I have to admit something about myself as a sports card collector. I am a box chaser. The players I pull from hobby boxes have an almost ridiculous influence on who I suddenly become interested in. A player I barely followed yesterday can become the subject of hours of research simply because I pulled one … Read more
A few years ago, the logic when buying a signed piece of memorabilia was fairly simple. There was a sticker with a number on the object, you entered that number on the authenticator’s website and, if the correct name appeared, the whole thing at least felt reasonably safe. Beckett Authentication Services is revising its security … Read more
I sent six Shohei Ohtani cards from the 2024 Topps 50/50 set to PSA in September. Three Blue Refractors /150, two Green Refractors /99 and one Chrome Refractor. I had bought the cards at prices where grading looked attractive, and when I started checking PSA 10 sales I thought the six could potentially be worth … Read more
For a long time, grading was a fairly easy calculation for me. Look at the card, look at the raw value, think about what a PSA 9 or PSA 10 might be worth and decide whether the grading fee makes sense. There was obviously always a risk involved, but at Value prices you could afford … Read more
For more than two decades, Wesley Gretah and Eric Pace have dedicated themselves to one of the most demanding fields in sports memorabilia: authenticating Michael Jordan autographs. By studying thousands of genuine and non-genuine signatures, they have developed an exceptional ability to recognize the subtle characteristics that separate authentic Jordan signatures from convincing forgeries. Their … Read more
The biggest chase in 2026 Topps Chrome Baseball has finally been pulled, although “pulled” is almost the wrong word because the collector did not find the actual card. He found a redemption promising the one-of-one Shohei Ohtani Dual Gold Logoman Autograph, featuring two game-worn gold MLB patches and two Ohtani signatures: one in English and … Read more
Every dominant company eventually reaches a point where people stop talking about its strengths and start talking about its position. That isn’t necessarily a sign of decline. Sometimes it’s simply what happens when a company becomes so large that everyone measures the rest of the industry against it. PSA has occupied that position for years. … Read more
One of the products I look forward to every year is Topps Finest Baseball. The chrome finish, on-card autographs and strong rookie checklist make it one of the most appealing modern baseball releases, but it also comes with a price tag that forces collectors to think carefully before opening a box. As a collector in … Read more
Every few months somebody asks for unpopular opinions about sports cards. The answers are always entertaining because most of them are not unpopular anymore. Buy singles. Collect what you love. PSA is overrated. Modern is junk. Breakers are ruining the hobby. We have repeated those lines so often that they have become part of the … Read more
Selling a Michael Jordan card can look perfectly rational. Prices are high, the profit may be substantial and there is always the comforting idea that another copy can be bought later. That works with many cards, especially common base issues that appear constantly on eBay and at major auctions. It becomes much less convincing once … Read more