Welcome back everybody to a flagship episode of stacking slabs. This is your hobby content alternative.

I'm your host, Brett. If you're new to this show, welcome. In these episodes, we dig into topics that typically revolve around the psychology of collecting. This is what this entire platform is built off of.

I try to put as much energy, passion, and insight into this episode, that I can. There's a lot going on here at Stacking Slabs. Appreciate all of you supporting all of the shows that we're doing.

There's it's constant. I think this week, we probably have a a new episode out, every day, which is awesome. I feel very fortunate, for the opportunity to be a voice around sports cards in the hobby.

But most importantly, I feel very fortunate that you all continue to make that possible by showing up, each and every week telling a damn friend, you don't know how much that means to me as a creator who is going all in on turning all of this into my own small business.

I've got a ton of passion. In today's episode, I wanted to draft off of last week's, and last week's episode around refinement, and we're gonna talk about that a little bit further.

But this episode is about the one of one. Not all one of ones are created equal, and I think there needs to be a light shined on the fact that we, as collectors, are trying to navigate rarity in an era of overproduction.

The era of overproduction based on the standards of the past are undeniable.

We move from a era where the parallel was coming up and there were only so few in each set to now we have new product on top of new product, and that has, parallels on top of parallels.

And we've even moved into this era where we've got one of ones on top of one of ones in the same product. So I wanna explore that.

I wanna talk about it because I don't wanna get things twisted. I don't want things to get twisted from the perspective of a new collector coming in, listening to this content, and, listening to the mindset and mentality.

And because one collector is moving in one direction around rarity and scarcity, it is exclusive that they have to be collecting one of ones. In fact, I I probably don't think that is, maybe the smartest decision.

And so we're gonna talk about that. And I've I've been thinking a lot about it. Before we get into it, I just gotta say, you know, as we've kind of evolved this, there's a lot going on. There's only so much time.

I don't really get a chance too often to share publicly with this audience about just my fandom, how much fun I'm having, and and I gotta tell y'all, I am having a blast right now as an Indiana Pacers fan going on this ride.

I am recording this early. Not all of the first round series are over with this this the or excuse me, the second round series are over with. The Eastern and Western Conference finals have not started as I'm recording this.

But I just gotta say, man, it is a lot of fun when your team is winning, having fun, and you are all in. This moment is a moment, I think, where I want to express my fandom in the in my collection.

And people might tell you, oh, don't collect this player when they're on a run, or they're hot, or don't collect this team when they're on a run or hot.

Like, I throw those rules out, and I don't care. I don't care to pay the premium on specific cards that are going in my PC because it's about connecting my collection back to stories.

And the story that I'm living as a fan right now is one that I don't wanna forget, and I think that's a benefit of collecting cards is that it can help map back to those times.

And so that's what is, I'm I'm I'm just enjoying it. This this week rules in Indianapolis. Got the Indianapolis five hundred. You've got game three of the Eastern Conference finals in Indy. This is the rare occurrence where stars align.

We've got Pacers and racers on the same day. It's happened a a a few times in my life, and it rules. I definitely am going to do whatever I can to try to make it to game three, be a part of the madness.

Really excited about that. Every week, I say, tell a damn friend, you know, join the Patreon if you can. Lincoln's in the show notes. This week and do those things. Those things help.

Those things help support keep this engine running. But if you've done those things or maybe if you're just looking for something easier to do, the easiest thing you can do is, and I don't ask for this ever, but this helps me.

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I I'm trying to get more focused on that. By doing that, that helps in the discoverability of stacking slabs. So would kindly ask if if you are looking for a way to support this week, just hit follow, hit the five stars, drop a review.

That would be much appreciated. So let's let's get into it. Let's go. So reflecting on last week's episode on player collection refinement, wanna just reiterate, there are no absolutes.

What I do in these episodes is share my own personal experience. If if collecting in quantity makes you happy, you do you.

I hope you understand at this point in the journey, and maybe you don't understand this, which is fine, and that's why I think this is a good opportunity to clarify, because there's new listeners coming in, every week.

My main goal with stacking slabs and especially flagship episode is I I'm never trying to project.

I think there's so many other individuals in this industry and so many other industries that project in their content and say, this is is the way it goes.

This is the what you should do. I don't wanna project. I wanna share my experience.

I think the more we share our experiences and the more we share information, mindset, all of the things that we do when it comes to collecting sports cards, I think that makes us more informed and that makes us better participants.

I listen to content all of the time about flipping cards, about, you know, investing in cards, about, you know, how to how to hold cards and when to sell cards and, the dealers at shows and flipping cards for, profit.

And I listen to content on that stuff all the time, and it's I'm not going out there and doing that, but I'm very interested in it.

And it's the interest level for me is not, oh, because I wanna go do these things, but I just like to know how other individuals are behaving in the hobby, why they're here because everything in the hobby, there are many different flavors of the hobby, and there are many different approaches.

And I just feel like as a collector who's spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on sports cards, it's really nice to know all of the other elements in this space.

And so I'm very curious, and I'm curious about the approach of individuals. And even if that is not my approach, I really enjoy learning about it. So I wanted to say that upfront.

I wanted to say that I got some feedback, Not no negative feedback, all very positive feedback on last week's episode, but I didn't wanna come across or never wanna come across that by saying because I'm doing things one way, that's the only way.

I think if you hear that in content that you're reading, watching, listening to, my recommendation would be, it's probably not, the most open or best informed content that you're gonna get.

I take this really seriously. This is my livelihood.

This is my job. I am all in on this and wanna make sure that all the audience members understand where I'm coming from in context behind content. Today's topic, we're gonna talk about one of ones, and so gonna plug Friday conversation.

Michael, Rountree cards 13. This is gonna be like a go listen to Friday when it comes out in that collector conversation because it's gonna be a companion piece, I think, to this episode.

He's been a collector that I've observed moving into more of a super fracture collecting approach, and so we're digging into that.

And I think that will be kind of the the example of that coming out of this episode. This conversation, there's gonna be a lot said. This isn't a anti one of one episode.

This isn't a anti quantity episode. This episode is all about understanding context value and the meaning. I think when we're talking about one of ones in sports cards, we need to understand the evolution of one of ones.

And I will never consider myself, even though I spend a lot of time digging in on data, research, analysis, I would never consider myself a hobby historian.

That is not my bag. I learn in real time. I ask questions. I research, and that's how I become informed and how I power a lot of these episodes.

But there are individuals out there, many likely many of you listening who have never left the hobby and have always treated as an escape, and you're not your tribal knowledge of just the industry and the cards and the sets and how everything's evolved is very deep.

And so I don't have the deep, product level knowledge across multiple eras. Obviously, by the nature of my role, I'm very in tune with a lot of shifts and what have happened, but I just wanted to say that.

Like, we're in time with the evolution of the one of ones, but we're gonna do it at a level that is, you know, maybe a click or two deep.

But then when we dig into it further, I'll always try to bring someone in who's a subject matter expert, who's more informed, and so wanted to say that upfront.

But when we're talking about the evolution of one of one, I think we go back into this era of the nineties when the first one of one started to appear, and how these cards were very were ghost cards.

And we talk about ghost cards now, but you think rewind the tape back to the nineties, and we did not have Instagram.

We did not have the proliferation of eBay in selling. We had our LCS. We had local shows. We had Beckett, And that's how we got our information. We did not have message boards. Message boards that showed pictures, really.

And so, that came later. And so these cards, especially one of ones that popped up, were were ghost cards. Right? They weren't listed all the time, and many of it was just conversations we were having.

And I think if you look at the early one of ones, they certainly weren't talked about, or there wasn't podcasts and content talking about them at the level we talk about cards today.

Right? We didn't know when the one of one was pulled in a pack because there wasn't cameras everywhere or breaking. It just wasn't a thing. It was completely different.

You go into and you listen to a lot of Michael Jordan collectors talk, and it's funny, like, I sit on the sidelines with my popcorn, I'm chilling, and I'll listen to two Michael Jordan collectors debate about topics regarding Michael Jordan cards forever.

You can put a, a nineties grail chaser up against a, exquisite Michael Jordan collector and have them debate.

And I'm just sitting there. I'm curious because they're in they have similar interests because they're collecting the same player, but their mindset and mentality are completely different.

And I think that's the beauty of collecting, and that's the beauty of the hobby. I think player collectors operate so differently. And what they chase, what they collect, it's also different.

And I think one of the points of contention regarding Jordan and Jordan collecting is when we're talking about the best Jordan cards of all time, some collectors decide, you know what?

We're going to omit his one of ones or, you know, from this list because we know where what collections they're in, and they're not going anywhere.

So instead, we're gonna start from the perspective of, you know, looking at, you know, his serial number copy cards of his playing days in in playing days, in the nineties, and then go go on and go on and go on.

And then you've got another group of collectors that say, that's stupid. We need to put these cards in the the mix because they were manufactured during this era, and we they need to have some representation.

And I think that in and of itself and that dichotomy of viewpoint on Jordan collectors and their how they view the inclusion or exclusion of one of ones in Michael Jordan's catalog tells you all you really need to know about the way one of ones were in this era.

They weren't really part of the mindset and mentality around collecting because they were unicorns. If someone owned a one of one, maybe it was whispered about but not flaunted today. And I'm I'm guilty of this, man, because I'm proud.

When I get a one of one of a card that's gonna be in my collection for the long haul, I'm posting that stuff because I want other collectors to know. I wanna share that passion. But that wasn't a thing back then.

There was no Internet. You know? Maybe there was some conversation at shows, but there certainly was no media around it. You know? You might see a card in Beckett or reference in a forum, but maybe it was never really seen.

Cards were mythical. Right? They were urban legends, and owning one meant something, not just that it was rare, but somehow you found, what no one else could.

I think I look back, and I think what you see these masterpieces in the nineties and Gym Master sell today for astronomical prices because of the mystique.

Because a lot of these times, these cards are coming to market today are the first time anybody's ever laid eyes on them.

And we as collectors want cards that are mystery, are mysterious, are enigmas. And so when we see these cards that have never sold publicly, get sold publicly for the first time, and there's one of them, that elevates price.

That limited production, no media, those cards become mysteries. And I think manufacturers only insert, you know, a few and not all products, but certain products.

I was looking back in Card Ladder, and I just did, like, a one of one or I'd I'd searched masterpiece. And one of the first listings that came up was a 2,004 sale, which, is a is a long time ago.

It's the year I graduated high school. Not trying to date myself, but there was a '98 Peyton Manning Topps, TSC, which I would imagine is Topps Stadium Club, rookie masterpiece one of one that sold in 02/2004 for $360.

I can't imagine what that card goes for if it's sold today. There was scarcity by design, but it only it it it and it showed up in how collectors respected them.

They weren't just numbered where rare. They felt earn, and I think pulling pulling them was newsworthy, but there wasn't really the platforms to share.

I think mid tier players and one of ones, you know, a lot of the times, especially when maybe font was changed, people didn't even know that they had them.

I think you compare that to now, and there is a tremendous difference. The game has changed because manufacturers realize one of one sell boxes.

This culture around breaking and moving inventory as fast as possible and big hits and getting eyeballs through Instagram and YouTube and Facebook and x and all those things.

That wasn't a thing. I think scarcity became a selling point, not a reward. Every product now has a rainbow after rainbow of one of ones.

You've got just thinking about nebula or one of ones, nebulas, blacks, black finite, gold vinyl, snakeskin, you know, tiger, zebra, whatever. There's a lot, and they're all publicized.

And what used to be a Chase card became a card that we see immediately. There's checklist in filter, inflation, and it's isn't just about more players. It's about more versions of the same card.

More parallels equal more hits, more cards that feel rare that aren't treated the same. When I first started collecting Tyrese Halliburton, one of the first exercises I did was to do some research around his one of ones.

And I was thinking back to one of the first episodes I did in the Patreon group, and I was talking about, like, what I was going through in order to, like, start collecting Halliburton.

And I I found a hundred and six one of ones in base one of ones in his rookie year. And there were 14 in 2020 select alone. One of one base one zero six base one of ones in his rookie year.

This is not including inserts or RPAs or anything else. There's 14 in select alone. And so when I started collecting Halliburton, I wanted to understand what I was getting into, so I tracked those rookie one of ones.

And I think it told me that you're not just chasing a one of one of anymore. You're choosing which one of one you want. And it forces the question, and this is what I think about a lot, which of these actually matters?

And if you see a card that's beautiful to you and aesthetically and it makes you feel something and it's for your collection, it doesn't matter what matters.

Right? But if you are buying a card because you're trying to hope it stores value or make or earn value over time, then I think we need to start you need to start asking yourself those questions.

It's about drawing the line between scarcity and oversaturation.

True scarcity is about constraint, not just numbering. When every product guarantees a one of one in, you know, their set and maybe multiple one of ones, I think it loses maybe an emotional weight.

Oversaturation turns rare cards in just another SKU on a product sheet. Think it also creates confusion. Is this special because it's a one of one or because I'm just being told it is?

We're not in a market where one of ones equal grail by default anymore. I think that's really important. It's really important especially for newer members of the hobby getting in and being sold on one of ones.

The product matters. The lineage, the legacy matters. We have an oversupply of one of ones in this era. So I think the lesson that I've learned is today's collector needs to be more, needs more discernment than ever.

Not all one of ones are created equal. So just because it's a one of one, to me, doesn't mean it's good or desirable. So I think a lot of collectors, especially newer ones, equate one of ones with automatic value.

I've gone through this experience before with other collectors and trying to have a conversation again. I'm not trying to poo poo on your one of one.

I and I think I just think it's very important that we talk about if you are paying a premium of a one of one, making sure that you're not being fed a story about this card when it doesn't have any lineage or legacy or previous history of meaning something.

The there are one of ones that sit unsold for months because no one cares about them. A card can be rare and still unappealing, poor design, irrelevant player, low quality.

Nobody's chasing it. Doesn't matter that it's a one of one. That's where we get it wrong, and I think rarity alone make that's where we get it wrong thinking that rarity alone makes something collectible.

Think there's a trap at throwing money at the only one, especially in a product where every parallel has a one on one. FOMO is real when you see one of one in a listing title.

You think I'll never see this again, and it can help cloud your judgment. But if there are 14 other one of ones for that same player in the same product, is it really once in a lifetime?

I still can't get over the fact that, I think Randy Orton and Charlotte Flair in the latest or the the redebut of Topps Chrome WWE have a one of one for every time they've held a title in the base set.

That waters everything down for me. That makes me way less interested in the the product. And that's just a personal thing for me.

Like, I just I I I can't get involved with products where it's confusing years after the release on which one matters or not. Some collectors are just overpaying just because it says one, but that's not the same as real demand.

I think a question that I ask myself because I get caught up. I get caught up as a Colts fan, as a Pacers fan, seeing a card, and seeing it's a one of one and a decent price.

And, like, something might be $200, but 200 is a lot of money. And it's like, if it doesn't fit my collection, I shouldn't get it.

So it's asking yourself the question, if this wasn't a one of one, would I still care about it? I think that's important. I think there's a mental model that I'm beginning to apply.

And the mental model is, would I want this if this were at a out of 10, out of 25, or out of 99? Stripping away the one of one label and evaluating the card for what it actually is.

If the answer is no to that question, then the one of one label is doing all of the work, and I think that's risky. This mindset helps you slow down, avoid overpaying, and prioritize what actually fits your collection.

Rarity should enhance a card, not be the only reason you're buying it. And I think there's a we we should be challenging the idea every day that one of one is a long term win, especially base cards and unmemorable designs.

Not every one of one ages well. I think I try to think of collecting a storytelling. Does this card tell a story that's worth remembering?

If a card lacks aesthetics, relevance, or set significance, it might be forgettable. I think we should all be cautious when we see one of one as the headline. It's what's underneath that that determines the staying power to me.

My my Halliburton collecting is complicated. I just bought a one of one recently that I'll share when I get it that I'm really excited about. It wasn't just because it was a one of one.

That was a part of it, but it was so many other elements to it. I think one of the elements going through the research in the one of 106 rookie base one of ones in Halliburton's catalog was, well, you know what?

Maybe I don't even need to go after his rookie cards because he's not in a Pacers jersey. And so those are some questions I ask myself to help segment.

To me, if a one of a one of one that's worth it, I think has for me, has to have the aesthetics. I need to pick it up. It needs to make me feel something. Card design, product, the legacy of that parallel.

Those are important. Think we need a if we're buying one of ones, we need to do it from a position of strength when it aligns for your collection and not just because of a fear of missing missing out.

You want those cards that you're buying that are truly rare to have staying power and to be remembered down the road, especially if we have to pay a premium for them.

I can just share advice based on my personal experience, but I think if you're focused on quantity, you're not doing it wrong.

That's a great way to collect. If you're focused on one of ones, make sure you're focused on one of ones that are gonna make you happy and that aren't being positioned to make you happy.

I think ask that question. If this were out of 10, out of 25, out of 99, would you still care about them? Ultimately, it's all about making intentional moves, intentional moves in your collection that makes you happy.

We don't necessarily collect one of ones. We collect stories, and so we want those cards to convey stories to us when we open our case.

I'm doing a lot of reflection on my personal collecting. I think this is an important topic. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for supporting Stacking Slabs. We'll be back with more content. Coming at you. Have a great week.