Ep.223 w/Adam of Splendid Sports "Culturing a positive hobby"

All right, real happy to have the next gentleman on the sports card shop.
Guess, line this guy, create some great hobby content is a positive force in the hobby.
Does his own content?
And also a collaborates with others.
We're going to obviously talk about all that great content as well.
But I got to bring him on the show.
So add him from Spended Sports.
So welcome.
Thank you, John.
It is a pleasure to be here.
I've been watching and listening to your podcast for a long time.
So this is really exciting.
All right.
Well, as I always say when someone says that checks in the mail, I appreciate.
I, I, I, I, I'll, I'll joke inside.
I, I do appreciate that.
And, and it's a, in this case, it's a mutual admiration club here with what your content and stuff.
Your vintage guy, much like I am.
I've really, I've always been the last couple years, even more so as I've kind of more focused
almost, almost exclusively on that side.
I even say a lot of the modern idea was just from still setting up a show.
So I have some some inventory.
I'm there.
You started, but go back to the content creation.
You started.
You did content creation before, but you started your YouTube channel a year ago.
And I mean, you're from just a year later, you're in a completely different spot with,
obviously, subscribers and, and view.
Just talk about, you know, in a year, you know, how, how, how that, you know, credit to you,
but kind of just speak to the, the fast rise of your content.
Yeah, well, actually, was, I would say January of 2021 is when I zoomed back into the hobby.
Like, my, I have the same story is, you know, a lot of people where I grew up in,
in the 80s was born in '81, collected during, during that era, just like many, many people,
left, and then I really started collecting again back, like probably about 10 years ago.
And, but I wasn't, I always say I was a collector, but I wasn't in the hobby.
I noticed that in 2021, cards were going crazy.
I happened to catch wind of that.
And that, you know, let me to look at online and looking at different podcasts.
I had no idea there were sports card podcasts or YouTube out there at no clue.
And I have to say, when I did realize that, one of the first podcasts I ever found was sports
card nation.
So I want to thank you because right around that time, you know, I discovered Dr. Beckett's podcast,
Mike Moini Hans podcast and, and your podcast, those are probably the first three.
And so I have very fond memories of just listening and you were such a voice a reason, in, in my opinion,
because I had found some other stuff, but it was so nice to listen to guys like you and Dr. Beckett and Mike,
who have been in the hobby so long that it was just great to learn that you had a podcast and listen to.
I've been listening ever since.
But yeah, right around I would say, actually mid 2021, I started doing the podcast myself.
It was pretty inconsistent, but you know, I just listened to so much.
I wanted, I had my own thoughts, my own opinions that I wanted to get out there.
So I figured I'd start my own podcast and I would put the, just the audio version on YouTube.
And obviously the podcast will go out everywhere else, but then about a year ago,
I decided to turn the camera around and put my face out on YouTube and connect with that community and man.
That has been really eye-opening and that's when the best thing so far is connecting with actual other collectors,
because I had collected an absurdity for so long that meeting, meeting people, you know, virtually,
and hopefully in person later this year, it's just been great.
And yeah, it's just I never knew that where this many cool people on YouTube, collecting and making it.
Why appreciate those kind of words at them.
That means a lot right without people fighting to show and stick with it, right?
We can't do this.
They were not having this conversation right now.
Obviously I didn't scare you out of the hobby.
You're still here.
There were a appreciative of that fact.
I've maybe I'll give a doctor, Jim, and Mike a little more credit.
Then even me, maybe I was starting to innate, they sort of pulled you back in.
And anytime I can be used in the same sentence, we're both at Ocec,
and for that matter, I'll take it.
So I appreciate it.
You know, you mentioned finally turning the camera on and doing that sort of content.
Listen, you know, you're a good looking guy, better looking guy than I am,
and I turned it on as a corner.
But what was it that was, you know, I guess what was it that you didn't do it prior?
And what was it that finally?
You said, you know what?
I'm going to be me.
This is, and I'm going to do this.
What was the two sort of, you know, behind each each side of that?
Yeah, I think it was, well, first I had seen other YouTubers that have been doing it a while.
And they, you know, they were putting themselves out there, putting themselves on camera.
And I just felt like it would be a better opportunity because that, my main goal was to actually connect with other collectors.
And I felt like if I put my face out there, if I put myself on camera, then that would help.
And it really, I think it really has.
Not that you can't, you know, there's YouTube channels that don't really show themselves.
They just show the cards and so forth.
And they do find, but for me, I just, I feel like I've been able to, you know, make some actual friends and have a lot more fun by doing videos.
You know, so it's just, I think, it was kind of, it was kind of just like on a whim like, "Yeah, let's try it."
And it, I'm glad I did because it's not really in my nature.
I'm, I'm more of a private guy, really actually.
I, I'm never, I was never big on like social media.
I was on there for work and so forth, but I was never like a person who would post a million times a day about what I was eating and what I was doing and all that stuff.
I did, I do that on my Facebook, and I don't, I don't do it too much on like the podcast page.
But if I, I cook on like Fridays, I laugh because I hear you say, "And I do, you know, I cook in Fridays."
That's like my day to cook.
We each have like a day here in the household.
That's my day.
And if I cook something and I think it comes out pretty well.
I'll post, I tend to post the picture like, "Hey, I, I tackle this today."
But it is true that there is a lot of that.
I'm sure there's a few people like, "All right, Chad, we don't need to know what you have every Friday."
I don't need too much information, but go ahead, I just want to check.
Yeah, and you know what, there's nothing wrong with that at all.
That's just me, you know, naturally that's not a more of like, if we were in person and stuff like I share everything, you know, but like over the internet and stuff, never.
But so there was a little out of my nature, but you know, for anyone who's out there who is thinking of doing it and, you know,
I strongly urge you to do it because no matter what your nature is, I think it's a great thing.
It's a great way to connect with people and I know other YouTubers that have actually not just over YouTube, but actually by going on YouTube of met people that live locally that are also on YouTube.
Yeah.
And then you go to shows together.
So it is just a great way to network and meet people first and foremost.
Yeah, no doubt. Well said.
You know, like some people asked me, you know, Adam like, hey, I'm thinking about starting podcast and I've talked about this on the show and you know any advice and I'm like, listen, I don't want to give you 10 rules.
I'm not an expert. I'm not, you know, I'll just, you know, the two best things I can tell you is be yourself, be genuine and it's probably three, but have fun in the process, right?
And if you do those things right off the bat, people can, people can read, read a person, most people and can tell when someone's a phony baloney in their way to something or be an honest, you know, or be in themselves.
I should say, which is part of being honest. And you know, my myself will sometimes be on the show and say, hey, I don't know. I don't know the answer to that or it's my opinion that it's this, but I can't say, you know, and I think people, I found and I know myself, I'm more appreciative of what someone is
themselves and honest like that rather than you feel like they're sort of getting a script or playing a role or taking a stance. It may be even they don't personally believe and they just know it's going to get people route up and then attention, right?
That's kind of easy to do and it's times where, you know, I know I could do that, but it's this in January, it's just I'm not going to be somebody.
I'm not and you definitely fall into that category if I may say and that's why I think what you're doing is great and you know, like you said, you finally say, hey, you know, I'm going to share my story, my my inventory with the community and you know, go on camera.
And it's very let's be honest, it's very hard to show cards on just audio, it's actually in the past. So, you know, if you're in the very least, right, but you're doing a great job in some of your, you know, your informative, you try to help people out, which is, you know, you can never have enough of that.
I love that to show you do the three and three or someone comes on three cards that are maybe they're top three or some of their favorites and then other things they may be looking to acquire in the near future and again, it's building that community, right, yeah, yeah, they're sharing some of their own stuff that maybe they would maybe that's the first time they've even shared that information, right, it's on on your show itself and, you know, you're doing a show with Dylan.
Dave is nobody vintage turn back to clock, which I know, like I hear turn back to clock and I think it was one of the 75 top cards, right, and you know, but you go back and, you know, you guys are both with ditch guys and you share some of your thoughts and pickups and all that that great stuff.
It's just that kind of, you know, and I mean, that's that's the positivity that I'm sort of drawn to or going to look for and you know, that positivity is that just sort of in your nature or did you have to like kind of hone that skill.
I would take whole-natch skill because, you know, I have I would say I do have some, you know, some I guess you'd maybe negative takes or criticisms, but I usually that's for few and far between usually on my channel, but when I do it's usually towards like companies in the industry, you know, it's not.
I try to stay away from any of the personal stuff or any, I mean, again, it's not I'm not looking to do that. I'm here to to keep a positive to have fun and otherwise I just wouldn't do this, you know, like there's I don't see the point and doing any of this if you're not doing something positive and having fun.
And I want to say specifically, I have found the YouTube community to be the best thing that I've ever found because up as far as the hobby and you know, I started off like when I first started doing this, I was you know, spending a lot of time on Twitter for sportsguard Twitter and again, I'm not a social media guy but nature really.
But I was on there because you know, there's a lot of stuff with social media with the for cards on social media. I hadn't even gone on Instagram yet, but Twitter was where I kind of started and you know, I'm still on there, but honestly I didn't get a lot of satisfaction.
I made like one connection, I want to give Michelle to a boom in 1951 as names Jeff, he was like first person I went on his channel. We connected over Twitter. There's been a few others, but honestly it was kind of an empty thing for me.
And then I found YouTube and it was just night and day for me just that it's such a welcoming community. There's not I mean, this some arguments and fighting and stuff that goes on with different videos, but for the most part that happens.
If everyone is so yeah, you're a new channel though, like on YouTube, like I was talking about someone starts up. It's a very welcoming community. Some of the you know, the channels that have good followings, you know, they'll mention your channel.
They'll they'll like share your channel if you're a new person in the YouTube community. So it's extremely it's not like a real competitive thing. It's it's more welcoming and they want to see more people get on YouTube and join the hobby really. So I think that is for me. That's the best spot that I found.
Yeah, no, I agree and you know anyone that's you know you were drawn to the positivity with the positivity and the community aspect of it. And now you're kind of a leading example. So anyone that watches your cut there.
Maybe they're the next you know, splendid sports if you will. You know, just can't use that name Adam's guy that are ready to get everyone.
But you know what I always say you never know who's listening, who's watching and what kind of effect you know that might have. I've had people emails. You know, email the show and say, you know, I was really kind of on the fence about staying in the hobby.
But listening to you so I'm going to, you know, try this and go instead. I'm going to just change up how a hobby and try to enjoy it more and to fact that you know, I didn't knowingly, you know, not talking to them directly.
But that's that's the kind taken out of a positive effect of someone in that way, right? You never know what it can happen. You never know what episode it's going to be.
So my approach is that every episode can potentially be someone might be listening to you me right now thinking about launching a podcast. They channel a kind or just create some random content whenever.
Now, maybe not even on a consistent basis, but whenever the mood hits them, right? Maybe it's this conversation. You know, they hear you say what you said and they're like, you know what that said I'm doing it. I heard what Adam said and you know, and that's always a positive thing.
We're both in the vintage, you know, we've seen, you know, we had that huge crescent crescendo during the pandemic, the pandemic's not over, but it's not on the levels as we once knew and things are sort of coming down.
You know, as a seller and a buyer, you know, some sellers at bothers and more than it bothers me. It just I've done this for 30 years now. I've been through it or seen it before. So I'm used to it so to speak, but some sellers don't like the fact that prices are coming down.
My aspect is that someone who buys me did like to create opportunity, right? I was able to even recently buy a Carter to that prior. I wouldn't even buy a research for on an auction site.
Well, you know, but now it's kind of come back down. I mean, you're kind of thoughts on where the vintage market isn't your take on.
Yeah, I think I think it's yeah for collectors. It's in a pretty good spot right now. It's the funny thing is it, if you look at vintage, it has come down from, you know, the peak a little bit, but it's still pretty high when you look at it historically.
It's tough to know, you know, if you look into the, no one knows the future, but if you look into the future, who know, I mean, we don't really know. Vintage has always been pretty safe, but it has not declined anywhere near, you know, what the the modern card done.
So I think it's a good time, but definitely prices aren't still pretty high when you compare it to us. So they haven't like crashed. So it's like it's not like where you can buy Mike trope cards for 50% off it.
That they were, you know, a couple of years ago, whatever. You could, some of these cards, vintage cards are actually at all time high still. If you're going to depend on what you're going after. So, you know, it's just going to depend.
But I think if you're buying vintage, it's, you know, you're not doing it for the most part, you're not doing it for like, hey, I'm going to flip it or I'm going to just do it on this buying this because I think it's going to go up and price for I've seen most people buying vintage love it.
They love the history and the players and the history of the cards. So, you know, with that, regardless of what the price does, I think if you love it, it's a good, it's a good move right now still.
So yeah.
But I think there's always going to be certain players and certain cards and in certain grades that will probably always go up over time.
And then there will be some maybe that that don't, but I think, you know, there's some pretty sure bets in vintage that I wouldn't, I don't know, it's pretty hard to see in the future, but I don't see a time when they'll probably go down that much, you know, if any, if any, the probably just keep climbing.
And hopefully, if they do, it will be steady, you know, a steady gradual thing rather than like maybe like what we saw or things were volatile and it would be nice if it just maybe go back to where it used to be, where it just climbs steadily over time.
Yeah, and you make a great point with the modern and old-term, and when you look at the percentages, vintage is the lesser percentage of the price fluctuation. So it like you said is more.
I don't like the words of viability, but because there's this more steadiness and more, you know, it's more level of precipitation in a good sort of way.
I think that proves in the putting what people are purchasing. And that's, you know, that's a good problem that I have is, you know, I can buy a lot of vintage and then that stuff never, never, you're never going to see it at a show in my showcase.
So like, you know, when you were saying that, I was not in because you're exactly right, I tend to like, "Hey, don't want to sell this now."
Keep like, you're 40, you're 49 leave Jackie Robinson. That's not going to be nice.
No, it doesn't even go, you know, people ask me to bring it. I'm like, "I'm so worried, like, something will happen."
Or, you know, I got it wrong and you want to kick myself to do it. So I always, I never, I don't bring it with me.
I know, but gotten a couple of people when I, you know, a local, but I listened to the show when I did the, a card show.
Like, where is it? When I said I had got it, they thought I would bring it with me. I'm like, "That's not true."
I'm like, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
I do want to add one thing. When I did start listening to podcasts of sports cards and so forth,
it like, when things were at the peak, right, early 2021, I do want to say that you were one of the few people that was a voice of reason.
And, you know, someone, I remember you vividly saying, "I like that I'm making some of these sales right now.
I'm selling cards for these, you know, at high prices, but you were not one of the people who was saying was always going to keep going up."
And that's what I love is, you are very reasonable. And because you have such a long history in the hobby, this wasn't your first rodeo.
So it was nice. I'm happy I found a podcast like yours to temper, maybe some of the other things I was listening to at that same time.
So, yeah, well, I appreciate you saying that. I mean, I knew, like you said, whether it's the 30 years experience for the two cents that might be worth or just economics,
maybe it's more economic, just in general, right? We all know, right, I know it's cliche saying, right, what goes up must come down.
You know, we can, there's all sorts of music, you know, music stops sometime, there's, you know, all that stuff. And I just wanted to be honest with that. Like while I was appreciative that that's kind of where we were at.
And I was doing shows at that, well, the ones that once they started back up, but even online sales were crazy, you know, eBay and other selling platforms.
And I knew like, hey, enjoy, it's like a ride, right? Enjoy it because that you know, after a certain amount of time, become back into the station, you get off and you wait until the next group gets on and it happens again.
You know, I get asked that I'm sure you might get asked like, hey, when is that going to happen again, right? Everyone, and like that ride, I just talked about so much right.
It's like a ride at the music, I was also let's go again to get right back in line. So I get asked, you know, hey, John, you know, you've been doing this while when when you think we can, and I don't obviously know the answer, it's all speculation.
So I always say, you know, it's going to be, it's probably going to be, you know, four or five, six year, maybe more.
It's not going to be, I don't think in the next few years, especially, you know, with for now, it's kind of coming in and taking over three, four, so the current modern market.
So I tell people, you know, buckle up and you better be in it like you say, being happy for the right reasons and not just, you know, the asks with two lines going straight through it.
And if you are, don't get me wrong. I understand the question and as a stealer, it's something I think about, but you know, I've said many times some of my best shows aren't just about how much money I made, but the conversations that I had with people and friendships, I make too.
So it's sort of a balance between both. So I get asked and that's my answer, you know, when it might happen again, you know, if you get asked that or if you already have like, how do you answer, you know, what's your answer, do a question that.
I usually say in probably 20, 50 because it happens every 30 years right now.
No, I agree with that.
I know it's, you know, it's, you know, I think things have changed though. If I look back to like, yeah, that time period when things peak, I think there was also a lot of people that were just not even looking at like,
Comps or that card ladder and some of these other apps were around, but I don't think they were nearly what they are now.
I think what you have now is the people that are buying and selling in the hobby are much more educated. They know the data.
They know that you're not going to find people for like, you know, generally speaking that are going to overpay on a card that has a high pop relation.
You know, you'll see people overpaying when a rare card comes up and so forth. I don't even know if you call it overpaying, but I don't think I don't think we'll see that again with all the data that's out there.
I don't think you'll see people just paying prices that are just like 50 times what the last one was.
You know, it's just because they didn't, they were coming in with no experience and they were just throwing money around. I don't even know when the next boom happens.
I don't even think it will be to that degree because there was just so many things. There was like a perfect storm that all hit at once.
Yeah, you know, so I think that there's so much, and this is a great thing. I think it's great that there's so many new companies and so much data out there.
I want to give a mention to, I think one of the, maybe it was the one, well, when this comes out, it was probably a while back, but next gem you just did an interview with.
And I watched that and I had heard the name, but I never actually checked it out. Well, I checked it out today and I just downloaded the app because I think it's, I think it's awesome.
I mean, I always have a problem taking pictures with my card of my cards.
So things like that that are popping up now companies that are making the experience better for people in the hobby. There's more tools. There's more features and so forth.
And I think you don't have to use them, but I think for people like me that I appreciate more stuff like that that can, you know, be tools in your tool though that you can use as someone's buying or selling.
Yeah, make your experience better, right? Maybe easier, right? I'm not a great photo take care, but if you have an app that can kind of hide your weaknesses and enhance what you're doing.
Why wouldn't you use it, right? It makes it makes you life a little easier. Yeah, that's a great answer. And it's not always saying, listen, I don't know.
You joke about 30 years, it might be 30 years. Very well, very well.
When it happens again, and like you said, another great point you made at him was, I don't think, you know, we're going to see it along the lines like we just did a reason.
So even that whatever that next question though is right, it probably won't be on that level. I mean, you know, we're also, I think we're in a time now where we're seeing discretionary income be less than one of the reasons that that timeframe blew up and crescendo was there were stimulus packages working from home.
You could have eight tabs on your computer, open including, you know, your Microsoft Excel and then behind that, you got eBay or your other favorite auction house and you're looking at, if working and have doing happy stuff or worse, I won't tell on anybody.
But you know, like you said, the perfect storm I've mentioned it in those terms to I don't think anyone, you know, I listen, you know, we talk about experience.
I was on this show and I thought cars are going to be the last thing on people's minds, right, and yet we saw what happened. So what, what do I know at the end of the day, right, it's all speculation.
So I think it's going to be, wow, and I like that message that you give, I try to do the same thing like I don't know and listen, enjoy the hobby whatever place it's at and if that picks up again, right, I guess take advantage of the moment if and when it occurs.
But like the saying goes, right, make sure you have stuff where if everything dropped to zero, you would still appreciate your inventory, I think that's some of the best advice.
I've heard and the best I can give, so kind of I'm assuming you can agree on that.
Oh, yeah, yeah, I mean, like when I like I mentioned when I started collecting again maybe 10 years ago, I was I was basically I would just hop on eBay and it seemed like, you know, the cards that I was had on my list to get a lot of them were like,
Mickey, Mickey, Manner cards, you know, they would they would be like the same price year after year.
It really, maybe they would go up a couple percentage points, but you know, this was during like, you know, 2013, 14, 15, you know, and I would have a checklist.
I'm still doing that list of I wanted to try to get all the mantle playing days cards if I can.
Yeah, this some tough ones on there, but you know, I started off like buying the 56 tops and the 55 Bowman and you know, when I would look at the prices, they were they're pretty steady from year to year.
There wasn't a lot of price movement and even in vintage cards like that.
So who knows, maybe we'll, or maybe we're already there, maybe we're kind of back to that where it's going to be pretty steady for a long period of time.
I don't know, but there's definitely there's definitely a lot more people collecting now.
I know that there's more interest regardless of what prices have done. I mean everything I see the interest seems like maybe still at all time.
Highs. If you really think about it. So yeah, I think just yeah, buy by players and cards and from sets that you want to keep for a long time and you'll be fine.
I think you have well said and and I think there is more people out. I think some people laugh maybe to quick or flipers that sort of the parties over and you know, all the garbage is on the floor and streamers and
they're like, okay, I'm out of here right and to each their own right, but I think the point you made even early in the conversation.
The ones that stayed right are in it for maybe what we would call or someone call the right reason or they're enjoying to have you regardless of price structure or price valuation.
And so I think the hobby is still growing. People are still coming back. You know, I hear it all the time or I'll get a message like, hey, just got back in the high re after double digit years out.
Found your show. Can I ask you a couple of questions? I always always say, yes, you know, I'll give you my best answer if I know.
And you know, so the hobby is growing by the minute, you know, anyone that wants to grab a mic or or camera and say the hobbies dad or dying, you know,
I'll go to a hotel car show is all I could tell you, you know, look at views and downloads on content and hobbies alive and well it's in a different might be in a different place than it was a year, year and a half ago.
There's not wrong with that, but the hobby is is thriving it's alive and you know, you're always going to have the the sky is falling people right that want to, you know,
grab that microphone and warn you of impending doom and gloom and that's their opinion, right? They, they're, they're right to do that, but I've done this long enough you've been in this long enough to know how to be alive and well.
Yeah, I just did you mention three and three, which I basically, yeah, show I do on YouTube, I've done 19 of them now where, you know, I just bring on a collector and they show three of the favorite cards and we look at three cards on their want list and one of the ones I did recently was a channel called the car store,
and it's a father and son and it's in the collect Hank Aaron cards, so I think I think, I think, tireless, he's 11 years old and he loves Hank Aaron cards, so I mean things like that, I mean that's I love seeing stuff like that and, you know, I don't, I'm not a big car,
cardshow guy at this point, um, but I hope to in the future, but yeah everything I see it when
card shows as young kids. Uh, so Yeah. I think the future is really bright. Absolutely. Yeah,
no doubt. I'll. I'll tell you that says setting up. You know, setting up or going even as a
consumer and to the card shows, I'm seeing a lot younger kids buying vintage and talking about
the players. They're, they're buying and learning about the history of the game. That's just not just
the player, but even the history of the game, they're developing an affinity for, hey, like I love
Mike Trout, he's arguably one of the greatest players currently playing, but people came before him
that really set the stage or were the bridge to get where we are now. And we're seeing a lot of
younger people sort of respect that, go back and, and, and I'm at or look, learn about it or take
an interest, I even see kids in school where I am, you know, we'll, you know, take out books to learn about
those players like the interest is there. And I always set always warmers my heart as a kid who was
like that and as now an adult who was like that, you know, for me was Jackie Robinson who died a month
before his born. I never saw him play in person. My father was lucky enough, but growing up in
Brooklyn, I also know, you know, what he meant on and off the field and in a way more off the field than
even on itself. I took an affinity to sort of what he stood for and, you know, once the card attachment
went to that, it was easier to do, it was easier to collect back then too, then compared to, to now
with days, but, you know, I love seeing, we're seeing a more kids, you know, get into that, to the, into the,
the vintage space and whenever I see it, I mean, I'm not a huge smileer and I always bring a smile
to my face. But, you know, for you, it's manual. I mean, obviously, manuals, a legendary icon.
You know, what was it that drew you to, to Mickey? Yeah, that would be my dad.
Me in people asked me this all the time because I'm originally from Massachusetts. So I grew up,
a Celtic fan, a Red Sox fan, and, you know, so I collect football, Tom Brady cards,
so I don't do all vintage, but I guess Tom Brady's becoming vintage now he retired. So actually,
he's that old anyway, but I collect, you know, so collect Tom Brady, Larry Bird from basketball.
Obviously Boston players, but, and then I collect Mickey Man, also people are always like,
what's up with that? That was just my dad. I'm, you know, going back to when I was a kid,
you know, growing up in the 80s. I was collecting, you know, the Wade Bugs is in the Roger Clemens and
Concecos, but one of the maybe little different things about me, I remember then my friends is I was
way more into like the players from my dad's era. Like he, because he would tell me about
Mickey Man, a woolly maze, Hank Aaron, Stan, Musiel, Sandy, co-fact, all these guys,
all these legendary stories. And they just all seem more interesting. Even when I was a kid,
like the stories of them, you know, I hoped that someday that Jose Conceco would be on that level,
right? Because I got his cards, but it never worked up. You know, like those guys are still
greatest legends, the greatest stories, Ted Williams. That's actually where the splendid came from
in the the names, the words, like, he's like the splendid, the splendid, the splendid. So yeah, it was just
always, those, those players always fascinated me. And yeah, when I basically Mickey Manel was my dad's
favorite player growing up and he passed along all the stories. And there weren't all good stories either.
He would, he did it the right way because he didn't idolize Mickey Manel. He just loved the story of
a lot of it was was just really unrealized potential. So in many ways, it was like,
lesson to me, like, yeah, he was one of the all-time greats, but he could have been better than
baby roof, but he wasn't because. And so even as a young kid, I was learning that and, you know,
when I got older, I, that was the player I wanted to try to collect first because of that,
because of my dad. Yeah, and you've heard that story before. It's you like to collect your dad's favorite
player. So that's basically what I, I told my dad, Dad, you cost me a lot of money with that.
You owe me. You owe me. That's that's funny. And as great, right, it's those bonds we share,
right? Well, whether it be in your case, which your dad might be another relative,
I might even be just a friend or a teacher who knows what it might be. And it's funny here you're
being from the mass area and being a man, but again, it's that connection what you did and it was
your dad's. And you even can learn like you said, I can learn a lesson. He was sort of as great
of a talent as he was. He was a flawed human. He said that himself, you know, I'm a so many
senior, but in case you're in front of anyone else out there, listen, he did a Bob Casus interview.
So a good, good length interview 30, 40 minutes. I'll watch it again every couple of years,
even though I've seen it. One of the best interview I've seen of a person and it's Mickey Manel
at his homeless and basically talent like no one sort of that, you know, he was closer to the end
than the beginning sort of telling people like, you know, use me as example, some not things
not to do because it's cost in me now for, you know, great as it was on the field. It's not all great
and takes a lot to admit that and do that and do it in a national setting and so a little
information there that the Bob Casus Mickey Manel interview was pretty pretty famous and it gets me
a little choked up. I'm not a manel guy per se and they meet in the same fashion as you, but being a
New York City kid, everyone knows what Mickey Manel is. I mean he's a baseball guy, he's not a New York,
I kind of he's a baseball guy, he's a sports icon. We even even go past even baseball and so pretty
pretty good stuff to see that and you know, unfortunately gone too soon but did not take anything away
from what he did do under field while he was playing. A little short of career like you mentioned
and it could have been but even then it was just a great one for for the length it was and
love that story. Let's talk back a little bit of the content creation. You know you do in this turn back
to clock show with Dylan Davis and I don't know if there's you can get two guys and put them together
that will be that positive about the hobby. You can only tie it and I most people will fall short
but how did that come about? Like talk about how that all went down and if it was listening it's
everything you do is great but when you guys team up it's it's greatness time Stu but how did that all come
about? Yeah he's become my best friend in the hobby and basically when I started making YouTube videos
I wasn't aware of his channel YouTube's weird you know you they don't show you all the channels you know
so it's like it's hard to find a lot of the the channels but what was great is he left the comment
I want my video somehow he founded and he left the comment and then he left another one and when
people leave a comment on my channel I I check out their channel if they have one and so I checked out his channel
and I was immediately I immediately knew I liked him I loved his channel right off the bat you know if
anyone has any gone to Dylan's channel double-deventures baseball cards first of all he's got the the
greatest card wall and room that I've seen I mean I think just incredibly built themself but he's just
I could tell right away how authentic he is you know he he's a little different in the fact that
he didn't take the break that a lot of us did you know where you know you go through high school and
college or whatever and you get out of cards he's been doing cards he's been collecting cards he's been
been doing it but he did it all through all through his life but he did it basically in
obscurity too like he didn't know anyone else he just did it because he loved it and he still has that
same enthusiasm you know he he's probably seen the same these same cards a million times right over
the last 25 30 years or whatever but he he you could tell he just every time he looks at these cards
it's like he's seen him for the first time and he has just amazing passion and he's an authentic guy and
that's that's what drew me to him right away I could tell right from his channel that he wasn't trying to
pretend to be someone else he was just being himself and yeah he's just you know from there we connected
and you know commented back and forth and eventually yeah I would just let the you know for me it's
just I just like being able to talk to him every couple weeks you know so it's kind of like
whether people watch or not and luckily we do have some people that watch and listen which is great
but either way I would just love talking to him for you know a half hour an hour every couple weeks anyway so
yeah we just we got to show it turn back the clock and it we just covered past present future of
the hobby different topics and it's just fun so yeah Dylan is just a credible hobbyist and yeah
lucky lucky to have him out there really he's so happy that he commented on my video that I
will find it yeah it was it was meant to be right and I know you didn't pat yourself on the back there so
so I'll I'll do it for you Adam my hobbies better place with both of you guys and it as well so
we talked about mano I waxed a little bit on my Jackie Robinson affinity I always say there's some great
players that sometimes don't get enough hobby love I think sort of overshadowed by the
mantles and maze of that era you know what if I ask you that question to put you on a sort of a mini hot
seat right some some undervalued vintage players or maybe undervalued it's not the but underrated right
people sort of forget them which obviously does affect sometimes car values you know a couple of
names that pop in your head right off the bed well I always go first to stand usual you know for me
maybe maybe that's changing a little bit I don't know I hear maybe a little more as far as like people
talking about him on YouTube and so forth but you know YouTube's a small part of the hobby but yeah I always
say stand musical because you know he doesn't have he doesn't have as many cards as some of some of the
other players you know because there were years where he had no cards and he was in you know when
in the war and so forth but yeah I always say stand musical if you look at just what he did and how
greedy was you know he's for me he's a top you know he's in the top ten of all time greatest players and yeah if you
look at some of his card prices we were looking at one the other on one of the three and three
freeze I was doing and you know his rookie card the 48 moment is really I mean compared to some
of the someone else's rookie card like in that in his era that I mean it's pretty affordable some of
these other 49 moment I mean this some real early stand musical cards that I think are still pretty
affordable you know another I mean you know Ted Williams even I mean if you look at Ted Williams cards that's
a funny thing about you know Mickey Manel is he's a he's a perfect example of of the of hobby
pricing it doesn't always make sense right as you know Mickey Manel wasn't the greatest baseball player
of all time he could have been but he wasn't and yet his his prices of his cards of always and still
are as if he was the greatest of all time so that's a cautionary thing for maybe
music blind that blind that blind here blue eyed starting center field or 48 keys and again he'd be
put up a Hall of Fame career incredible numbers but sort of those other things that go along
with it right definitely enhanced other legend I even throw Geter in that category right good looking
young guy when he when it started short start from the Yankee and I'm like you know I sold a lot of
this stuff 93 94 because I thought man this guy I don't know I was gonna live up to all this hype he wound
up doing it who goes to the him but I did protect players but I sort of put them sort of in that same
category of that goes lights burn harder in New York and making even more of a legend than you're
already are they both are I'm not trying to say they're not and they were elevated to that status
but I think that legend even bigger under those circumstances so somebody might say Ted Williams are
you create like people know how great he was but he sort of was overshetny played they were careers
overlap but they weren't you know concurrent but it was at New York Boston kind of thing I think a
little bit so I see that usual for sure I he's probably one one of the top two I'm my list you know
when you I think about pictures right Bob Gibson is a guy you know that just bad or scared
him even in the box against the guy that's how good he was you know he was Randy Johnson sort of before
Randy Johnson and quite frankly better with the way he and Randy Johnson is very good too don't
I'm that's not a slight terrain I'm just that's how good Bob Gibson was they changed rules to try to
make him more hitable from like to hide of the mound like that's in you know that's insane
and I just think his office like he's not respected in the way like his body of work you know it might be
it might be a simple sometimes pictures don't get you know revered in the same fashion you know like
they say chicks take the long ball car collectors do too right so you know it wasn't a hitter but
guy like almost every time I was just didn't have too many bad games that's just and just
dominating and you look at the numbers they're just insane and you know when I buy some of his stuff I'm
like I can't believe I'm buying it you know for that like that just doesn't seem right I like it
because it's a you know it's a bargain Brooks Robinson's another guy for me that sort of fits just how
many I mean arguably the best feeling third baseman on the history to game and he could hit to
wasn't like he was you know he's a hall of favor on his field in the loan and he could hit the ball
as well as he's thinking he played on some great bold more teams with some fellow great players and
Frank Robinson and others that I think sometimes he wasn't looked at what the affinity he should
read every bank on Frank Robinson. I think I think playing together like that almost hurt
the both of them was how they were were viewed yeah Frank Robinson fits that bill later became even a
player manager he was playing in managing a team at the same time and then managed full-time
when his career came to Ernie Banks as another guy people don't talk about enough sort of playing
in the shadow of some bigger names during the 50s and 60s you know your maze your mammals and those
guys and when you look at the body where he was just like why it kind of a guy just wanted about his business
you know and you know I think very great by to pick up some of his stuff we would leave anybody off
I know I sort of answered my own question what a couple of people I think we're you know we're obviously
we've been talking about baseball but I think I actually think vintage basketball and vintage football
they could they could I mean just as like a category and obviously some of the some of the guys
within that but I think vintage basketball and vintage football is you know it's a little overlooked and it's a
little undervalued especially vintage football you know so I think you I collect all three sports so I would say yeah
look look for some of those vintage football guys you know that the gale sairs and the gym grounds and I mean those
as football even while they're paying you know while they're paying for his his rookie card is
way too cheap if you ask me and one of my favorite sports rockers not football records but that guy
played in 168 great games at the running back position they can get tackled you know 20 times a game
that's for those that are keeping track or are good at most multiplying you know it's 16 game
seasons that's 10 straight it's 10 and a half so just think think about your fantasy football team right
when you're making out your lineup and the guys always question a boy is out right how many games
certain guys miss and you're pulling your hair out like he's out again think about this well
to pay in play 10 and a half straight seasons without missing one game and he actually he
is a further net stat by saying he only miss one game in this whole career and that was in
in his rookie season and he fractured his ankle and he wanted to play it was the bears team doctors
that told the coach he's not to stop field on the step foot on the field if they wouldn't have said
that he would have played on a fractured ankle and he would have never missed to get out we don't
know what would have happened playing but assuming he came out on scale that that game he potentially
would have never missed the game in his whole career went on to play 10 and a half straight see that's
just to me you know we talked about the cow ripped and streaked in baseball we talked about
the modules hitting streaked in baseball and other records you know LeBron just broke the all-time
scoring one recently to me that that one is just done I talked about enough when you think about
you know most most football players careers on last 10 and half years got alone playing in that
many straight game so it's just one of those records that does get enough shine or love or talked about
enough so anytime I can so you know when you bring up those and you make a great point
you had a fast you know vintage basketball football because baseball was king for so many of those years right
now those those now that's not in the same vein right so it was overshadowed by you know when you thought
when you thought baseball card you thought baseball card those called but you know that that was the first
sport you thought of and you're right football there's still some great deals to be had in both of
those markets if if you collected and enjoy it and I know I always it's not my circle it's more football
and basketball for me but I do buy some basketball it goes kind of you know football baseball actually
pretty close then basketball and hockey I try to dab on at least all of them in some capacity but
there's some great deals there's some underrated values and players across the board and you know you
just gotta look and that's that's always the fun part too right is the journey to acquire the card you
would acquire but appreciate you coming on Adam I love what you're doing love the content
I'll explain it sport stuff the stuff you're doing in collaboration as well I know a lot of the
people do but for those that maybe don't know yet give out where people can find you social media anything
you want to share where people can find out what you're doing and the content you're making go ahead
sure and actually last before that I just want to say the hobby is the people never had a line been
more true when my opinion I think when you coined that term that was the best thing because it's
so true it really you found that so I just want to say that I wanted to mention that that was a
beautiful thing you you came up with and yeah you could just you know spend it sports on all the places
you know YouTube and you know if you're going to find me anywhere I would love you to look
me up on YouTube and feel free I'm looking at connect I always want to connect so feel free to you know
send me a message my emails right on my YouTube channel so yeah I would love it if people connect with
me there yeah no doubt man love your stuff keep it up you know and like you said I love the
fact you said hey reach out I hope you out anyway I can I know you're like that I try to be like
then so a great advocate and ambassador for the hobby we love as well as many others so yeah check
check out and stuff out you will not be disappointed thanks a thank you John this was great