"SGC Decision and Fairgrounds Show Review" Hobby Quick Hits E237

0:01 Hey everybody, welcome to episode 237. of hobby quicks copy quick hits podcast i am one week late getting this out there my apologies for that a little bit busier my schedule sort of ramped up school has started again so i am back to working at school i'm also taking uh doing some college coursework as part of my employment so that's taking a few more chunks out of my daily pie if you will but uh Wanted to definitely get, I got some traveling coming up as well.

1:03 So I didn't want to get two weeks behind. So here we are. So what does this episode entail? Well, I just did my first show after a couple month summer hiatus from the show circuit. And it was my first show in, I believe, about three years where I did not have an SGC bulk submission table. So I'm going to talk about, you know, how the show went. kind of the thoughts and processes behind not having the SGC table and why, as you might have heard, they raised their rates up almost 300%. I'll talk about that as well, right? How I found out that news, my thoughts, as you probably can guess, not happy ones, and how this all kind of comes together as one with the show.

1:58 So that's what I'm going to dive into on this episode. We're going to skip kind of the news segment, folks, and we'll do the product release schedule, and then we'll dive into, you know, the SGC decision, my first show in three years without having a table for them, and my first show in a couple months after a summer hiatus. So, We'll kind of put all those into one basket and tackle it and dive into it. So there you go. Let's start the show. All right. It's me doing the product release schedule. Let's talk about the next few weeks and products coming out to the market. So let's start with the 23rd of September. We have 2026 Bowman Chrome Baseball Megas. All these are actually the 23rd, so I won't keep saying the 23rd. 2026 Leaf Autograph Collection Football Hobby and Jumbos. 2026 Topps Marvel Vault. 2526 Upper Deck Ice Hockey. 2026 Upper Deck Team USA Juniors Hockey. Now let's move to the 24th. 2025-26 Topps Pristine Basketball as basketball continues. To roll out with the licensing changing over.

3:29 Also on the 24, 25, 26. Topps Royalty Premier League Soccer. Going to September 25th. We have 2026 Leaf Metal Melange. 2026 Panini Score Retreat Halloween Bundle. That tradition continues. 2026 Wild Card Haunted Hits Breakers Brick. On the 30th, 2026, Bowman Football, Blasters, Delight, Hobby, Jumbo, and Megas. Also on the 30th, 2026, Panini Prism, WNBA Basketball. 2026, Pulse, X, Big League Chew, Baseball, Blaster, Hobbies, Megas, and Value Packs.

4:14 On the 30th as well, 2026, Top Star Wars, Chrome Blasters, Delight, and Hobby. On the 30th as well, 2026, Tops, Chrome, Tennis, Blasters, Delights, and Hobby. Also on the 30th, up 25, 26, Upper Deck, Splendor, Hockey. And let's go to the first week in October. We have the 2nd, October 2nd, 2026, Leaf Football, Pokemon, 30th Celebration, Booster Bundles, and Mini Tins. Going to the 6th. 2026.

4:55 Topps Mars Attacks Xmas. 2026. Topps Allen and Jinter Baseball Blasters and Hobby. That's on October 7th. Also on October 7th. 2026. Topps Museum Collection Baseball. 2026. Slash 27. Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey. So that's your next two or three weeks. Lots of products coming out. As I always say, choose your product, and happy ripping. Good luck. And now, our feature presentation. So let's start with the SGC decision. And really, I say SGC decision, but most know that that came from above. So they decided this on September, well, before that.

5:44 They announced it on September 2nd. On the 1st of September, and I'm not going to name this person, I got a message from somebody in the hobby who said, hey, John, heads up, SGC is about to raise their submission prices. I don't know to what, but it's happening soon. And, you know, I just thought I'd give you a heads up. And I said, OK, you know, it's weird coming from you. I would hope my rep, you know, as a bulk subber would have gave me a heads up and that sort of thing. you know, and then I hope, you know, well, maybe, you know, people talk, right? Rumors start and sometimes they never, uh, come to fruition. So I, I hope there was some of that, but on the very next day, September 2nd, I woke up and, you know, I saw the press release and, you know, from $ 15 to $ 50, that's a three over 300%, uh, increase. Uh, and, uh, it's crazy if you ask me and, um, talked to my rep.

6:47 I even told him about the heads up the day before. He said, doesn't understand how that happened. Everyone is pretty tight-lipped and that this decision came from, again, above rather quickly. So there wasn't a lot of time for stuff to get out. That's another bone of contention, right? A lot of times when companies raise their rates, if you will, They sort of gave you at least a week or two to get stuff in. Like, hey, you know, last call at the current level. This was sort of immediate. Now, in defense, you know, my rep said, hey, John, if you're in the middle of a bulk submission, we'll give you a couple days to finish that up and get it in and honor the, you know, lower previous price, which I wasn't because I had just sent one in probably like four or five days before, which that got in at the lower price. So he also asked me, you know, when's your next show? And I said the 13th, which was 11 days away from that conversation. And he goes, well, I can't help you there. You know, so my phone was very busy on September 2nd with some of my bulk subbers calling or texting, asking if it would affect their existing submissions, asking anything. if I was still going to take cards at the $ 50 level, which I'm not.

8:18 I just can't justify that. And frankly, let's be real, I'm not going to get nearly as many cards at $ 50 a pop than I was at $ 18. So, you know, and again, I'm paying the freight, I'm paying insurance, I'm paying shipping on these orders. At $ 50 a card, I'm going to wind up not getting enough cards to bulk sub and lose money. But it's not just that. I can't look my clientele in the face and suggest they pay $ 50 a card. And I get why these companies do this. You know, I get why they raise their rates when they get backlogged, right? And we know PSA took a good percentage of SGC's graders, making their manpower lower and their turnaround times longer. And now, you know, Now they're getting backlogged because of that, so they're trying to catch up. Now I was told that, you know, one of the questions I asked was, how long will this rate increase last? And I was told that hopefully they will be back down lower in January of 27.

9:28 But back down lower, what's that mean, right? Is it going back to the original low price? Is it going to be lower than 50, but 40 bucks, 30 bucks, 25 bucks? And that was another question I got asked by a lot of my clientele. When it comes down, will it be what it was? I don't know. I don't know. It's all speculation. But I would be pleasantly surprised if it went back down to the original 15 a car i don't expect that i hope that but i don't expect that so i'm gonna assume you know it's going to be you know lower than 50 but still you know anywhere from like between 25 and 40 bucks would be a guess i know that's a fairly broad range but that's what i think happens there. I mean, in a perfect world, it goes back down to 15 on January 1st, and all is good and right in the world. I'm not predicting that. I wouldn't bet my house on it. I wouldn't bet a lot on it, for that matter. So, you know, the show was 11 days away. All this happened on September 2nd. I had my show at the New York State Fairgrounds on September 13th.

10:44 My last show was June 7th, so I got almost two and a half months off of not doing shows. The summer months here in Central New York, we have the New York State Fair, which runs for almost two weeks, and a lot of outdoor events. So a lot of the show promoters and the main big one, which is the one I do shows with, sort of let that time to take a break. You know, he rents the fairgrounds. He can't rent the fairgrounds. They have a sort of two-month, you know, moratorium where there's no extra events there between the State Fair and other shows that have always, always, always done it those couple months. So July and August, you know, the Fairgrounds show takes a pause. And so September 13th was my first show in two and a half months. So I was chomping at the bit to get back You know, I love doing shows. I love being behind my tables. I love seeing my friends, you know, on both sides of the table. And so really look forward to September 13th. But I've done this bulk subbing now for years for SGC. Oh, and that's the other thing.

12:01 I had to call the promoter. He had some advertising out there with me and SGC, you know, being there and taking bulk subs. So he had to sort of, you know, kind of reel those back as much as possible, get those back in. And so it was a busy two weeks from the 2nd to the 13th, getting ready for the show, repricing stuff, answering a lot of questions pertaining to SGC. But I was really looking forward to the show, you know, for not doing one for two and a half months. But there's a little trepidation as well, and here's what I mean by that. is when you get used to doing something and you get used to if there's income involved and you get used to that income, truth be told, right, and that's not going to happen any longer, it can be a little scary. You know, I always do pretty well on both ends, right, with my own cards as a dealer and the SGC bulks up.

13:02 But there are moments, there are shows where, like, you know, they're they're kind of close uh you know but combined it makes for a very good show one maybe not as much so you're always fearful like i'm not gonna have that sgc bulk sub income it's gonna be strictly you know what i sell at my other two table and so that is you know that's can be i don't want to say scary but you know you you you think about it right like Again, you get used to a certain thing, and then when it changes, you know, by humans, we don't like change. So I was a little concerned about that. Are people not even going to come my way because I'm not taking SGC cards, right?

13:48 You know, the SGC table at these shows, you know, is great for everybody. For people who want to sub, it's great for me for a little side income. I'm not getting rich off it, but it is a nice little side income. It's good for the promoter because it brings people through the doors. And so I was worried that people are not even going to come over to the area I'm in. You know, sometimes when people sub SGC, they might buy some cards off me or vice versa. They come over to buy some cards and then they see the SGC stuff. So, you know, you're taking one of those elements out of that. So I was worried or concerned, you know, how is this going to affect my show? But there's nothing I can really do about it, right?

14:35 You got to just show up. You got to price your stuff accordingly and hope for the best. And there was a show the week before, another show by a different promoter, smaller show, but about, you know, 15 miles away from where this show is. And so you worry, did everyone spend their discretionary income last week? or a considerable amount of it. So all these thoughts pop through your head as a dealer. But you just, you got to go in and do the best you can and let the chips sort of fall where they may. So, you know, set up. And then what it was, and then what, you know, I do have, I did have some SGC cards that had yet to be picked up that were completed orders. So some of those people came out.

15:24 to pick their cards up, which was, you know, good. I don't like having other people's cards any longer than I have to. But what was a little surprising to me was, as big a news as that was, there were a few people that had no idea that SGC had raised their submission prices. So I had to turn away, unfortunately. Three people came up with cards and semi-rigids, all planning to you know, sub not knowing that they had raised their prices. And they're like, where's your table? And I'm like, I'm assuming you didn't hear the news. And they're like, no, what news would that be? And I'm like, SGC raised their price to $ 50. And, you know, they're like, holy crap, how long will that be for? I don't know. You know, I told them the same thing I just said on this podcast, that I'm being told that maybe in January the prices will come back down. So those three people did not sub at $ 50, and frankly, I wasn't going to take their subs at $ 50. But as soon as I told them that, they're like, oh my God, I guess I'll hang on to these until the price comes down.

16:34 I did have a fourth gentleman come to the table with his cards in hand and send me rigids to sub. He did know about the increase. He had about eight cards, and he was prepared to pay $ 50 a card. I informed him that I won't be taking them at that intake level and price. And so he's like, man, I have to see, you know, don't take, I'd rather go through you, John, but if you're not, I might have to, you know, sub these on my own and it's going to be more expensive than it would through you. But, you know, I'll have to think about it. So it told me right there, right, there are going to be people who still sub at $ 50 a card. Not a lot, a lot less. It's not something I'm going to do at that level. I even had a couple people, truth be told, ask me to, you know, could you see about another grading card company? CGC was mentioned. And, you know, I said, well, I never close the door on anything, but right now I'm not looking at replacing SGC. Let's see what January 1st, 2027, brings with a price reduction if we get one and what that looks like before I make any sort of rash, you know, jump off the ship, so to speak. I'm very disappointed with the decision.

17:55 I'd like to say I understand it, but I don't, you know, and it's going to be interesting to see. I know a lot of people have said, you know, collectors is trying to kill off SGC. I think it would have happened. I would assume it would have happened by now, but like anything is possible. you know, after the Beckett acquisition, which is the newest one, right? So maybe they do want to kill one off. And maybe SGC drew the short straw, right? So maybe, you know, less submissions come because of the new $ 50 price level and collectors can say, you know, SGC is not getting the volume and we're going to phase them out. I hope that's not the case. I really love SGC. Has nothing even to do with the bulk subbing. I love them as a brand. I love them more before the acquisition. But, you know, it's what are you going to do, right?

18:49 In a sense, we're at the mercy of the grading card companies, especially now where collectors owns the, you know, what many consider the big three. And then you have some other ones, right? CDC, TAG, Forensic, and others. So it's going to be interesting to see the next few months what happens there. So let's talk about the show. So I got the SGC stuff all kind of buttoned up and talking about how that went. So, you know, when you don't do a show for two and a half months, you definitely have to go through your inventory and reprice some stuff. I also did a couple new things with how I set up my tables. Every time I go to the National and I see what someone else has set up, it gives me ideas for my personal setup. So I had changed a couple things, was excited to put those in place, if you will, had repriced some stuff, lowered quite a bit of stuff, and had one of my best shows in a while. Like, I've had really good shows, but this one, and I was shocked, you know, without the SGC table there. I'll say this, I did more than I would normally do with the SGC table there without it. So that was a complete, I don't want to say a complete shock, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised uh surprise surprise sold a lot of graded cards you know from my showcases and the show at one point was so busy with stuff moving that early on you know i'd sell a

20:20 couple cards i put new cards out in the case and was kind of keeping up with it and this this show you know i couldn't keep up with the empty holes i tried you know i'd fill them some more cards would sell and i got to the point i was just you know i'd have a stack of cards sort of fanned out i just fan them out more to do um you know, fill the hole as best I can. But by the end of the show, you could see in my cases where there were holes that I couldn't even fill fast enough. So that is always a good problem to have. And very pleased with how the show went, especially considering all the surrounding circumstances. Have to buy some cards. I actually did buy some cards at the show. Nothing special. nothing crazy, bought some Otanis, and you say, well, nothing crazy, some lower level Otanis, just because I didn't have one to my dealer inventory whatsoever, I have some put away in my PC, but not in my dealer inventory, so sort of replenished that a little bit, bought a few graded cards, and then The week after the show, locally, I made some local deals, you know, via Marketplace and online and that sort of thing.

21:35 So did I fully restock? You know, I wouldn't. I'd say no because I sold a lot of stuff. But I have another show in Massachusetts, so I definitely didn't want to come into that show with a lot of holes in inventory. So I bought enough new inventory to be ready. for that Springfield, Massachusetts show. Speaking of that, when this comes out, that show will have already taken place. If everything goes well, I'll have some interviews with some of the show dealers there, and then I have two interviews scheduled with one former NBA player and one current NBA player. The former one is a Big East legend and Big East player of the year in 1994, Danielle Marshall.

22:24 former NBA player, and was in the coaching ranks as well. And then UConn legend Cam Spencer, national champion. He's with the Memphis Grizzlies. I'll be interviewing him at the show. So that, again, if everything goes well, you'll hear those interviews on future programming. So that's, you know, so the show was good. Over 900 people. Just short of 1,000 is what the promoter told me walking through the door, which is very, very cool. That is a good number for our area here in Syracuse. We're not a small city, but we're not also a major metropolis either. We're not New York or Boston or Los Angeles. So you get 900 plus through the door. That is a good thing.

23:16 And shows right now are just very successful across the board, across the nation. So my fears were, were put aside by what happened on Sunday, September 13th. I know I don't do a lot of show reviews. I don't, I'm not going to do a show review on, on every show I do, card show that I do, but this one with all the surrounding circumstances, it's been two and a half months since I did a show. Um, You know, the hobby is alive and well. What was impressive to me was a lot of people came up to the table and just bought stuff without even like, hey, can you do better? Now, I had some of that, too. That's par for the course. But it seemed like more people just came up and said, hey, I'll take that or I'll take those two. Or, hey, if I take I'm interested in these three, if I took them all, what could you do as far as price goes? So business was good. The show was very busy and did very well, surprisingly, and thankful and blessed that was the case. So, you know, we'll see what the grading landscape brings in the future. I don't know. I don't think anyone does.

24:32 Sometimes I don't even think the grading companies know themselves, honestly. I think, you know, I scratch my head sometimes with some of these things. decision-making, right? We know history tells us, right, smart people can make not smart decisions sometimes. You hope they don't. You hope it's the opposite, but sometimes that does occur. So that's going to do it for this episode. I thank everybody out there. Happy collecting, and we'll see you soon.