Hobby Nonsense

More than $940 MILLION was spent on cards and sealed wax in September — while Pokémon recorded its biggest month ever for five-figure sales. 📈 Jesse and Ray break down the numbers and ask what collectors should be watching next.

This week’s hobby rundown includes:

Plus, Jesse and Ray cover Mars Attacks out of this world autos, Smurfs, upcoming Pokémon products and some of the biggest Topps non-sport sales of the week.

Collect What You Love. ❤️

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Disney cards are up 512% over the last six months… so what could be NEXT? 👀 Matt Hathorn, aka Funcle, joins Jesse and Ray in studio to break down the Disney boom and another overlooked corner of non-sports that may deserve collectors' attention.

The guys compare six-month card index growth — Disney +512%, Star Wars +106% and Marvel +82% versus +12% for the S&P 500 — before debating 2023 vs. 2024 Topps Disney, recent dips, and why these sets have separated themselves from previous Disney releases.

Then it's time to look for what's next:

Plus, Funcle has a special giveaway for the Hobby Nonsense YouTube audience!

Collect What You Love. ❤️

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A $2,500 Simpsons card is suddenly selling for $25,000?! 🤯 Jesse and Ray break down the explosion of the 1990 Topps Simpsons market, why Bartman has jumped roughly 10X in such a short period, and the warning collectors need to hear about what could happen next.

🎙️ Cary Williams of American Arbitrage joins the show to talk about making a living finding overlooked collectibles, his success ripping retail packs on social media, and the unbelievable story of pulling a $40K card from a FREE pack at his first National.

Also this week:

From forgotten cards suddenly becoming five-figure collectibles to products hiding in plain sight, Jesse and Ray look at where collectors might be searching next.

Collect What You Love. ❤️

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Are non-sport card prices exploding because collectors are finally recognizing their value — or are collectors themselves helping create the hype? 📈 Jesse and Ray discuss Pokémon 30th Anniversary prices, accusations of market manipulation, and 2023 Disney 100 boxes doubling from roughly $10K to $20K in just one month.

🎙️ Coby Bell of Edition One joins the show to discuss the future of high-end collecting, show off his recently acquired $150K Spider-Man comic, and share an incredible collection ranging from a NASA Snoopy Space Pin and Winston Churchill memorabilia to a James Earl Jones signed Darth Vader helmet.

Also this week:

Plus, Jesse, Ray and Coby debate whether the rise of Disney, Marvel and other major IPs is just getting started — and if the biggest non-sport cards could eventually become more valuable than any sports cards.

Collect What You Love.

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Which Marvel cards are actually worth collecting? 🕷️ This week, Jesse and Ray are joined by Justin Underwood of Hobby Hits (Spidey Hits) to break down the Marvel card hobby for new and longtime collectors.

Justin dives into the history of Marvel cards, why certain sets stand above the rest, lower-print-run products collectors may be overlooking, and the story behind acquiring his grail Spider-Man comic that eventually sold for $150,000.

Also this week:

Plus, Justin shares what has made Hobby Hits successful and reveals which upcoming Marvel product has him the most excited.

Collect What You Love.

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Is the non-sport card hobby experiencing a renaissance? 📈 Jesse and Ray look at the incredible growth happening across the market, including record sales for Fortnite and Simpsons cards — and why some of these rising prices may make more sense than they initially appear.

🎙️ Adam Gellman of the Book to Last podcast joins the show to discuss:

Later in the show:

Plus, Jesse and Ray discuss why the current non-sport boom may be about more than hype, even as prices reach levels that deserve some caution.

Collect What You Love

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BREAKING NEWS on Hobby Nonsense! 🚨 Upper Deck President Jason Masherah joins Jesse and Ray to reveal a new agreement with Hasbro bringing Transformers, Power Rangers, G.I. Joe and more to Upper Deck trading cards!

Before the interview, Jesse and Ray discuss the explosive growth of the non-sport card market 📈 and whether collectors are witnessing a bubble or a long-overdue correction upward. While emphasizing the need for caution, they also look at what needs to change for this growth to remain sustainable long-term.

🎙️ Jason Masherah joins the show to discuss:

Later in the show:

From breaking industry news to Disney, Pokémon and the future of the rapidly growing non-sport market, there's plenty to unpack this week.

Collect What You Love.

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Fresh off Disney D23, there is a TON of news for Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Lorcana collectors — including a major change that could reshape the Lorcana market. 🏰✨

We start this week's Hobby Nonsense breaking down the biggest announcements from D23, including newly announced movies, TV shows, theme park additions and other Disney IP that could eventually find its way onto trading cards. We also look at the limited-edition Topps D23 cards, new Oswald the Lucky Rabbit promotional cards, and more.

But the biggest card news from D23 belongs to Disney Lorcana. 🃏

Ink from Digital Inkwell joins us fresh from D23 to break down the announcement that a new serialized card rarity is coming to Lorcana next year. We discuss:

From there, we speculate about the potential for future Bluey and The Simpsons card products following news of new movies coming for both properties.

Then it's time for some HUGE non-sport sales 💰, including multiple cards reaching the $75,000 level, with major sales for both Elsa and Black Panther.

We also turn our attention to Pokémon and discuss what we believe is the REAL reason the Pokémon market has cooled, why it may not be what some collectors think, and when we believe the market could start heating back up. ⚡

Finally, Ray and Jesse address some recent criticism of the show and ask a question that's bigger than any comp:

❤️ Are we spending too much time talking about what cards are worth and not enough time talking about why they're worth collecting?

It's a conversation about the balance between collecting what you love and understanding the market around it — and what we want Hobby Nonsense to represent going forward.

Collect What You Love.

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This week on Hobby Nonsense, we open with some absolutely wild breaking news from the Disney card market 🐭💰: the 2023 Topps Disney 100 Mickey Mouse Superfractor has been listed for $20 MILLION, while the Platinum Mickey Mouse Superfractor insert from the same set has appeared on eBay with a $3.5 million asking price.

Whether anyone pays those prices is another question, but the listings show just how dramatically perceptions around high-end Disney cards have changed. We also look at which other Disney sets could benefit as collectors increasingly find themselves priced out of 2023 and 2024 Disney.

Then we unveil the new look for Hobby Nonsense and our new slogan that sums up what we want the brand to be about:

❤️ COLLECT WHAT YOU LIKE

Before our guest joins us, Ray and I turn our attention to some upcoming Marvel releases and ask whether Marvel could be positioned for the kind of growth we've recently witnessed with Disney.

🎙️ Then Ryan Nolan of Breakout Cards joins us for a deep dive into the rapidly heating world of vintage non-sport cards. We cover:

After the interview, we check in on more record-setting sales, including a new high for One Piece and continued movement in 1966 Batman 📈.

And we couldn't end this episode normally…

We dive into a leaked LEGO Star Wars x Marvel crossover featuring mashups we never knew we needed: Iron-3PO, SpiderHan and Hulkbacca. 😂

From $20 million Mickey Mouse asking prices and 90-year-old Disney cards to vintage Marvel, record sales and some truly ridiculous LEGO minifigs, this episode shows just how wide the world of non-sport collecting has become.

Collect What You Like.

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Jesse is back from The National 🏟️, and this week on Hobby Nonsense we’re breaking down everything that happened at what may have been the best National yet — especially if you’re a non-sport collector looking for deals.

Jesse shares how he approached buying at the show, where he found value, things he wouldn’t do again, what was selling, and why The National may actually be one of the best places in the country to shop for non-sport card deals.

We also go behind the scenes of Jesse’s interview with GaryVee and Logan Paul, including an awkward moment with Logan, what they’re collecting right now, and finally settling one of the hobby’s most important debates: Are wrestling cards sports cards or entertainment cards? 😂

Then we get into a HUGE week of market news:

We also count down the five biggest Pokémon sales from July, including one topping an incredible $2 MILLION, and follow up last week’s discussion of cards that have fallen since April by looking at some of the cards that have experienced the biggest increases over the same period 📈.

And finally… a relatively new TCG just quadrupled in value overnight. It isn’t Pokémon — but let's just say it isn't very far removed from it either. 👀

From The National and GaryVee & Logan Paul to Disney, Marvel, WWE and a potentially massive Pokémon release, there’s a LOT to unpack this week.

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