What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to Stacking Slabs.

This is your hobby content alternative. I'm your host, Brett McGrath. Wanted to take a moment here, break up the week, share some perspective, some collector perspective, what's going on in my mind, the flagship, the foundation.

This is where it all started for Stacking Slabs, and it's time to explore a topic that's on my mind.

Hopefully, it resonates with you. Always trying to get you, the member of the audience, to consider or think about something a little bit differently.

Content. It's so important, the hobby. Appreciate you spending some time with me. We need premium content in this space.

A lot of change. Things are moving. The more voices, the more collector driven content that's out there that shares perspective about cards, the way we operate and think as collectors, and gives advice, the better. Like, sign me up.

And that's what I'm looking to do here on this episode and in this platform specifically, and I can't do it alone. That's why I rely so much on awesome collectors to join me and share all the information that they have.

And one topic that is just on my mind right now, and it's on my mind from hobby business owner perspective, which inevitably goes into collector perspective, is The National.

I know we're in March, we got some time, but I don't think it's crazy to start thinking about the biggest event in the hobby right now.

At least that's what I'm doing. And what I wanna say here in this episode, what I share doesn't need to just be applied to the national in Rosemont, Illinois.

I believe this mindset and strategy and approach can be applied to any regional show, any local show, and it's like show season. There, it seems like it's more part of the conversation, which is fantastic.

I believe the card show is a pillar in this hobby. And so, what I wanna do is just share some experience and perspective, and I'll be the first to admit everybody. I go to about two, three, maybe four shows a year.

So I'm not out there. I know so many collectors are, like, every weekend, there are people listening to this show that are on airplanes or in a car, long car rides, going to big shows every week or every other week.

You all have a strategy. You all have your process. You're all going there to sell cards, to buy cards, and you've got a lot of experience doing that.

What I wanna offer in this episode is just a perspective from a collector that might be a little bit different or adjacent than some approaches.

And this is from someone who appreciates efficiency and someone who doesn't go to a lot of shows.

So, I think that Maybe, like, I'm over obsessed with this, but anything I do, any walks of life, anything I'm interested in, anything I get into, like, I always think about preparation.

Especially in stacking slabs and in my own personal collection, like, preparation.

I talk about consistency a lot. Preparation is another key piece. Like, I don't just show up. Like, I do the work in advance, and then deliver. So, I have been thinking a lot about this brand and the national.

Right? And I would be silly as a small business owner to not be considering how can I use the national as an opportunity to meet people that I wanna meet to continue to grow what I'm doing here?

But then, also, what does this mean too for my collection?

Like, how do I switch gears and think about preparation in the context of my own collection? So the goal in this episode today is to share some lessons and strategies and things that I have learned about the way I approach shows.

I think maybe the easiest way for you all to visualize, like, in advance of where I want to get to in this conversation, in this episode, is to just consider, like, eBay as a marketplace and consider all the cards eBay has.

Right? If we didn't have safe searches, you know, we'd have a search bar. That would get tough. Right? That to find the cards, it would just be constantly trying to find a needle in a haystack.

But the fact that we have saved searches in that feature, maybe the most popular feature on eBay, offers us the opportunity to shrink the sea and be more focused.

So I want to let you all know when I think about going to an in person event, how I think about shrinking the sea and how I find focus. That's what we're gonna get into.

Wanna make sure, if you're listening to Stacking Slabs and you're not already, hit the follow button. You wanna hear the next episode. We're coming up on 600 here. I think we're at five ninety seven as I record this.

600 episodes. Consistency, preparation, those are key pillars. Wouldn't be possible without those. Most importantly, wouldn't be possible without you, the regular listener of Stacking Slabs. So appreciate you being here.

Also, if you want to show your support, head over to the Patreon group. Link is in the show notes. Lots of content going there. If you're digging what's happening on the main feed, you want more, go to the Patreon group.

Talked about this, but the threads and the conversations that are happening are awesome in that space. Also, we'll share, and I've got nothing permanent to share, but we think about opportunities.

We think about ways to deliver new content, new value. And that's very much happening right now in the background of stacking slabs. And soon I will take you a peek behind the curtain and share what's going on.

And I'm trying to grow this damn thing, right? Trying to deliver great content. And there are so many great topics, collectors, businesses, all this stuff that's happening.

So I'm very excited to continue to evolve what we're doing here and share that with you when it's ready. So most importantly, appreciate you being here, really do. And now, an awesome promotion from my friends at eBay.

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That's 5zero. That's ebay. com/sell5zero. Terms and conditions apply. Now start selling today to fund your next big pickup. Okay. So, let's start first talking about pre work. You You know, when you hear the word pre work, right?

It maybe it sends you back to, you know, the days of being at school and how non exciting a topic like pre work is. And I have always found the most non exciting things in the hobby typically are the most fruitful.

And with the way I approach stacking slabs as a brand, content, everything else, when I as I think about approaching the market as a collector and trying to acquire new pieces, the number one thing that I think that has attributed to any success I've had during that time period has been prioritizing pre work.

I think many collectors just show up and browse hoping to find something. When you just show up unprepared hoping to find something, this will often lead to impulsive buys wasting time and overpaying.

I'm not here by any means because I'm not trying to be a card show expert. I'm not. I'm the furthest thing from it. Like my experience at shows, I would guess, is a lot less than 75% of you, the listeners.

You probably go to more shows than I do based on my situation, But my perspective is the more that I have gone to shows over the years, the more that I have found prework to be critical.

Now I understand, like, there's this approach where you just wanna go to the show. You want this feeling of entertainment. You want you've got your box of cards.

You want to just show up, see what's out there, create a high volume of action, activity, buy, sell, trade, and just hit every table, have conversations with everyone, and see through all of that activity if you can end up getting a card that you can then maybe go take to a marketplace and sell and get funds to go put into a card, or maybe you get that card at that show.

Like, there you're out there, you're listening, and you're like, I love doing that.

That's what I'm all about. And I am not here to say don't do that or disregard that. That is so much of the card show experience. But what I wanna share is, I don't do that, nor does that interest me at all.

Like, that honestly gives me anxiety to think about showing up and just, like, with that approach and strategy. Now, I understand my mindset is different than other people's mindsets.

And so what I wanna do too is not try to be exclusive here in this conversation and say, this is the way to do it. Because I understand there's so many approaches. That approach just reminds me of, when I was a kid. Right?

Remember when you were growing up, you know, after the holidays, you'd have all this stuff that you acquired? Like, I just remember, like, I'd have starting lineups and new jerseys to wear, and I'd have new video games on my Sega.

And that was just such a fun period. Like, in school, you you weren't back in school yet, and you just, like, there was nothing else on your hands, and all you did was just game.

Like, just gaming all day long. I remember, like, you know, pre NBA Live, NBA Showdown, I think it was '95 on Sega, dude.

I remember just playing that game all day. It was so much fun. Streets of Rage, you know, Mortal Kombat, all those games, dude. I love that. Like, we had a great setup, and I'm veering off right now, but we had a great setup.

Like, I had the Sega in my room and my brother Kyle. Shout out Kyle McGrath cards. I know you're listening. He had the Super Nintendo, right? So we could literally dominate the scene, right?

If it was just exclusive to Sega, no worries, I got it. If it was just exclusive to Super Nintendo, my brother's got it. You know, he'd be gaming Donkey Kong Country, YB, you know, playing David Robinson Supreme Court.

You know, that those were the times, right? And I'd probably be wearing a champion jersey and box of cards on the floor of my room. Like, those were great days. I love those days.

I think about them all the time. I think about, like, the basketball hoop I had on the door in my room. I I just I can, like, you can visualize my Reggie Miller poster. I wish I could just, like, go back and just be there for a bit.

That was a fun time. But in that period of time, right, you get cash after the holidays, and you just my mom didn't work. My dad was out working, and so, you know, we'd we'd be like, hey. You know, can you can you take us to the mall?

Can you take us to the toy store? And it would be like it didn't matter. Like, you know, I had the lanes. Right? I like action figures. Like, you know, I like video games. I like sports gear.

But I wouldn't have anything specific on my mind, right? I just know I have these interests. But, you know, I just show up. Let's just go to the mall. I got a hundred bucks cash. And it was just like, just show up and see what's there.

You better believe whether it's Toys R Us, whether it's the mall, I'm spending the money, right? Now, there's no thought process. Right? It's very impulsive. And so, that mindset mentality was a lot of fun.

But as I've grown older, it's like, if I've got cash in my pocket, man, I wanna know, or have some sort of strategy going into that thing in order to make sure I I don't buy something that I don't like.

You know, and I know us in the, the hobbyist collectors. Right? We miss a card at auction, what's our next move?

We're checking our safe searches. We're checking other stuff because we need to buy something right now. Checking our safe searches. We're checking other stuff because we need to buy something right now.

That's common. It's not it's, like, not exclusive to you. It's common. But I don't think that way to approach the hobby maybe is the most efficient and satisfying, satisfying, or at least for me.

So over the the years, I've moved away from, like, this impulsive approach and leaned more into efficiency and intentionality. Card shows are community. Right? There's nothing that beats going to a show and having a conversation.

That's what I appreciate most about shows. But I am in a situation where I've got this business that I'm running, and it takes up a lot of time and a lot of energy, and I love it, and I'm very thankful for it.

I've got two kids. Right? They come in a lot of time, energy. It's really challenging for me to break out of a weekend mode and go off and go to shows. Right? Then I'm leaving my wife with two little kids, and it's just not fair.

So it's like, they're also not at the ages right now where, you know, maybe my oldest is is getting to that point, although she'd just want me to buy whatever we sell if I took her to show.

I think we're about a year away from me being able to, like, take her to a show and and enjoy that experience. And when that comes, like, more shows the better.

But I turn 40 in a few months, which is crazy to say. And efficiency has always been important to me, but now as I get old, it's more important than ever before. And that's why I think pre work matters.

It really matters to me. And I think it helps me as a collector, prevents me from impulsive buying or buyer's remorse. It helps me maximize my budget efficiency. I don't wanna waste money on something just because it's there.

How many cards are at shows and dealers benefit from this and I'm not here to block dealers at all. Right? You get your money, but how many buys do people just go because they're there and they just wanna buy a car?

I'm guessing a lot. I think pre work makes the experience more rewarding by helping secure key cards before the show even starts.

Before the show even starts, be on offense. So I think tactically, the mindset when you're going to show is making sure you know what dealers are attending.

And this gives you insight into inventory and potential price ranges. Dealers typically use Instagram or eBay stores to showcase inventory.

So you might see a card that's of a price that might be outside your range. However, if you identify that they're there, you can perhaps make a deal because you'll have cash and it might be lesser.

The most important to me in the pre work side is identifying what collectors that I know that have cards I want who will be in that room.

To me, that's critical, right? There's something about collectors being a bit more flexible when a deal can be made in person and also a conversation that has been happening over a long period of time to make that deal happen.

That's why I think starting con we're talking about the national.

Right? There's other shows, but starting conversations now, many of the best deals happen one to one or even before the show starts. Like, start those conversations right now, and it doesn't need to be, like, sell me this card.

It can be, like, warming your audience up to the idea of selling a card. Also, having a targeted want list is helpful. So I love the idea if I'm going to a show to not rely on the show up and see what happens approach.

I lean more into I like to know what I am buying before I'm even leaving my house. The collector to collector deals are what it's all about.

Not saying that we shouldn't buy from dealers, we certainly should, and they're gonna have cards that we want. But, there is something special about making transactions with individuals who we know and trust.

And these take months to develop, but the show is where they can close. So I look at the show as a closing event, as opposed to starting a conversation event.

And I think maybe this is like the professional background in me, but this is where we go to close. We go to close at the show. Collectors aren't always selling. That's why it's on us to build that relationship in advance.

So my process for securing cards before the shows is building relationships. It's networking. It's understanding where the cards are at that I really want, making sure that I know those people or have built some relationship with them.

And if I haven't, I can start that. But then also making sure that I know that they're going to be in the same room that I'm going to be in a year. And that's why I think the the National is such a good event.

The National is a closing event for the proactive collector. Your network, you start the conversations right now. It's freaking March, but stardom, man. Getting a pulse on what people might be looking to move is really important.

Everyone's got an agenda. People are going to those shows and the people that you're buying cards from might need that cash to go buy the other card that they've had their eye on.

The real collectors out there are on offense, man. They're doing the pre work. They're researching. They're setting up meetings. Hey, let's meet over here.

Let's get coffee. Let's do this deal. Let's talk about this other deal. Sometimes making a deal requires creative negotiation and the more time you give yourself, the better chance you have at getting what you want.

Also, you gotta be okay with, even if the deal doesn't happen, knowing that you've established a connection.

And that's we should be in the business of establishing connections. I think a lot about lessons I've learned in my previous life. And let me tell you, I frickin' hated trade shows. I hate trade shows, for the most part.

Part of my new world is I'm very thankful that I don't have to get in a plane and freaking stand at a booth and have people come to me and have to, like, have a conversation about whatever my company's selling.

Like, I hate that. And that's why over the years, I just hated standing there and waiting for people to come to me.

I was like, man, there's gotta be a better way. So that's when I started to go on offense, right? It's understanding what resources I have and understanding who the people are and literally just show the shows in a month.

This sucks that I have to go to this show, but what sucks even more is just standing around waiting for people to come to me.

And instead, I'm going to dedicate a specific portion in my week to make sure I am setting appointments with people that I wanna meet at the show.

And the appointments don't need to be, hey, I need to buy this or you need to sell this. The appointments can literally be, let's grab coffee and meet each other. Just meeting each other can break barriers.

I never went into a conference without a game plan, and I think the same applies for a car show. Lessons I keep from my previous work is know who I need to talk to before I even leave my house, before I even step on the show floor.

Have a purpose with every interaction. I don't waste time. I don't wanna waste time. Things that I don't have time for in my life, which is a lot of stuff, I've just cut out. It is a blessing for me that I get to go to a show.

It is an opportunity for me to go to a show. And when I'm leaving my house away from my family and I'm in a hotel room for a couple days and I'm going to be at a show, you better believe there's intention behind that.

Whether it's for the business or whether it's for my collection. Relationships drive deals. This is a relationship first hobby.

And I think the big thing is to not rely on chance and to be very intentional. I always try to keep a long game mindset and I'll bend a little bit to win big, but I think it's the constant short term versus long term thinking in deals.

Collectors who think long term always win, come from a place of abundance, then sometimes a small hit on a deal can lead to a bigger or better deal down the road.

This is why I think we need to be a little bit more flexible when we're making one to one deals with people that we're trying to build relationship with.

Hell, you can try to charge them out the ass, but you think they're gonna come back to you? I don't think so. And I always try to think of, it's not just this one, it's the next one and the next one.

And that's why I like to find people who have cards that I like, because I'm much it's more efficient for me to wreck, keep going back to the same person over and over because I know what I'm gonna get.

There's trust, there's credibility there. I think this means also you just gotta bend a little bit sometimes.

Sometimes it's taking a little less on a trade or a sell to strengthen that connection. Those people look out for you. They know what you want. They wanna sell you cards more than just one time.

I think establishing strong relationships with repeat sellers or collectors make future deal easier. I have a mindset around the first and the first deal I make with somebody who I believe can lead to more deals.

I, when it is in person and they're making a card available and they want to sell me and they give me a price, as long as the price isn't out sane or out of control and, typically, if I'm identifying this as an individual who I want to do more business with down the road, I know that they're probably not going to charge me two x last comp.

But if they're trying to get theirs and they're trying to butter their bread and they're trying to sell it for more than the last sale and the car hasn't sold publicly in three to four years, If I really want the car and they're giving me the price, I'm not here to over negotiate it.

I don't wanna negotiate against myself and negotiating against myself is negotiating against making future deals with that person.

So the first deal, price is within reason, I'm gonna pay it because that is going to give me the card and then it's gonna open up the door for more conversations and more cards that that individual who I build a relationship with has access to that I don't.

Access is important. Never forget that.

So some of the takeaways that I think are helpful from this conversation is just the fact that I think pre work wins. Do your research. Know your targets before you even leave your house. Collector to collector deals matter.

Start with the process. Now secure the grails at the national, Dallas card show, regional show, small local show, doesn't matter. Long term thinking will always pay off. We are obsessed with instant gratification. I wanna grow.

I wanna be the biggest. I want this to happen overnight. It's not how anything works. Relationships matter more than any single deal. Again, this approach isn't exclusive to the national. It's just how I'm thinking about it right now.

If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to know your thoughts. How do you approach shows? How important is pre work? If you like what I'm doing over here, share this with another collector.

Tell them you're enjoying stacking slabs. Appreciate all you. Appreciate the time. We got more stacking slabs always and forever on the other side. Happy collecting. Talk to you soon.