Hoops Collectors: Basketball & Sports Cards Podcast

Max @PutnamCards recaps the Miami Courtside Cardshow with show Co-Founder Anthony @Summertime1of1 as they share their current thoughts on the sports card market.

They break down the biggest takeaways and best moments from the show, DJ Khaled’s surprise guest appearance, and what’s next for the Miami Courtside Cardshow.

They then discuss why 1/1 cards are becoming more popular than ever and make their price predictions for Victor Wembanyama’s 2025 Topps Chrome Superfractor.

Finally, Max and Anthony share their overrated and underrated NBA teams and players heading into the 2026-27 NBA season.

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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Miami Courtside Cardshow Recap
13:08 Wembanyama Superfractor
15:49 DJ Khaled's Appearance
24:18 Max Warms Up to 1/1s
28:34 Card Market Thoughts
38:17 2026-27 NBA Talk

Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
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Max breaks down 5 underrated 2025-26 Topps basketball cards from products including Topps Midnight, NBA Hoops, and Topps Pristine.

He also dives into the Topps marketing machine and looks at why finding hidden gems in the basketball card market right now is nearly impossible.

Plus, Max analyzes some insane recent Topps basketball sales, including three million-dollar Topps Chrome Update Debut Patch Auto 1/1s: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Kon Knueppel.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thank you for tuning in!

Chapters:
00:00 Episode Introduction
01:49 Courtside Cardshow
02:32 Debut Patch Auto Sales
07:23 Curry Alter Ego Superfractor Sale
11:49 5 Hidden Gems
29:12 New Pickup
30:51 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors
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Max @PutnamCards explores why early Panini basketball cards from 2009–2011 might still be undervalued compared to the rest of the sports card market.

He compares recent sales of pre-2012 Prizm Panini cards of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Stephen Curry with newer basketball cards from both the Panini and Topps eras, highlighting the potential opportunity at hand.

Max also reveals his biggest basketball card pickup of 2026 and breaks down the thought process behind the purchase.

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Chapters:
00:00 Episode Introduction
3:00 Market Thoughts
4:50 Early Panini Undervalued?
10:06 Recent Sales Comparison
17:59 Biggest Pickup of 2026
24:02 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors
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Max @PutnamCards is joined by Chris McGill @Chris_HOJ, CardLadder Co-Founder and host of the HOJ Cast and The Crossover, to explore the intersection of art and sports cards: how looking at card design through a critical lens can reveal deeper meaning and enhance our appreciation of the cards themselves.

Chris discusses how art movements of the past can influence our understanding of sports cards, why design can shape the way we value and interpret a card, and how collectors can approach their collections with a more thoughtful eye.

They also dive into a few of Chris’s recent Michael Jordan ‘90s 1/1 pickups, including the first-ever Michael Jordan Upper Deck 1/1.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors

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Max @PutnamCards ranks every year of Prizm Basketball cards from 2012 to 2024, covering all 13 years of Panini’s most iconic sports card brand.

From the 2012 Prizm Basketball debut to 2024's final release, he breaks down every set, ranking each year based on design, rookie class, top sales, key cards, and overall importance to the basketball card hobby.

Players covered include LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama, Jalen Brunson, and other NBA stars who've shaped the Prizm market through the years.

Whether you're actively collecting Panini Prizm basketball cards or looking to get started, there's something in this episode for everyone.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:46 Prizm Basketball Rankings
46:36 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors
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Max @PutnamCards explains why he's been buying fewer basketball cards lately and why he believes today's basketball card market feels eerily similar to the 2021–22 COVID-era bubble’s peak.

He also shares what he's been collecting instead, including pop culture, entertainment, and vintage historical cards, and why those areas offer a compelling opportunity.

Finally, Max discusses the role of Topps in expanding the pop culture card market by bringing more major entertainment IP to the hobby.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:24 The National
02:43 Recent NBA Pickups
03:37 Current Market Analysis
07:17 Crazy Sales
12:37 Collecting Opportunity
26:29 Topps Role in Pop Culture Market
28:20 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors
X: https://x.com/hoopscollectors

Max @PutnamCards breaks down what makes sports card brands popular (or not) — from iconic products like Topps Chrome, Panini Prizm, Exquisite, and Flawless to the factors that drive collector demand over time.

He explores the psychology behind card brand popularity, discusses why certain product lines become hobby staples, and explains why sports card brands have more in common with Hollywood movies than you might think.

From blockbuster films like The Odyssey to cult classics, the same framework behind box office success can also shape the sports card market.

Plus, a new pickup is revealed at the end of the episode.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
05:28 Differences in Brand Values
09:01 1st Aspect of Brand Popularity
15:24 2nd Aspect of Brand Popularity
21:44 Comparing Card Brands to Movies
28:33 New Pickup
30:16 Weekly Alley-Oop: Court Kings

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors

X: https://x.com/hoopscollectors

Max @PutnamCards is joined by Paul from @CardChannel to explore the math and science behind estimating sports card print runs.

Paul explains the methodology he uses to estimate the supply of modern sports cards, why understanding print runs can completely change the way collectors think about rarity, and how this data can help collectors make more informed buying decisions.

The conversation also dives into Paul's journey building Card Channel, the most surprising print run discoveries he's uncovered in the basketball card market, and why his research has influenced the cards he collects today. Paul shares several Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal cards from his personal collection and explains why he likes them.

Lastly, Paul announces the upcoming Card Channel analytics platform, shares what collectors can expect from the new tool, and explains how you can be one of the first 50 people to receive early access.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:50 How Did Card Channel Start?
05:45 The Math Behind Finding Print Runs
13:05 Modern Case Hits Perspective
18:01 Most Interesting Discoveries
21:31 New Card Channel Platform
26:40 How To Get First Access
32:45 What Does Card Channel Collect?
39:15 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors

X: https://x.com/hoopscollectors

In this episode, Max @PutnamCards is joined by Brent Weyer @DeepValueInvestor to break down the most overvalued and undervalued areas of the basketball card market today. They explore the market forces and collector psychology that drive prices, creating both opportunities and risks for collectors.

The conversation dives into the concept of front-loaded risk and why so many of the hobby's most hyped players face incredibly high expectations that are difficult to live up to. They also discuss how narratives, recency bias, fear of missing out, and investor behavior can lead to mispriced cards—and how collectors can recognize those situations before the market catches on.

Along the way, Max and Brent touch on a handful of the worst public sales from 2026 to illustrate these ideas in action before wrapping up the episode by sharing some of their favorite recent pickups and the thinking behind each one.

Chapters:

00:00 Episode Introduction

02:59 Most Overvalued

12:14 Most Undervalued
29:31 Worst Buys of 2026 So Far
36:50 Favorite Recent Pickups

Leave a rating if you enjoyed listening and thanks for tuning in!

Selling cards? Sign up with The Wharf Sports Cards and use promo code HOOPS95 to get 95% of the final sale price on any cards submitted in your first consignment here: https://wharfsportscards.com/r/HOOPS95 

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors

X: https://x.com/hoopscollectors

Max @PutnamCards takes a full deep dive into every 2008-09 basketball card release from Topps and Upper Deck, breaking down the underrated sets, hidden gems, and insane grails. 

The 2008-09 season is especially significant in hobby history. It’s the rookie year of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, and it also serves as the final year before Panini took over the exclusive NBA trading card license, making it a true end of an era for Topps and Upper Deck basketball releases.

Across the episode, Max highlights the best cards, most important parallels, and under-the-radar finds from each product, with a heavy focus on some of the biggest names in the hobby, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan.

Some of the key products covered include Topps Chrome, Upper Deck Exquisite, and Bowman Basketball.

Chapters:

00:00 Episode Introduction

05:28 Breakdown of 2008-09 Releases

37:47 Weekly Alley-Oop

Leave a rating if you enjoyed listening and thanks for tuning in!

Selling cards? Sign up with The Wharf Sports Cards and use promo code HOOPS95 to get 95% of the final sale price on any cards submitted in your first consignment here: https://wharfsportscards.com/r/HOOPS95 

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors

X: https://x.com/hoopscollectors