
My boss, Tamara, who is amazing, I should add, asked me what I wanted to call the show.
After much deliberation, and many pieces of lined yellow legal pad pages, I decided to keep it very simple, very straightforward, and in a strange way, fun.
It’s called, “John Talks to People About Trading Cards.”
I know, original, right?
But there is a method to this madness — this is what I want it to be, a conversation between friends who share a similar passion.
And the more people I reach out to about this show, either for guidance in making it the best show possible, or being a guest on the show, I’ve come to realize there is one common thread between them all — passion.
It's time for the BIG GAME this weekend! And what better way to chase our favorite Hall of Fame pros than to join them at the Fox Broadcast premiere of The Perfect 10 for a charity break supporting the NFL Foundation and the H2H Foundation.
Join Mike on Sports Cards Nonsense, and Joe from Phoenix Sports Cards live on the CSL app, on Saturday at 7pm EST for a live charity auction. The auction benefits the H2H Foundation and we will be raising money for community impact.
From top football hobby boxes to signed memorabilia you can only get at this auction, you won't want to miss it! We will be auctioning exclusive memorabilia, 2022 Impeccable football, 1999 Skybox Metal Universe, and MORE!
Quick Hits
Grading News- Baseball is cementing its hold as the number one sport to grade. Last month, the big four grading companies graded roughly 272,000 baseball cards compared to 189,000 for basketball which came in second. I do expect basketball and football to gain ground as more products with Purdy and Paolo show up. Plus, out there in the distance, Wembanyama mania waits. For now, baseball is king again.
Vintage- If you remember a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a brick of eight packs of 1952 Topps baseball that were up for auction. Well, they sold for a whopping $873,000 (buyer’s premium included). So I don’t want to hear anyone complaining about the cost of packs anymore. Someone out there paid over $100,000 per pack! Read the details by clicking here.
NFT News- eBay is joining with Notable Live to bring NFTs to the forefront of eBay’s selling platform. It seems like there is a new NFT startup or partnership every week, but when eBay gets involved, it is worth watching. There’s not much concrete in the way of information yet, but more can be found here.
Hobby News- I think I might’ve been slightly off with my ranking of Gilded last week in my ranking of sets that used the base Topps design and I thought it might do well and ranked it highly, but I obviously didn’t expect the full-blown frenzy that has occurred. Box prices have hit an amazing $700 up from $400 ($325 from Topps). The strange thing is, with the amazing design of these cards, these prices don’t seem like that much of an overreaction. While the rookies are unquestionably hot, veteran stars /99 have traded for over $100 as well. Move over Sapphire, Topps found a new premium brand.
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.