The hobby news cycle is moving fast. Just days after the Collectors/Beckett announcement, a U.S. Congressman has sent a letter to the FTC asking for an investigation into monopolistic practices in the trading card industry. Is this a legitimate legal threat, or just political grandstanding?

Plus, the hobby hype for Cooper Flagg has officially reached dangerous levels. With his first licensed Topps Chrome cards hitting the market, collectors are already paying NBA superstar prices for an unproven rookie. Is the hobby losing its mind?

In this episode, Mike and Jesse dive deep into the numbers surrounding the Cooper Flagg Topps Chrome release. Mike crushes the math, comparing Flagg's current pre-sale pricing, where base cards are hitting $250-$400, directly against established talent Victor Wembanyama.

They discuss why the "new toy syndrome" combined with the return of licensed Topps Chrome basketball has created a market bubble that makes zero statistical sense. If you are thinking about investing in Cooper Flagg right now, you need to watch this market reality check first.

Later, they discuss the polarizing tweets of Geoff Wilson (Sports Card Investor). Is he "out of touch," or is he actually the smartest marketer in the room playing the engagement algorithm perfectly?

Finally, the guys open up the mailbag to discuss sunk cost fallacies in flipping, why retail pricing is never coming down, and who ranks as the most collectible "bust" in sports history.

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Mike and Jesse debate the massive acquisition of Beckett (BGS) by Collectors, the parent company of PSA. The guys have vehemently different reactions to the deal: Jesse believes Collectors will "save" the brand by leveraging its history and media assets, while Mike argues BGS is destined to be "gutted" like SGC. They discuss what this "monopoly" means for the hobby and whether it will actually improve PSA’s turnaround times.

Then, Gordy Bonker joins the show to break down a major shift in the vintage market, with record-breaking sales for Mickey Mantle and Roberto Clemente cards. He discusses Ken Goldin’s theory about institutional money entering the space and whether hedge funds are finally treating cards like art.

Plus, the guys discuss the London Card Show scandal, the new Arena Club "FR34K" packs, and answer a very timely mailbag question about what Collectors might buy next.

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Mike Gioseffi and Jesse Gibson are back with the biggest stories in the hobby and on the field.

Is now the perfect time to buy Patrick Mahomes (5:05) sports cards at a reasonable price, given his ACL tear and the Chiefs' first losing season with Mahomes as the starter. His pricing has been down for the last year or so, with his 2017 Prism Silver PSA 10 down 16% and his 2017 Optic PSA 10 down 20% on the month.

Plus, Bo Nix's play (10:00) has closed the gap with Drake Maye, changing the narrative in the QB market. They also review buying opportunities for quarterbacks like Bryce Young, Trevor Lawrence, and Jordan Love.

In case you missed it, the Sports Cards Nonsense Fanatics Live channel is now Hobby Nonsense (3:00) and there's a new Sports Cards Nonsense channel on Fanatics Live.

Starting this week, the new SCN channel is running huge giveaways so you'll want to head on over to follow the account!

The guys also discuss multiple breakers reportedly losing their Fanatics Breaker Program access, possibly due to a low "breaker scores."

Plus, this week features the return of the iconic brand, Topps Chrome Basketball, with Hobby cases running about $6,000 and the Breakers Delight cases around $7,500–$8,000. Mike and Eddie are giving away boxes of both Topps Chrome Basketball and Topps Cosmic Baseball on Fanatics Live this week.

To close out the episode, today's mailbag questions cover Mike's thoughts on Chrome basketball pricing , the difference in retail blasters and hobby boxes and if you'd rather have 1 $20 card of 4 $5 cards.

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Mike and Jesse are back and are joined by attorney Paul Lesko who dissects the Panini-Fanatics antitrust lawsuit, revealing a major conflict: Panini is risking its own court credibility by showing potential buyers documents that claim their unlicensed products can outperform licensed ones, directly contradicting their courtroom defense.

He also touches on the related Wild Card lawsuit, where Panini is accused of threatening distributors who worked with Wild Card.

Separately, the Nikola Jokic card market is poised for growth as the star is officially signing with Topps. Plus, the guys debate which NFL quarterbacks to buy now and flip before the Super Bowl. Mike argues for Matthew Stafford, who is quietly building an unbelievable Hall of Fame resume, ranking top-10 all-time in major passing stats and is currently a top MVP candidate alongside Drake Maye.

The ultimate market wild card is 44-year-old Philip Rivers who is joining the Colts' practice squad and could end up starting for them this season.

In the baseball world, it's free agency time and Mike vents about the Red Sox refusing to sign big free agents, like Pete Alonso, despite the team's need for a power bat. Are young Orioles stars like Adley Rutschman and Gunner Henderson sneaky good value buys right now?

The episode concludes with a look at the enduring cultural power of Pokémon cards among modern athletes and the high sale prices of crossover collectibles. Plus, upcoming card releases the guys will be breaking over the next few days.

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On today's episode of Sports Cards Nonsense, Mike Gioseffi and Jesse Gibson break down Jeff Kent’s selection to the Baseball Hall of Fame and discuss the problematic process behind the committee's choices. The guys also tackle the "PSA Pikachu Scandal"—debating whether there is actual fire behind the smoke of recent conflict-of-interest allegations and if AI grading is the inevitable solution. They also spoke with PSA getting their first-hand reactions and explanation on what happened.

Later, the conversation turns to the high-end market, focusing on the Shohei Ohtani Gold Logoman currently up for auction at Fanatics Collect for over $1 million, and why Ohtani remains immune to the off-season dip.

They shift to the gridiron talking NFL QBs and "HOF Locks" (Rodgers, Stafford, Mahomes), "Buys" (Stroud, Love) and "Sells" (Maye, Burrow).

Finally, Adam Palmer of Daily Nonsense joins the show to explain why you should care about the soccer market right now and the growth of the MLS.

The show wraps with a mailbag segment covering the potential of a multi-sport Allen & Ginter set, how a baseball strike could impact card values, why sports cards and TCGs use different methods of pricing and more.

Be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you think of today's episode!

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Mike and Jesse dive into the biggest market movers and the hottest debates—starting with whether Topps' pricing strategy a problem for collectors?

They break down the shocking $3,300 starting price and $1,625 final price for the Topps Chrome Basketball Jumbo First Day Issue in a rapid-fire Dutch Auction. They also discuss how these massive price discrepancies impact the hobby and whether it's sustainable.

The guys are joined by Tory from DCSports87 to preview a massive 2-night eBay Live event featuring a high-profile lineup of cards, including a Luka Doncic NTRPA and the MJ 1984 Star Rookie card. They also look at comps on the MJ card as well as other highly desired cards like Kobe autos, which will be featured in the live. Be sure to check that out here!

In today's mailbag listeners wrote in asking about the current state of 'Whatnot' enforcement, key buying trends and the economics of card grading strategies to maximize profits.

Let us know in the comments: Do you think Topps' pricing model is a problem?

Our listeners get the ⁠Harry’s Plus Trial Set⁠ for only $10 at ⁠https://www.Harrys.com/Nonsense⁠

Be sure to use code: NONSENSE #Harryspod #Sponsored

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Mike Gioseffi and Jesse Gibson open the show with a beginner-friendly guide to entering the sports card hobby. They cover how to approach breaks, what research actually matters, and where the line really is between cleaning a card and altering it.

Upper Deck President Jason Masherah then joins the show for an unfiltered conversation about the state of the hobby. He dives into card pricing, how wealthy collectors influence spending, and why manipulation goes far beyond shill bidding. Jason also explains the tension between serving collectors and answering to shareholders, why Upper Deck doesn’t sell hobby boxes direct on its site, the realities behind products like The Cup, and the realities of breaking scams.

He sticks around for mailbag questions covering Scotty Scheffler card possibilities, how ePack actually works, and why certain products are designed specifically for hobby-first buyers.

After Jason signs off, Mike and Jesse tackle more mailbag questions on anonymous eBay sales, what could spark the hobby’s next downturn, and the long-term impact of high-end releases.

Our listeners get the Harry’s Plus Trial Set for only $10 at https://www.Harrys.com/Nonsense

Be sure to use code: NONSENSE #Harryspod #Sponsored

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Mike Gioseffi is joined by the controversial yet insightful guest, Nick Andrews, also known as the Boston Card Hunter for today's episode of Sports Cards Nonsense. The conversation explores the current state of the market, the impact of auction houses, and the evolving landscape of card grading. Nick shares his candid thoughts on the recent hobby scandals and his strategic decisions in the hobby, offering a unique perspective on navigating the highs and lows of collecting.

From Probstein and Snype to liquidity events and the impact of repacks, plus the most dangerous part of the sports card hobby, this episode has it all. Mike also ends with a mailbag covering some new releases and the cause of GOAT card spikes.

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Buckle up for a jam-packed, scandal-filled episode of Sports Cards Nonsense as Mike Gioseffi and Jesse Gibson dive into the latest controversies and updates in the hobby.

We start with a discussion on the recent security issues and allegations surrounding Probstein. From a massing shilling scandal to a data breech, it only sounds like bad news when it comes to this story.

Topps Chrome Basketball dropped this week and Mike has mixed reactions on the prices.

We also talk with the management team of The National Sports Collectors Convention about upcoming changes, vendor expansions, and new features like Pokémon TCG. Thanks to Jim Ryan, Joe Drelich and Brian Coppola for joining us!

Later, the guys discuss Geoff Wilson's interview with Dr. Beckett and claims that shill bidding isn't self bidding. *Insert your eye rolls here.*

We finish with a Mike vs Jesse Arena Club slab battle giveaway.

Tune in to see who wins, hear from The National team and get the latest on the hobby scandals.

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In today's episode, Mike and Jesse discuss the end of the wax drought and the continued explosion of the grails market, highlighting significant sales and the potential for future investments.

The episode also features talk on the MLB MVP buyback program, analyzing the impact of recent pricing changes on card values. Mike and Jesse discuss the intricacies of the buyback process and offer insights into maximizing returns on specific card types.

Additionally, they engage in a lively discussion about the latest updates from the Topps townhall meeting, including upcoming product releases and strategic shifts in the collectibles market. Plus, Fanatics Fest prices are out with tickets now available. Are they WAY too expensive?

The episode ends with listener questions in the mailbag segment, offering perspectives on everything from saving spots in line at GameStop to the future of eBay's PWE service, and women's basketball's new leagues.

Plus, Tory from DCSports87 has an awesome update on their payout rates.

Don't forget to vote for SCN for Best Media Platform in the Hobby Awards!

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