Hello, and welcome to the Football Card Podcast episode two. Today is Friday, July 4.

Hopefully, you're off work, maybe going on a last minute hot dog run, you know, getting the house ready, getting whatever you have to do for a holiday weekend. I am John aka Pat Nicholson joined by Brett, stacking slabs.

How are you doing, Brett? I am, feeling good. We got a little cookout going, hot dogs, hamburgers. Will not be doing the Joey Chestnut of it all, and trying to attempt that just because I don't wanna wake up.

I could do it or not not at the speed and rate, but the volume. I could I could do it. I if I sat there and put my mind to it. But I just don't wanna like, tomorrow morning when I wake up, I just don't wanna deal with it.

So I'm I'm excited to have some family around. I'm excited to start talking football. I feel like that's a good, time with the family to, you know, engage in the conversation.

I I I I have season tickets with one of my best friends for the Colts. Moments before we hit record, I, like, did the paying for the season tickets, which it's always like, man, I just I just paid for these season tickets.

Like, let's get ready for some disappointment. But I don't know. Like, for me, I don't golf. I stay at home all the time. I record podcast episodes. So, like, me getting out of the house is like me going to the Colts game.

So I just can't stop that, and there's too much passion. So, yeah, it's great. It's July 4, and I'm already thought already thinking about football. So it's a great, great, opportunity and great way to start, kinda this episode.

We've got so much to talk about. It's gonna be fun. How many hot dogs do you think you can eat in one day? 10. I think I dude, hot dogs are pretty easy to take down. I think I I enjoy here's the question.

Mainstream, mainstream grocery store, like, you're at Kroger or something. Mhmm. All the package of dogs, like, what are you going with? Which which which brand are you going with? A staple over here, Nathan's bun length.

Okay. Gotta go the extendo. That's that's not bad. I used to be a big Nathan's guy, but I transitioned over to Hebrew National. That's that's so solid. Hebrew National hits too. Like, there's nothing wrong with a little Hebrew natty.

Okay. We got it. One more hot dog related. We're talking condiments on the dogs. Like, what what do you do? I it's taboo, but I do ketchup, mustard, relish. Like, if there's chopped onion like, I'll I'll load it up.

Not like a I don't like the peppers. The peppers that'll like, you know, Chicago style. And, like, yeah, ketchup on the dog is a big no no, but I love it with especially with everything in there.

Hey, hot dog, how you love. That's for sure. I like, I like, mustard, and then I I I load the sides up with sriracha. I like a little kick on it. It's my style.

That I always normally will have then, like, some sort of broth or sausage on deck too where it's not just straight dogs, but then I have, like, jalapeno cheddar kinda like sausage in the mix too to kinda two plain dogs and then a specialty is kind of the the go to.

We're just starting this, and I'm working up an appetizer.

This isn't good, but I will say this. We're we're getting going, and you know how professional athletes, they get hydrated before they step on the field, and, you know, Gatorade's been that brand to do that.

This is what I've been doing, podcasting. And maybe we can have, like, a potential sponsor here.

By the way, this show was awesome, the first episode, and so many of you engaged, with the handle at at the football card pod. So go follow us there. But I was looking at the numbers. John asked, like, what are our numbers?

And they were I they're very good. So thanks for that. But we're looking for a sponsor too, and maybe this is cured here. This this I've been doing these before I sit for an hour. Just a lecture like like package.

I put it in the old hydro flask and, feeling very, hydrated as I do these conversations. So if you're out there on the Cured team and you wanna get some visibility more than just in the second episode, hit us up.

I'm gonna look them up on Instagram. We'll start meming them. So I'm just gonna pull for a press. This is our strategy. We're gonna just start memeing all the hobby brands until one of you out there is like, you know what?

We service football card collectors, and we wanna sponsor this podcast. So the memes are going. You're gonna get memed until you say, hey. Here's the Brinks truck.

We wanna support this podcast. That's what we're looking for. Alright. Let's get into it. So to start off, I was thinking we're a month out from the national about, and just kinda curious going into that what your collecting status is.

Like, are you in savings mode waiting for the national? Are things popping up? Because sometimes that'll happen before the national where people are getting rid of things to try and get that cash.

Or are you, you know, working any deals to go down at the national? Just kinda curious, you know, what your status is as we head into this month.

So I've gone into it from the perspective of, like, come with a bunch of cash reserves, sell a bunch of stuff ahead of it, and then just, like, shotgun approach of just wanting cash on hand just in case you see seen something.

I've done that. Left that show, like, probably, I don't know, within a year later. I think I had bought maybe, let's say, 10 cards, and I had one or two of them in my collection.

So I was like, I don't really like that approach. The last time I went to the Nashville, which was the last time it was in Chicago, I set up, like, six or seven deals in advance.

And a majority of my funds went towards those cards that I already knew that I was getting, which I think for me is a preferred approach. It gives me some sort of, like, idea and control over what what is happening.

This year, I am dude, I didn't I haven't even started thinking about it until you presented this topic, and I think it's a nature of, like, where my time is being spent.

I'm spending so much time on stacking slabs that I haven't been able to focus in on, like, how I wanna approach the national from a collecting perspective. But I think well, I'm always open for business.

So if you're out there, you all know what I like, and you're gonna be there. Shoot a DM, and let's start a conversation. I'd be happy to do a deal with you and, you know, on the and do a little picture and high five.

That's fun. I enjoy that experience. But I think, like, I'm I have, like, gotten to the point with what I like and what I collect and where I'm focused.

I I'm like I fine tune that in a way where it's, like, so specific that I think what I'm gonna do is just have some cash with me.

And if I see one of those cards or someone sends me a picture of a card, I'm just I'm gonna go run over and just try to get it done.

But I'm also of the mindset, like, I would love to leave the national with some cool cards, but I'm not gonna try to force it. Like, I'll have fun at the national if I come home with nothing.

I just know at this point, I don't wanna force the situation and just, like, get that, like, oh, because I'm here, I need to get, you know, a a football card or two. I'm I'm just not gonna take that approach.

What about you? What's been your process leading up into this year's national? I feel like I have a similar state of mind going into it where I'm not expecting to find a collection changing card there, and I don't have anything set up.

I do wanna have kinda some fun money to play with there where, I kind of have been have been messing with an idea of, like, going for some vintage at the national, which I've never done, but I just know it will be there.

Like, I've always wanted a nice Walter Payton or a Gail Sayers card. So maybe just, like, trying to find the best looking copy I can there. Like, but that's as far as I really planned as far as targets, just kinda some loose ideas.

And then, of course, if something pops up in one of my main lanes of collecting, which I doubt will happen, I don't ever see o two finest or bears gold prisms laying around at the national.

So yeah. And then I'm just kind of trying not to buy much in preparation, keyword trying, but there are always those purchases that pop up here and there that I don't think are a big deal, like $40 here, $80 here, $70 here.

But, unfortunately, those can quickly add up if you're not careful.

So doing my best, but, yeah, just trying to kind of lay low until until the big show. You mentioned the vintage side of it and maybe getting a key Walter Payton card for your collection.

Is as you kinda wrap your head around that, is the grade a factor in that decision since it seems to be so, so tied to the value in that specific segment of football cards?

I I think when you get into that, like, grade matters, but it's also the whole eye appeal thing.

Like, for me, centering is just the biggest thing. Like, I don't mind if it has rounded corners and all that. It kind of I think it shows its age and makes it period correct almost.

I but I'm also not a vintage guy. Like, I have a few vintage bears cards that are actually out on display in this, case in my office. They're like the ones that my wife lets me put out because they look I don't know.

Vintage cards do have this, like, appeal to them that, is different than if I had a Jay Cutler super factor out. It's like, what is this? So, yeah, I'd I'd like to just get some of the bigger players, one day.

And I don't know. To me, it's something where I can, for a couple $100, get into a Walter Payton or a Gail Sayers rookie in a low grade and then kinda start working my way up.

So I don't know. It's a it's a loose idea, but something that I've been playing around with for a couple months in my head, and it still is appealing. So that's where I know, like, okay. Like, this still excites me.

I should kinda pursue it. I love it. I get this question a lot from collectors regarding, like, collecting focus and just I've asked myself, like, why have you never, like, gotten to that segment or that lane?

And when I took, like, a reflection, this was several months ago, instant like, my North Star with football card collecting is my team, the Colts.

But my team isn't the Baltimore Colts. So I I just can't do it. Like, there's a separation there.

And I'm not saying I won't eventually, like, collect, you know, an all time grade or this and that, but that's always been my hang up with with that side of the the house. Yeah. No. That totally makes sense.

And I guess there are some, like, Johnny Unitas, and, they're they're they got some hall of famers back there. But I I feel like the bears, like, good offensive bears players are all holding like, Walter Payton, Gail Sayers.

That that's about it. Like, there's no real notable receivers ever. No. Like, Sid Luckman. I used to have a Sid Luckman, 1948 leaf. But, yeah, it's the Bears have that rich history of, like, Chicago Bears since 1922.

So that Well, if you're I mean, if you got if you're not gonna have many, like, Walter Payton's a pretty good one to have to represent. For sure. I I owned a copy of his rookie once. But, yeah, I don't know.

I'm I'm excited, for the national. And then piggybacking off that, another question I was thinking about though is in order for the hobby to kind of mainly be self funded, which I think we're all kind of trying to do.

We don't wanna pour a ton of money into it month over month. We have to sell cards. And so I'm kinda curious.

Do you have a strategy as far as, like, do you buy cards specifically with selling in mind, or is it always kind of your transitioning out of a certain Colt's PC and, like, then you sell those or just kinda how you think about buying and selling of it all?

Yeah. So I, I do sell cards, and it's just part of it. Right? It's usually because I'm consolidating into something else or something that's been in my collection has just run its course, and it's time to move on.

But I think that I I I am trying to get better at when I buy cards, buy cards that are cards that I plan on keeping for as long as possible, not cards that, like, I'm gonna buy because I think it's a good deal or a good opportunity.

What I've learned is that the buy to sell, you know, down the road a little bit, it's just it just never works out how I want to.

It's just it's just it ends up being a little bit of a waste of my time and oftentimes a waste of money. So I go my my framework really is now.

It's, like, buy stuff that I I truly love that I've that has a connection point with inside my collection. But, also, things change because other cards pop up that influence the direction of my collection because of monetary reasons.

So I I want it to be a pain in the ass to, like, get on that judgment day, scene and just look at the cards and be like, god.

This sucks, but this card that I'm really need and that's more expensive, like, it's a nature of the circumstance. So that's kind of been the way I've, been going about it.

Yeah. What about you? Yeah. I feel like I've run out of cards to sell. Like, I do much less of it, because my collection's gotten so focused, and I'm really intentional with my purchases.

Like, when I first started getting back in the hobby, I feel like I was buying all different things, trying to figure out what sticks, which then when I wanna consolidate into something I really liked, it it was easier because I had kind of more random groupings of cards that were easier to sell.

So lately, it's been harder, but I am always like, I call them catch and release cards where I've put years into knowing values and sets and just having and players and having hunches and knowledge of cards.

So if, like, something pops up in a safe search that is not necessarily something I collect, but I feel like is a good deal, especially rock cards.

And, actually, I'm pretty much speaking for rock cards. I will buy it, send it to PSA to grade, and send it straight to auction where it's like, let's just see what the market says.

Like, I think I got this for a good price. I'll put it with a PSA amplification machine where maybe it, you know, gets a 10, and then I make some money to buy more cards from my collection.

So those are the the catch and release cards. I haven't been doing a ton of that lately. I feel like a lot of that I don't know if it's just me, but seems to be drying up of the lanes I collect.

The safe searches are getting less and less populated. So, yeah, going into the national, I don't have, like, a 20 card order to send to auction or anything like that to to free up some funds.

And when those consolidation times come, it's become harder and harder to figure out what I'm selling because I really like all my cards right now.

So it it would have to be, you know, a huge PC changing type card for me to sell a lot of the stuff some of the stuff in my collection.

When that consolidation process happens, when we're all in that moment and we're all looking at our cards, there should be a bead of sweat dripping off your brow onto the slab.

That should tell you that these tough decisions have to be done in order to get cards that you really need.

Yeah. And for me though, in my experience, I've been able to just kind of flip a switch pretty easily. Like, if that potential card has that allure and the right, you know, checks all the boxes, I've been able to be like, okay.

I'm no longer collecting this person. Like, I had a budding Sammy Sosa collection, and I I still would love to collect Sammy Sosa one day. You know?

Like, I had, like, four or five cards going, but when it came like, I don't remember even what it was for. I think LeBron card or a Bears card. I was just like, nope. Done with Sosa. Like, they're gone. Like, I could pick that up later.

So but now it's just like I have so much good bear stuff that the thought of selling any of it pains me. So That means you're collecting the right stuff, man. I think so. I think so. And speaking of collecting and these $40.

60, $80 purchases, Should we get into some collecting updates? Yes. Go for it. Alright. I promise I will try not to talk about 2,002 finest every episode, but it is something that I'm always buying, so I had to share this.

I had I had to get this card, Charlie Garner, someone that people probably don't ever really think about, but I had him in fantasy his first year one of his first years in Oakland, and he had a monster season.

02/2002, he had 1,900 total yards, 11 touchdowns, 91 catches. Like, that's a RB one fantasy year. That's Christian McCaffrey.

Those are, like, Christian McCaffrey stats in modern day. And then I was looking more into his stats. Like, he had two years in San Francisco, over 1,700 scrimmage yards, over 10,000 scrimmage yards for a career, 50 touchdowns.

Like, all it takes is me spending two minutes on pro football reference after I see this listing come up to determine, like, I'm buying this card.

So watched it all week, put in a bid that was higher than it sold for, so I was happy to get it.

But, yeah, I just I love these cards, and he has one. And if you have one good season is all it takes for me to really wanna get your card in the right set. Dude, I would never have guessed he was 10 k with 51 touchdowns.

I I mean, I remember him for, like, a season or maybe two, but that's a pretty that's a pretty decent career. What injury did or did you just have a fall off like most runaways?

Eleven year career. He was from drafted in '94 and, just kind of didn't do much. He was with the Eagles his first five years. You know, best season was, like, 700 scrimmage yards, three touchdowns.

I don't know who would have been the running back on the Eagles during that time. But then he went to San Francisco, had a couple really good years as RB one, and then Oakland a few good years.

And that that Super Bowl team, he was a part of that. Yeah. I don't know. And just 91 catches in 2002 is crazy. Like, I love the do it all running backs.

Like, those are the to me, my favorite type of player, the Ladanian Tomlinson, the Priest Holmes, the, like, Christian McCaffrey. Like, they could do whatever. It's always interesting to me, like, running backs who can't catch.

Like, Adrian Peterson, like, his receiving numbers are create like, he doesn't catch the ball. Like, Sean Alexander didn't catch the ball. Like, how can you not get this guy the ball in space and and let him run with it?

But, yeah, Charlie Garner. Who would have thought, you know, we'd be talking about Charlie Garner, but here he is. The next one, dude, I saw you you put this on the sheet and chills or I I chills that went down my spine.

So I I want you to introduce the card, and I'm gonna tell you why I I feel that way about this player. Okay. This is the 2013 Select Gold Tavon Austin rookie card.

2013 select is incredible. Extra bonus points for the gold and the rookie badge on that. But 2013, the, the Rams 2013, the Rams came into Lucas Oil, and they were they had a losing record, and we had a winning record.

This is luck era, year two, like, just cool stuff's happening. And, dude, I have never been so blindsided by a game where we there were I think we had at the time, we had lost, like, we're, like, maybe, like, six and two.

And the Rams were they had a losing record. Dude, Tavon Austin, man. First of all, I just pulled up the box score. Yeah. He he had a he had a punt return in the game, which, let's see here.

He had four four punt returns for a total of a 145 yards. That's a 36 yard average and one touchdown. That one touchdown was the long, which was 98 yards. So there's there's just on special teams. But then you go over to receiving.

Dude, you everyone shows, like, Randy Moss graphic at, like, Thanksgiving. Dude, he had two receptions for a 138 yards and two touchdowns. Dude, I was sitting there with my buddy, and it was, like, a joke.

Like, we were like, did did the the did the defense just and the special teams just not account for did did they just act like he wasn't on the team? The Rams just dog walked the Colts 38 to eight that game.

And I was just so stunned leaving Lucas. So I was like, how did this happen? With Kellen Clemons at quarterback for the ref. Just Exactly. Nine for sixteen, two hundred forty seven yards, two touchdowns. Yeah, dude. That yeah.

That that not that game is why I bought this card, but just Tayvon Austin was one of those, like, of the era too, like, the YouTube mixtape highlight reel Yeah. Guys. Like, his West Virginia highlights were, like, fed families.

Like, that is such I just feel like I remember in college, we'd watch those. Like, watching, like, the John Wall highlights or, you know, just some of these legendary players in high school or college with these crazy, mixtapes.

So, already, that was in my mind, and this card is actually sold twice in the past few months.

The first time, it was at auction. I was watching it, and I just missed the end. I forgot, and it had sold for, like, $50. And I saw it, you know, in my ended for $50, and I was thinking I would've I would've spent $200 on that.

Like, what what the hell? How did I miss that? Because before that, one hadn't sold in a long time. And then, like, two months later, this popped up for $65 or best offer, and I just smashed it right away.

I knew it knew it was coming home with me. And, also, because I have a good 2013 NFL draft story, which is the year he was drafted. This is 2013 Select. I had just moved to Chicago. I graduated college 2012, moved to Chicago.

Spring of twenty thirteen, NFL draft. I was working downtown, and Brandon Marshall, new to the Bears, or he had played one year already, I believe, But he was, like, tweeting about wanting to watch the draft with fans.

I was like, okay. This is interesting and something I'm monitoring. And then he, like, was like, okay.

We're going to this bar. And it was, like, a block away from my office. So I had a coworker friend. I'm like, hey. Check this out. Brandon Marshall saying fans can come watch the game or watch the draft with him.

Let's go. So we go. We get there. We're, like, first people there. We get wristbands, and we get into this back, like, little section, and we're like, this is awesome.

And then I think about, like, 50 total people were in there. And then, eventually, in comes Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett, and they're, like, taking pictures, signing autographs with everyone.

We're kinda just sitting at our table. Like, I was like, I'm gonna let this die down, and then we'll go talk to him or something.

But we didn't even get there because him and Martellus just came over and sat at our table probably because we were, like, the only two dudes who weren't flocking them trying to get pictures and autographs.

So they just sit down at our table, and we're there the whole night. Like, we I watched the whole 2013 or the first round draft with Marshall and Bennett.

We're, like, hanging out all night. It they paid for everything. So it was essentially open bar, which I was overserved, and I abused that privilege for sure, which probably annoyed them.

But who knows? They're they're having a good time because, like, I mean, they were texting, like, people in my group chat. I was taking selfies. Like, we were just truly just clowning the whole draft.

But the main point from that is when the Bears drafted, they had the twentieth pick. And I do remember thinking, oh, Tavon Austin, maybe he'll fall to us, and it didn't happen. He got picked eighth overall.

But the Bears draft Kyle Long, which he ends up being a great player, but at the time, you know, just like late first round offensive line draft pick is just the most unsexy, unfun thing to cheer for in the moment.

And no one really knew who Cal Long was.

He's coming from Oregon. And, like, they announced the pick, and it's just kind of murmurs in the crowd grumbling. But then Brandon Marshall, like, stands up and starts clapping and cheering, and he's like, let's go.

Like, build the trench like, he gets the the whole crowd, like, pumped about this Kyle Long pick. And to me, that was just a really cool moment of showing his character. It's like, this is a great teammate.

This is a great leader. Like, hell, yeah, Brandon Marshall. Like, I don't know. It was just an awesome moment. I have pictures from that night with him, and and then Martellus, Ben, and I, we had exchanged phone numbers.

We we texted for, like, a while. After that, it was really weird, really, surreal moment as a Bears fan. So 2013, holds a place in my heart.

And another reason for getting this card, I have the, Le'Veon Bell rookie gold. And having, like, another touch point in a collection makes buying a card like this easier because then right away, I'm like, oh, it has a pair.

Like, it solidifies itself a little a little more within the collection. So that's my 2013 draft for you. What a what a story.

Only thing I wanted to add to that, it because you mentioned Tayvon Austin mixtape, and there's a clip out there. 2021 was Tavon Austin's last year, and only the real ones probably know that he ended his career as a Jacksonville Jaguar.

But Naheem Hines, who used to play for the Colts, there it's like, before the game starts, you know, in, you know, catching passes, punts, and stuff.

And there's a clip, and I gotta look it up. But, Naim Hines is like, yo yo. Is that is that Tayvon Austin over there?

And they're like, I don't know. Like, is that him? And then he's like, I'm gonna go run over and see. And Hines runs over to Austin and, like, realizes as he's running over, it is in fact Tayvon Austin.

And he just was like, fanboys out. He's like, dude, I used to watch your mixtapes. I learned so much from the way you and it's, like, so fun.

Like, it it's such a fun moment and a fun clip, but it's, like, crazy. It's like you've got players like this who are never gonna be, like, hall of famers and people hardly talk about today.

But, like, in those moments and in the that time, they had so much influence, especially, like, a punt returner over of the next generation of players. And I just think, like, that's a testament.

Like, we we I had a story of seeing him just cook the Colts, then you have the influence years later. And these these are the cards, and this is why cards are collectible and they matter because other people remember moments like this.

So I love that. Yep. I mean, just yeah. The memorable plays, the memorable players, like, whatever stands out. I'm not thinking about his total stats that are probably not great.

It was holy shit. At one point, he was the most electric football player in the country. Like, in like, he he was amazing. So We get too caught up with the career of it all and the career stats.

Moments matter in collecting 100%. I'm gonna advocate here. And if you wanna talk if you want discussion about moments and why we collect cards because of moments, you're gonna get it right here on this podcast.

I've do you know how many times I've thought about buying a sick Johnny Manziel gold prism?

Because because, like, dude, Johnny football, the peak of it, like, no one was hotter than Johnny football. Like, that Must see TV, man. Must see TV. He's hanging out with Drake.

Like, he was everything for that moment, and, like, that is what I'm buying would be buying a card for, not for, like, how he turned out as a pro. It's strictly because at one at one point, couldn't touch him.

No doubt about it. That was fun. I will dig into my pickups here. Got a little bit of a boomerang card back in the collection. This will be a fun one to talk about because, my cohost here is involved in this story in a way.

I wanna shout out, at Mike's Card Museum for making this card available via story sale. This is the 2,005 finest Edron James Gold X Factor out of 10 PSA nine.

I previously owned this card, and based on a consolidation effort a long time ago, I gave up this card. And it was one of the cards. I'm usually like, don't look back. Don't look in the rearview mirror.

But this this card was a card I instantly regretted, and that copy ended up in packs collection. So he's got a copy of my old card, and now I've got this new copy, which hopefully will be landing in the mail today.

I'm, like, crossing my fingers because it's like, I'm gonna throw a little, like, welcome home party and, get the confetti going, maybe get a cake, do something special.

But, I mean, Goldex Fractures, you're gonna hear about them a lot on here. This is the first year o five finest. It's also important because it's Edron James' final year in Indianapolis.

The o five team, I always say, from a talent perspective, was the most talented team the Colts ever had. Don't wanna get into the Pittsburgh of it all, lost, just brutal loss that ended that season.

So a lot of non Colts fans always associate Edron James as being a Super Bowl champion, but he wasn't on the Super Bowl team, which was a year later.

Although, Jim Irsay, rest in peace, did give, Edgerton a ring, because of all of his contributions. But, I mean, the design, the look of the edge, the white jersey, everything about this card absolutely rules.

So I am really, really excited, to bring this one back into the collection. Yeah. I love this card. I'm glad you had to consolidate at some point because I was able to get that one.

And, hey. If you wanna trade straight up, that way you can have your exact copy back. I'd be happy. But or he might be scorned, you know, that you kinda let him out the door, so maybe it's better to start fresh. But Yeah.

That o five Colts team, this I hope this isn't too fresh and doesn't hurt, but, like, bigger what if moment in Indiana sports if Nick Harper returns that for a touchdown and doesn't get tackled, if he just stays outside or Tyrese, what if what if he stays healthy for game seven?

Oh, Jesus. The you're this this is just too much pain.

There's so much there I I'm not there. I'm not I I'm not ready to talk about it right now. That's that's so brutal. That's a great question, though. I can't I can't even I'm trying to, like I'm in the I'm in the healing process.

Let me be for a minute. Alright? Yeah. That's that's totally fine. It's cool. Just keep it moving. And I'm when I say healing process, I'm not just talking about the game seven, Tyrese of it all.

I'm talking about a game that happened twenty years ago too, so I'm still healing from that. That that and then I'd I'd say the the brawl, the malice in the palace is another Yeah. Hey. I've I've got tons of them as a Paco Sports fan.

Everyone's got them. It's I know. I know you do. I'm a wait and pick and choose my moments to bring those up. The next card was a bin smash. I paid a $100 more than the last sale for this card.

So this was an auction. Then I think it might have been the same copy. It got relisted maybe a a month few weeks, month later. Been smashed. I smashed on this so aggressively. And this is the, gold vinyl rookie from 2024 Prism.

Was the Colts' first round, draft pick two years ago, I mean, from UCLA, first defensive player drafted in that draft, had just some great moments his rookie season where you can, like, see it.

You're like, oh, wow. Like, the way he gets off the ball. But, you know, defensive line, defensive end specifically is always a just tough position to, like, translate right way way out of the gates.

So big expectations going into year two. I'm, like, really fired up for him. I'm so uncertain with how the Colts are gonna be. But when I I collected the entire Colts 2024 gold prism run, and I picked off some gold vinyl here and there.

And when this popped up for the second time, I just was like, I have so much confidence in this player, and he's someone I'm who I'm looking forward to watching the most this year.

I'm just gonna get a little gold vinyl to pair with the with the gold. So, that's it's kind of been my thing. It's like, you know and if I can get the black, fine.

I it, like, if that's, like, the situation. If I can get all three, it's like, of a player I really love. I'm all about it. And it's weird because I don't do it in any other brand. I don't, like, connect the same card and rainbows.

I usually, like, pick a parallel, but there's an exception for prism. And, like, something is so gratifying to me about, like, a gold and a gold vinyl pairing together. And so I was really fired up to get this one.

Having a good edge rusher is one of the best things to like, I when the Bears had Khalil Mack, it was, like, so fun to watch on defense because every play like, when they are, like, a disruptor and hopefully, Latube gets into that.

And he he did have those flashes of, like, even if they don't get the sack or the hurry, just seeing that they had to double team them. Seeing how, like, much that edge can disrupt the game is so fun.

And then another thing I was thinking about when you said you paid a 100 over the last comp, I think there has to be we need a name for, like, the fee that you pay just for a card to be available.

Yes. Say the card is worth $300 and you know it's worth $300 and it's available for $400.

It's like you're just paying a $100 fee for the the chance to even purchase the card. Like, that is a factor. You can't be so worried on, like, I have to get it for the exact same price as the last sale, especially a a card out of five.

It's like, yeah. You know it's still worth 300, but what you did was you you paid the the fee to have the chance to get it.

Well, that's right. And, also, what was in my mind is, like, how I already feel about him and what I expect him to do on the field this year, and how I collect and what I collect.

I I just thought, like, I put myself in the perspective of if he's gonna have the season I want him to have and this card became available, like, week six, and he's got, like, four or five sacks and two forced fumbles and defensive touchdown.

Maybe maybe we're getting a little ambitious there, but, like, has that kinda impact?

Like, I'd probably pay even I I know I would pay even more. So it was like, now is the time. It's available. There's five copies. Like, let's just grab this thing. Yeah. Your audio just started sounding a little weird to me.

I don't know if it's what about now? That sounds good. Okay. Let's roll with it. Okay. Yeah. The the last minute kinda started during that last last part, it was a little breaky. So We'll we'll cut it out if we need to.

Our good friends from, the Patreon group will get the raw and uncut, version. But, yeah, it's it may it's sounding okay now? That sentence was a little I I hope it's just not my my speakers are connection and but let's see here.

What about now? It's bad. That sounds great. Yeah. You're sounding Okay. Okay. It's just wrong with it. Yeah. Great cards. Great pickups all around.

Next segment, NFL check-in. This is probably a short one this week as there's nothing going on, but I more wanted to ask you, have you started thinking about fantasy football? Do you do fantasy football still? How many leagues?

Just kinda your current status in the in the fantasy realm. I am not doing fantasy or no plans, and I know that might sound crazy. But I I got to this moment where I just got so overwhelmed. I was a commissioner of a league.

There was just I was doing stacking slabs. I was working my job previously. There was just so much going on that I just, like, decided one year to, like, cut it out. And once I did that, I never really looked back.

I think about a quote that, Adam, who goes by Montana to Manning said, and he said when he were this topic came up, he said, I got tired of caring about players that I don't care about, and that really resonated with me.

So I'm like, I'm not, like, anti fantasy. I played it forever, but I don't know. It's just not something that I really need in my life. I still watch the games the same way.

Maybe I'll sprinkle a parlay in on a Sunday or whatever. But, yeah, no fantasy plans or implications for me, this year. So if you're posting about your fantasy team and how great they did this week, I I don't care.

But that's that's me. What about you? No one cares about anyone else's fantasy team. That is that is a true fact. I haven't started, like, mock drafting or anything for next year. I still play fantasy.

I'm in three leagues. Same old story of, like, mainly to, I feel like, keep in touch with certain guys. But I've just had a rough few years of fantasy lately, which makes it less fun, because when you're bad, it's the worst thing ever.

But if you're winning, it's the best thing ever. You feel like a genius and that you could be a GM of a team. I don't know if I'd ever give it up because, like, when I think about it, some of my player PCs are all stemmed from Fantasy.

Like, Priest Holmes, Sean Alexander, Le'Veon Bell, Ezekiel Elliott are, like, four guys that I have collections of that were part of Fantasy title teams for me.

So it has, like, steered my collection in a way. But right now, there hasn't been any player in the recent years that's really, done wonders for me, behind the keyboard. So I do have one guy that I'm interested in, Bijan Robinson.

I love Bijan. He's put together a couple good years already. He's still young. So I did buy a a cool Bijan card recently, and, like, that's kind of I'm trying that out as, like, alright. This isn't fantasy.

This isn't gambling, but this is a current player that's, like, risky. But I am down to, you know, have a sliver of that in my collection. And that way, I can root for a player that's not on my team that hopefully puts up big numbers.

Even if I don't get him on fantasy, it's still a way to cheer for a young exciting player. I just think about at one point, I wanted to buy Saquon cards when I was living in New York, but I didn't.

And then Saquon had a great career. Or Anthony Edwards. I loved Anthony Edwards before he like, when he got drafted, and I always was like, I should get a cool Anthony Edwards gold prism, and I never did.

And then he exploded. And so those two kind of I was kicking myself, and I feel that about Bijan. I'm like, this is a young exciting player.

I'd love to have a card of him. So that is, I feel like, almost kinda superseding fantasy for me is is cards. Yeah. That is a it's fun even if, like, the way you collect is all, like, ninety ninety, 95% a certain way.

It is fun to, like, open up a a a lane to another flavor of the hobby and do it that way. I've done that, in football and in other sports, and I think it's very satisfying to get a a card of a player involved for sure.

Yeah. I did it last year when I had to draft Christian McCaffrey first overall because I had the first pick, and I bought a gold prism of his, and then he got hurt.

And so I was like, oh, yeah. This is why I normally don't do that. But, didn't learn my lesson, and, hopefully, Bijon stays healthy. And yeah. Yeah.

We're we're rooting for no injuries in training camp for anybody. We'll cross our fingers for that. But there's there's nothing worse than getting the, update that, you know, a starter on your team just shredded, you know, their knee.

It's just the worst. When it's over. Yeah. Yeah. Let's get into some some recent sales. Let's get in the market watch. Let's do it. Okay. First up, 2013 Select.

Already talked about the set. This is the black one of one Brett Favre. These blacks are so cool. Like, the 2013 Select Black that I sometimes think would I rather have a Jay Cutler 2013 select black or his 2012 prism black?

And it's like a closer, I think, debate than like, it's not just hands down 2012 prism for me because of how clean these look.

I love that it's like, I like the black design over, like, versus black finite. I think they're both awesome, but something about how clean and classy the 2013 select black looks, is really cool. But this I have Brett Favre.

I have no idea why anyone would want to collect this guy or spend any money on him. He's just a bad person from a bad organization, just a perverted con man. But you know what? Do whatever you wanna with your money.

I I love the Brett Favre slander. People all the Favre fans out there who collect his cards, who stand up for Favre are all just, like, grooming their teeth, getting ready to jump through and just strangle you, for that.

But, you know, like, hey. I know you're a Bears fan, so it's you might be a little biased, but I don't know. It's there's information out there. Like, you you take what you want.

Right? Yeah. I mean, like okay. You could have a rocket arm and win a Super Bowl, but you're also gonna, like, steal money and sexually harass people, or you have a rocket arm and you don't win a Super Bowl and you're Jay Cutler.

Like, what? You know, they're basically the same guy. What what I wanna comment on this, love these cards. You don't see them too often. But the it's weird.

I don't wanna talk about the card. Did you see, like, the bottom, the holder of this? You've got, like, a train with a lion on top. I didn't even notice that, but that is It's like the most bizarre, like, cardholder I've ever seen.

But That's the first, case of a stand up display that I think I I would you know what? Maybe I need one of those. Oh, one other thing on 2013.

So then, of course, I went down the card ladder rabbit hole of past sales of 2013 Select Blacks of players I might wanna collect, which you should never do, but I was like, what about Jay Cutler never been a sale?

Brandon Marshall sold in 2016. Can you guess how much a brand Marshall Select Black sold for in 2016? So I I like the the sale that I can never get out of my head is, like, maybe $20.

16. There's a Calvin Johnson gold sale that's, like, dude, it's, like, well over well, under a $100. And I was just like, oh my gosh. So I can't even I'm gonna say I'm gonna say $90. $32. Oh my gosh.

Which it probably looks so cool. Just How much would you pay for that card right now? Oh, I don't know. I can't say a number because all the You're right. Techs listening to this is gonna take that as gold. Take that word as bond.

I don't know. It would be a lot, though. A lot. But you wouldn't be able to hold me hostage for it. It wouldn't so Do do you wanna spend any more time talking about Brett Favre's, career highlights and, everything he did on the field?

Or we could we could we could, maybe do a side podcast of all the off the field stuff, like or we could just move on. What do you wanna do? I will say I it's crazy thinking about watching football as a kid.

I remember when the Dan Marino touchdown record was, like, 420, and it seemed unbreakable, and then Favre broke it. And then since then, just keeps getting broken. I I mean, Brady has made it to, like, almost 700.

It's just insane that how far quarterback stats have come. Yeah. I don't have anything else to say about Brett Favre, though. Alright. 02/2001, Topps Chrome, black refractor, Richard Seymour. This just ended the other day.

I was watching it, because I love 02/2001, Topps Chrome, black refractors. The rookies this year were numbered out of a 100 Veterans, their refractors are out of nine ninety nine. I wish, veterans had black refractors this year too.

That would have been a lot of fun, but Taj Chrome was still figuring it out. But what they did have figured out this year was the batch of black refractor. We talk about the 2013 gold prism shine that Panini cooked up in 2013.

Well, Tubbschrome did it right in 02/2001. Basketball too. The black refractors in 02/2001, Tubbsch Scrum basketball are awesome. Those are numbered out of 50 all players. Yeah.

I just like, Top Scrum, black refractor run-in football from 2001 to 2006 is a really fun and affordable project for anyone looking to get into, like, early February players. I, at one point, was attempting it for Ladany and Tomlinson.

There's just a lot of great players, and the the black refractor was kind of the tops chrome staple during this time. So, yeah, it's that's definitely a set worth exploring if you've never seen it.

And then Richard Seymour, hall of famer, cool player. I remember I had a SP authentic jersey card of Richard Seymour, a rookie that I, like, pulled as a kid that I thought was gonna be, like, a retirement fund.

Like, when when I, like, I I knew in the back of my head, like, Richard Seymour Hall thing.

I'm like, oh, I have a jersey card of his. I bet that's, you know, gonna be worth a lot. And then as I got back into the hobby, I looked it up, and I was like, oh, this is worth $4.

So, yeah, Richard Seymour, though, because of that card, like, I always paid attention to his career because I'm like, I have a rookie jersey card of him.

So I gotta keep tabs on him. And as he had a great career, it was, like, exciting for me all because of one small card.

So, yeah, I just thought this was a fun one. It's weird to think about Richard Seymour as a rookie. I don't know why. It's just like he played forever, and he just always seemed like he like a ten year veteran.

You know? Seemed old. Even as a rookie, you just look like, oh, this is a ten year vet. Yeah. Exactly. Okay. We're gonna move over to, I knew I've got my things wrong, but we'll dig into this one.

We've got the '98 Skybox Premium Emmitt Smith star rubies in a CGC eight holder ended on auction. So this card was on Fanatics Premier auction, which it's due this card sold for $5,000, which $5,000 is a lot of money.

But for Premier, it just seems like there was a disconnect there. Usually, items sell for much higher on Premier. But I you know, I look at this card and it just you've got, like, the hyper effect with this year of rubies.

Smith is in just a really cool, pose just running forward. You look at his Reeboks and it's like, he's definitely playing on some astroturf there.

You can just, like it just gives you this vibe. And then, like, when I, like, saw this, I was just, like, man, like, five grand for this? Like, this it just seems cheap based on what I know about Rubies, Smith, collectability, whatever.

And so then I looked up his 97, and his 97 is topped at 11. And so to me, it just seemed like, obviously, the 97 is probably more popular.

First year, you got the Amoeba look. But it you look at what's happened what's happened and what's happening, and I know some people are anti cross sport comparison.

But, like, rubies matter no matter the sport, and all time greats matter. And Emmitt Smith has a lot of credibility based on kind of what what he has done and where he sits in history.

And when I just saw that price, it just seemed to me like, man, this this seems like a a steal. And I hate, like, saying that, and that's not to encourage everyone to go out and try to buy Emmitt Smith cards.

I have zero Emmitt Smith cards, but I just all the cards and stuff I see, I just seemed like a a pretty decent price for an all time great in one of the most popular nineties parallels. Yeah. I'm surprised by that price.

I would have thought that's more based on the way a lot of this nineties stuff has gone. I don't own any of those rubies, but those are such cool cards. The ninety sevens are great, but, yeah, I'm I'm a fan of all of them. Alright.

I had to do some, bring this tab back up because there was a card that I actually probably clicked out of. But we have the, 2024, which 2024 Prism, I'm all about. This look, everybody I talked to, I haven't heard much negativity.

The action chats rule, the design rules, the black fine idea of it all always rules. This is the this is an eBay best offer. The black finite of TJ Watt sold for $2,250 on the eBay machine. Defensive player of the year.

He's oddly enough been, like, in discussions about maybe teams trying to acquire him on the last year of his contract, which seems absolutely stupid, especially since, like, the Steelers are, like, with Rodgers and then the trade they just made, to bring in Jalen Ramsey and, Johnny Smith.

It it seems like they're in a, like, we're trying to win the Super Bowl this year or trying to bring in pieces, and it's just like, well, if they're doing that, like, why would they get rid of TJ Watt?

But, anyways, I just think this is, like, a good reference point where you're seeing one of the best defensive players go off the board in the latest prism, and it's a good, like, pulse check. It's, like, $22.

50. That's a sizable chunk of money. Obviously, demand and desire of these have gone up, but I think seeing these best players in these categories and I've considered, like, TJ Watts, one of the best defensive players in the NFL.

I think people could argue one of the best players. Any place for a team that has a really strong collector base.

So I think you take those things into consideration when you're looking at a price like this, and then try to, like, figure out how that how does that maybe impact what you collect or who you collect, and how how can you use this sale as, like, maybe a sale or a reference point when you're going after your next finite?

On honestly, I kinda think this is a steal. Like, TJ Watts stuff is really expensive. Right? I've just seen sales that have always felt like, his 2018 prism gold base, not a rookie, in a PSA 10 sold for a thousand bucks last year.

And, like, I've watched other prism golds of his that pop up, and they always are selling really strong.

And so and then when you look at the career, like, four first team All Pros already, defensive player of the year, seven Pro Bowls, over a 100 career sacks.

Like, I don't know. It's just all the things, the color match. This is this is an awesome card that yeah. I I mean, it sounds crazy to say a steal for $2,000, but I think it is. Alright.

Last card. This one just went off the board. I wanna call it out. It's a 2012 prism Ray Lewis gold prism PSA nine, first year prism Super Bowl year for the Ravens, one of the greatest players ever, one of the greatest defenders ever.

What I wanna call out about the sale, it sold via auction for $4,100. The last sale of this was in 2023 for $2,200. So we have doubled in a two year time frame, and I don't know if that continues in two more years.

I I don't wanna speculate. I don't know. But I think that's a good reference point, especially on this 2012 stuff. First year, best players, like, I I don't I can't forecast this card is is going to go down in value.

I wouldn't. It's got way too much going on. Like, one of the best players ever to play the game in a Super Bowl year, first year, longest running parallel.

It it checks all the boxes. And so I just think you look at those data points. It's like, you know, two years ago, this card sold for $2,200.

Now it's selling for $4,100. And if you if you just look at sales of any of these popular flagship sets or parallels over the course of time, like, it's it's you you see these kind of bumps.

Now I'm not saying this is gonna go up and do this forever, but I'm just saying it's something interesting to make note of, especially if you're buying into Prism, most notably 2012 Prism stuff.

What jumped out to me because I was watching this auction all the way, it it was at 4,100 for the last, like, several days.

Like, it got up to that quick and it ended there, which is something I have noticed kind of across the board. There are other auctions that I feel like people are putting their bids in earlier is what I'm saying.

I am, dude. I am. I'm I'm tired of playing. I I I've I've missed too many auctions because I've been on my phone messing around on my couch or falling asleep.

I just throw in the bed. And people will be like, use sniper tools. Do this. It's like, no, dude. I'm just gonna put in my bed. Like Yeah. Yeah. No. I'm I'm doing this. I'm all natural, organic over here.

I'm not using third party third party app. No performance enhancing bidding tools? Yeah. If your collection's built off PED cards, no way. That doesn't You're not making the, football card podcast hall of fame.

That's for damn sure. No way. And, I mean, it's like that Tavon Austin. I missed it because I was trying to snipe it. And so anymore yeah. I'm getting that that bid in early.

Because there have been times where literally I'm watching the, like, two minutes and thirty second countdown, and then I switch over to Instagram and doom scroll for three minutes and forget about it.

And eBay needs better push notifications, though, of, like, auction ending right now, not auction ending in fourteen minutes, not like auction has ended.

Give me the one minute alarm notification. Oh, yes. We I mean, I'm I'll I'll hit up my good friends at eBay, and, I'm sure they'll they'll love all of our products feedback.

Alright. We got one more bit, and then we gotta get out of here. Yep. Let the let the audience know what we're doing next here.

Yeah. So the card call out. We asked to see running backs last week, and you all did not disappoint. That was awesome. Such a cool showing. I love running backs. Wanted to talk about two really that, too quickly that jumped out to me.

One was from our guy, Tasty Card Sandwich. He posted a 2,000 eX credentials, Mike Allstadt, out of 50. 2,000 credentials, I feel like, doesn't really ever get a lot of love, but this just looks awesome to me with the red and Allstadt.

It just looks like a beast. And what a player. I mean, the a train, they don't make them like this anymore. The fullback is going extinct. No more full back dive, but he just had some awesome years.

Like, in his first seven years in the league, he had six Pro Bowls, three first team all pros, just was a bruiser. I feel like later in his career, he became the, you know, goal line specialist, but, shout out Mike Allstadt.

And then Awesome card. Shout out, Allstadt. Joliet, Illinois. Mhmm. And where he is from. Purdue Boilermaker. And Purdue Boilermaker. And then another one, Earl Campbell, 1979 tops from Gary Carter collector.

As a collector of Priest Holmes, I'm an advocate of three year runs. I like looking at, like, who had the greatest three year stretch ever and then because Priest has a claim at that.

But then when you get into, like, five year stretch, it's a whole different category and of other great running backs. But when it comes to three years, no one had a better start to their career than Earl Campbell.

Like, his first three years in the league, I'll read his stats real quick. It's rookie year in 1978. He had 1,498 scrimmage yards, 13 touchdowns, first team all pro, second in MVP voting.

In '79, he had 1,791 scrimmage yards, 19 touchdowns, first team all pro wins the MVP. And then his third year in the league, he runs for 1,934 yards, 13 touchdowns, first team all pro, second in MVP voting.

So just a unreal start to a career. I'd just imagine if a rookie running back came in in his first three years today and put up, like, second MVP voting first in MVP, second in MVP, the hobby would be going nuts for a player like that.

So shout out Earl Campbell. Shout out some vintage.

Look at us covering a little vintage, this episode. Ridiculous, run. Earl Campbell's, one of the best. I looked at the pop report on this. If you're looking for a 10, there's only 30 copies, and they're selling for about 13 k a pop.

Jeez. That's crazy. But then on the subject of three year runs for our card call out this week, let's see a three year run of cards in your collection.

So thinking that's three cards of the same player from the same set, same parallel over three consecutive years.

So maybe that's like a Topps Chrome black run like we were talking about or a prism gold run or cracked dice or rubies, whatever it is. If you've got and, you know, get loose with it. We're not super strict.

If you just have a, you know, three year run that you're proud of, take a picture of it, get out the box. Here's a reason to, you know, get your cards out, take a picture, and send it to the football card pod on Instagram.

Make sure you tag us and follow us. Really enjoyed seeing all of your running backs last week. Excited to see, the fireworks presented itself themselves on, the Football Card pod page.

So we do appreciate everyone's feedback, sharing your cards, and all that you're doing. Pack, number two in the can. Well done. I'm already fired up for next week. Let's do it. Thanks for listening, everyone. We'll see you next week.