Opening a pack sounds like the easiest part of collecting. Sometimes it is the first place where something can go wrong. Everybody talks about PSA 10s, corners, centering, surface condition and grading. But before a card ever reaches PSA, somebody has to get it out of the pack without adding a new problem. Sticker Packs … Read more
This question bothers me more than it probably should. A trading card is a machine-made object. Same with many stickers. Same with modern jerseys, even game-used jerseys before the player actually wears them. The thing starts as industrial production. Cardboard, ink, fabric, licensing, packaging and distribution. With gold, the story is different. With land, it … Read more
When Topps released the limited Shohei Ohtani 50/50 boxes directly through its website, demand exploded almost instantly. Collectors were allowed to purchase up to 20 boxes per customer, and many sold out within minutes as buyers rushed to secure what already felt like a historic release tied to Ohtani’s legendary 2024 season with the Los … Read more
A Kevin Garnett game-worn Minnesota Timberwolves jersey sold for $5,700 at Goldin, and for KG collectors that result is more interesting than just another auction number. The jersey was PSA graded, which matters. I have written before about why third-party grading and authentication can change the way buyers read an item, even when the grade … Read more