I recorded this episode around 8pm on December 12, right before sitting in the breaker's chair to do an at cost break of a case of 2023-24 Panini Hoops Premium Stock NBA Blasters (20 total boxes).

I talk about feeling nervous about doing this break, even if it was an at cost break ($25/team for 30 teams roughly = $32/blaster for 20 blasters).

I talk about the origins of breaking, just a rudimentary history based on my past experience, nothing super in depth. Shout out to Chris Justice of Cards Infinity/The Hobby Box for being my first ever breaker back in the early 2010's!

I also touch on the potential for shill bidding in streaming platforms when it comes to auction prices for group box breaks (or anything on these streaming platforms such as repacks aka mystery packs and single cards).

Finally, Pepperidge Farms remembers back when everyone domed packs and boxes, but alas such is the evolution of language.

#thehobby #tradingcards #sportscardhobby #hobbypodcast #hobbyboxopening #collectiblecards #collector #basketball #basketballcards #basketballbreaks #breaking #breakingcards #nba #thecarddiary #hobbysthompson #cardhobby #cardcollector #cardcollecting

Being the potential penultimate podcast episode of The Card Diary by Hobby S. Thompson, I thought a lot about who I wanted as its potential last guest on this podcast.However, the answer was right in front of my face, as Nick Andrews (on IG @bostoncardhunter and one half of The  @SportCardMadness  Podcast) is currently at the top of everyone's Instagram feeds. He is a podcaster, YouTuber, Instagram content creator, making funny and serious short form and long form content, and even recently made a mini documentary on the life of  @Fanatics  CEO, Michael Rubin.A lot of people first got to know him about the CT scanning issue with sealed wax, but we did not talk about that topic much. Instead, by listening to this podcast episode, you will learn who Nick was before he became the Boston Card Hunter, what he thinks about bounties and the most recent $30,000 bounty for the Caitlin Clark 1/1 from ghostwrite (Josh Luber's newest company) by Dave & Adam's. Nick also shares whether he thinks collective action could work in The Hobby, and what he thinks about people who tell him that he should stay in his lane. Regardless of what you think about him, he is definitely relevant in The Hobby and in this attention economy, he has your attention.Easily one of my favorite episodes to record, hope you enjoy it! - DennyHere is a link to Nick's YouTube about Michael Rubin:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpCA2-DBFnwHere is a link to the New York Times article about the CT scanning issue with sealed wax: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5987857/2024/12/12/trading-cards-sports-collectibles-scanners-ethics/Here is a link to Dave & Adam's website publicizing the $30,000 bounty for the Caitlin Clark 1/1 ghostwrite figurine:https://www.dacardworld.com/blog/new-releases/1-1-caitlin-clark-ghostwrite-wnba-game-face-bounty/ #thehobby #sportscards #baseballcards #basketballcards #footballcards #hockeycards #pokemon #pokemontcg #podcast #hobbypodcast #dennycards #hobbysthompson #thecarddiary #sportscardspodcast #fanatics #bounty #ghostwrite #daveandadams #caitlinclark #joshluber #sportscardmadness #bostoncardhunter

This 90th episode of the The Card Diary compares/contrasts the two varying styles of two different card shows - East Coast National and Culture Collision. They were held on different dates and areas of the country, but I talk about how one was more traditional and there was more baseball (and vintage baseball), while the other felt more modern and possibly going in the trend in which card shows are headed. I also talk about Fanatics Fest, as that was held on the same weekend as the East Coast National. Is this a false choice? Does it have to be either/or? Can it be both? Enjoy this solo podcast episode and let me know what you think! #thehobby #fanatics #fanaticsfest #eastcoastnational #culturecollision #podcast #hobbypodcast #cardshows #baseballcard #sportscard

The Card Carver is the first ever card artist to be a guest on The Card Diary podcast. He talks about the different types of card art, his experiences at the last three Nationals, grading companies like PSA recognizing his work, the effect and influence of Piggy Banx, and much, much more! This was essentially a glimpse into one of our phone conversations and so I really hope you enjoy this special episode!

This episode puts the spotlight on one half of the power couple duo that runs the Culture Collision Trade Show. Prizm Gawdess (on IG @prizmgawdess) joins the podcast studio to talk about her hobby journey and the origins, logistics, and numbers behind one of the largest card shows in the US.

The fifth iteration of Culture Collision will be held from Friday, September 13, 2024 to Sunday, September 15, 2024. You can get your general admission, 3 day pass, and VIP pass at www.culturecollisiontradeshow.com (kids under the age of 12 are free)!

Note: I shared during this episode that I am happy to announce that I am part of the social media team as an official media ambassador for Culture Collision V!

Episode 87 of The Card Diary puts the spotlight Bailey (on IG @fire.sportscards), show promoter for a new local card show in the Northern Virginia area, specifically the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, VA. We rank the 2022, 2023 and 2024 National, our local card show scene in Northern Virginia, and why he decided to get into card show promotion. Enjoy! - Denny

Episode 86 of The Card Diary focuses on my latest experience selling 8 low end PSA slabs at auction on eBay and lessons I learned from it, such as being willing to put cards up at auction even if I sell at a loss, I still get liquid. I also share what I do for shipping and packaging. Thanks for watching!

Cards Sold and Net Earnings 2021 Bowman University Chrome Prospects Michael Penix Jr. Pink Refractor PSA 9 - $9.96

2002 Hoops Stars #1 Yao Ming Future Stars PSA 10 - $49.98

2023 Topps Cosmic Chrome - Aqua Equinox Refractor Juan Soto /199 PSA 10 - $31.09

2021 Donruss Optic Spencer Torkelson Rated Prospects Signature Mojo /99 PSA 10 - $31.80

2022 Contenders Treylon Burks RC Auto PSA 10 - $22.95

2013 Finest #50 Adrian Peterson Refractor PSA 10 - $29.15

2020 Panini Michael Thomas On The Horizon PSA 9 - $48.27

2023 Topps Series 1 - Silver Pack Autograph #T88C-4 Christopher Morel PSA 10

I talk about my plans for Fanatics Fest, but not before talking about the LeBron Curry Durant (or should it be Durant Curry LeBron?) Triple Auto 1 of 1 Topps Now Card Who's going? If you are, comment below or better yet, DM me on Instagram  @denny_cards  so we can maybe meet up! Hope to see you there, and if you are not going, I hope that you subscribe and follow along for a lot of content from me about it! Thanks - Denny

Cards To The Moon's very own Clark (@fivecardguys) and I do a special podcast episode where we interview each other in a way. I have been a fan of the podcast for a while, and I've been meaning to have Clark on for a while now and so I'm glad we finally did this. He and I will both be going to Fanatics Fest in NYC from August 16-18, 2024 at the Javits Center. Will you be there? Let's meet up!

Our thoughts on setting up as dealers at the Greenville NC card show while driving back home!

Come along with me and first time dealer David as we set forth for a spontaneous road trip adventure to set up as dealers at the Greenville, NC local card show. This would be my first ever show traveling more than an hour and doing an overnight to set up as a dealer, but my sixth time setting up. Recorded the evening of July 26, 2024 as David drives and I press the record button for a pre show conversation!

What even is a podcast? What is the measure of success? Is there more than one measure? Answers to those questions and what I learned in my one year of making this podcast. Thanks for giving it a listen! - Denny

Loose general outline for a Thanksgiving episode where I give thanks for people and things in The Hobby and maybe talk about consumerism with Black Friday and whether I will continue my Collectors Club membership with PSA and Card Ladder.

Here is the audio recording from April 21, 2024.

Spotify for Podcasters has converted to Riverside, and I'm still trying to figure out how to handle this change, but the past music interludes (e..g Compton, Swapping Tubes, and Rodney Skopes) are all gone. We truly are at the mercy of these platforms and have to adjust to whatever changes they make. The actual recording about getting into a break for Eddie Murray back from April 2024 will follow this one as a separate episode as I cannot combine separate audio files with this new format.

7 min intro recorded on July 7, 2024

Then

44 min monologue recorded on March 30, 2024

I hope I got it right this time! This *should* be the full audio of both Tom and myself having a conversation about data in The Hobby. My apologies to both my special guest Tom and to you, the listener, for not uploading the episode correctly the first time and for taking so long to make it right. Thank you to those of you who reached out to let me know about the issue and thank you all for your patience and understanding. - Denny

Episode 76 welcomes Tom Ferrera (on IG @pancake_analytics), where we talk about data analytics and how it applies to The Hobby.  We talk about glitches in the Matrix, aka eBay’s Terapeak, being on panels for The Hobby, and the reason sometimes we buy into breaks even when we know from an analytical standpoint, it may not make the most sense.  We also of course talk about the biggest debate between pancakes and waffles.

You can email the show with your thoughts, questions and comments @hobbysthompson@gmail.com or you can reach me on Instagram @denny_cards. I also have these podcasts up on YouTube with full video (also @denny_cards on YouTube).  If you like the podcast, please share it with a friend in The Hobby.  Thanks for tuning in! - Denny

Episode 75 is the second half of my chat with Cage Lawyer, where we talk about the two different sets of value of cards - monetary and sentimental, and whether nostalgia is enough to keep the middle age collector in The Hobby.  We also touch on whether being in The Hobby makes us a better parent, spouse, friend, etc.  We continue to talk about the state of Hobby Content and what even is Hobby Content and of course, we have to touch on The Haters.  

Just a great conversation overall, and I hope you enjoy it, because I know that I did.  If you think you know Cage and his cardboard journey, listen to this episode and see if that is the case.

You can email the show with your thoughts, questions and comments @hobbysthompson@gmail.com or you can reach me on Instagram @denny_cards. I also have these podcasts up on YouTube with full video (also @denny_cards on YouTube).  If you like the podcast, please share it with a friend in The Hobby.  Thanks for tuning in! - Denny

The day has finally come where Cage Lawyer (on IG @cagelawyer) comes onto the podcast.  In this first half of our conversation, we talk about the landscape of Hobby Content, Instagram, running in the content game with horse blinders on, and whether ambient noise filters into our podcast recordings.  Hope you enjoy this one and stay tuned for Part II.  Enjoy! - Denny

You can email the show with your thoughts, questions and comments @hobbysthompson@gmail.com or you can reach me on Instagram @denny_cards. If you like the podcast, please share it with a friend in The Hobby.  Thanks for tuning in!

Nick (on IG @breakcompcards) joins the podcast to talk about being the Kayak of the breaking side of The Hobby.  We talk about how he does not consider himself a reporter of group break prices, as well as this Kayak analogy, data aggregation, and how he monetizes (or plans to) monetize this free service (s/o pc_sportscards).

We also get into whether he himself gets into breaks and what he PC’s and finally, we do get to questions from the Instagram audience.  All in all, a fun episode to record and so I hope you enjoy it! - Denny

It’s almost Opening Day 2024!  Tyger, of ta24cards on Instagram and of the 4 and 6 podcast, joins us on today’s episode!  We talk about how he is able to triangulate the exact moment that is captured on a baseball card based on information that is readily available online.  We also talk about hockey, because why not.  However, if you love baseball, I think you are really going to enjoy today’s episode and if you are not already doing so, I hope you follow ta24cards to enjoy one of my favorite Instagram accounts.  Enjoy! - Denny

We welcome back our first three time guest, Ryan from GemRate (on IG @gemrate and also gemrate.com), who reports on grading companies.  We touch on the acquisition of SGC by Collectors, the parent company of PSA, but end up talking more about BGS and Beckett and what competitive advantages, if any, they have in the very competitive grading space in The Hobby.  We also talk about tribalism within the fan bases of the grading companies.

Bonus: If you play this podcast backwards, all you hear is me whispering Arena Club over and over again. =)

Enjoy! - Denny

Hours after the Mid Atlantic Card Show in Silver Spring, MD, I decide to go live to talk about how I do my card show vlogs and also do a live AMA. Thank you to those of you who joined the YouTube and/or Instagram live stream. If you like this kind of format, maybe I do more of it! As always, if you want to let me know what you thought about this episode or the podcast in general, you can reach me on Instagram or Youtube @denny_cards or email the show at hobbysthompson@gmail.com

Thanks for listening! Especially if your name is Josh! =)

There is a real need for real journalists and real watchdogs in The Hobby.  In this monologue episode, I talk about the different kinds of content creators who report news and happenings in The Hobby.  Why are there so many people out there saying the same exact things over and over again on the same topics over and over again?  As someone who makes content, I try to maybe help explain the thought process.  Enjoy! - Denny

Continuing this mini series of getting to know breakers of all kinds, I bring on Long Island’s Finest, Filthbomb Break’s owner, Stephen Abbondandolo (on Instagram and all other social media platforms @filthbombbreaks).  

We talk about the logistics that went into the 100 case break they recently did of 2024 Topps Series 1 Baseball, but also why having educated buyers is important and how baseball differs from basketball and football when it comes to The Hobby (More sustainable? Lower price points? Higher ROI?)

All in all, a really great chat and as with all of the breakers in this Meet the Breaker Series, I am in no way affiliated or sponsored by any of them or any breaking company.  Thanks for listening! - Denny

Sarah (on IG @mrssquirts_cards) is the first ever independent female breaker, and she started out with no allocation, no distribution, just a love of cardboard stemming from when she was a kid collecting sports cards, Pokemon, and pogs.  Hailing from Montana (which is NOT the Midwest, my bad!), she shares how she builds community, how she sees her buyers as real people, and how she puts her heart into everything she does.  Hope you enjoy this one, as I really enjoyed our chat! - Denny

I will fully admit, when I first saw Wizey Official on Instagram (@wizey_official), I did not like him and his content.  He was ripping his shirt off and yelling out “The Hobby Is Alive!”  But what if it had nothing to do with him at all.  Was I intimidated by his confidence? His youth?  Perhaps.  

All I initially saw was the outer layer of Wizey, but I am glad that I got to know him more and we peeled some of the layers back in this chat.  We talk about what he did and currently does for Bleacher Breaks.  We get into his life story, about how he struggled with alopecia, bullying, getting into a devastating car wreck, and through it all, being stronger for all of it.  Really enjoyed recording this one, and I hope you enjoy giving it a listen.  The person who might skip this episode is especially the person who should give it a try!

Valor Sports Cards is a Fanatics Live breaker who recently pulled the Tom Brady Superfractor 1/1 from 2023 Bowman Draft.  When it occurred, conspiracies started to form that Fanatics gave him a loaded box.  Can anything be a coincidence anymore?  Listen in to hear how maybe not everything in The Hobby has to be a conspiracy…..

And so it begins….again.

Wrapping up a loose end on a story with low stakes, but illustrates a couple of big picture points.  Keep being awesome in and out of The Hobby y’all.  - Denny

If you liked Part I of the conversation with NEO Cards & Comics, you’re going to like Part II, well maybe not, because we get into much different topics.  NEO dives deeper into being a hobby content creator on YouTube and shares some tips as to how he got to where he is today (hint: consistency!).  

We field a listener question regarding content, and then pivot to talking about athletes and their relationships with cards and The Hobby.  Smash cut to us talking about the hobby content landscape regarding collector based content and drama content and how the “pure collector” looks down at some of us half-bloods who dare try on different hats within The Hobby.  

We do finally get to comics!  Our discussion about the latest controversy with comics and CGC holders and how this could apply to the card world.  Made me wonder why we don’t have white hat hackers within grading companies.  We then talk twenty more minutes, because why not.  Hope you enjoy the second half of our conversation!  - Denny

This was going to be the intro for Part II of a great conversation with NEO Cards & Comics, but turned into a much longer than anticipated monologue about a recent eBay sale I made as a (still newish) eBay seller, and so I made a game time decision to turn this into its own standalone monologue episode.  Part II will drop not too long after this one, but hope you enjoy this one, and by all means, answer the Spotify poll, DM me on Instagram @denny_cards or respond to my post or story with the question of what would you do in this situation.  Thanks all. - Denny

Why even go to a card show when you can buy cards exclusively online?  Is it worth going to The National?  Is it more than just all about the cards?  This is Part I of a very scripted podcast guest episode with Neo (on Instagram @neo_cards_comics).  Neo talks about his origin story with starting his YouTube channel and how he came up with his name and logo.  We talk about how we met each other at The National in Rosemont in 2023 and ended up talking a lot about plans for The National in Cleveland for 2024, card shows in general, Fanatics Events, and comparisons and differences with Comic Cons.

We also compare and contrast the Wemby Hoops RC card and the Wemby Prizm RC card (curtains) and somehow get into whether we are in what seems to be these pro or anti Fanatics camps within The Hobby.  Hope you enjoy the first half of our conversation!  - Denny

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Card Show is coming to the Silver Spring Civic Center on Saturday, November 23!

As its show ambassador, I wanted to bring on the promoter of the show, Ryan McCormick and while I had a set of questions to go through, we ended up talking about his oddball collection and I think both of us were really happy to go down the rabbit holes we did. This was a live stream on YouTube and the chat was involved in the live. Thank you to everyone who joined and shared their thoughts, and thank you to the podcast community for listening! Only four episodes away from 100!

But it doesn't mean that you don't try having them! I come back from an almost month long hiatus for not just holiday time, but getting sick again (and again), and well....I missed doing this! In this monologue episode, I talk about how it is hard as an adult (especially a man, but I didn't talk about this part) to have new friends and that why this could be a motivating factor for some of us in The Hobby, but then also why hosting a trade night can be difficult too, but that if something is worth doing, you still try to do it. I also go down some rabbit holes, because that happens. Anyway, hope you enjoy this episode.

Ryan from GemRate stops by to share with us the year in grading (TCG is still over half of all graded cards! Sports down YoY! We as collectors are getting smarter with what we submit! Or are we?).  But of course, this podcast being what it is, we analogize grading companies to fast food restaurants and school teachers.  Ryan shares information about a project he’s been working on with Universal Pop Reports (don’t go to gemrate.com) and the Top 10 Most Graded Players by PSA.  

This podcast episode is not sponsored or affiliated with any grading company.  But it is sponsored by My Card Post!  It’s fun, check it out (mycardpost.com), and let me know what you think about it. Thanks! - Denny

This is the second half of the podcast chat with Dan, The Great Curator (on IG @the.great.curator).  In our first half of the conversation (Episode 49, published way back on November 9th), we talked about particip-hation, blocking trolls, the state of content in The Hobby.  In this episode, we talk about how people monetize content in The Hobby (#5 will shock you! JK those click bait lists are funny to me).  We also get into questions from listeners (including yes, Rob G. the Sports Card Therapist, because this was recorded around Halloween time, and well, a lot happens in a month in The Hobby!).  Questions pertained to Dan’s grail, hobby goals for 2024, whether heel/face status matters for wrestling cards, Arena Club and lesser frequented marketplaces and auction houses, fiduciary duty in taking on sponsorships, and why is he the way he is.

Finally, shoutout Dan The Great Curator’s sponsor, Mr. Minty.  And Merlin, the happiest person in The Hobby.

We welcome back the better half of the Sports Cards Nonsense duo, Jesse Gibson aka Sports Boi.  We talk about SCN and Card Shop Live, how to save breaking (hint: baby breakers, ok maybe not a subtle hint), and why his partner, Mike Gioseffi, keeps ducking this podcast.   We start by talking about the mega bid/shill bid situation with Sports Card Therapist (seems like eons ago already), because that’s how much I delayed publishing this podcast episode.  Jesse, I am so sorry for the delay in releasing this episode.  I blame Cblez and the repackers who are supposedly ruining The Hobby =)

Finally, If you would like to buy Sports Cards Nonsense merch (not a sponsor, not an affiliate), go to www.sportscardsnonsense.com where you can buy all the merch you want….just not any baby onesies.

Continuing my podcast experimentation, I try recording a podcast while recovering being kinda sick.  I probably shouldn’t have recorded this episode, but I was inspired by the recent Juan Soto trade and the discussions by Cage Lawyer and Iowa Dave.  So I’m not an influencer, I’m actually the influenced!  Not to be confused with influenza, which I probably have.  Dad jokes.  Enjoy. - Denny

What’s it like to be a repacker for one of the biggest breakers on the planet?  Matt from Ultimate Sports Breakers (USB) comes on the pod to talk about that and more.  We first talk about his hobby journey and then get into how he got into repacking for Backyard Breaks and then what happened after that relationship ended.  We dive into what it’s like going from “comp-to-table” with buying, packing and shipping repacks.  Hope you enjoy! - Denny

With repacks being such a hot topic currently in The Hobby, I bring on Jonathan Rotonda (on IG @rotobreaks), the founder of a breaking company (Roto Breaks) and repack company (Roto Box) to the pod.  We start off talking about his hobby journey and how comps worked back in 2016 (RIP Card Snoop!).  Then, I pick his brain on how the entire process looks like to get a repack product ready “comp-to-table” (like eating at a restaurant: from farm-to-table) - buying to packing to shipping.  This is my longest episode yet, and I considered breaking it up into two parts, but with repacks being a hot button issue, I wanted to deliver this to you soon as possible.  Thanks for giving it a listen! - Denny

Learn more about the Roto team here: https://rotobreaks.com/pages/about-us

Who would even consider buying a $12 pineapple?  What happens to your hobby budget when you have a financial event outside of your hobby life?  Who is even buying these boxes of cards that cost five figures?  This is a monologue episode that I recorded in a hotel room and so the audio is going to sound a little bit different (and maybe I’m lower energy on this one too), but I wanted to capture my thoughts on some things within The Hobby and in my life.  Hope you enjoy it.  You can always DM me on Instagram at denny_cards.  - Denny

This is a monologue episode about my ever evolving thoughts on the megabid/shill bid situation from Rob G., the Sports Card Therapist and the early stages of grief, or at least in this case, hobby grief.

What does 10X-ing The Hobby mean?  Is it the number of cards, corporate profits, number of participants, or something else altogether?  I bring on the pod someone who was in The Hobby as a kid, but never came back into The Hobby, even during the pandemic.  My very special guest, TK, is my friend from outside The Hobby and I wanted to have a candid discussion with him about The Hobby in this experimental bonus episode.  Because if 10X-ing The Hobby means having ten times the number of Hobby participants, then Fanatics will have to do their best to court people like TK.

Happy Veterans Day to all the incredible military service men and women who protect the United States of America!

This is an opportunity to hear from military veterans in The Hobby and how their service helps shape their experience with sports cards.

Here are their socials and where you can find them:

Trent - on Instagram @trentl41 and @slabfalconsportscards and breaking with Jetbreakers on Facebook and Whatnot

Dakota - on Instagram @dakotastorm_rips_cards and sets up as a dealer in card shows in the DMV and has his first ever card show as a promoter in March 2025 in Maryland

LT - on Instagram  @livinwithlt  and has his own YouTube channel and live streams

We talked about their active/past service in the military, whether they like or not like when people say "Thank you for your service," who they PC, how Trent yelled orders at Paul Skenes, how they should always support the Commander In Chief whoever it is, thoughts about Pat Tillman and Colin Kaepernick, what the flag means to them, and so much more!

Thank you to all of them and also thank you to those of you who joined and contributed in the first ever live chat in the YouTube stream! It was so much fun! - Denny

To the brave men and women who have served the United States of America, Happy Veterans Day!  For a very special Veterans Day podcast episode, I bring on the pod Alex Tressler (@armyatc22 on all social media platforms), an Army veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan for three tours and has traveled the world while breaking boxes in the early infancy of social media (btw, he PC’s Pat Tillman).  We talk about his service in the military, how serving in the military helps him in The Hobby, especially setting up as a dealer.  We discuss a deal we made that I alluded to in Episode 48, and how it is sometimes hard to make deals with friends.  We even talk about whether he gives a military discount when he sets up as a dealer!  Thank you Alex for your service, and thank you again to all those who served.

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/gdWv3l47fRU

“First”* 2-time guest Dan The Great Curator pops back into the podcast studio (in the first of a mini series of “Where Are They Now?” with my Season 1 guests) to share his thoughts on being a content creator and the current landscape of content in The Hobby.  We talk about the concept of people who don’t call themselves influencers but who influence others to not like influencers.

*Sports Card Therapist, Rob Girard, was technically the first 2-time guest. =)

Two weeks after the Chantilly Card Show, I give my thoughts on the show by way of showing cards that I picked up along the way during my time there on Friday and Sunday of the show.  Moments I talk about:  transacting with the dealers, unofficial Trade Night at the Holiday Inn (where Dennis Rodman was walking through the lobby while I was trading for one of his cards), Kids’ Trade Night, dinner with fellow creators, meeting and interviewing athletes for the first time ever. Just an overall fun experience that I am grateful for having had!