Hobby quick hits
delivering that breaking hobby news You want to know those hot drops from the car shop? We've got you covered with Welcome to another edition of Hobby Quicks. I don't know, it seems like it's been more than two weeks, but uh happy to be back. Uh today's a Q&A episode. So, you know, I always get I don't want to say always, but a lot a lot of times I'll get uh questions asked to me uh via DMs or emails. I always answer them answer them in in a prompt fashion. And you know, depending on the question, I will ask the person who asked it. Hey, do you mind if I use this question on a future Q&A uh episode because I think it may be a question others uh may have as well or I find it uh interesting. Sometimes they could be about the hobby, sometimes it could be a little off uh topic. Uh it could range to to both. So, uh, that's what today's episode. We got a lot of news, uh, sort of to catch up on because, uh, last episode we did our football preview and we we kind of cut out the news segment to devote more time to the the preview. So, we'll we'll catch up on some news and, uh, as always, we'll have our uh, product release uh, schedule uh, as well. So, uh, we get a quick break and then we'll be back with first with the releases of the next couple weeks. Okay, now a quick word from our great sponsor followed by the new product release schedule. Then we'll go around the hobby verse to tell you all the latest hobby happenings and news. Then we'll tackle today's topic of discussion. Hi, this is Pat Hughes, Cubs announcer, coming to you from the sports card shop in beautiful New Buffalo, Michigan. The Gocher family has built an incredible place here for collectors to buy, sell, and trade cards and memorabilia. Be sure to stop by and let Connecting sports, athletes, the hobby, and collectors around the world. Hi, this is Alan Pinket, and I'm here to tell you the Gocher family has done it again. They've just opened up the sport card shop in downtown Valparezo, Indiana, and it is awesome. If you're a collector, you need to check this place out. Tell them Allan sent you and get a free gift on your first visit. Let's check out this week's hobby wax releases. Take it away, Owen. Hey guys, Owen from the sports car shop. Let's go over the week releases. Starting off at the sixth, we have Fiora World Unique Football Edition 21 Soccer. Going to the eighth, we have Bowman Chrome Baseball Mega, Panini Black Football, Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Hockey, and then the ninth, we have Panini Flaws Football. That's a big one. And going to the 10th, we have Penise that Don Rous football hobby tin uh Tops Um Trustar Hidden Treasures Football Mini Helmet Platinum Season Edition. And then the 15th we have historic autographs 15 anniversary edition. Um Panini Impeccable Football Super Break Supercharge Series 2 Edition, Topps Disney Wonder, Topps Disney Wonder Blaster, Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey, and then the 16th we have Panini Donos WNBA uh, Panini Enirments Football. Um, then the 17th we have Leaf History Book Sports Edition Chapter 2, Panini Nor Soccer, Pieces of the Past, Royalty Tops UFC Knockout, and last but not least, Tristar Hidden Treasures Autograph Football Jerseys Edition series 2. Thanks, guys. See you later. Let's go round the Hobby verse and catch up on this week's hobby news All right, it's not really new news. Uh about a week old, but again, we weren't on last week, so we didn't get to cover it. Uh PSA has announced uh a price increase uh on some of their uh lower levels, but uh Value Bo 1999 to $21.99. Uh value $24.99 to $27.99 uh going up $5 to 44 uh.99. So going to cost you a little bit more to send to PSA. I think the grand scheme scheme of things the increases are minimal, but they're trying to uh offset some of the the you know the backlog, if you will. And if they're going to have a backlog, they want more money to to to, you know, get through it and get their way out of it. also announced add five days to any of the previous turnaround time. So add if it was 40 days, it's now 45. If it was 20 days, it's now 25. So add 5 days uh to any kind of uh um you know turnaround time estimates uh if you will. Uh staying on the PSA uh news front, uh they uh in uh correlation with the major league uh players incorporated a business arm of the players union. Uh some players were on eBay live uh opening product and pulling cards. Uh those players were Bobby Wit Jr., Corbin Carroll, Bryce Terang, Trevor McIll, Justin Turner, Evan uh uh Evan Carter, and Travis Bazana. And some of those car, some of those key cards that they pulled, some of the bigger hits will be slabed by PSA uh and sold uh uh on the platform. Um, if you win that card or buy that card, uh, you'll get a video of that said player uh, pulling uh, pulling that card and the slab itself will be designated uh, players uh, collection. So, and uh, I know Bobby Wit Jr. and Corbin Carroll for sure, but I think all those players that I just mentioned are all collectors uh in their uh own right. So, uh little little own a little small piece of of small history there if that's uh uh sort of your thing. So, uh happy uh happy uh auctioning there. another uh the Baltimore news 1914 Babe Ruth uh you know Air Tags rookie graded SGC3 which sold in December of 2023 is coming uh back uh for sale this time on Heritage uh their fall auction and last sold in December of 23 for $73 million. This is a card that's only been available to auction uh two times in the last 10 years. This will be the second time in the last uh 10 years. And uh million December of 2023 sale. Holy cow, I don't believe it. We'll we'll see here uh come uh the Heritage fall auction. If you like to get Otani cards like I do, there is one that was only distributed on September 21st uh at Dodger Stadium. It's the Darte uh Dodgers three card set which features Otani uh Freddy Freeman and Tioscar Hernandez. they were given out uh to fans uh coming through the turn styles only 10,000 uh sets produced. So uh it's uh you know something if you collect Otani cards there's one that uh maybe you can chase and add to your collection. Uh uh Darte, I guess, is a um uh cosmetics brand that uh Otani is a spokesman for. And the three cards depict the players doing um a hand gesture that Otani did during their uh commercials there. So um uh you know, the chase is on uh for that set. All right. So, uh, you know, uh, Big Bucks is not just relying to, uh, the major sports. And not that tennis isn't a major sport, but Carlos Alcarez's tennis ball, the last one he hit to win the 220, uh, the 2025 US Open uh, in his uh, victory over Yannik Center, uh, just sold at Southern Beast in auction for that surpasses the previous record for a tennis ball, which was a 2013 US Open victory ball from Serena Williams. Uh that ball went for 9 and a half So $80,000 more. Again, we're talking 12 years uh later. So the market is a lot different. If you want a chance at another piece of Alcarez's uh history, uh the his racket, which is a Babbo Bablet or Bablet, uh forgive me if I pronounce that wrong. his racket from the 2023 Wimbledon victory over uh uh No, uh Nok Novac uh is uh going to be ending in October 19th on prestige memorabilia. It's already got uh bids and it's expected to go over 200 uh K. So uh if you want the racket from his 2023 Wimbledon run, save your money, and uh bid uh bid on that. uh as well. Fanatics has announced a first ever uh distribution to uh China with a basketball release which will be uh coming up here in a few weeks I believe 26 Topps Master Attacks and they're uh distributorship which is a manufacturing distributor uh to China to distribute that product uh to China first time uh for that. And so again, Fanatics trying to broaden their range and and obviously their you know be worldwide. So that's uh look for that if you're in China here uh very soon uh to to be honest with you. So uh there you go. Uh that's the news uh uh for this segment and u uh enjoy the hobby. And now our feature presentation. All right, time for another Q&A episode. Always enjoy these. Uh again, just so everyone knows, these are questions I've gotten over the last uh few weeks. I've already answered them. Uh they come in via either DM, PM, or email. Um I've or or text. Uh I've answered these to the people answer uh asking them already. They don't make them wait uh for the show, but I asked their permission to use it as part of the Q&A episode. So, uh that that's what you'll hear on the show. Uh if they let me use their name, I'll say their first name. Every once in a while, someone will say you can use the question. Just don't attach my name to it. I don't have any of those on today's particular episode. So, uh, with that being said, uh, let's start with, uh, in no particular order, just the way I I printed these out. First question comes from Riley, who asked, "John, I followed you and the show on social media. You didn't follow back. How How come?" Um, not I'm not malicious. I'm not avoiding you on purpose. I get a lot of sometimes I get a lot of like people who want to do logo designs and and different things like that. So sometimes I don't follow everybody back. The best way to get a follow back which I love to do is to be interactive. So if you like one of my posts or you you comment on one of my post I will see that and it will say follows you uh and it'll be a follow back sort of button to click. That's the best way to get a follow back. If it's important to you, PM me, DM me, and I'll make sure to do it. It's not I'm not not doing it uh to be negative or or malicious. I just, you know, I try to get to as many followbacks as I can, but sometimes uh they do slip through the cracks. So there's the best way to do it is sort of be interactive and then it's easier for me to see that I'm not following that person who's being interactive with me and then I I I fix that. Solve that. All right. Next question comes from Ryan who says, "I heard your preview uh baseball episode earlier this year, but now that the playoffs are set, give me your World Series matchup and winner." Uh it's going to be hard to pick against the Dodgers. Uh that just lineup is just too formidable. So I'll say the Dodgers uh And man, I I I'm leaning Tigers or Yankees uh in the AL. Uh AJ Hench is is a great manager and a great postseason manager. Tariq Scroo is one of the best pitchers uh in baseball. Hard to pick against them. So, I'll say Tigers or Yankees. And I'll hedge my bet by saying whether it's the Tigers or the Yankees, I'm going to pick the Dodgers uh to win the World Series uh again. So, Dodgers versus either the Tigers uh or the Yankees. Uh and that was a pretty new question that actually just came in uh yesterday. So, all right. Next question comes by way of Chad. Uh what are your thoughts uh with PSA PSA SGC and SGC's numbers on the decline? Um you know, people know how I feel about SGC and I'm a bulk s. Uh the latest generate report, uh I'd be lying if I said wasn't uh disappointing. Um I hope they're not going away. Um, you know, I hope the decline, and I know I just spoke about this on Hobby Hotline. Um, I hope the decline is coming from the place of a little tentative of this SGC going away and then when they don't, they'll jump back on board and submit. I will say this, I just had a bulk sub that was like my fifth highest, including before the bulk rates went away. So on a local level, uh uh I'm still seeing uh significant amount of cards. So, but again, when you look at the the big picture and that's not being indicated. So, yeah, it's disappointing. Uh I don't want SGC to go away, but it's also obviously not my call. And and what we're seeing here, folks, is I'm not sure what Collectors is doing other than opening the door up for a CDC to kind of try to step foot into that that number uh there's smart people that work in the building, I always say, but I I really this kind of decision. And you know, you asked about PSA. I know they just raised their prices. the the raises were very slight. So, I don't think that's uh significant there, but they extended their turnaround times by 5 days. Well, 5 days when your turnaround times are already pretty significant or also kind of a a blip uh on the radar. So, not not a lot to say there, but I just hope uh I hope SGC is is still around. And again, that comes from a selfish point of view, All right. Uh, next question comes from Laurel. Uh, a few weeks back, she asked me uh before the season, "Give me a football player that maybe I should be buying." And there's it's hard to give, uh, just one. And and I I'll take this question as this one that's sort of at a lower level but has the potential to um you know have a a higher ceiling if you will. I would have loved to say Brock Bowers. That's a guy that I have plenty of and been buying. Little slow start. I think he's got a nagging knee injury. I still love Brock Bowers. Um, another guy I love, Marvin Harris, Jun Marvin Harrison Jr., he's off to a little bit of a slow start, I guess. And I still believe in both those guys. So, it's a great buying opportunity as their cards uh will down tick, right? Uh, so there's two. Um, I obviously the NFL is a quarterback uh driven uh league. Um, you know, just when we thought the Chiefs were dead, they're starting to play well. Uh, I think Patrick Mahomes has a couple Super Bowls uh left in them uh before his career is over. May his cards might be a little bit down due to some of their early struggles. Might be an opportunity to snag a couple uh of his cards. Uh if you will, uh if you like rookies, you know, if you're a Giants fan or a Jackson Dart believer, you might go uh that route. you definitely on the the ground level potentially uh there in the quarterback uh side of things. Uh and if you think the Josh Allen era has begun, uh you know, again, his stuff's not necessarily cheap either, but uh you know, you might be able to get him if he was to win a Super Bowl uh title this year. Uh might be an opportunity to buy some of his stuff before that happens. I know you asked for one and I gave you a lot. Five or six there, but that's it's so hard to pick just one guy, especially in football. A sport I'm definitely passionate about. So, I gave you a few. Uh you may have your own uh thoughts or or other guys I didn't uh mention uh as Next question comes from Mark. And again, I I mentioned sometimes these questions are not hobby specific, which it's kind of nice cuz we're all human beings and we do stuff outside the hobby. Uh Mark says, "Hey, I follow you. You your personal Facebook account. I see you uh you post a lot of food pics and stuff you make. What is your favorite food?" Uh quick answers, anything I make on my Blackstone. Um but my favorite food really is probably seafood. Uh, lobster, crab. Uh, I'm a huge seafood guy. Could eat I don't eat it every day, but I definitely could. I couldn't afford to eat it every day, but seafood I could live on every day. Uh, one of my favorite uh uh foods. Thanks for the question. Uh, Mark Bob asks, "Uh, I've heard your hobby pet peeve show. Do you have any new ones that you did since the the show that I listened to?" I guess, you know, I don't nothing like ruins my day or anything like that. I don't let the hobby uh get to me uh to that level. It's it's 8% of my life. So, of non-hobby stuff that takes up my life. Um, I guess I'd say my if I have a new hobby pet peeve, and again, don't take this as me losing sleep or I'm mad or I'm punching walls, but I've noticed uh to me, and I could be wrong, this is one man's opinion, I've noticed in content creation, it seems like, and again, perception isn't always reality, but I feel like certain content creators, I think, are more in love with the content creation than the hobby or the cards themselves. And again, I don't want to paint with a broad brush. That doesn't apply to most people, but I think there are a segment of content creators who I feel like are more in love with themselves on video um than them talking about cards or showing cards and that sort of thing. That doesn't make them the antichrist or or bad people. It's just not my thing, right? the the cards were always here before the content creation was for me. So that that's the order uh that I put them in and will always put them in. So again, just just my perception and and my answer to that that question. Thank you uh to Bob. All right, we have one more question comes from Eric. He says, "What is your f I know you do vintage. What is your favorite player modern to to buy and sell and why? Uh man, that's again hard to answer one. I I I'll give you one. I I'm a I know he didn't have a tremendous year this year, but uh he's a collector in his own right, too. Uh so I might be competing against him to buy some of his cards. But that's uh Bobby Wit Jr. I think he's uh one of the best 5-2 players um in the major leagues. I reminiscent of Mike Trout. Hopefully he uh injuryfree unlike Mike Trout unfortunately. So Bobby Whit uh Jr. uh is my guy, you know, shortstop. People love shorts stops. Um and uh I know he signed a long-term deal in Kansas City. I know they didn't make the postseason. Uh but uh he's going to be barring injury is a guy that we'll we'll talk about uh every year. Probably a Hall of Famer barring injury and um just love how he plays the game. And I don't get to see him a lot here on the East Coast on TV, but anytime uh they they are on TV, I always make a point uh to watch him. And uh uh just a great player I I kind of like. And uh uh his cards can be, you know, he's not cheap. wouldn't classify them as cheap, but these cards are definitely affordable, and I think there's definitely a lot of sealing uh
