Sports Cards Live

In this solo episode, I slow things down and explore a question that sits at the center of how many of us collect:
do you like cards because they’re expensive, or do you like cards that are expensive?

I talk about price as a signal, price as validation, and why using value as a scoreboard can quietly shape our preferences without us realizing it. I also dig into the difference between owning a one-of-one and owning a card that others own too, and why shared ownership can sometimes be more fulfilling than absolute uniqueness.

This episode touches on collecting as a social experience, the role of community and connection, and why owning the same card as someone else can create a sense of belonging that price alone can’t explain. From card bros to family bonding, collecting together adds a layer of meaning that doesn’t show up on a price chart.

This isn’t about right or wrong ways to collect. It’s about asking better questions and understanding why certain cards matter to us when they do.

If this kind of thinking resonates with you, these are the same themes explored more deeply in my upcoming book Pops and Comps, available mid-February.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Agree or disagree, feel free to reach out directly at [email protected].

Join us live on Saturday, February 21st, and we’ll be back to the regular podcast format shortly after that. If you enjoy the show, please consider telling a friend, leaving a rating, or sharing the episode.

Thanks for listening.
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In this solo episode, I slow things down and talk through my personal collection policies, or PC policies, and why I’ve chosen to put certain boundaries in place around what I collect and what I don’t.

These aren’t rules meant for anyone else. They’re filters I’ve developed over time to help me stay focused, intentional, and aligned with my own taste in a hobby where it’s very easy to drift or overspend. I share how some of these policies came to be, how they’ve evolved, and how a few of them led to outcomes I never expected.

This episode isn’t about telling anyone how to collect. It’s about understanding yourself as a collector, the tradeoffs you’re willing to make, and why having constraints can sometimes open more doors than they close. I also talk about when policies make sense, when they don’t, and why buying what simply catches your eye can still be a perfectly valid approach.

If you agree, disagree, or have your own PC policies, I’d love to hear from you.

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In this solo episode, I slow things down and explore an idea I’ve been thinking about for a long time: the hobby either chooses you, or you choose it.

How you enter the sports card hobby shapes how you experience it, how you relate to other collectors, and why certain tensions keep resurfacing year after year. Some of us come to cards organically, through curiosity, nostalgia, and connection. Others arrive intentionally, through opportunity, markets, and money. Neither path is right or wrong, but they lead to very different perspectives.

In this episode, I talk about why those differences matter, where gatekeeping comes from, how the modern hobby ecosystem evolved, and why refusing to let people change over time creates unnecessary friction. I also share my own entry point into the hobby, how my mindset has evolved, and why coexistence matters more than consensus.

This isn’t about telling anyone how to collect. It’s about understanding why we collect the way we do, and how the hobby can be big enough to hold more than one story.

If you agree, disagree, or land somewhere in between, I’d love to hear from you.

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Sports Cards Live returns to its regular live format soon.
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This is another solo episode recorded while I’m away from the live show. No Saturday night Sports Cards Live this week. No panel. No chat. Just me, the microphone, and a collecting idea that’s been on my mind for a long time.

In this episode, I step back and talk about how I think about value, meaning, and enjoyment in the hobby, and how those ideas have changed for me over the years. It’s a personal reflection on collecting philosophy, not a rulebook, and not an attempt to tell anyone else how they should collect.

This conversation touches on how collectors respond to scarcity, checklists, pricing, and external signals, and why different approaches resonate with different people. It’s less about specific cards and more about how we decide what deserves a place in our collection in the first place.

If you’ve ever felt torn between what the hobby tells you is important and what you actually enjoy owning, this episode is for you.

If you have thoughts on this topic or want to share how you approach collecting, you can email me at [email protected]. I read those messages and appreciate thoughtful disagreement.

If you haven’t yet, visit hobbyspectrum.com to take the Hobby Spectrum assessment and explore how collectors approach the hobby in very different ways. Depending on when you’re listening, early access may already be open.

As always, thank you to all the sponsors and partners of Sports Cards Live, and thank you for listening. I’ll have more solo episodes coming while I’m away, and then we’ll be back to the live format soon.
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With no Saturday night live Sports Cards Live this week, I wanted to make sure the podcast feed didn’t go quiet.

This is a solo episode recorded while I’m away, just me, the microphone, and a topic that deserves more space than a fast-moving live panel can always give it.

The conversation is sparked by a thoughtful email I received from a longtime listener following a recent Sports Cards Live episode that touched on card cleaning, restoration, and the use of products like Kurt’s Card Care. The email pushed back on how the topic was discussed, questioned where the line between alteration and restoration should be drawn, and challenged the idea that restoration is inherently problematic.

Rather than summarize or paraphrase, I read the listener’s email verbatim, share my full response verbatim, and then step back to talk through the bigger issue facing the hobby.

This episode isn’t about shaming anyone, canceling anyone, or telling people what they can or can’t do with their own cards. It’s about transparency, disclosure, and buyer trust. It’s about whether restoring a card changes its visible history, and whether the next owner has a right to know what work has been done.

There’s no chat. No guests. No panel heat. Just a focused discussion about where lines get drawn in the sports card hobby, why those lines matter to some collectors more than others, and why this debate refuses to go away.

You don’t have to agree with me. In fact, if you don’t, that’s kind of the point.

If you have thoughts on restoration, disclosure, or where you think the line should be drawn, I want to hear them.
Email me at [email protected]. Thoughtful disagreement is always welcome.

If you believe restoration without disclosure is acceptable, make the case. If you think I’m wrong, explain why. If you want to come on the show and talk it through, reach out.

If you haven’t yet, visit hobbyspectrum.com to request access to the Hobby Spectrum assessment. Depending on when you’re listening, early access may already be open. Take the assessment, opt into the directory, and explore how different collectors approach the hobby in very different ways.

As always, thank you to all the sponsors and partners of Sports Cards Live, and thank you for listening. I’ll have a few more solo episodes coming your way while I’m off, and then we’ll be back to the live format soon.

Thanks for being part of the conversation.
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