Nonsense Newsletter No. 69: A look at the month of March, a hockey epiphany, some cool vintage Yankee cards and Tom Brady playing for the Expos... plus more!
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Spring training is underway, snow is falling all over the country, and this has left so many of us so confused. But, have no fear, the Nonsense Newsletter is here to help soothe this anxiety. This week John Dudley looks at the month of March, while I have a light bulb moment with my beloved hockey hobby. Plus, Tom Brady and the Expos set to create pandemonium within the hobby. Oh, and there’s more! So sit back, relax and enjoy this week’s edition of the Nonsense Newsletter.
Contributor: John Dudley
It’s a good idea to get your ducks in a row to start a new month. One way to do this is to have a good handle on what sports card products are coming out soon. So, consider this the first By the Numbers product preview. Let’s check out what March has to offer us.
A few things jump out about March’s calendar. First, there are no new 2023 Topps baseball releases. This is a bit surprising after giving us 2023 Topps Series 1 in February. Instead, it is back to the 2022 products for March. Delays are part of the hobby world for the foreseeable future so maybe I shouldn’t be too surprised. Alternatively, it could be a new trend where Topps isn’t giving collectors much notice of new releases. I wouldn’t be shocked if Topps springs a 2023 surprise or two on collectors in March. Not great for budgeting purposes, but it is kind of fun to have an unexpected drop now and then.
The other thing that immediately jumps out is that March is packed full of good releases regardless of what sport you follow. Heck, it’s even great for non-sports fans too. Even without 2023 baseball releases, baseball still has a strong month with an excellent crop of 2022 products. Every sport has a nice variety of products with a variety of prices with strong lower-priced, mid-range, and high-end categories all seeing multiple releases. There is something for everyone in March regardless of budget or sport.
Contributor: John McTaggart
For a very long time now, I’ve dedicated much of this space to professing my love for the sport of hockey and, more specifically, the hockey hobby.
I’ve used all kinds of examples as to why many of those who turn their nose up at the frigid game should reconsider.
I’ve spoken with some of the hobby’s biggest hockey collectors.
I’ve run a few numbers across these pages as well, dazzling all of you with the growth potential of the hockey hobby.
I’ve even broken my own unwritten rule of giving investment advice and made a few suggestions regarding which young gun prospect (hockey people will get this reference) should be given a deep-dive into in terms of potential returns (see the article I did on Matty Beniers before the season got underway).
Join Mike tonight on Card Shop Live to rip some packs and bid on singles!
Quick Hits
Hobby News- I’m betting you’ve seen this as it has been posted endlessly on social media feeds, but Topps is releasing a Tom Brady Bowman card in the upcoming Bowman Draft Baseball product. Yes, it is baseball but Brady was once a flyer MLB draftee. Brady isn’t the only pro athlete that was drafted in baseball who went on to shine elsewhere and it’s not the first time a company has gone down this path, but I can see this being successful enough to warrant more players getting similar treatment in the future. Oh, there’s an autographed version meaning that there will be Brady Bowman 1st autos. These will undoubtedly be scarce, but they will also undoubtedly be big-ticket items. With Brady being drafted as an Expo it does leave breakers with a predicament on how to treat the Brady card with regards to the team classification.Â
Vintage- When I was 10 years old I got drafted by the Yankees, albeit it was in my local Little League, I still felt like a big deal donning the pinstripes that spring. Well, once a Yankee always a Yankee, right? That’s why this article caught my attention. Check it out for more on some of the Yankee legends up for auction by clicking here.
Grading News- Heritage just finished off a doozy of an auction (22 million!) and there are multiple highlights. The one that leaps off the page though is a PSA 10 1968 Topps Mickey Mantle going for $510,000. That’s more than double what one went for last year ($214,000). That’s a great sign for the high-end market and the market overall. More info about the impressive auction is here.
Pop Culture- Leaf Pop Century Concert Tickets offers exactly what you would expect. Leaf turned authentic concert tickets into trading cards and released them in the one-ticket-per-box product recently. So far, the highest sellers have been Bob Dylan, Beyonce, and Drake but prices are still varying widely on these. One thing that does seem to be affecting prices is the age of the ticket with collectors seeking out older tickets. Tickets for festivals or concerts with multiple headliners also seem to be selling better than solo shows.
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.