Chris HOJ-Cast

This episode has four segments.  First, a few select stories from walking the floor at the 2026 National.  Second, the rising market for commemorative 1/1 cards—with specific examples from Ohtani, Brady, and McGwire.  Third, a recent pickup: the 1998 Topps Gold Label Class 3 Red 1/1 of Peyton Manning.  And fourth, a conceptual framework for understanding the financialization of sports cards.

This episode dives deep into the Highway 99 Gold 1/1 of Michael Jordan, contemplating the card through the lenses of metaphor, design, and historical importance.  It then shifts to discussing whether the collector is also an artist.  The episode concludes with a few thoughts on how markets for “trophy cards” function.

This episode has three main sections.  The first discusses Brock Purdy and the predictive power of analytics in anticipating historic breakout performances like KAT’s 2026 playoff run.  The second tees up multiple topics relating to the philosophy of collecting, including: how information changes the way we “see” cards, the gifts of research and storytelling, and the logic of the first.  And the third reveals a Purdy 1/1 that boasts a special distinction.

This episode has six parts: 1) a reveal of the release dates of Michael Jordan's first seven 1/1s, 2) a deep dive into the first basketball 1/1 checklist (which happens to be an MJ card); 3) a quick look at some recent MJ 1/1 sales; 4) a discussion of "iconic" status in the sports card context; 5) some thoughts on Nikola Jokic's $1 million logoman autograph 1/1 sale; and 6) thoughts on Jokic's early playoff exit and legacy.

This episode has five parts.  1) A quick dive into my Luka fandom.  2) Reflections on how research shapes collecting—and how research builds meaning.  3) Using my recent pickup (2024-25 Silhouette Holo Platinum 1/1 Luka Doncic) as a case study in how research creates meaning.  4) A review of the market for Luka's first Lakers 1/1s.  5) Some closing remarks on the legacy Luka Doncic is etching into basketball history.

This episode has 5 parts.  First, a discussion of PER and who has won its crown in each NBA season.  Second, a review of two headline Jokic card sales with Goldin last weekend.  Third, a deep dive into Joker's Totally Certified Holo Blue 1/1 run.  Fourth, a synopsis of Jokic's 2025-26 season.  And finally, some thoughts on culture and leisure in prehistoric times.

This episode analyzes the two 1/1 MJ sales from Heritage Auctions last weekend—the Platinum Masterpiece, which sold for $2.1m, and the Purple Masterpiece, which sold for $625k.

This episode revolves around my recent pick up of the "Heart and Soul" Gold 1/1 of Michael Jordan—using this card as a springboard into discussing: (1) MJ's first fifteen 1/1s ever made, (2) the historic "Heart and Soul" 30-card set, (3) my recent public poll asking collectors to choose their favorite among four MJ 1/1s, (4) all 66 public sales of a 90s MJ 1/1 since 2004, and (5) the first week of activity surrounding the live auction of MJ's Platinum 1/1 from 1997-98 Ultra.

This episode has three parts.  First, a registry of the 72 first MJ 1/1s is introduced—identifying the 37 cards that are publicly owned, the 21 that are privately owned, and the 14 that have yet to surface.  Second is an exercise in 1/1 valuation methods, specifically towards estimating a price for the two Ultra 1/1 masterpieces coming to auction soon.  Third, the concept of a "hobby Rorschach test" is floated, considering how the same card can appear quite differently to us at various points along our collecting evolutions.

This episode has 3 parts.  First is a discussion sparked by the recent Flawless 1/1 Jokic sale.  Second is introspection around whether to pursue a very special Michael Jordan 1/1 that is coming to auction soon.  And the final segment is a recap of Christian McCaffrey's legacy-enhancing 2025 season.

(Here is the MJ card ranking system mentioned in the second section: https://tinyurl.com/MJRNK)