The Hobby Never Sleeps

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PSA is bringing back value orders at $39.99 per card for cards worth up to $500, with an estimated 90–100 business day turnaround. Dante and Connor break down what it means for your submissions, where the backlog sits (7.2M), and whether the $25 tier could be next. They also talk about the FedEx truck theft outside PSA headquarters and the steps every collector should take before sending cards in.

Plus:
- PrizePicks puts Cooper Flagg's $8M debut patch (plus Dylan Harper and Kon Knueppel) in packs starting at $1. Good for the hobby?
- Shohei Ohtani's $3.24M Dynasty logoman: worth it or overpaid?
- A Mudkip sells for $4.8M
- The $1.9M Honus Wagner and Cooper Flagg's $2.16M logoman
- Selling a 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson to buy a house
- Release radar: Topps Five Star, Bowman Sapphire, Stadium Club Basketball and more
- Week in sports: Chiefs' first loss, Colts fire sale, Thunder injuries, Heat struggles

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🎙️ RECORDING NOTE: This episode was recorded before the recent PSA news broke.

LeBron James' cards are up 125% this year, and his first card as a Philadelphia 76er just dropped. Is his final chapter the next big move in the hobby?

This week on The Hobby Never Sleeps, Dante and Connor break down LeBron's 76ers market and why they're waiting for Topps Chrome, debate Topps' mega boxes without the factory seal, and react to an Aaron Judge 1/1 handed away at Meijer. Plus: a $67,000 Woody & Buzz superfractor sale, Tom Holland signing as Spider-Man, Collin Murray-Boyles as the steal of the 2025 class, a PSA 10 Walter Payton redemption in Heritage Football, and this week's release calendar.

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Would you tear open a Shohei Ohtani rookie card to discover the mystery card inside? This week on The Hobby Never Sleeps, we debate the risk behind Allen & Ginter rip cards—and whether to rip, keep, or sell.

We also discuss Michael Jordan’s Last Dance jersey sale, the rising Topps Chrome tennis market, KAWS baseball cards, vintage Nintendo collectibles, and Mike Trout entering the card-breaking business. Plus, Topps Bob Ross Basketball, upcoming releases, NFL card market debates, and the risks of AI-generated card photos.

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He pulled a 1/1 Shohei Ohtani Superfractor out of a $100 digital repack, turned down a $100K offer, and sent it to auction — where it sold for $700K. We got the story straight from him.

This week on The Hobby Never Sleeps, Dante and Connor break down one of the boldest holds the hobby has ever seen and whether now is the time to sell Ohtani. Then it's NBA season: who we're buying (Luka, Brandon Miller, Jeremiah Fears, Nolan Traoré) and who we're selling (Brunson, Anthony Edwards, VJ Edgecombe).

Plus: is Bowman Football underwhelming, a Yamal 1/1 outsells Messi, Ohtani was 1 in every 5 baseball cards PSA graded in September, Jayden Daniels cards are down 57%, Fanatics Collect's new bidding rule, and the Tom Brady card his best friend swore didn't exist.

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We got a behind-the-scenes look at PSA — the backlog, the grading floor, and why they can't just "hire more graders." Plus: is a $63K LeBron Alter Ego crazier than an $8M Cooper Flagg?

Dante and Connor are back from California with everything they learned at PSA: how many people touch your cards, why the backlog exists, when PSA Value might reopen, and why the new PSA app could turn into something much bigger.

Then it's a massive week of sales — three NBA debut patches crossing $2M+, the Kobe/LeBron Dual Logoman at $6.5M, and the case for buying "third-tier" stars before the market catches up. We also debate debut patches vs. Bowman 1st Superfractors, the JJ McCarthy trade and what it means for his cards, Panini's new Minor League Baseball deal, and whether it's OK to clean up card photos with AI before you sell.

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PSA’s VP of TCG and Pop Culture, Elizabeth, joins Connor and Dante to discuss the massive growth happening beyond traditional sports cards. They explore the rise of One Piece, Disney Lorcana, SpongeBob, League of Legends, sketch cards, and other emerging collectibles, along with how PSA evaluates unconventional cards and where the next major opportunities in the hobby could develop. Subscribe for more conversations about trading cards, grading, collecting, and the future of the hobby.

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This week, we break down the massive Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Kon Knueppel debut patch auctions and debate which cards have the most long-term upside. We also react to NFL Week 1 and discuss which quarterbacks could be worth buying or selling, why a LeBron James Alter Ego PSA 10 just sold for $63,000, Cooper Flagg opening his own card shop, PSA submissions moving faster, a Tom Brady rookie discovered in an old box, an eight-year-old Shohei Ohtani redemption story, and some of the biggest new sports card releases hitting the hobby.

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This week, we break down some of the biggest stories in the sports card hobby, including whether Aaron Judge is a buy heading into the postseason, Panini expanding into Zelda and potentially other entertainment cards, Topps bringing debut patches to UEFA and changing its NFL debut patch plans, and the athletes receiving the most PSA submissions. We also discuss PSA's new $59.99 grading tier and progress on its backlog, the booming Disney, F1 and hockey card markets, a Steph Curry rookie that went from $150 to potentially $500,000, whether tennis could become the next major sports card market, Arch Manning signing with Topps, and the biggest upcoming card releases. Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode.

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The card market is moving fast, and this week Connor and Dante break down the massive rise of SpongeBob and Disney cards, why Marvel and Yu-Gi-Oh could be next, and whether entertainment cards are becoming one of the hottest areas of the hobby. They also react to Topps’ new Rip on Demand platform, discuss the future of MLS Debut Patches, check in on PSA’s shrinking backlog and potential lower grading prices, and look at rising card markets for Kyler Murray, Shaq, Tim Duncan, Peyton Manning, Allen Iverson and LeBron James. Plus, the bizarre $20,000 Jimothy raccoon card, upcoming Topps releases, NFL predictions and more.

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Shaq’s card market is suddenly surging—but what is driving collectors toward one of basketball’s most dominant legends? With Dante out this week, Zach joins Connor to break down Shaq’s explosive rise, whether it’s time to sell Shohei Ohtani, and what Patrick Mahomes must prove following his injury. The guys also discuss the best NFL and NBA card buys heading into the new season, 2026 Topps Flagship Football, Minions basketball cards, counterfeit and restored cards, the return of set collecting, Disney character autographs, MLB players collecting Pokémon, Luka Dončić, Ja Morant, and much more.