In the final segment of Episode 272, Ben Hossler (Rolling Insights) and Chris McGill (Card Ladder / House of Jordans) return for a wide-ranging discussion that blends hobby analytics with collecting philosophy. Using updated Young Guns hockey data, we explore which players’ cards rose or fell in value and why — tying in performance metrics, PSA 10 populations, and even Instagram follower counts.

We go deeper, debating whether card values are really driven by rarity or aesthetics — or if it’s the combination of both. Chris questions the overemphasis on scarcity alone, while Jeremy argues that some rare cards just don’t look good — and that matters more than people admit. It’s an honest look at how collectors justify value and what might be missing from strictly data-driven models.

Topics covered:

Young Guns post-season market shifts

Market cap theory and card “value math”

Social metrics (like IG followers) as price indicators

Eye appeal vs. scarcity: which one actually moves a card?

Can “hobby love” be quantified?

Whether you buy based on data, gut, or design — this conversation connects all the dots.

Each week we tackle hot hobby headlines with a rotating panel of hobbyists, taking your questions and comments! We are likely to go into overtime so join us live grab your favorite beverage and snacks and bring your questions and comments as they will be in play.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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Ben Hossler of Rolling Insights returns with updated analytics on PSA 10 Young Guns hockey cards, comparing mid-season values to end-of-season prices. He joins Chris McGill (aka Chris_HOJ) and host Jeremy Lee to break down which players saw price movement, what Instagram follower counts reveal about popularity, and how tools like Rolling Insights and Card Ladder can give collectors a potential edge.

They explore the concept of “hobby love,” its role in perceived card value, and whether data can ever truly quantify what makes certain cards desirable. Chris dives into market cap theory, Jeremy proposes new hobby metrics, and Joe Poirot adds thoughtful nuance around awards and subjective impact.

Whether you're a data nerd, a gut collector, or somewhere in between, this discussion blends hard stats, hobby philosophy, and emerging tools to better understand card valuation in a modern market.

Each week we tackle hot hobby headlines with a rotating panel of hobbyists, taking your questions and comments! We are likely to go into overtime so join us live grab your favorite beverage and snacks and bring your questions and comments as they will be in play.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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In Part 3 of Episode 271, Chris McGill (aka Chris_HOJ) joins Joe Poirot, Leighton Sheldon, and Jeremy to explore the nuances of card value in today’s hobby. The conversation kicks off with the rising PSA 10 premiums and questions whether today’s multipliers — often 5x, 10x, or more — are truly justified by the cards themselves.

The panel dives into the psychology behind paying up for a label, how investor-driven logic has reshaped grading expectations, and whether lower-grade cards with better eye appeal are getting overlooked. We revisit the philosophy of buy the card, not the slab, asking how often that advice is followed versus just repeated.

Other topics include how certain grading companies handle centering vs. surface, the “slippery slope” of overpaying for perfection, the difference between true scarcity and population scarcity, and the role of context when chasing high-grade copies of vintage or modern cards.

Each week we tackle hot hobby headlines with a rotating panel of hobbyists, taking your questions and comments! We are likely to go into overtime so join us live grab your favorite beverage and snacks and bring your questions and comments as they will be in play.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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In Part 2 of Episode 271, Leighton Sheldon shares a real-life story from the front lines of buying vintage collections — a high-value deal that nearly fell apart over a PSA 8 card with visible debris trapped inside the slab. Hear how Layton kept his cool, navigated the seller’s emotions, and helped turn a tense situation into a productive outcome.

Then the panel dives into a deep and at times philosophical conversation about quality vs. quantity in card collecting. What is “quality”? Is it about condition, value, scarcity, or personal meaning? What happens when your lower-grade card has better eye appeal than a higher-graded one? Joe, John, Jeremy, and Layton all weigh in with personal anecdotes, including collecting regrets, consolidation strategies, and how beauty in the hobby is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Each week we tackle hot hobby headlines with a rotating panel of hobbyists, taking your questions and comments! We are likely to go into overtime so join us live grab your favorite beverage and snacks and bring your questions and comments as they will be in play.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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We kick off Episode 271 with Joe Poirot and welcome back “Hobby President” John Mangini for a thought-provoking conversation about collecting philosophy and hobby behavior. We introduce and unpack two emerging terms — own appeal and flight collecting — and ask a core question: do we take time to appreciate the cards we already own, or are we always chasing the next one?

The discussion explores how collectors can reconnect with their collections, ways to reorganize and enjoy existing cards, and how the PSA minimum size policy and rough cut grading standards affect today’s hobby. We also touch on the failed sale of a $4M Honus Wagner beater and what it says about reserve pricing and market expectations.

Each week we tackle hot hobby headlines with a rotating panel of hobbyists, taking your questions and comments! We are likely to go into overtime so join us live grab your favorite beverage and snacks and bring your questions and comments as they will be in play.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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In Part 5 of Episode 271, the panel wrestles with one of the hobby’s more nuanced and quietly controversial behaviors: sharing cards online that you no longer own.

Is it deceptive? Is it aspirational? Or is it simply part of storytelling in the hobby?

Chris McRae, Chris McGill, Joe Poirot, and Jeremy Lee explore how collectors present their collections on social media, the tension between personal pride and public perception, and whether it really matters if a card shown off on Instagram is still in the owner's possession.

Along the way, the conversation hits on:

Hobby culture and the psychology of social media

The rise of the “flex post” and why transparency matters

How context, intent, and authenticity shape collector trust

Personal examples of cards posted long after they were sold

Whether you’ve posted a favorite card just for the memory or found yourself second-guessing someone else’s feed, this segment digs into how we represent our collections — and ourselves — in the modern hobby.

Each week we tackle hot hobby headlines with a rotating panel of hobbyists, taking your questions and comments! We are likely to go into overtime so join us live grab your favorite beverage and snacks and bring your questions and comments as they will be in play.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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Stretching Budgets, Auction Regrets & the Rise of Card Funding

In Part 4 of Episode 271, the discussion turns to a familiar dilemma in the hobby: should you buy the card even if you’re not quite ready?

Jeremy, Joe, Chris McRae, and Chris McGill share real stories about pushing past budget limits, chasing grails, and the cards they still regret not buying. From megabidding strategies to auction sniping tactics, they explore how emotions and opportunity collide in high-stakes moments.

The conversation also touches on card funding services like Fund Your Cards — how they work, how they’re being used, and what they might mean for market values and card availability going forward.

If you've ever stretched to land a big card — or talked yourself out of one and regretted it later — this segment will feel all too familiar.

Each week we tackle hot hobby headlines with a rotating panel of hobbyists, taking your questions and comments! We are likely to go into overtime so join us live grab your favorite beverage and snacks and bring your questions and comments as they will be in play.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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In Part 3 of Episode 271, the panel takes on one of the hobby’s most debated topics: grading premiums and whether the slab should matter more than the card itself.

Chris McRae kicks things off with his now-viral take — “The card over the slab, every time” — sparking a lively discussion with Chris McGill, Chris Hoge, Joe Poirot, and Jeremy Lee about:

The psychology behind PSA 10 multipliers

Why some collectors avoid paying for the plastic

Whether grading is about condition, status… or something else entirely

Eye appeal, authenticity, and “own appeal” as the collector’s counterpoint to pop reports

With insights into iconic cards like the ’80 Ricky Henderson, ’86 Fleer Jordan, and Griffey UD RC — and personal confessions about cracking slabs and chasing raw gems — this is a must-listen for anyone thinking critically about what they collect, and why.

Each week we tackle hot hobby headlines with a rotating panel of hobbyists, taking your questions and comments! We are likely to go into overtime so join us live grab your favorite beverage and snacks and bring your questions and comments as they will be in play.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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In Part 2 of Episode 271, The Smarter Collector Chris McRae returns to share one of his most resonant ideas: the three-bucket method for evaluating your collection. Every card falls into one of three categories — essential, value add, or junk — and this simple framework can be a game-changer when consolidating, downsizing, or refining your personal collection.

Jeremy Lee, Joe Poirot, and Leighton Sheldon all weigh in, not just on how to apply the method, but on the bigger question:
Are we collecting to reach goals… or for the journey itself?

From letting go of once-essential cards, to navigating shifting priorities, to discovering joy in collecting “types” or building card “flights,” this episode is packed with reflection, strategy, and hobby philosophy.

Each week we tackle hot hobby headlines with a rotating panel of hobbyists, taking your questions and comments! We are likely to go into overtime so join us live grab your favorite beverage and snacks and bring your questions and comments as they will be in play.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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In Part 1 of Episode 271, Jeremy Lee kicks off Sports Cards Live with a full slate of hobby updates, Father's Day shoutouts, and some playoff talk — all while fighting off a cold. Then Chris McRae, better known as The Smarter Collector, joins the show for a deep dive into a key question for any collector:

What are your dealbreakers?

Sticker autos, non–game-used memorabilia, bad centering, paper loss, unlicensed cards — we explore what disqualifies a card from our collections… and when we’re willing to bend the rules.

Joe Poirot and Leighton Sheldon weigh in, the chat is buzzing, and Chris brings receipts: real cards from his PC that most collectors would pass on — but he bought anyway. This episode is all about defining your boundaries… and knowing when to ignore them.

Sports Cards Live has recently been ranked #5 among Feedspot's top 90 Sports Card podcasts https://podcast.feedspot.com/sports_card_podcasts/

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