John (on IG @zbocards) is a player collector, and you can take one guess as to who he collects! When I was very new to Hobby Instagram, I was amazed at how well he took photos of his cards (and I still am!). With just his iPhone, he has been able to capture the intricacies of the cardboard we all love. We talk about why and how he started collecting Zach Randolph cards, the state of the NBA, and what he looks for when buying sealed wax online!

This is a random special bonus episode that is part of my YouTube series of the road to 1,000 subscribers. It was recorded the morning of January 12, 2025, when I was at 571 subscribers. Whether you're trying to grow your podcast audience, YouTube subscribers, Instagram or other social media presence, I hope that you enjoy this series, and for the full series, please check it out in my playlists on YouTube!

The second episode of Season 3 of The Card Diary by Hobby S. Thompson is a monologue episode, where I talk about how the hobby is supposed to be an escape, but you can't help but see on your social media feed the absolute devastation and destruction of the fires in LA. So that's the fire.

The ice part is about the super extended winter break due to snow and ice in the DMV and I do (somewhat) bring it back to the hobby.

Everything Nice is just what I want in 2025.This episode is NOT brought to you by any affiliate or sponsor, but I do mention why I made the personal decision to get insurance for my trading card collection from Collect Insurance Services.

You can see if it's a good fit for you by going to collectinsure.com or calling 888-837-9537. If you found out about them through me, use code DENNY. Just kidding, but if you told them you found out about them through me, I would really appreciate that!

First episode of Season 3! Episode 101 was cross streamed live on Neo Cards & Comics's Youtube channel and I still cannot believe that we went almost a full three hours on stream. We started talking about the 2024 Year in Grading with Ryan from GemRate, but then the three of us started going down some interesting Hobby rabbit holes, talking about Pokemon/TCG, incentives for content creators making certain types of content, gambling in the hobby, whether PSA could start grading sealed hobby boxes, the future of Beckett, and so, so much more. I even kept in the audio at the end of the stream past the end of the podcast where we talk about grading comics.

One of my most fun podcasts to record, easily the longest, please enjoy this in piecemeal or however you like to enjoy long form content!

100 is a nice, round number, but it's just a number. 100 podcast episodes is certainly a milestone, but in this centennial episode, I discuss why the 21st episode is more impressive than the 100th.

What is also more impressive is the number 49, which represents the number of guests that I have had on this podcast to this point. 40 solo podcast guests and 9 group podcast guests, and I hope that in future episodes, that I do more group podcasts and live podcast recordings. Thank you to every single person who has appeared on this podcast in some capacity in the last year and a half.

Finally, the "thesis" I have come to a conclusion with doing this podcast about trying things in the hobby is that when you get good enough in doing something, you can become a threat to those in that same space who are feeling inadequate, and people can start doing the comparison game and take their inadequacies out on you, specifically in the content creation side of things and specifically in the social media side of things.

Thank you all for listening and supporting this podcast, especially if you are a day one supporter! Truly means a lot to me, thank you.

#thehobby #sportscards #baseballcards #basketballcards #footballcards #hockeycards #pokemon #pokemontcg #podcast #hobbypodcast #dennycards #hobbysthompson #thecarddiary #sportscardspodcast

I recorded this episode around 8pm on December 12, right before sitting in the breaker's chair to do an at cost break of a case of 2023-24 Panini Hoops Premium Stock NBA Blasters (20 total boxes).

I talk about feeling nervous about doing this break, even if it was an at cost break ($25/team for 30 teams roughly = $32/blaster for 20 blasters).

I talk about the origins of breaking, just a rudimentary history based on my past experience, nothing super in depth. Shout out to Chris Justice of Cards Infinity/The Hobby Box for being my first ever breaker back in the early 2010's!

I also touch on the potential for shill bidding in streaming platforms when it comes to auction prices for group box breaks (or anything on these streaming platforms such as repacks aka mystery packs and single cards).

Finally, Pepperidge Farms remembers back when everyone domed packs and boxes, but alas such is the evolution of language.

#thehobby #tradingcards #sportscardhobby #hobbypodcast #hobbyboxopening #collectiblecards #collector #basketball #basketballcards #basketballbreaks #breaking #breakingcards #nba #thecarddiary #hobbysthompson #cardhobby #cardcollector #cardcollecting

Being the potential penultimate podcast episode of The Card Diary by Hobby S. Thompson, I thought a lot about who I wanted as its potential last guest on this podcast.However, the answer was right in front of my face, as Nick Andrews (on IG @bostoncardhunter and one half of The  @SportCardMadness  Podcast) is currently at the top of everyone's Instagram feeds. He is a podcaster, YouTuber, Instagram content creator, making funny and serious short form and long form content, and even recently made a mini documentary on the life of  @Fanatics  CEO, Michael Rubin.A lot of people first got to know him about the CT scanning issue with sealed wax, but we did not talk about that topic much. Instead, by listening to this podcast episode, you will learn who Nick was before he became the Boston Card Hunter, what he thinks about bounties and the most recent $30,000 bounty for the Caitlin Clark 1/1 from ghostwrite (Josh Luber's newest company) by Dave & Adam's. Nick also shares whether he thinks collective action could work in The Hobby, and what he thinks about people who tell him that he should stay in his lane. Regardless of what you think about him, he is definitely relevant in The Hobby and in this attention economy, he has your attention.Easily one of my favorite episodes to record, hope you enjoy it! - DennyHere is a link to Nick's YouTube about Michael Rubin:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpCA2-DBFnwHere is a link to the New York Times article about the CT scanning issue with sealed wax: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5987857/2024/12/12/trading-cards-sports-collectibles-scanners-ethics/Here is a link to Dave & Adam's website publicizing the $30,000 bounty for the Caitlin Clark 1/1 ghostwrite figurine:https://www.dacardworld.com/blog/new-releases/1-1-caitlin-clark-ghostwrite-wnba-game-face-bounty/

Loose general outline for a Thanksgiving episode where I give thanks for people and things in The Hobby and maybe talk about consumerism with Black Friday and whether I will continue my Collectors Club membership with PSA and Card Ladder.

Hours after the Mid Atlantic Card Show in Silver Spring, MD, I decide to go live to talk about how I do my card show vlogs and also do a live AMA. Thank you to those of you who joined the YouTube and/or Instagram live stream. If you like this kind of format, maybe I do more of it! As always, if you want to let me know what you thought about this episode or the podcast in general, you can reach me on Instagram or Youtube @denny_cards or email the show at [email protected]

Thanks for listening! Especially if your name is Josh! =)

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Card Show is coming to the Silver Spring Civic Center on Saturday, November 23!

As its show ambassador, I wanted to bring on the promoter of the show, Ryan McCormick and while I had a set of questions to go through, we ended up talking about his oddball collection and I think both of us were really happy to go down the rabbit holes we did. This was a live stream on YouTube and the chat was involved in the live. Thank you to everyone who joined and shared their thoughts, and thank you to the podcast community for listening! Only four episodes away from 100!