We keep digging into Chris HOJ’s MJ 1 of 1 dilemma, but with a new angle: why talk about it publicly at all? Chris explains he’s not trying to broadcast to the whole world, he’s thinking out loud in a tight community, building clarity through dialogue, and inviting outside lenses that can change how he sees the problem.

Joe pushes the biggest question of all: after the maneuver is done, do you actually love the card, or do you love the concept? Chris admits the Jordan 90s 1 of 1 project is new since June 2025, and this card was not something he was hunting. The auction forced the decision. He also drops a key distinction: this is “rare and obscure” more than “rare and iconic,” which makes it feel risky from a market standpoint even if it matters deeply to him.

We run through chat questions that cut right to the psychology: happiness vs regret, “best” vs “rarest,” the autograph angle, and whether the joy gap matches the value gap. The community also debates prudence and optionality, with the clearest takeaway being that you can “afford” something in card capital while still wondering if you can mentally afford the consequences.

Then we pivot to the hobby experience itself: Chris recaps the San Diego Front Row Card Show, including the sports vs TCG mix and a smart “zag” on why those tables can actually speed up the walk. Josh checks in from the Dallas Card Show with pickups and consignments.

Finally, Chris introduces a new topic that came directly from Jonathan’s presence on the show: the tradeoff between being a public collector and a private collector. Does visibility help you build a network, buy cards, and sell cards? Does it also expose you, influence what you collect, and create “flex points” that shape your decisions? We start unpacking what you gain, what you lose, and how discovery changes if you are lurking versus not participating at all.

In this part, we cover:

Why Chris goes public with the dilemma and how dialogue changes decisions

“Do you love the card or the concept?” and the risk of a new collecting lane

Rare and obscure vs rare and iconic, and why that matters

Optionality: 100 cards vs 1 card and the tradeoffs of going all in

San Diego Front Row Card Show recap and sports vs TCG reality

Josh’s Dallas Card Show notes and consignments

New topic: public collector vs private collector and what it changes

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We wrap Jonathan’s debut, run through some of the best chat comments from the “house of slabs” discussion, and one line stops the show: “A PSA 10 transforms a sports card into a financial instrument.” From there, the conversation sharpens into what grading really does, how speed impacts accuracy, and why some collectors are starting to sober up from slab worship.

Jonathan gets a proper community welcome and we bring on Chris HOJ, followed by Josh Adams. Then the episode pivots hard into a collector dilemma that hits every nerve in the hobby: a major Michael Jordan 90s 1 of 1 is headed to auction, and Chris is considering a seismic consolidation to chase it. We debate what you gain, what you lose, and whether “nuking” a carefully curated collection is ever worth one apex card. Jeremy argues the memories, stories, and future content pipeline matter more than the trophy. Josh says do it and never look back. Joe lands in the middle: the 1 of 1 stamp matters, it’s probably financially defensible, but you still need a number and a plan because deeper pockets exist. Chris explains the real point of talking it out: dialogue changes how you see everything, and collectors make versions of this decision every day, including the decision to do nothing.

In this part, we cover:

The chat’s best lines on grading, consistency, and “too big to fail” thinking

“PSA 10 as a financial instrument” and why that framing is so accurate

Jonathan’s official welcome into the community

Chris HOJ and Josh Adams join, and the MJ 1 of 1 auction dilemma kicks off

One card vs a whole collection, and what “replaceable” really means

Consolidation as sacrifice, strategy, and identity, not just money

Why talking it out changes decisions, and why inaction is still a decision

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Drop a comment: would you consolidate your collection for one apex grail, or never?

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Joe Poirot joins the conversation and we go deep on vintage slab transitions, grading risk, and the psychology of the “slab premium.” Jonathan explains how he moved major cards out of BVG holders without mailing them, including an in person handoff to SGC at Fenway, and why a newer holder can feel like a safer asset even with a downgrade. Then we zoom out to the bigger question sparked by a High Pop Professor video: is the hobby becoming a “house of slabs,” and are we still trapped in cult like grading behavior?

We also hit the uncomfortable part: older high grade cards that might not hold up to today’s standards. If collectors pay today’s money for “imposter” high grades and later feel burned, that can shake confidence, push people out of the market, and create downstream damage. Joe breaks down why this risk depends heavily on the lane, with real differences between ultra modern gem rates, 90s inserts, and classic 80s cardboard where PSA 9 to PSA 10 gaps can feel irrational.

In this part, we cover:

BVG to SGC and PSA crossovers, and how to do it without mailing grails

Downgrades, security, and why a newly graded holder can feel safer

PSA owning SGC and Beckett and what that does to collector psychology

The “same card” thought experiment and whether the holder is the product

Older “imposter” high grades and how changing standards create hidden risk

Why buyers getting burned could ripple downstream across the market

Gradeflation, resubmission incentives, and who ends up holding the bag

Why 10s matter in some lanes, and barely matter in others

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Jonathan Epstein (IG: @RexCards24) joins Sports Cards Live for his first ever hobby appearance after years of consuming content quietly from the sidelines. We talk about finally stepping into the community, taking the Hobby Spectrum assessment, and landing in the Nostalgic range. Jonathan shares key pieces from his vintage collection including a 1952 Topps Mantle, and we dig into the psychology of price ceilings, emotional attachment to “your copies,” and why upgrading often feels harder than it should. This is a collector conversation about identity, memory, and the invisible rules we all carry into the hobby.

In this episode, we cover:

Moving from hobby lurker to active community member

The Hobby Spectrum result and why it hit so hard

Psychological price ceilings and the trap of old prices

“My copies” vs upgrading and downgrading decisions

Why storytelling matters more than flexing

How community actually forms in the hobby

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This final segment brings the week to a close with one of the most raw and honest conversations of the episode. The panel wrestles with the idea of “entertainment value” in wax and breaks, pushes back on how people rationalize losses, and digs into why regret, risk, and expected value matter more than most collectors want to admit. It’s blunt, reflective, occasionally uncomfortable, and very much grounded in lived experience rather than theory.

The discussion also highlights the difference between nostalgia-driven exceptions and modern price reality, why moderation keeps the hobby sustainable for most people, and how personal thresholds shape collecting behavior far more than hype ever will. Layered throughout is classic Sports Cards Live back-and-forth, humor, chat interaction, and a late-night energy that only comes when people stop posturing and start being honest.

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The conversation shifts from player legacy into a bigger question that sits under everything in modern collecting: is this a hobby, an industry, or both? The panel reacts to ideas raised from Brett McGrath’s Stacking Slabs and uses it as a launch point to talk about the ecosystem that keeps cards moving, including dealers, flippers, LCS owners, breakers, repackers, and every type of market participant in between.

Jeremy lays out a blunt argument: even collectors who never sell a card still depend on selling, and many of the things people complain about are not going away, especially breaking. From there, the chat gets into real pushback, including whether breakers are truly necessary for cards to reach collectors, whether breaking is “good” for the hobby or just the industry, and how wax pricing and distribution models changed post-Covid.

In this segment:

Loyalty to one-team careers and how that impacts rookie card identity

Hobby vs industry and why the market behaves like an ecosystem

Breakers, repackers, and what actually puts singles into circulation

Flippers vs dealers and where the overlap really lives

Wax value, expected value, and why opening product is still a gamble

A collector-first take on why “industry talk” turns some people off

A practical idea for newcomers: open one box, track every card, sell everything, learn fast

This discussion lives right at the intersection of hobby identity and market reality, where emotion, nostalgia, economics, and behavior all collide. It’s candid, sometimes uncomfortable, and very much rooted in real collector experience, with the chat actively shaping where the conversation goes. There’s no attempt to settle the debate, just to understand it more clearly.

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Chris HOJ and Josh Adams join Jeremy for a loose but surprisingly revealing roundtable that starts with NFL playoff energy and quickly turns into real hobby discussion. The group digs into what actually makes a card show worth attending, how many tables matter, and why inventory quality almost always beats raw table count. They also talk honestly about travel costs, expectations, and how card shows have shifted from pure buying trips into social and relationship driven hobby experiences.

From there, the conversation pivots into one of the most relatable collector debates out there: when a player changes teams, which uniform do they truly belong to? Using examples like Christian McCaffrey, Reggie Jackson, Michael Jordan, Ohtani, Gretzky, Nolan Ryan, and more, the panel explores how moments, championships, market size, hometown ties, and personal collecting boundaries shape how each collector answers that question differently.

The discussion naturally spills into collecting behavior itself, including team collecting versus player collecting, why some collectors restrict uniforms to stay focused, when exceptions make sense, and how iconic moments often outweigh years played. The chat explodes with examples, disagreements, and edge cases, proving just how personal and subjective this topic really is.

This segment is equal parts hobby philosophy, collector psychology, and pure Sports Cards Live banter, with strong audience participation and no single “right” answer, just thoughtful perspectives from every angle.

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Mark Hill, founder and CEO of MyCardPost, joins Jeremy (with Joe Poirot jumping in from the sick bay in Santa Cruz) for a hobby-wide conversation that starts light with recent pickups, then turns into the stuff that actually matters right now: comps, trust, shill bidding, platform incentives, and the new wave of buyer scams powered by AI.

Mark breaks down how MyCardPost thinks about comps differently in a no seller-fee environment, why net proceeds matter more than headline price, and how the archive makes research possible across single card and multi card deals. He also gives a quick peek behind the curtain on Crown Auctions, what the Hobby Awards bump meant for awareness, and the platform ideas he is exploring to reduce bad actors, including post auction bid history visibility and bidder trust signals. Later, they get into the growing tension around card show mapping apps, plus the reality of scams on eBay and what sellers can do right now to protect themselves.

In this episode:

Joe’s latest pickup: a Steph Curry 1 of 1 Platinum and why “off brand” can be the play

Mark’s recent pickup: Bryson DeChambeau Exquisite Rookie Auto out of 49

How MyCardPost comps compare to eBay and why net proceeds change the conversation

Multi card deals, why they complicate traditional comp tools, and how auctions shift that

Card show mapping apps: efficiency vs discovery, and who should get dibs on show inventory

Shill bidding: what can realistically be done, plus ideas like bid history transparency and bidder trust scores

Vetting buyers and sellers, verification signals, and how unpaid bidders get restricted

The new AI damage scam on eBay and practical ways to push back (video requests, multiple angles, community verification)

POPs & COMPs update: Chapter 72 and the “it’s only worth what someone will pay” fallacy

Quick hits from the chat, plus a Bears comeback win that derails the moment in the best way

Sponsor shoutout:

CIA Auctions (January auction live now at CollectorInvestorAuctions.com)

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Mark Hill, founder and CEO of MyCardPost, joins Jeremy for a wide-ranging conversation about what it looks like when the hobby stops behaving like a casual pastime and starts operating like a full-blown industry. They dig into the mental side of building something from scratch, including how impostor syndrome can either stall you out or become real fuel, and what the grind of bootstrapping actually feels like when you are building in public. Along the way, Mark shares perspective from launching new initiatives like Crown Auctions and how moments like the recent Hobby Awards recognition can create meaningful momentum without changing the day-to-day work.

They also hit bigger hobby psychology and culture: imposter syndrome, community support for builders, and a lively debate on rookie cards vs early-career non-rookies, plus where “vintage” actually starts and ends. Jeremy also shares updates on the Hobby Spectrum snapshot and the status of POPs & COMPs as it moves closer to release.

In this episode:

Why “the hobby is an industry” is more than a talking point

Impostor syndrome as a motivator, not a weakness

The real grind of bootstrapping a hobby business

Crown Auctions and what event-style auctions add to the hobby experience

The impact of Hobby Awards recognition and organic awareness

Rookie cards vs second-year cards, and why early-career cards still matter

The ongoing debate around vintage definitions

Golf cards, Bruins collecting, and niche community building

Updates on the Hobby Spectrum and POPs & COMPs

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The discussion turns inward as the panel explores how collectors actually decide what matters in their collection. Is value something you discover after the fact, or does price itself shape what you end up wanting? From year end pickup lists to war chests and oddball discoveries, this segment digs into how taste, memory, scarcity, and market signals quietly influence collecting behavior.

The conversation also examines whether price is just opinion or a real source of power, why some cards only enter our consciousness once they sell for big money, and how story, provenance, and rarity create lasting interest in both vintage cards and on card autographs.

In this episode:

Whether seeing a big sale can change how desirable a card feels

Ranking cards by personal meaning vs ranking them by market value

Year end pickup lists as reflection, obligation, or performance

The difference between mainstream comps and niche or oddball demand

Why vintage cards retain relevance even without generational connection

Price as a unit of exchange and why it still matters, even for purists

Vintage on card autographs: durability, unknown supply, and rarity within rarity

How story and provenance can outweigh condition and grade

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