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Sports what is up everybody Welcome to episode 318 of sports card Nation Podcast glad
to be back on the airway once again thank you out there for downloading
listening uh wherever you are you don't have to but yet you do and uh we
wouldn't exist without you so uh you know heartfelt thanks uh to you uh part
two today of our conversation with Alex Trester Army ATC 22 one of the busier
men uh in the hobby uh with his hobby schedule and hit the show uh circuit and
uh we're going to talk a little bit about that the national and chop up some other hobby things so we're going to
take a quick 30 second break and then we'll be back with Alex Trester hi I'm
Isaac Albert a longtime Card Collector and the co-founder of the penny severer
my wife and I started the penny severer with a simple premise in mind to offer collectors top quality supplies at fair
prices we offer a full range of hobby supplies and we'll get them to you fast
whether you're looking for a 260 Point magnetic for that oversized batch card
or a slew of semi- rigids for your next PSA submission the penny severer has you
covered shop now at the penn.com and use the promo code sction to get 10% off
your first order that's SC Nation for 10% off at the penny.com
the penny severer top quality supplies fair prices okay here is the second part
of my conversation with Alex Trester we pick up right here talking about the
show grind and the amount of shows he does enjoy about how many shows are you
at per per year with I originally put out that I didn't want to do more than one a month and it turns into probably
at least two I would say I'd say about 24 I mean because this I think some
months might be like three um s average is out because like December it's only one like one yeah um and everything else
like that I'd probably say like 24 to 25 maybe a year yeah and and you know
that's that's a lot especially if they're not all local and then obviously they're they're not uh in your case so
that incl you know whether it be driving or flying and and you know anyone that's
been in the National for the whole week knows the wear and tear that takes on you right the steps and the walk in and
and that sort of thing and even in a two or three day show there's there's wear and tear you know uh there is and we can
revert back to what we're saying about giving people vacations right if you go to these shows for for flying around if
you're flying to Dallas if you're flying to LA to go to you know the West Coast card show formerly known as the Burbank card show you know if you're flying to
CSA you're flying to New York to go to the east Co National you know you're going to the National going to be in Chicago for the next when you leave the
show yes there's going to be trade nights all over the place going to be so much stuff going go see the city right
go out and you already did the one part of getting to there you have the hotel Go Vacation a little bit right get your
mind off things go see what they have maybe hey look up some stuff for the city hey what's Chicago have to offer a
lot of people if you do the research right now cuz I've already started doing it is the white socks are have a
homestead in the beginning of the week and cubs have a homestead at the end of the week the Cubs are playing the clubs
are playing the Orioles and the white socks are playing the Phillies all during the national going off you know
go head up a game you know go go get some you know Chicago dogs go try the deep dish pizza go try go see you know
some of the tallest uh buildings in the country there you know and everything go
see the cities you're going to on top of it and overall you're refreshed and come in the next day ready to rock um so yeah
yeah so you know traveling around you it's funny is because I people see me travel everywhere and stuff and
there's not a lot where I'm getting on the plane like I drive a lot of places a lot of stuff you know there's a lot of lot of local shows that are within a
couple couple hours kind of range kind of what I deal with and everything and then of course I do go a little bit
farther out for the Philly show I'm going to be doing um the White Plain show in January I'm actually going to go
up there to that and um try hopefully to get over to Nashville and everything else I want to do a couple other ones
you know a little bit Midwest I need to go see my boys RBI crew 7 you know Ryan and Neil um over there in the St Louis
area so uh it's it's fun like I I enjoy it um but it it is it's a to yeah it's
and and and I don't mean that and I think you you know you know not not say in a bad way it's just that's just
normal wear and tear that's going to happen I don't care if you're just going on a regular vacation you know you
always hear people say I need a vacation from my vacation I'm I'm tired right so
it's it's it's just it comes with the the territory and a great Point uh by you Alex with uh whatever City you're in
for whatever show you know the the show doors Clos catch a ball game go to
dinner try the local fair you know I know Ryan from breakout cards he's he's a music guy like I am you know besides
sporting events which I try to go to I even see hey there any bands uh in town
uh just by by coincidence that I like and and you know want to see I haven't I
haven't had it happen yet but I've definitely been uh to some ball games uh dinner with friends and all that stuff
it's a great Point too is even though it might be with someone who's in The Hobby like us it's something different than
the Hobby and sort of you know like you said you you come in recharge the next day energized uh and whatnot I don't I'm
not a trade night guy so uh when the show ends like I'm looking for that
whether it be dinner or you know in Chicago White Sox Cubs game in Cleveland
I went to a uh an Indians Tigers game uh last year so so the night doesn't end
it's just the show ends you're music guy did you go to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while you're were there I did I did I
actually did that was the first thing we did before uh getting to the that I came in a day earlier to check that off the
uh the bucket bucket list we uh we came in a few days earlier and we went to the
Guardians game the night before but earlier that day we were actually at the um Pro Football Hall of Fame we went
down to to Canton and actually you know took that little 45 minute drive you know down it went to that so it was uh
it was pretty pretty cool and everything you know it's you just you just got to find those things I'm I'm a you said
you're not a tra night guy I am I love being amongst the people I'm the people person I want to hear the stories I want to see the people interacting with
everybody and stuff like that and that's why you know I've gotten um really
really in with the national and helping them with their trade nights you know for and because I just I just want the
the best experience for all these collectors these thousands of collectors is going to be in this one room and just
seeing them all you know wheeling and dealing and talking and chatting up and you know maybe celebrities coming in or
athletes coming in and just the excitement in their faces and stuff like all night long after they just did it
all day long around the corner in inside the inside the main halls and stuff now these are collectors with collectors
because a lot of the vendors don't go a lot of the vendors cuz they're all day whe like we don't need to go to that and
these are the collectors the collectors oneon-one you know having a good time yeah and just I I have nothing against
them I don't want to come as like anti it's just not it's not my scene and I
don't want to say it's not my scene but at that point I'm you know I want to go to a sporting event or dinner and like
try to be winding down 10 11 o'clock you know this just as well some of these trade nights are going 2 three in the
morning I had one of my best profit flips at the
Chicago uh National two years ago um with J Mojo Sports called me up at like
2:30 in the morning saying hey we're still going strong come on over here so I took the Uber back over to his hotel
and there's like 10 people in in the lobby that were dealing and someone came up and I did a did a quick deal for $200
for a card and within 24 hours I made $2,000 profit on card yeah that's that's
cool like I said I I I'm I don't have anything against that just this these
old you know the younger version of me could maybe could take that on the older
version of me I I I gotta be snoring at that time and well when I so now or the next day I could do it I
could do it Alex but the next day I'm gonna be in no shape uh to to make and
and and with me doing work for these shows and stuff like that now and everything trust me my my I'm Chang and
I'm I don't want to be there till freaking 3: in the morning because I know in 5 hours I I have to be up there
hopefully shooting you know some content of them you know people coming in doors to you know some something's happening
at the tops Booth or anything else and stuff like that right you know I got to be on my toes especially if you know
these companies these bigger companies and and the whole show as a whole wants me there doing that stuff like as much
fun as I want to have all night long you know especially in Chicago because you got Rivers Casino right down the road
right too you know that's where the whole if everyone listening right now if you want to find where everyone is if
they're not at a trade night they're all at rivers casino gambling that night and you might run into a few athletes there
gambling too just gonna give little heads up too but uh yeah it's just like I'm again I just turned 43 and you know
I'm not I'm not as young as I as three quarters of the people that are out that the shies and stuff like that so you
know I gotta I gotta Tone It tone it back as much as I want to go hard in the paint I got I got to turnone it back too
myself yeah I got nine years on you if I'm up at 3:00 I can't go at that point
I I'm not gonna go to sleep because that that'll do more damage uh that'll do more damage uh uh then good I might as
well just stay awake and just uh grind it out but uh uh yeah that the you know
52 year old version of me is is not the same as 35y old version of me I like
this I like to I like to convince myself otherwise but my body says uh uh no soup
for for you so no soup for you great Seinfeld's one of my Seinfeld's one of
my favorite shows of all time yeah and when your last name's Newman you you better like SEF you know and you're from
New York city so your last name is Newman and you're originally from New York City you better like SEF because if
I had a nickel for every hello Newman I get I I retired already so uh there
there you go uh but yeah I I really you know I appreciate you you know sharing that too I think you know not I think
most people know I don't want to paint with a broad brush Alex I think most people know the work you put in and and
and others and and and and whatnot but I think there's some the reason I like to
talk to someone who does that and you know have them kind of talk about that is is for the ones that really don't
realize they think it's just 100 % fun and you know it's like Star Trek and you
just you just teleport to wherever you're supposed to be and then you know it it's difficult sometimes leaving the
show and getting to another area whether it be by Uber or mass transfer or even
your own vehicle like I drove to Cleveland and we had for for different things so you know there's a lot that
goes into planning your itinerary and yes it's fun I'm not sitting here you
know for having a pity party for for people putting into work I just want them to get sort of that that deserved
credit for for the grind and and the wherewithal to to get all this stuff done and and and provide that content so
that's that's kind of where where I'm I'm you know I'm coming uh I appreciate
you know I appreciate a lot of people don't realize you know so many people just like man you're posting every day you got a video every day on Instagram
you know you're putting stuff on Tik Tok you're doing all this stuff like you know how do you have the time for this I'm like look at the videos right how
many of these videos do I have the same outfit right it is you I'm putting so much you know it's a lot of video
capturing different things at one show or or at one time and it just spread off throughout you know months and weeks and
everything right you know there's this is this is if anyone's into content creation and stuff like that right like
this time of year is normally the one that's hardest to if you're not if there's no shows going on nothing's
happening don't don't know what's really really to do for content creation this is where all your backloaded stuff that
you could have be like oh I wanted to do this you know now you can bring that video forward you know cut it and crop it and put it out there you know I I I
have had times where I sat in where I do a lot of my videos and stuff on my dining room table I'll take like five
shirts and like 10 hats and you know I mix and match and I'll do I just in my mind I want to do this this this I'll
bulk I'll bulk bulk record you know I'll do this and this and this and this and it's all saved for rainy days for times
where you just you know all right I already have this already done I don't really want to do anything else just to keep the consistency going right and
that's where a lot of the grind is it's behind the camera the editing aspect and stuff like that and over time it you
know you get you get better at it you have fun with it and I've I've enjoyed finding templates and everything else
and music that be added to it and other little clips and stuff like that how can this be funny and and everything else
like that that's why like a lot of my stuff is hodg podge and and that and this and that I'm I'm all over because I
just like I'm gonna post something that I feel I'd want to see right and hopefully you know my the audience that
watches my stuff would want to see it too yeah it's a it's a great point and and I've gotten a little bit better at
that as as kind of doing you know a bunch of stuff like pick a day and and maybe really tackling some content
creation and and and knocking a bulk out of it in one day rather than even every
day uh if you will you do a better job with the with the set changes and clothing changes though anyone that sees
me it might be the same shirt or or hat so hats off to to you there to you there
this is this is like the one time that I I'm not like I have I'm I'm a walking billboard like everyone gives me their
shirts and their hats and stuff and I'm constantly switching around supporting so many different people because you know and none of not one person's paying
me to wear it right you know recently you know mantle you know the new app just recently started up I mean they
already had the the website and everything they just launched app you know you know Evan Parker sent me I mean
he was just on he was just on yours yeah right he sent he's just he sent me uh the hat to wear because I I met I met
him back at the national and everything else this past year gave me one of his hat actually at Fanatics Fest and I wear
it all the time and he's seen in the videos right and everything I'm not getting paid for that right I'm just and
I and I tell everyone and that's that's a good thing that's a good thing because it's organic and and you you you like
the platform right and um you know now full I'm a very transparent person
we have SP sponsors on this very podcast that you but I'm I would never have a
sponsor that I wouldn't I don't either don't use or wouldn't and I've said no
should I've said no and you know I've had someone ask me you're saying no like
yeah I don't and I don't you know because you have take it person back it you have
to mind yes if you believe in your mind you don't believe in that product
whatever like that there's no you know don't just because they're they're offering some money and stuff like that
you're not selling El right you don't want to so you know and then that's awesome yep time to hear from one of our
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covered let's go you are listening to the sports card Nation
Podcast we touched on the national a little bit it's under new leadership that the one in Cleveland that happened
here the and July front end of August was their first uh not their first show
but their first national uh under their belt uh I I enjoyed Cleveland the city
itself as well like you said you get the Rock and Roll Hall uh I I think I said
Indians earlier it's Guardians I still do that probably always will at some point or another but went to a Guardians
Tigers game um but the show itself um I thought went was very well put on I know
people complained about traffic you know full again I'm a transparent person have an immediate badge I was there very
early so I sort of avoided some of the stuff other people were complaining about so maybe I'm not the best guy to
talk about it and you know Wi-Fi just seems to be an issue regardless of city
um I'm not a uh an IT guy but I I really enjoyed Cleveland I know people are
saying that might be the last time uh we see it there I hope that's not the case I'm a little spoiled because I can I can
drive to Cleveland Alex I can't drive uh to Chicago and I know like you said
we're gonna have Chicago yeah the next three years and I know Chicago is a great venue I'm not picking on Chicago
from that vantage point I'm just saying from an ease to get to it's going to
cost me more because I'm going to fly rather than drive um and that sort of thing um but you know what did you think
of of the first go around for that new uh leadership group and and the national
itself and um I I thought they of course you know they've been around the industry for a long you know they just
so happened to take it over finally from the old regime and I think they just F they fell into it and kept the same a
lot of the same procedures policies and stuff that you know the previous years and everything you you can see a little
little differences of maybe upgrades here and there and some things you know more modern type of stuff I think did a
good job you know Cleveland as a whole um same way I had to drive I I mean I
drove there you know so I'd have the vehicle to get around because knowing the distance you know a lot of people didn't know that you know the hotels
weren't right there next to it Chicago next three years you're within walking distance of like a million different hotels right there to Rosemont to the
convention center and everything which is great and the Ubers are a little bit easier right there too um but the the
venue inside and I think the people that had the VIP passes probably say they
loved it the most if they went if you went downstairs to the VIP room which was you know pretty much the whole
bottom of the show underneath you not to cut you off I almost yeah I
almost felt like it was a secret level it not everybody know it was a show
within a show like there was the it was technically a trade day all day long downstairs they had they had um stuff
people on on the stage doing stuff throughout the day but all the tables were filled with people wheeling and
dealing talking Sports and a lot of people didn't know that the food line down there was like this small compared
to the food lines upstairs like this small this big um I I and the bathroom
and the bathroom line line line was you right yes non-existent so um I think
having a venue recreate like that experience for the VIP individuals right
I don't Chicago can't do that because like right now they're they're trying they're trying to do the same they want the VIP room and if you in if you're in
Chicago two years ago that you know that the ltic VIP room was a lot smaller it was a lot smaller compared to the VIP
room last year so they're trying to continue on with the same type of um area long bigger area this year's coming
up in future and that's one of the things I'm helping with a little bit trying them trying to figure that out you know they going to have a big area
like they're going to have the the national trade nights like they did this past year you know and then just push
everyone out and then bring them back in because the VIP room and they're going to have a lot of different stuff there they're they're doing I'm saying I think
think having that bigger area was incredible below but like you said it was like a hidden room that most people
if you didn't have the VIP Badges and stuff you couldn't get down there like you didn't know and and until it was
like the trade nights every night that people was like where was this what this this was going on down there the whole
time so um overall you know know breaking is has become you know big in
the industry so the whole whatnot area in the back I'm telling you when I when I first walked in there and I saw that
screen whatnot had and I I thought I was at like a um at a casino in the
Sportsbook area you know all the people were breaking on there at once I think the layout was was good right they had
all corporates in one side and all the vendors and you know and everything laid out I think I think they're trying to
figure out the um analytic sides of know where the people should be and stuff and more more that's happening which is I
think is a good thing yeah and keep in mind uh you know uh I'll defend them a
little bit right they're well it's not their first foray in into putting on a show it's their first four rating in
putting on a national and that's the Super Bowl of shows right and you're talking about an event right that
there's there's dealers that that can't get tables that there's a waiting list I think there's more people every year in
the hobby that are attending uh these Nationals or wanting to or trying to so
it's a it's a big task and so you know uh for for their first uh you know their
first year on the job if you will uh as far as the national goals I thought it
was you know pretty good I I could nitpick you know year two where maybe I'll be a little bit more like all right
let's see what they learned or didn't learn and how they adapted and and what they you know they've already made a
decision like to to get more dealer table space and and get some people off that waiting list so that's that's nice
as someone who is a dealer you know I'm I'm I'm glad to see that and I'm not on that list I'm just saying as a dealer
um you know it's good to see like some people getting a table rather than not that list maybe uh being a little
shorter so um you know they got a lot on their plate um it's good that they're
listening to people uh Alex you know rather than sort of have tunnel vision
or think they have all the answers because no one has all the answers but together right if we work together and
and pick uh various brains right maybe we can come up with some new ideas new Solutions and different ways to approach
uh something right to make it better and make it a better experience so but the
national you know I I it's kind of the national is always to me gonna be you
know the Super Bowl the hobby I I I don't know I'm the first one to say that maybe I'm not I I don't know but that's
how I look at it right it's that week we circle on our calendars every year to to
buy some cards for some people to obviously sell some cards uh to get together with with hobby friends and
hobby family uh and you know see each other maybe see someone for the first
time or see someone again this year and um no matter who's in charge of it that
that will never not be to me never not be the case and uh but again it's good
that they're they're taking some input from people on on the ground level or or in the trenches as as I like to say that
uh you know kind of you know have their finger on the pulse so of what's going on and uh I think that's important and I
think you know you need that I think there could be issues when when you don't use that that card in in your in
your deck so glad to hear that they're they're doing that yeah one of one of the most important things about you know
the national and everything because I I'm getting ready to start my um my road to the National you know tips and tricks
and stuff like that do it every year you know and everything kind of it'll be repetitive each year but there's a lot of new individuals that weren't
following me before or knew the industry Maybe first time they're go to the National they want to see this stuff for whatever like right now we're seven
months away from seven months right you know crazy preparation right going out
and maybe buying your ticket now if you have a little bit extra funds putting the funds away figuring out where you're going to stay everything else getting
your tickets right now and everything right you know and and you know I got to bring it up a little bit right you know
because the whole Fanatics Fest and you know the national and stuff like that I want people to understand you know yes I
worked for the national I've done stuff for Fanatics and everything else like that too you know and I'm playing on going to go probably going to be at
Fanatics Fest also the month prior Fanatics Fest is a fan Festival it is not a card show it just so happen to
have cards at it the national is a card show all right don't compare try not to compare the two there's so many people
that are comparing the two and you can't there that is two completely different
experiences when Fanatics if they ever get to that role has Panini Leaf all the
comp car company you know anything that deals with with the with the hobby at Fanatics Fest now you can start
comparing it to the National but until then I don't think they ever get there you can't compare the two they're two
different experience so you're going to have a lot of individuals that that are going to say I'm going to go to New York for a Fanatics F and not go to the
National if you're into this hobby like you got to try to figure out how to get to both honestly like if you want to if
you want to experience and I'm telling you it's I I the Fanatics Fest experience was just incredible with the
with the the wrestling intros and everything else with but the national there's no it's the granddaddy of them
all right you know and that's where everyone knows circle on your calendar the end of July beginning of August you
are coming together to to do this with your friends you you know you're going to go go out with your friends that you
don't you talk to online all day that you chat with all day you troll every day right and everything else like that
you know you get to go see your favorite if you're in the breaking your favorite Breakers are there and stuff like that your the the hobby personalities that
are roaming around May able to get to see them for the first time right and then on top of all the ath athletes the athletes are there signing you know
there's some athletes that never signed before you know that are at these shows you know and everything else like that
there's the people like so many people also forget about you have that area where the signers are they forget about
the the the um front area guft you know you got you got um stars like uh the guy
from American p and you know uh uh what was the um Rookie of the Year you know
that guy you know that he played in that I forget his name he's really big into going to the shows Jason Paige the voice
of the Pokemon you know original theme song he's always there out front these people you don't have to wait in line I
mean wait in their the line but you don't have to get tickets they're right there along autograph Rose out front
that so many forget about these celebrities the sandlock cast they're usually a few of them are there chilling and everything I got to meet them at the
CSA show couple at the last show it was pretty cool you know these are the people like you just don't realize until
you're there in front of you like oh my gosh like hold on I love that movie I watched that movie so many times now I
get to actually interact with you you're not gonna be able to do that anywhere else like it is legit the area of like a
Comic Con right outside the national but I mean you you got all the exclusives
with the national you got the you know the trade nights you got everything the world's your oyster there right now
seven months out 200 and some days you should be preparing if not just putting a list of I need to pay for my hotel my
flight this by this date this date this date I want to get my tickets I want to get this or whatever I've already seen
they announced that you know this person's signing this person sign get tickets to that you do your stuff now
instead of waiting till the last minute yeah no doubt seven months goes quick look it seems like it seems like we just
finished the one in Cleveland and that was five months it doesn't feel like five months feels like it was yesterday
right and so in another five months it will be two months out like in in in
Chicago you make a great point the hotels are closer to the venue but they sell out quick you don't want to you're
not going to get a good hotel or close Hotel waiting in the last month or two
so you really want to booked that now it's a great Point by you another great point you make Alex Fanatics Fest and
and the national are are different events uh and they mo they both might be
great but they're different events I think it's sometimes unfair that we compare them um to each other I haven't
been to a Fanatics Fest uh yet even though it's basically in my hometown
haven't haven't got to one I I I was 5050 on getting to to this year I couldn't make it happen but people don't
realize people don't realize you're New York you're still what five hours from from New York City being in Syracuse oh
yeah yeah it's it's not right there but it's from your hometown where you grew up but where you're at New York now it's
still a nice little drive for yeah and it wasn't even the drive it wasn't even the it wasn't even the drive Alex in
this case it was I just had some other stuff going on that I couldn't squeeze it in would have been just too difficult
too stressful but I'd like I'm I definitely it's on my list to to go to at least one see what it's about and uh
but it's a great point that these are these are not the same type of shows and going to one isn't the same as going to
the other and I I really appreciate you you're pointing that out because it's that's what everyone who's who's went to
both will will test uh test to so well listen I Alex I appreciate you coming on
sharing some of what you do and and you know the work you put into it uh I
always give the guest sort of the the last word here anything you want to share socials you know website whatever
it is uh throw it out there so people can see uh the content that you're creating and and what you're John I
really appreciate you having me on and everything um again like we discussed before prior to you know even hitting
record like I can sit here and talk hours hours hours I can keep going on and on and on um but majority places
where you can find me well we'll have you we'll have you back watch what you say cuz now you're officially invited back but but go ahead I got I got come
in studio right I need to take the drive up there and well listen we'll do something maybe we'll do something uh in
Chicago so 100% I'd be down for that always um you can find most of my stuff
these days right now on Instagram there a lot of short form type of content occasionally I put some longer stuff on there whatever um a lot of people don't
know this you you know might be breaking news like this new year you know we're into the new year already um I'm going to be uh starting YouTube videos back up
again this is I'm I'm not going to have a a crew with me like it that is it's the double-edged sword you know see
camera crew is following someone and everything else like that I I I don't want to be that person but at the same time I want to be that person because I
don't I'm not going to show the transactional side I'm not going to show the the deals constantly I'm going to show the hobby the people the community
the stories and everything else the educational aspect you know talking to individuals asking them questions having
them ask me question that's the type of stuff I want to get out there right will they get a lot of Engagement who knows do I care I don't right I'm just doing
this for fun I like putting it out there like this is a lot of people I I I didn't say it in the beginning I
literally did this to get away from my real life back in 2008 going through the bad divorce and everything like it's
always been an Avenue to get away from everyday life and now it's turning yes now it's turning into a
little bit more of the everyday life on top of getting away from anything so so um you can find me man on there I do do
push out a lot of stuff over the Tik Tok too how much longer it's going to be there we don't know right right now it
might not be there um in a few weeks but uh it's on there you know the algorithms are different but I do have a bigger
fall in Instagram and then YouTube they're all under the same username Army at72 if you see anywhere if you see what
not Fanatics live you know any of the forums anything on you see Army ATC 22 that's me I got him everywhere on mantle
on everything like I went and quickly hey new thing out let me get it real quick making sure no one else steals it
um some people have they tried to not fast enough so uh and if you didn't know I
should have started this in the beginning I was in the Army I was an air traffic controller so that's the ATC and 22 is my lucky number that's how I came
up with my handle 16 17 years ago um but you know all the all the social don't
steal it don't steal it because it's personal steal um all the social media you know you can find me on there you'll
see the interviews I have with athletes I do at shows you know I go to a lot of I go to the CSA show Philly show I'm in
the back room I do some um interviews with athletes and a lot of times I'm doing a lot of content asking them about
veterans you know that was my original hook to get into the back rooms and stuff like that to do media work and was
just like I want to talk to these athletes about you know hey maybe their parents were in the military they did something with USO you know maybe they
had kids that joined the military maybe they went to the milit on Military Academy and stuff like that you know so
um the CSA show and the pr team really like that that angle right because on
top of that I'm doing a lot of show floor stuff too showing you know the collectors and stories and everything else and uh and it's just it's just
grown from there and I'm still doing like when I get the lists of names from individuals that are coming to these
shows that are assigning athletes I do my I do my deep dive in every single one see if anyone had the mother father you
know whatever like at the last CSA show I got to sit down with Larry zanka I sat down with Larry zanka it was like for
almost an hour but on film was like seven minutes I mean you Syracuse Alum
right I say he's a he's a legend here in Syracuse he's telling the stories that
his whole family the whole tree was military background but he wasn't you know and he missed the draft because he
was at Syracuse and he got coded differently and didn't get drafted and he just told that whole story and
everything just me being a Die Hard Dolphins fan on top of it was just like I'm just I'm just like yeah this is
awesome I'm likeing everything right so you'll see a lot of interviews that I have with the athletes like that but also showing the stories for a lot of
stuff and a lot of b-roll footage from from these shows so um a lot of stuff on East Coast you know occasionally I do
get to go out to the West Coast you know I've worked with Rizo Sports and got to go out to the West Coast with them um
and then uh went to Dallas for the first time this last year Dallas and cultureal collision um last year um for the first
time and everything so ventured out there I want to try to get in out of the Midwest you're going to see a little bit more traveling possibly this year
because I am teaming up with the Tri City Chili Peppers that are right here below Richmond they do the cosmic
baseball I've done some of that showed some of that footage on Instagram and stuff so I'm going to be traveling with
them because they're traveling for the first time they're going to go to Toledo Ohio they're going up to Lehigh Valley
Pennsylvania Nashville they're going to uh somewhere in in Texas they're think going Indie they're going all over the
places and they're filling they sold out AAA stadiums to do this Cosmic baseball just think of cosmic bowling but under
the black lights but baseball you go to my page you sum of stuff it's incredible it like once you see a game like this
it's like I don't want to watch any it's like it's yeah yeah that's crazy stuff but uh yeah so I'll be all over um this
weekend coming up you know I'm gonna be at uh Virginia Beach um actually no this weekend coming up is Raleigh um at the
end of the month is a Virginia Beach show um all within this two-hour R in Richmond Virginia you know there a lot
of the shows I do around here and uh I'm actually setting up as a vendor you know I don't get to set up as a vendor as much um some of these shows I try to
pick and choose you know bam bam I can actually send up because I have three tables worth of products I have not
products but value boxes and showcases and stuff like that and there's some of the best I've been told so uh so yes if
you're in the Raleigh area this weekend fourth and the 5th stop by stop by you
know inside pitch promotions letting up the show it's going to be a good two-day show there you go uh get get a little
rust in there in there too mi mix it a nap if I I'm a nap guys so I like to mix
in a a nap when I can Alex but uh hey man I appreciate your busy guy as I said
appreciate you making some time uh for sports Carnation and and we'll have you long as you come back we'll we'll have
you back again uh as well we always come back always have a good time all right good to hear thanks Alex awesome dude
right there and uh I don't know he does it man you know getting that energy but
former military guy he knows to grind so does it with ease and uh you know if
you're at a show that he's at definitely uh go up to him and say hi and uh you
know he's he's he's a great Ambassador for the hobby right I know I use that you know the two a words right
Ambassador and Advocate and I think he kind of checks uh both of those boxes so
uh glad to have M we'll have them back too there was some stuff uh we didn't even get to so uh look for him maybe in
the future uh back on another episode all right we're going to hear from our Hobbies the people announcer and some
closing thoughts and wrap up this week's episode time for our hobby is the people
announcer of the [Music] week hello sports card Nation this is Al
from Iconic baseball keep collecting stay iconic and above all else remember
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