Alright. I am excited about this new series, Smashing Ben. When I put it out there on Instagram, I got a a a few responses back, and I got one from today's guest, Paul at Mortal Kombat.

And it just when he DM'd me, it was like, this is what we gotta start off with. This is a a really good one. And I was looking back, and, Paul, we haven't had a conversation on the podcast.

We've had plenty of DMs, but it's been since November, 2023 when we were talking about '24 carat gold, which might be a little Easter egg for something that might come later in this episode. But how are you doing, man? Fantastic.

I've been going going at it pretty hard now for a while, and I feel like these last couple years have been ramped up more than ever, you know, even though I haven't really been able to get to the shows and meet people in person like I'd want to.

I think, I don't know.

The Instagram community in particular has just been amazing, and I I feel like I've just added something new and exciting. It feels like weekly at this point. I don't know. It's just it's been awesome. So having a lot of fun doing it.

You, you perform a high level of activity, and I feel like because of that, fun opportunities come your way. And we're gonna talk about, the card that might have led to other cards that you smashed been on first.

But maybe in in the last year or so, what just your hobby experience, like, if you were to, like, summarize it up in terms of cool cards, people you've met, like, what would you say over the past year or so your focus has been?

I mean, it really is not any different from when I started, honestly. You know, I've been been really into it since 02/2010, of course, collected as a kid.

But, you know, like, I I just I've always been fascinated with with quality, and and I kind of, you know, have worked my way up over the years of just, like, finding out, you know, what's what, why something is is so special.

And I think the longer you collect and the longer you have that eBay saved search and the longer you meet new collectors that collect the same thing and and you talk about, like, hey, man.

That card is really hard to find. It just is like, okay. I'm not the only one thinking it and, you know, it just it makes I think the hunt is just as cool as anything.

I think that, there's been a a few things that I've had that I've hunted for a long time, and sometimes it comes in and maybe maybe it doesn't do what I thought it would, but I I just got the the satisfaction of of owning it and and posting it and just being happy to just get it.

And then other cards I've gotten in where I feel like I wanna just keep it and hold it tight forever. So, you know, I I I don't think much has changed over the last couple years that it as it has. You know.

I I think someone someone asked me, you know, there's Chantilly card shows coming up, and they said, are you looking for anything particular? And I think this has been my answer for fifteen years is I don't know until I see it.

You know? So, you know, just keeping that same state of mind, I guess. Yes. I I love it, how you just let the hobby come to you and you make decisions.

And I think what a great launching off point. When you DM'd me in response, you shared a post, and I'm gonna bring up the post right now, and this will be the subject for, our conversation.

But for for people in the Patreon group, they can see this. For you listeners, this is a photo of three two thousand Bowman paper gold at a 99, Tom Brady, rookie cards, all lined up together.

And I think for me, it has taken me learning about this card through collectors like you because, to be honest with you, I didn't really even know it existed up until, you know, two or three years ago.

I've always seen just the chrome, base, and maybe the refractor, and I think this is, definitely a very, desirable card that maybe not a lot of us might not realize is even a card.

So let's just start with the the story of you smashing Ben on this card for the first time, and then we can get into how you ended up with three of them. Yeah. Absolutely.

So, you know, I kinda remember it like it was yesterday because, I mean, the the the just rush of excitement and kind of adrenaline and just like, oh my gosh. This just happened. So, I mean, this was probably 02/2017, '2 thousand '18.

I might be able I should have looked on my eBay. I might be able to dig it up. But, I was actually out late night when our Walmart used to be twenty four hours, and I was getting bubble mailers to to mail stuff the next day.

And, of course, every second of free time, I'm, you know, checking, you know, listings on eBay and, you know, 2,000 Tom Brady, Tom Brady rookie, whatever it was was always just on my list because it you know you know, put it in perspective.

I think the the the Bowman's were a 50 to $200 raw at this time.

You know? So that was just a good card mover that I had at my shows, and, I was just What year was this, Paul? It was 02/2017, '2 thousand '18. Something like that. So, you know, things things were different then, you know, of course.

But, you know, Brady was just always that that card mover that I had at my table that I could just always rely on and, of course, I just always liked picking his stuff up. So when I saw this card, I was in the same boat.

I had no idea it existed, and I honestly thought it was a Bowman Chrome Gold for, like, the first few hours that I purchased it even, and I called people after so excited. Even though it was late, I said to hit you up.

Like, I gotta I gotta talk to you about this. Like, I've never seen it. Like, it's unbelievable. And I had no idea like, it didn't even existed. I had no idea what the price had sold for before.

Like, I didn't even I was even starting to question if it was real or not because I didn't know if it was counterfeit because I had been searching Tom Brady or just buying, trading, selling Tom Brady cards for seven, eight years at this point.

You know, I it was kind of I've always you know, when I even first started, like, obviously, that was a target.

Right? So, yeah. And I I could've done a backflip in Walmart. I just even though I didn't know anything about it, I said, you know, I think it was I think it was, like, $2,000 on eBay, which was a a crap ton of money for me back then.

Like, probably my biggest purchase at that time, but I didn't care. I was just like, I don't care. This has to be one of his best rookies on the planet. You know?

So really exciting moment, and it kinda launched me into collecting bigger cards because I just felt like it was a smart decision, and I was just confident in it. I I didn't even really need to do the research, and I I never really did.

I just became a little obsessed with finding more, honestly. So So so you have a situation where you're in a Walmart parking lot. You see this card that looks familiar, but it's different.

Obviously, serial number is attractive. You didn't even really even know it existed. You see a price point of 2 k, which is not a small amount of money. It's a especially at that time.

Yeah. Was it just your familiarity buying, selling, trading Brady of various amounts of Brady cards and different price points at shows and stuff that you said yourself, I don't even need to second guess this.

Like, it hits the rookie qualifier, a a solid set qualifier, a serial number qualifier. It's gold. Like, was it just all of those things that lined up to made you say, I better get this now before somebody else does?

Yeah. It really was. And and, you know, to this day, I mean, you know, I I I have card ladder, and I have Terra Peak through my eBay store.

And and I I I do check there. It's good to have a guide. But to this day, I still just I really collect a lot from my gut, honestly.

And and, you know, when, you know, we talk about comps, those are relevant. But comps, to me, they're not always just the same card for card comp. It's it's like, what are what are similar quarterbacks doing?

What are similar sets doing? What are maybe a some player that if if I'm familiar with Peyton Manning cards and he has maybe a similar card and his rookie run, how much does that go to compared to Tom Brady?

So you don't even need to know the player, you know, to to really know their market sometimes.

And if you think that something is a is a value compared to basically, any experience you have buying, selling, trading, then a lot of times going with your gut, especially long term, really works its its way out, you know, especially if you're into a hall of famer, an all time great.

You know? Like, I would just say, you know, trust what you know. Like, it it's it's always been hard for me to comprehend how people spend the amount of money they do prospecting.

I've I've prospected in my own ways before too, but, you know, it's I just remembered some of the things that were going for $2,000 at that point, whether it was in baseball, football, you know, basketball.

It didn't matter. I just thought for what it was in the price point it was, it was a great value.

So You you, yeah. No. I I love it. You you you, you have your hands in a lot of different pots. You know a lot of you you know more about, the different categories, baseball, football, basketball, hockey.

Like, you have a a wide, breadth and depth of knowledge just in terms of categories, and you are constantly trying to, like, this is just my observe. We we know each other, and we've had conversations, but I observe your activity too.

And you just I feel like you're constantly striving for a bigger and better collection, which causes you to, you know, do some story sales to get funds to buy a new card.

And so you you have this card that you bought, and it stays in your collection. It hasn't been the subject of a consolidation, and you've actually went out and acquired more copies of this card.

So maybe talk us through that mindset. And these are cards that pop up every day. So, like, how have you been able to do that?

Well well, that was part of the story really because, you know, I was almost willing to sell anything and everything on my quest to acquire as many as I could because and and I was willing to pay more, honestly, even in by the next day.

You know? And and that didn't come from me looking up any comps. I didn't have those tools at my fingertips the way we do now. So I didn't know of any prior sales.

I didn't know of, again, of of its existence. So, I was able to find some on Heritage Auctions that sold years before, but it really wasn't relevant because things were different, you know, obviously, same as they are now from them.

So, I honestly didn't tell many people that I got the card. I I told maybe a select few people and just kept the excitement to myself. And then I just went on a just a hunt, a search in every way I could, every website googling things.

And, I I actually was $1 short away from another. And then I was I bid on another one at Heritage Auctions, and this is when, you know, I was I was actually collecting for a long time, but I'd never had bid on any, like, auction house.

So I didn't know what extended bidding was. So I'd actually thought I'd won a fourth one, but didn't realize that it went through extension. I was a high bidder at the end of the night. You know?

So I always get a little bitter about that. But, anyway, I I I can't complain really. But, yeah, I found I found two more around the same time, around the same price, you know, probably up to, like, $4,000 maybe for for one of them.

But was again, I would have been happy the next day buying one for double the price I just bought bought it now because, again, I I I was willing to sell almost anything to to acquire more of these because I just thought it was such a great value compared to whatever else was selling.

Anything you can name for that amount of money, I thought this was just a better buy. So when when you were picking these up in that fashion, did you the was this just like a hidden a hidden story?

Like, did other collectors know that this card was a thing and they were trying to get him? Obviously, now with the way the Brady community works where Yeah.

Everyone kinda knows what everyone has because the community is so big. Maybe talk us through, like, the the awareness and the visibility of this card from when you picked up your first copy to kinda where it is today.

Well well, by the time I was hunting for my third and then even after the third after the third one I I got in, it it basically became impossible because I felt like the secret was out at that point.

You know? So, it was really it was it was insane. So so there is the the chrome the chrome refractor.

There's the paper. There's also the rookie of the year, which is, I think, 250 print run, and then this one serial numbered to 99, which this one to me just being I just like serial numbers for a lot of reasons.

This was the most attractive to me out of all of the Bowman, Brady rookies.

So, you know, after I had gotten three, I felt a little more comfortable kinda reaching out to people talking about it at seeing what they thought, and just sharing.

You know? I I like sharing pickups and and talking to the community, and it was unbelievable how many Brady specific collectors did not know that card existed.

After seventeen, eighteen, nineteen years, had no clue that it existed, had never seen it. It was unbelievable. So I don't know.

Something something just dropped, and then, three of them or something had listed all at the same times, and and and the Brady collector community all snagged them up, and and that was kind of the end of my story with these because they've just became a and to a price range.

I just I don't have that disposable, you know, cash that that, you know, a lot of other people do. So, you know, I kinda I then that's when I shared these, and I was like, okay.

The secret's out. People know, and I'm excited to have these. So enjoy. You know? Maybe one more before we move on to some cards that people smash Ben on for this past week.

What what is like, I think we all as collectors aspire to have a treasure chest of one of these one card like this, let alone multiple cards where we can say, like, this is an investment for us because we bought it low.

Obviously, it's appreciating in value.

And because we have these things, it affords us the flexibility to to maybe do extraordinary things with our collection, maybe sell one because we're trying to move into a bigger house, like and that'll help that process.

Maybe just talk about, like, the the you you just smashed Ben on one of these things, and it led to you acquiring three of these.

I would say you you mentioned four k at the the the the peak. Like, whatever you bought these four these three cards for, I can and and the timing is I probably a a really, safe buy and a safe invest investment.

Maybe talk about just, like, that moment where you made the decision to where these cards are at now and just, like, what that affords you to to be able to do just as a collector in this hobby.

Well, I mean, it gives you so much flexibility.

So, like, you know, I try to tell people this too. Like, if you believe in something or or a card, like, you know, like, double down. I mean, it I even say that with cost averaging and stuff.

If you overpaid for a card maybe in a different market, but you really think that's a a a value card or something you enjoy, like, get another one for a light lot cheaper, then you got two for less kind of.

You know? So that's a different scenario. In this case, I'd always known that I probably wanted to keep one really long term, you know, and then, you know, have flexibility maybe with the other two to to move into something else.

So I was able to move, you know, both of them took my whole family on vacations.

That was, like, that's what they afforded me. Right? So, like, I was able to to now keep one, sell two at different times, different markets, but still did well each time and, you know, go on a family trip.

And then, we bought a new house, so I was able to, you know, furnish some of the home and and fix some repairs that we had.

So, you know, and that's because I I really wasn't satisfied with one. I just thought that it was so such, I don't know.

Like, to me, it was, like, zero thought of, like, this isn't a risk. You know? And and, and I do that with other cards, other players still to this day. If I see if I think something is a value and, you know, you just trust it.

I mean and that's that's really helped me, allowed me to to be flexible. And, you know, when I do the story sales a lot, many times of the big stuff, I'm I'm selling duplicates, which is really nice.

Lately, I've been digging deep into my, my my honey hole, unfortunately, but I I think I've been turning it into things that I really do enjoy.

But, yeah, I mean, just trusting yourself, finding something, finding a pocket, there's always value, I feel like, at every price point, really. I mean, I still buy some, like, $1 cards. You know what I mean?

That I still I know you do. You know? That was like, well, I might be able to get $5 for this, and, like, I think it's a good card. Like, I like looking at it. I don't know. I put it on my desk next to the Brady sometimes or something.

So, you know, I just think there's a lot of opportunity when you buy multiples of cards, and I I like the flexibility. Amazing story. So that's gonna be a a hard one to top, as we move on with this series.

But let's get into some cards that sold this past week. It was opening day, saw probably more incredible baseball cards on Instagram than I can remember ever before.

And this card sold via, someone smashing Ben on it, and it is the 2018 Bowman Chrome, Shohei Ohtani, rookie autograph, batting green refractor, add a '99, SGC 95 auto 10.

This thing sold for $23,999 Oh. And which is dude, it's just insane. So maybe let's just, like, start here with someone deciding within the the last sales, by the way. I'll give you these two.

PSA nine in November sold for 20 k. In earlier November, a PSA nine sold for 13,200, so it went up 7 k in November. And the last recorded sale of this type of copy, SGC nine five auto 10, sold 12/31/2023 for 13,600.

So his market's bananas. Maybe talk about just, like, I know you're more integrated in the baseball community, but just Ohtani being the guy, the most collectible guy.

And what is your reaction to a green refractor at a '99 selling for, you know, $24,000. Man, you know, I mean, it's impressive, just to start with.

I think that, like, that that rookie class, a 02/2018 update specifically, not just talking about the the Bowman Chrome there, was just kind of like a legendary all time, like, not only hype, but performance too.

I mean, the guys, Acuna and and So to and and Shohei and, you know, Gleiber Torres. I mean, like, it was just completely loaded. So I think there's a lot of, like, buildup and a lot of success with that set and then those people in it.

And, you know, I I don't you know, I think hitting is probably the preference in these two these two Bowman Chromes, I would assume.

You know? And and I would say it's a big win for SGC too. Right? I mean, nine five ten. You know? Like, I I've always thought they were a good grading company, but, like, that's that's really commanding a premium even over a PSA nine.

So that's an impressive sale. I mean, it's a great car to, you know, I think he's maybe, you know, the most electrifying athlete of any sport at some you know, when he's really humming. So, you know, it it's it's an impressive sale.

That that's how that's how I would describe it. I mean So so when it's amazing, like, you see one collector make the decision on one night on eBay to just say, you know what? I don't need to wait for this card to go up for auction.

I'm just gonna smash Ben and then, like, the ripple effect of what maybe one sale and one category can do to the rest of the community. And you just like, major auction houses, eBay, Ohtani cards are just going bananas.

How do like, collectors who want to get into maybe baseball cards, like, are seeing it through the lens of what's happening with Ohtani's market and, you know, it it can be intimidating.

It can be scary. Like, how would you advise maybe non baseball collectors? And we're seeing this in other areas too. Right? Caitlin Clark and WNBA.

It's like her card prices for current like, in Ohtani and, like, the top in, guys and gals are just so far ahead of everyone else. Like, how do you advise collectors who might see a sale like this and who are captivated by Ohtani?

Like, how how do you make sure that or would you advise them to make sure that they don't just, like, buy the card at the peak when it goes down?

Like, how how have you thought through that, whether it's Ohtani or anyone else you've you've bought into over the years?

Well, you know, I I try not to, like, you know, really make any blanket statements on on cards because it it depends on on on what you're what you wanna do with it. You know? Like, is it something you wanna maybe flip long term?

You wanna use it as trade bait? Are you building a rainbow and you needed the green? You know? Like, you haven't you've looked at Ohtani. You haven't seen the green for years. So there's, like, a ton of different scenarios.

You know? I would say I would probably say for for, you know, long term, I, you know, I think for maybe guys in the first, you know, five to eight years of their career, it might be better to wait.

I mean but that's if you wanna hold it for fifteen years, twenty years, something like that. But, you know, you can you can step aboard that that hype train and ride it out too.

You know? So, like, that there's there's a lot of growth that can happen with a young star like that. And if if he keeps going, I mean I mean, the sky's the limit, really.

I I haven't many athletes that that I've collected personally, I haven't been able to to really find and identify someone really early and then be able to hold on to it.

I feel like when I get a a young superstar, even even Mahomes, I've had great Mahomes cards. I've had great Ohtani cards, So to cards, Acuna. I was really into collecting baseball at that time, really.

But I just found myself you know, if I could make some cash to buy my Peyton Mannings and to buy my Ovetskins and my, you know, Tom Bradys or whatever, I always found that attractive.

So it depends on what you want. I know there's a lot of really serious baseball collectors and, you know, there's people out there that might only collect the greens that might you know what I mean?

That has the pitching green and now wants to pair it with the batting green. So, like, you know, I've been there.

If I need something that I haven't seen and I just want and I got the funds, then I mean, I I people that I ask sometimes when I'm making a decision on a card and that some of the smartest people in the hobby I know, their number one question is, do you like it?

So, yeah, it's like that simple. You know? So, you know, ask yourself that too. So one more on Ohtani, and I love that.

It's so true. Like, you gotta like the card. We we we love the lower serial numbered stuff, especially in, like, this era where, like, there's so much so many parallels and parallels on top of parallels.

But, like, gets to this point with players. Like, Mahomes is there certainly with, like, his Prism stuff. It's like, it doesn't even really matter what I mean, it does based on price point, but, like, what you would buy for a $20.

17 Parallel Mahomes, like, if you can get your hands on anything at a at a decent price, you're going you're going to.

But other players, you're just gonna be like, now stick to the gold. Like Yep. Ohtani is like you know, he surpassed that and then some two.

It's like, what are those for you, like, what are those moments where you'll step outside, like, the the top end or the rare and scarce parallels and maybe move up a little bit because the player might be that special.

Like, what is it for you that would jump and maybe grab a green of a player that you wouldn't normally grab?

Well, it's just gotta be the top tier guys for me. Or or if I'm getting a good price on it where, like, there's there's pretty steady comps, and I think I could maybe turn it.

But, you know, like, Ohtani is definitely in the category with Mahomes where, like, if it's a serial numbered rookie at the top I mean, it's like, you just gotta get your hands on something.

Like, you do what you wanna do. But, you know, as far as it goes, it's, like, serial numbering, like, maybe not wanting you can't afford too low. There's kind of, like, a lot of stuff to kind of shuffle through.

I always try to keep to, like, like, the original colors, like, as much as I can. So, like, you know, Bowman Chrome, e even really early on. I don't know if they're original, but you got, you know, the the the red, blue, orange, gold.

Well, I said it in the wrong order. Blue's one fifty. And then and then the refractor and the base. That's, like, the original color set. Right?

So I I, like, personally, I like sticking to original colors. They're really early early introduced colors. So, like, you know, prism will have things that, like, maybe weren't you know, obviously, 02/2012 was kind of limited colors.

02/2013, they went a little wild on colors, but was still a lot more limited than it is today. So I like those I like those, colors that have some sort of continuity in them, or if it just looks cool, then you'll like it.

Yeah. So there's that too. Like, the scopes, I think, are pretty cool. Oh, dude. I love I saw shout out to our man, the captain, thirty seven.

Like, four years ago, he was doing an Instagram live, and he was showing, like, the purple scope Mahomes. And I was like, I don't I never really looked at the card that way until I saw someone moving it around.

Yeah. I had a Greenscope Mahomes, which is, like, something I would, like, never really bought, but I bought it at a card show, and I was, like, able to see it.

And there was, like, so many Mahomes at the show, of course. And I saw that, and I was like, man, this is really sweet. So, you know, I got it.

I love it. Next card, more liquid card. This guy might hit a home 100 home runs if they keep the bats the way they they are. And this is the 2013, Bowman Chrome draft refractor. Aaron judge first Auto b g s nine five, or BGS95Auto10.

This cards got smashed on eBay, March 27 for $4,299. 95. Pop $2. 45. What I wanna talk about here is the same day. There was an auction of a same copy card sold for $2,878. And then just moments later, someone decided, you know what?

I'm gonna smash Ben for 4,200. Wow. So obviously like Aaron judge is maybe not quite on Ohtani's level in terms of collectibility, but not too far behind more liquid, more more liquid card.

Like, how do you, how do you, how do you process the fact that one of these sold for 28 and then this sold for 42 via BINSMASH in the same day?

This is kind of a theory I've had too that I've talked to people that you you gotta think and and I we've spoken about this that the the the card community is, like, so much more massive than we can ever really even comprehend.

Like, outside of Instagram, outside of Facebook, outside of blowout, outside of these card shows, outside of e I mean, there it's literally there's this huge population in all of those platforms and then a huge plat, population outside of all those platforms.

So I really just think that there might be, like, a a a big set of collectors that only search buy it nows.

You know? Like, seriously, just, like, only search buy it nows. And and maybe maybe there's even a big set of collectors that don't know how to look up sales.

I'll tell you, when I started doing 02/2009, '2 thousand '10, I started doing coins before cards just because I had some coins and my father-in-law did too, and we just went to these card, these shows.

I don't know. It was just like a introductory. We didn't know how to filter sold listings. So we would see something we liked, and we would just remember the auction and just remember this and see how many were available.

Buy it now. And then, like, that would be like, oh, well, this is cheap because it one hasn't listed for less than this and this long, and we thought it was a good deal.

And then someone at the show said, yo, dummies. Like, filter, do sold listings. And I went and I was doing shows for, like, a year at this point. I had no idea. You know, 2,009, 2 thousand 10.

No clue. So I don't know. I I there might be a population out there that's just searching by it now only. You know? I I don't maybe they don't wanna wait. They don't wanna deal with an auction. You know? I don't know.

It it's I see it a lot, though. Yes. So it like, it's not beyond me that, like, this bin smash happened, like, right at the beginning of the season. So I imagine and we imagine things as collectors when we're trying to figure this out.

I just imagine there being someone where, you know, money, maybe not be is a big of a deal as it is for some collectors and it's like getting ready to watch the Yankees and maybe have starting a collection and just as like, you know what?

I need a rookie auto of judge and they just find one, and they just smash Ben because they're like, yeah, that seems about right.

But, like, we'll never know. But I don't know. It's just like as a collector of this stuff, especially, like, this liquid stuff.

Like, I look at this card. I'm like, man, any dealer at any card show right now would love to have as many copies of this card as humanly possible because they'll they'll move it.

But just, like, as collectors, how do we how do you think about, like, stuff that could move one direction or the other really quickly and making sure you're just not losing your ass when you're buying stuff like this?

Well, that's a tough thing. That's why I try not to buy stuff like that. You know? Well, you know, I and and that's that's that's fairly new. Because since COVID, I really haven't done shows as much as I do.

So I really do rely on my Instagram network. Thank you all. I I that's I mean, my I have nearly no eBay sales. I have no card show sales. I really just operate off of my story sales, and, it it's it's a different mindset there.

You know? People see things on a story sale. They have a lot of options sitting on their couch just scrolling through stories, and they have time to research.

And that's you know, not saying that they're not doing that at a show either, but, you know, it's a different feeling and emotion, I think, sometimes when you see something get popped up or listed or at a card show or something.

So, you know, like, I I I've kind of been out of the, you know, buy something that can move a lot one way or the other.

I've been out of that business since, you know, since COVID. It's since I because I haven't really set up shows, not because of COVID, just because life you know, the kids got older, and I'm just involved in a lot more stuff now.

But, you know, I think that I think that a lot of really smart people that own their own business say that just go move fast and, you know, just keep keep the cash flow.

You know? Like, I've never been great at that. I I've if I get cash in my pocket. A wanter. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, I've never really been able to accumulate a lot. I usually buy stuff, and then I go, oh, crap.

I need to sell stuff to pay my credit card really is how it goes. So You're not alone there, Paul. I I I I couldn't have a conversation with you about this topic without bringing up Ovechkin.

We every conversation we've had, Ovechkin's always been a piece of it. What is he is it is he five goals away right now from Gretzky? Five from breaking it.

Yeah. Four from Tyne. He did eight ninety last night. What what I know he's, like, your favorite player of all time. What is this what is this and you've been collecting him forever, and you've got an incredible Ovechkin collection.

What like, this is such a pivotal milestone. As a fan, like, and a collector, what has this been like for you to watch this ride? It's literally been like nothing else. I feel like it you know, and I've we've I've been saying it.

It's crazy how long I've been saying it too. Like, it's like having, like, Michael Jordan on your team or, you know, like, it's like having a jersey of his is like it's not just people in DC.

Like, it's hockey fans. It's like, I don't know, like, rappers or, like, you know I don't know.

Like, it's it's more than just this area, which we've never really I've never experienced, like, an international superstar on my favorite team that's, you know, now on the cusp of breaking one of the most unbreakable records thought of all of sports.

So it's it's pretty absurd. You know? I remember opening Upper deck 02/2005, looking for Crosby's, looking for Ovechkin's pooling, not a dang thing. Nothing at all. And remember how crappy that was.

And then when I got, you know, back into shows, I mean, those, I, man, Brett, I think I've probably owned 200 PSA 10, Alexander Ovechkin, Young Gun, maybe more, and even probably fifty, sixty at one period of time.

You know, they were 80 to a hundred $50 every day for a couple like, a quite a few years.

So, you know, those were I stashed those away and, you know, just was unleashed them, you know, throughout the years. And, you know, I I kinda got into less rookies, more rare stuff.

I used to just be into the standard, who's the rookie, what's the the, you know, the iconic rookie, which I've I've kinda been falling back into a little lately, but that those things are so liquid.

They're so good at the table. All ages can really connect with that, you know, when the older, you know, people and I'm kinda the older person now in a lot of ways.

He goes in. It's like, you know, they don't know much about the card mark, and they're like, hey. What's this guy's, like, main rookie?

What's his main you know? So, like, I don't know. This is just as iconic as the the Bowman Brady we looked at before, you know, is you know, even just going back to the old you know, when they just had their tops rookie.

You know what I mean? So, like, this is the card. So I'm interested. What did this what did this buy it now for? That's who you're so we were talking about the o five upper deck Ovechkin PSA 10 rookie population, 1,314.

And my question was, how do you feel about the current price? And this one sold 03/21/2025 via BINSMASH for $5,249. 95. You've owned a lot of these over the years. What's your reaction to that price?

Man, I'm an idiot for selling any of them. Sheesh. And I thought I knew what I was doing. I mean, damn. I I wouldn't have had to do anything at all. I could've just kept all the ones I had and just freaking retired. My goodness.

You know, it's a different world, man. It's just different. You know? I think that I don't know what happened. Social media, something where things really blew up and really grabbed the younger generation too, I think, which was nice.

You know? But, man, that that I I couldn't I couldn't hold that card, personally. You know? I understand people buying it, and it's gone for more.

I think they've hit, like, 7 to 9,000 at some point in time. I might be wrong. It's not a $9,100 is the all time high in Okay. December twelfth of twenty twenty one. Okay. Perfect. So it did hit 9 k, and this was a thought.

Okay. Yeah. So, you know, I I get them when I can. You know, like, if if I get if someone offers me, especially, a PSA upper deco vechkin in a trade, I mean, it's just as liquid as any card you can possibly think of.

So it's almost as good as cash. And if you can get value in the trade, I I I still pick them up when I can. I mean, it's like, it's just a card that every collector's gonna want.

You know? I I would love one, but I just can't justify, you know, for that because, you know, I I also love, like, a a I have it right here. Like, just like something oh, I don't have it here.

This is, like, a hundred dollar card that just, like, get as much satisfaction. It's like the Gretzky throwback refractor, the 79 OPG number to a hundred, and I'm just like, I have it on my desk.

The, I don't I think I would lock that one in a safe. I couldn't even enjoy it if, if I did have one of them. So but it it's impressive. It's it's really cool to see, man.

It's come such a long way and that the fact that he plays for my favorite team is just, like it's kinda still surreal. I actually have, tickets to a game in, in a few days, about eleven days. They're hoping that, I'm Cross your fingers.

See the record, man. Yeah. And I'm I'm in the nose, please. You know, I always say, you know, great cards equals cheap seats, but it's it's worth it. You know? So I get to double dip, and I grew up in the nosebleeds.

So those are my type of people anyway. You know? Dude, I love it. Alright. Let let, let's move on to the last one here, and we've got a o four, Ben Roethlisberger, rookie premier autos, BGS 9 5.

This is a pop 15. This sold 03/24/2025, for $2,499. Uh-huh. It's a lot. It it seems like a lot for a card like this. The last copy sold, I think it was $1,825 in June of twenty twenty four.

But I also have been seeing a trend towards, these on card, premier rookie autos. Roethlisberger is a player who's obviously a hall gonna be a hall of famer, but Yeah.

Feel like he doesn't quite get the, love and attention that, many other players during his era do. But what do you think about, like, this this this card specifically, the price, you know, the the rookie premier autos?

You know, we've all we get is stickers these days. So, like, maybe talk a little bit about that. I mean, that that's that's a set with some some really good provenance, I guess.

You know, I'm very familiar with that set, and I and I do believe in their their rarity and their value because I was a big time, Drew Brees and LT collector and, you know, I think Reggie Wayne might have one. Does he have one? Yeah.

Is he in 02/2001? Right? Yeah. So, like, so that that that year, especially, I know 02/2004 has them. I mean, they're they're spectacularly rare because even for years and years, I was collecting breeze. You did not see many of those.

So I'm not totally surprised by the set. I'm a little more surprised by the player for the price because, you know, Roethlisberger has been someone, you know, despite his career, has been very cheap to buy. You know?

I mean, you know, and that might you know, with his off field antics or whatever, I think he's probably making, like, some sort of comeback tour where he's been a little more likable, I guess, to to to, you know, the world, as of late.

So, you know Go away for a little bit, then come back on social media and be funny with your family and kids. And Exactly. We miss you. Exactly. And, you know, the Steelers are just, like, starving for success right now.

And, you know, being a Commanders fan, a Washington Football or Redskins, just whatever, the football team in Washington DC, seeing how you can be starved for so long with such a rabid fan base, I'll I'm telling you, if the Steelers are successful, all Pittsburgh cards and that card will go up Yes.

Exponentially. I have never been so excited to collect Washington football cards and since I was a little kid.

You know what I mean? So I think they're starving for things. I think there's some Steelers fans that are just like, man, I need some excitement in my life. I need to remember the good old days.

I mean, this is talk they're, like, the one of the best franchise in history. They're still a playoff team. We come to Washington. They didn't have anything for twenty years, man. But, you know, I think I think that set's incredible.

And and that's that's you know, if you were looking into, a rookie card to put some money into, like, whatever player that is and they're in that set, I think that's a really wise card to pick up.

I think those are really hard to find, and they're good quality.

I love it. Okay. We just hit four bin smashes, and I'm gonna close the episode with, turning the tables and putting it back to you and asking you. There's a I'm gonna show you a card that's available on eBay right now.

And I tried to, like, dig into what I know about you in terms of what you like and what you collect. And it's you don't necessarily collect this player, but I know you really like this set.

So I'm going to ask you. Here's the card. Oh, yeah, the nineteen ninety eight, FLIR Brilliance, Carrie Collins, twenty four karat gold out of 24 sGC nine.

This card is listed. No, make an offer. You would just have to smash them for $729. 99. Paul, what's your reaction to this? Well, it it's clean. I don't see a refractor line. That's the first thing.

I don't even look at the price. I don't even look at the grade. I look at the card. That's the first thing I look at. I see it's a sharp example of a 24 karat gold, so it already has a lot going for it. Right? They can split.

They have surface imperfections and dents the whole nine. It's what everything you can name. And second thing is, is this a Kerry Collins Panthers? It's it's actually a Saints card, but he's in the classic Panthers jersey.

Okay. Okay. See, that's where it gets a little rocky there. So even even if it was just the Panthers, what I would do is go online and see how long he played for the pant Panthers, how well he did with the Panthers.

So that determines, like, hey. Are Panthers fans gonna be into this? Or was Kerry Collins just, like, the best with, what, the Giants?

That was probably his longest run. Was he He had a good run with the Titans too. Not a good one with the Colts. I'll tell you that one. Okay. Alright. Yeah. So he made his way around, but he really wasn't a bad quarterback.

You know? No. You know? So, you know, I I don't know if I'm putting together the thing this makes this stuff. If it was just Panthers or if it was just Saints, I would say if you're a team collector, you know, it might appeal to you.

But it being both, it's a little it's a little tough. Now if you're a 24 carat set collector, you might just have to do it. You don't get many options of those.

Dude, I saw there's three public sales in card ladder. One from o six, '10 dollars and '40 '9 cents. Sheesh. Another one from o six, '10 dollars and '30 '8 cents. And then one from 2015, '10 dollars and '50 cents.

Jeez. Okay. So, like, honestly, for that card, it it's a it's a high grade for that card. You know, it it could be a six or a nine for me. It it wouldn't matter because the eye appeal is so great.

But I would probably say that that card was probably between 200 and $350. That that's I think I had a Brad Johnson or or something similar quarterback, and I think that's about what I I got somewhat recently, like, maybe $300.

And, you know, oh, it was Trent Dilfer, which I think $300 actually was a good buy because it's a Super Bowl winning quarterback, and I think this this is gonna always have a big fan base.

But, I got a good deal. I feel like they got a good deal, and it was all good.

But, yeah, that's a amazing set. Good eye appeal, but the the two two team, I don't know. That would be that would be tough for me to hit smash that one. I love that's how that's the deciding factor.

Before we let you go, you've made plenty of bin smashes over the years. You talk about gut feel and reaction because you sometimes when you you know you know, and you gotta move because if you don't move, somebody else is going to.

Maybe what sort of advice do you have for anyone out there who's, like, in that moment where they're, like, trying to decide, do I smash Ben? Do I not?

Like, what is what has worked for you? Well, I I always think about, like I mean, my financial situation sometimes well, sometimes it doesn't come into thought and it should, but, you know, that probably be should be the first thing.

So, like, I I feel like, you know, the past couple years, I've had a lot to leverage that I was okay.

That it just like I had held for many years where, like to me, when I PC a card or a player, sometimes if I have it for one to five years, I felt like I really enjoyed it, and, like, that was part of my personal collection.

And Mhmm. Sometimes I'm willing to move off it.

But, you know, if I if I have the means elsewhere, you know, you kinda look at what you have sitting there. It's like, hey. Would I trade this for that? And if the answer's yet, then yes, then smash it and and list what you got.

So, you know, I I think those decisions are made almost every day, you know, if if you're active in the community. So, you know, I just just know your collection at any time because you never know what's gonna come up.

You know? Don't have to dig through your stuff. You should look at your stuff as much as you can, know what you have, you know, what you can leverage. Collectors, you know, that might have asked you for something prior to say, okay.

Well, this Charles Woodson is available, but I you know, this Peyton Manning guy said he was interested in this card, you know, just like we've done before.

You know? Hey. We've talked about this card. I'm looking at something else. Wanted to reach out to you first. So Good. You know? We've we might not have done another, recording since 2023, but you and I have made some big deals Yeah.

With each other, which has been fun. Absolutely. Absolutely. Looking forward to more too because Yes. Yes. Yes. You gotta get your guy you gotta get your guys.

That's for sure. Yeah. Absolutely. Well, this has been fun. You can follow him at Wardle combat on Instagram. Paul. Appreciate you being the guinea pig for the new series, man. We'll have to do it again. Of course. Thanks for having me.