Hoops Collectors: Basketball &amp; Sports Cards Podcast – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

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Ranking Every Year of Prizm Basketball Cards (2012-2024)

Friday, August 21, 2026 • Duration 48:14

Max @PutnamCards ranks every year of Prizm Basketball cards from 2012 to 2024, covering all 13 years of Panini’s most iconic sports card brand.

From the 2012 Prizm Basketball debut to 2024's final release, he breaks down every set, ranking each year based on design, rookie class, top sales, key cards, and overall importance to the basketball card hobby.

Players covered include LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama, Jalen Brunson, and other NBA stars who've shaped the Prizm market through the years.

Whether you're actively collecting Panini Prizm basketball cards or looking to get started, there's something in this episode for everyone.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:46 Prizm Basketball Rankings
46:36 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors
X: https://x.com/hoopscollectors

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Why I Haven't Been Buying A Ton of Basketball Cards Recently...

Friday, August 7, 2026 • Duration 29:16

Max @PutnamCards explains why he's been buying fewer basketball cards lately and why he believes today's basketball card market feels eerily similar to the 2021–22 COVID-era bubble’s peak.

He also shares what he's been collecting instead, including pop culture, entertainment, and vintage historical cards, and why those areas offer a compelling opportunity.

Finally, Max discusses the role of Topps in expanding the pop culture card market by bringing more major entertainment IP to the hobby.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:24 The National
02:43 Recent NBA Pickups
03:37 Current Market Analysis
07:17 Crazy Sales
12:37 Collecting Opportunity
26:29 Topps Role in Pop Culture Market
28:20 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors
X: https://x.com/hoopscollectors

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Dissecting Brand Popularity: Why Basketball Card Products Are Similar to Movies

Thursday, July 23, 2026 • Duration 31:21

Max @PutnamCards breaks down what makes sports card brands popular (or not) — from iconic products like Topps Chrome, Panini Prizm, Exquisite, and Flawless to the factors that drive collector demand over time.

He explores the psychology behind card brand popularity, discusses why certain product lines become hobby staples, and explains why sports card brands have more in common with Hollywood movies than you might think.

From blockbuster films like The Odyssey to cult classics, the same framework behind box office success can also shape the sports card market.

Plus, a new pickup is revealed at the end of the episode.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
05:28 Differences in Brand Values
09:01 1st Aspect of Brand Popularity
15:24 2nd Aspect of Brand Popularity
21:44 Comparing Card Brands to Movies
28:33 New Pickup
30:16 Weekly Alley-Oop: Court Kings

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

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How to Estimate Sports Card Print Runs w/ @CardChannel | New Platform Announcement

Wednesday, July 8, 2026 • Duration 39:48

Max @PutnamCards is joined by Paul from @CardChannel to explore the math and science behind estimating sports card print runs.

Paul explains the methodology he uses to estimate the supply of modern sports cards, why understanding print runs can completely change the way collectors think about rarity, and how this data can help collectors make more informed buying decisions.

The conversation also dives into Paul's journey building Card Channel, the most surprising print run discoveries he's uncovered in the basketball card market, and why his research has influenced the cards he collects today. Paul shares several Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal cards from his personal collection and explains why he likes them.

Lastly, Paul announces the upcoming Card Channel analytics platform, shares what collectors can expect from the new tool, and explains how you can be one of the first 50 people to receive early access.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:50 How Did Card Channel Start?
05:45 The Math Behind Finding Print Runs
13:05 Modern Case Hits Perspective
18:01 Most Interesting Discoveries
21:31 New Card Channel Platform
26:40 How To Get First Access
32:45 What Does Card Channel Collect?
39:15 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

The Most Overvalued & Undervalued Basketball Cards Right Now w/ Brent Weyer @DeepValueInvestor

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 • Duration 52:20

In this episode, Max @PutnamCards is joined by Brent Weyer @DeepValueInvestor to break down the most overvalued and undervalued areas of the basketball card market today. They explore the market forces and collector psychology that drive prices, creating both opportunities and risks for collectors.

The conversation dives into the concept of front-loaded risk and why so many of the hobby's most hyped players face incredibly high expectations that are difficult to live up to. They also discuss how narratives, recency bias, fear of missing out, and investor behavior can lead to mispriced cards—and how collectors can recognize those situations before the market catches on.

Along the way, Max and Brent touch on a handful of the worst public sales from 2026 to illustrate these ideas in action before wrapping up the episode by sharing some of their favorite recent pickups and the thinking behind each one.

Chapters:

00:00 Episode Introduction

02:59 Most Overvalued

12:14 Most Undervalued
29:31 Worst Buys of 2026 So Far
36:50 Favorite Recent Pickups

Leave a rating if you enjoyed listening and thanks for tuning in!

Selling cards? Sign up with The Wharf Sports Cards and use promo code HOOPS95 to get 95% of the final sale price on any cards submitted in your first consignment here: https://wharfsportscards.com/r/HOOPS95

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

Tiktok:

The Ultimate Guide to 2008-09 Basketball Cards | Every Topps & Upper Deck Release

Friday, June 26, 2026 • Duration 38:53

Max @PutnamCards takes a full deep dive into every 2008-09 basketball card release from Topps and Upper Deck, breaking down the underrated sets, hidden gems, and insane grails.

The 2008-09 season is especially significant in hobby history. It’s the rookie year of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, and it also serves as the final year before Panini took over the exclusive NBA trading card license, making it a true end of an era for Topps and Upper Deck basketball releases.

Across the episode, Max highlights the best cards, most important parallels, and under-the-radar finds from each product, with a heavy focus on some of the biggest names in the hobby, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan.

Some of the key products covered include Topps Chrome, Upper Deck Exquisite, and Bowman Basketball.

Chapters:

00:00 Episode Introduction

05:28 Breakdown of 2008-09 Releases

37:47 Weekly Alley-Oop

Leave a rating if you enjoyed listening and thanks for tuning in!

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

Top 3 Basketball Card Market Hot Takes After the NBA Finals

Friday, June 19, 2026 • Duration 22:55

Max @PutnamCards shares three basketball card market hot takes post-NBA Finals, including what the New York Knicks’ championship means for Jalen Brunson cards, whether the Knicks winning is actually good for the hobby, and how the NBA’s era of parity is impacting basketball card collecting and long-term market growth.

He also discusses upcoming 2025-26 Topps basketball releases, specifically the new Minions SSP cards coming to Topps Chrome Update this summer.

Chapters:

00:00 Episode Introduction

03:44 Hot Take 1

08:53 Hot Take 2

15:52 Hot Take 3

22:11 Weekly Alley-Oop: NBA Finals or Championship Cards

Leave a rating if you enjoyed watching and thanks for tuning in!

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

What Basketball Cards Will Today's 15-Year-Olds Want When They Grow Up?

Friday, June 12, 2026 • Duration 28:45

Max @PutnamCards explores how the next generation of basketball card collectors—those growing up during the later years of Panini and the beginning of the Fanatics era—could shape the future of the hobby.

Will players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry become even more desirable as today’s young collectors enter their peak earning years? Will Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant remain hobby icons?

He also discusses the different eras of basketball cards, what card categories could become future grails, and why modern concepts like Kabooms, case-hit inserts, cartoon-inspired cards, and game-dated memorabilia cards may have a bright future ahead.

Chapters:
00:00 Episode Introduction
00:50 NBA Finals Talk
03:00 The Dirk Nowitzki Story
05:40 Different Generations of Basketball Cards
09:02 Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant
10:28 Collecting in the Early Panini Era
14:53 What Do I Want to Collect the Most?
16:50 ‘90s Cards
19:36 Early Panini & Fanatics Era Grails
20:41 Game-Dated Memorabilia Cards
22:09 Most Popular Recent Players
25:52 Who’s Next Up?
27:52 Weekly Alley-Oop: Nostalgia

Leave a rating if you enjoyed listening and thanks for tuning in!

Social links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/