Bryan (on IG @goatz_sportz_cardz) got an experience of a lifetime by making a trade with his favorite baseball player, Bobby Witt Jr. where he traded a $7,000 rookie card of his for meeting him and getting a couple of game used and autographed bats. Bryan is also opening up his very first LCS later this year and so we are going to talk about that, the Witt experience, how it was talking with Topps about sharing it on social media, and much more!

If you ever felt that you have been spending too much money getting into breaks or hiding packages and cards from your spouse, but think you have no one to talk to about this and you might be in over your head, Collectors MD might be the thing you have been waiting for.

Alyx of Collectors MD (collectorsmd.com and on IG under collectorsmd) comes onto the pod to share what Collectors MD is all about and why it might be well over due for The Hobby.

What happens after you pull a card of a lifetime with your family while on family vacation?

Chris and Jake from @JakesBreaksUK traveled from the United Kingdom to Orlando, FL and pulled THE product hit - a Superfractor 1/1 Auto of Lamine Yamal from 2023-24 Topps Chrome UCC. Then, they graded it with PSA and sold it on Goldin Elite Auctions.

With that money, *spoiler* they decided to open up a LCS in their neighborhood in Nottingham, England where there is no LCS. Their grand opening is the first weekend of May, which comes close on the heels with the opening of Fanatics & Topps' first ever LCS in London, England.

My summary does not do the story justice! Please enjoy Chris and Jake telling their story and thank you for listening.

We have Ryan on back to back as he has an upcoming show on Saturday May 3 at the Silver Spring Civic Center. We talk way more about Pokemon than either of us wanted to, because the chat wanted to know, and we also get into whether Pokemon collectors are happier than sports card collectors, plans and past experiences with The National, and even whether we think 100 men could beat one gorilla in a fight. Thank you to the lively chat for helping steer the conversation!

Disclaimer:  Nothing that Ryan and I discussed should be construed as legal or tax advice.  As with everything regarding the legal and tax fields, please consult a professional legal or tax advisor, such as a CPA, to help your individual needs.  

One such person you can reach out to is James Skorheim, The Hobby CPA (on Instagram @the_hobby_cpa) and you can also reach out to him via phone at (949) 438-7430.  Let him know Denny sent you!  Neither he nor anyone else sponsored this reply of a special dual live stream episode.

About three months ago, I split two 2024 Panini Prizm NFL Hobby Boxes with a complete stranger on the internet, and we became fast card friends. I have Dan on a second time on YouTube, first time on the podcast, to talk about coming back to the hobby he loved as a kid and how he decided to get back into it with breaking and why.

You can check out our first video here: https://youtu.be/vYICcev2a9g

Dan can be found on Instagram and Whatnot under epic_breaks_

This is NOT sponsored content and I do not have an affiliate code with Center Stage. I get nothing out of having the CEO of Center Stage, John Wie, on the podcast other than a great chat with a kind hobby friend. Center Stage is a free app to scan cards, available in the Apple Store for iPhone users! There are paid memberships, and so it is a freemium model.Here is a link to a FAQ about Center Stage:https://centerstagehq.com/faq/Here is a link to the different membership tiers:https://centerstagehq.com/membership-plans/Thank you John for a fantastic chat! We will have you on again later this year.

The episode that was supposed to happen last time is happening this time! Live recording, cross streamed with YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Why is a new father on the way promoting a card show? Dakota of dakotastorm_rips_cards will tell you why!

Dakota's show will be at the Heritage Community Church in Severn, MD from 9am to 1pm on March 1, 2025 with free admission for all! 40 tables, tons of giveaways, and it benefits the Royal Rangers, an organization that helps young boys turn into upstanding young men!

In 2025, I plan to tell 2-3 long arc stories following the hobby paths of three hobbyists trying out new ventures.

The sixth episode of Season 3 was supposed to be the start of the first such story and it was supposed to be recorded with a card friend who is a new card promoter and has a baby on the way, but he had to reschedule (not because of the baby's arrival!).

This is when having good card friends is handy, because on short notice before the livestream, Bryan (on IG @goatz_sportz_cardz) was able to join the podcast studio to tell us about the plans for his new card shop in Northern Virginia.

Bryan also shares a poignant childhood story about losing his entire collection (and his dad's) to a house fire, which took him away from the hobby for a while, but when he came back, he was ready to jump in with both feet. That is why, even though they are not a sponsor or affiliate of this podcast, I would like to let listeners know about Collectibles Insurance Services (collectinsure.com) if you are interested in insuring your cards!

Untimely at time of publishing this as a podcast episode, but timely at the time of recording in the evening of January 17, 2025. I had a live stream where I invited Hobby TikTokers to come share their thoughts on the potential end of TikTok come January 19 and how this affects their business, their hobby, and their lives. No one came on, citing personal and business reasons, which are understandable!