The 1914 Babe Ruth Baltimore News just sold for $4.02M—about $3M less than last year’s $7.2M result. Is the hobby crashing? Nope. I walk through two-bidder auction dynamics, liquidity, macro vibes, why rarity + narrative still matter, and how this compares to modern grails (MJ/LeBron/Kobe). Quick story, four takeaways, and what it might mean for vintage vs. modern over the next decade.

Timestamps
0:00 Cold open — what sold, where, and the $3M gap
0:45 Quick story: 1914 Baltimore News Ruth (19-year-old minor-leaguer)
1:20 Why auctions drop: the two-bidder reality (not 100k voters)
3:40 Takeaway #1: Auction competition drives big swings
4:45 Takeaway #2: Liquidity & macro conditions matter
6:35 Takeaway #3: Narrative + rarity still rule (Ruth’s historical weight)
8:50 Takeaway #4: This isn’t hobby doom — one sale ≠ the market
10:40 Modern heat check: MJ/Kobe/LeBron/Ohtani vs vintage over time
12:30 Wrap + what I’m watching next (and Chicken Nugget Nation)

In the final part of our 3-part Hobby Awards breakdown, we dive into the last—and spiciest—categories including Best Sold Memorabilia, Grading Company of the Year, and Creator of the Year. There’s drama, there’s emotion, and there’s Paul Skenes catching strays. Buckle up, nuggets.

Timestamps:
0:00 – What’s Up, Chicken Nuggets
1:10 – The Final 6 Hobby Award Categories
2:00 – Best Sold Memorabilia Debate
5:00 – Babe Ruth vs. Kobe’s Rookie Jersey vs. MJ/Kobe Logo Man
7:30 – Why I Can’t Vote for Paul Skenes 😬
10:10 – Collectibles Executive of the Year Pick
13:40 – Best Media Platform (SCN Shoutout!)
17:15 – Grading Company Drama: SGC, PSA, TAG
21:00 – Creator of the Year: Kyle vs. Josh vs. Mojo
25:00 – Final Thoughts + Chicken Nugget Nation Drop

Tyler dives into the next 5 categories of the 2025 Hobby Awards, including Best Auction House, Non-Sport Product, and Innovation of the Year. From Fanatics Collect to Gary Vee’s VeeFriends, we talk through what’s hot, what’s hype, and what’s just hilarious.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro & hobby reminder (“A compliment to one isn’t an insult to another”)

2:15 Best Auction House: Fanatics Collect vs. Golden vs. Heritage

5:00 Gary Vee & the rise of VeeFriends in the hobby

7:00 Innovation of the Year: Lux vs. ColleX showdown

9:40 Sneak peek at next episode & free giveaway for Chicken Nugget Nation

Join the drop: SportsCardsAreDope.com

Vote here: TheHobbyAwards.com

Tyler dives into the first-ever Hobby Awards hosted by Mantle and breaks down his votes across five key categories—from best breaking platform to best hobby shop. Expect hot takes, personal experiences, and why Tyson Beck and Card Vault might just be redefining the hobby.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: Mantle & the Hobby Awards Explained
01:10 – Ghostrite trophies & genius branding
02:50 – Best Breaking Platform (eBay vs Whatnot vs Fanatics Live)
05:00 – Best Custom Art Card Artist (Why Tyson Beck wins my vote)
07:30 – Best Collectible Show (Fanatics Fest vs The National)
09:50 – Best Marketplace (eBay’s dominance and the rising contenders)
12:00 – Best Hobby Shop (Card Vault, Burbank, and the future of retail)
17:50 – Final thoughts & how to join Chicken Nugget Nation

http://sportscardsaredope.com
I bought four memorabilia pieces (MJ, Bulls, Team USA, and an Ali glove) for $650—knowing there’s an ~80% chance they’re fake. Here’s why I did it anyway, how I value uncertified items, and five red flags to spot forged autographs (even when a slab says “authentic”).

Timestamps
0:00 Welcome, context: why I bought likely-fake memorabilia
0:53 The haul: Ali glove; Bulls 3-Peat hat; Team USA practice jersey; MJ White Sox mesh
2:35 Seller backstory + pricing logic vs certified comps
4:45 Why certification isn’t bulletproof (PSA/JSA examples, human judgment)
7:40 My two reasons for buying anyway (aesthetics + vintage value)
9:45 Community poll results on “does it look legit?”
11:40 5 Red Flags: no COA; weak backstory; too much inventory; identical pen pressure; ignoring signature evolution
15:30 Two case studies: PSA-slabbed Kobe I don’t trust vs. a “bad” Brady auto I know is real
19:00 Final mindset: buy the story, not the sticker; price for the risk

https://www.sportscardsaredope.com
PSA upcharges are back in the spotlight after Geoff Wilson (Sports Card Investor) shared a $4k upcharge email. Is PSA “creating” value—or just charging more after the grade? I break down both sides (including Ballpark Cards Alex’s response), read PSA’s policy, and give my take on what’s fair, what isn’t, and how collectors should play it.

Timestamps
0:00 Cold open: why this PSA upcharge post exploded
0:44 The email: PSA re-tiering & $4,058.99 upcharge
1:56 Geoff’s stance: “I welcome these fees” (value created?)
3:05 The pushback: Ballpark Cards Alex’s counter-argument
4:28 Hooks vs. tone: why phrasing matters for the hobby
5:10 PSA policy in plain English (re-tiering, decline = raw return)
6:15 Pro-PSA arguments (liability, guarantee, pricing by value)
7:12 Anti-PSA arguments (service didn’t change, appraisal analogy)
9:10 My position: comps, trust, and market dominance vs. customer value
12:10 SGC’s momentum, acquisition headwinds, and the “race with rocks”
14:20 What collectors can do next (risk control & platform choices)

In this episode of the *Sports Cards Are Dope Podcast*, Tyler breaks down Whatnot’s brand-new rules on repack sellers—and why it might be the biggest shakeup in live breaking history.

Whether you're a buyer, seller, or just nosy (we see you), you'll want to hear why transparency just leveled up and how it’s about to impact the entire card game.

⏱️ Timestamps:
0:36 – What changed? The new Whatnot repack policy
1:57 – No more floor/ceiling claims? Bye, mystery math!
3:40 – Enforcement: How Whatnot plans to crack down
6:10 – Who wins, who loses? (Hint: Not everyone’s happy)
9:40 – Arena Club: Doing it right (shoutout)
13:20 – Small sellers: What you should do *this* month
16:40 – Will this even be enforced long-term?
20:02 – The long-term hobby impact: less casino, more collecting

💬 What do YOU think of the new rules? Drop your take in the comments or hit us on socials @tylertarver.

Topps just made it official: NBA Debut Patches. Using real MLB debut-patch comps (Jackson Holliday, Wyatt Langford, etc.), Tyler projects 3–6× multipliers for NBA rookies and puts numbers on Cooper Flagg, Wembanyama, and Chet. Plus five market factors that could push/pull prices in Year 1.

Timestamps
0:00 Intro: “Debut Patch” goes NBA + Cooper Flagg promo
1:32 Why this becomes the clear “best rookie card”
3:40 MLB comps: Holliday $200k (≈3×), Langford $183k (≈5.6×) → the 3–6× range
6:45 NBA projections: Wemby $1.5–3.0M; Chet $400–800k; Cooper Flagg ≈ $2M
10:45 Why social + league promos matter (Fanatics/NBA alignment)
12:00 Five price drivers: narrative, hard supply cap (1 of 1), timing, brand transition, auction marketing
16:30 What it means for the broader market + collectors
18:50 Community + Patreon: sportscardsdope.com (free sub + Chicken Nugget Nation)

A grail chase with receipts. Tyler tells the full Jordan Poole True Gold Prizm /10 story—from pulling one in his first-ever break, to the $12K sale he watched from afar, to losing an eBay snipe by fifty bucks, and why the chase still matters.

Timestamps

• 0:00 Welcome + why Jordan Poole is the grail
• 1:45 Steph → Warriors → early JP collecting
• 4:50 First-ever break pulls: 2019 Prizm Hobby chaos
• 8:34 The JP True Gold /10 pull (and the giveaway winner)
• 10:55 PSA/BGS rumor mill + $12K sale at the peak
• 13:45 How rarely the Gold /10 surfaces
• 14:50 The eBay plan: budget, snipe, heartbreak
• 16:40 The feeling after losing a grail
• 17:58 Why the chase matters + your grail prompt

Tried PSA’s new buyback on a fresh 17-card submission. They offered on 3 slabs; I sold 1 and passed on 2. Here’s the exact math, comps logic, and my quick framework so you can decide when to take the offer and when to hold.

Timestamps
0:00 Intro — PSA’s buyback in plain English
0:52 The 3 offers (Brink / Strickland / Brady)
2:48 Why I accepted the Strickland
4:05 Why I passed on Brink + Brady
5:10 My “Offer vs Net” checklist (use this!)
6:40 Is this good for the hobby?
7:35 Top 5 times I’d take PSA’s offer
8:30 Final takeaways + next steps