June 29, 2026

State of the Grading Space E232

State of the Grading Space E232

The Grading Space continues to change, evolve, regress all at the same time. It's been a bit since we checked in and covered it, so let's dive in on this episode.


Also:

*New Product Release Schedule

*Hobby News


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https://www.sportscardnationpo....com


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WEBVTT

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Hobby not Quick Hits, delivering that breaking hobby news direct loaders.

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You want to know those hot Josh card shaft shaff.

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You've got your copy.

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Your host John new name name, Welcome Episode two thirty

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two of Hobby Quick Kits, UH and UH.

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I hope you enjoyed.

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You know, we did that three part special with the

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NFL Draft review with Dan de Tour. I hope you

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enjoyed that a little different.

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UH.

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It's recording from his UH podcast and and UH radio show,

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but gave us permission to use it and figured why not. Right,

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It's it's you know, there is no off season UH

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in football. And we did the Q and A a couple

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of weeks back, but we're we're back on our hobby grind,

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if you will. And today's topic is definitely hot button

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in the hobby slash industry, right, and that's grating and

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the terrain and everything that's entailed, price increases, price levels

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being paused, you know, controversy, everything. We're going to really

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dive into it today. I've done these before, but it's

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been a while, so it's time to update sort of

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where we are in the grading landscape. And so that's

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what today's episode is going to tackle so, you know,

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full disclosure on a bolk suburb for SGC. So I

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come with a little bit of that angle as well.

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Okay, Now a quick word from our great sponsor, followed

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by the new product release get Then we'll go around

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the hobby verse to tell you all the latest hobby

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happenings and news. Then we'll tackle today's topic of discussion.

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Hi, this is Pat Hughes, Cubs announcer, coming to you

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from the Sports Card Shop in beautiful New Buffalo, Michigan.

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The Gocher family has built an incredible place here for

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collectors to buy, sell, and trade cards and memorabilia. Be

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sure to stop buy and let them show you around

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the Sportscardshop dot com, connecting sports athletes, the hobby and

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collectors around the world.

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Hi, this is Alan Pinkett and I'm here to tell

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you the Gocher family has done it again. They've just

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opened up the Sport Card Shop in downtown Valparaiso, Indiana,

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and it is awesome. If you're a collector, you need

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to check this place out. Tell them Alan sent you

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and get a free gift on your first visit.

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All right, let's go through the next couple weeks of

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hobby releases if you will not a busy couple weeks,

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just you know, a smattering of products. Let's go through

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them in order. Starting July first, twenty twenty six, Tops,

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Marvel Comics Chrome Blasters and Hobby the following day, July second,

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twenty five, Slash twenty six, Upper Deck Parkhurst Hockey going

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to the Thirdies are all from July third, twenty twenty six,

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Leaf Glory of the Game, Soccer twenty twenty six, Panini Donners,

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Elite Baseball, Pokemon Mega, Grinina Ex Premium Collection. Yeah, somehow

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I got through that. Staying on the third, twenty twenty

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six Wild Card, Matt Metal Soccer, Road to Glory. A

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lot of soccer products coming out. Wonder why. Some kind

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of big tournament going on July eighth, Star Trek, Voyager,

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Archives and Inscriptions. Staying on the eighth, the twenty twenty

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six Tops Finest Baseball, The Delight Edition, Hobbies and Megas

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also on the eighth, the twenty twenty six Tops Marvel

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Comics Chrome Mega following day on the ninth, twenty twenty

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twenty twenty six Keepsake bon Jovi Tour Collection same day,

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twenty five Slash twenty six Tops Motif Basketball. Also twenty

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twenty five Slash twenty six Tops Pristine Premiers League Soccer.

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Also on the ninth, twenty twenty five, Slash twenty six

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Top Shuifa Club Competitions, Museum Collection Soccer, Hat trick and Hobby.

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Also on the ninth, twenty twenty six Upper at Goodwin

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champions and three products to close out July tenth, twenty

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twenty six Leaf Metal Draft Edition Baseball, Hobby and Megas

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and twenty twenty five Tops Chrome Black Football actually two

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products rather than three, but two editions with the Metal

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Draft Baseball.

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So there you go. You know, twelve to fifteen.

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Products to choose and pick from choose wisely, Happy ripping.

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Let's go round the hobby verse and catch up on

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this week's hobby news.

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And find out well hobby hobby news. I definitely feel

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like we need to talk about or mention yantas Anacopo

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is no longer Milwaukee's going to Miami in a trade deal.

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His brother was soon waived by Milwaukee is expected to

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sign with Miami. So one of the big guns in

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the NBA is got a new home. To South Beach,

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and obviously it's going to have a hobby impact. And

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I'll make the argument that this is the one of

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the biggest acquisitions for Miami, the second biggest acquisition for

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Miami since they acquired Sheck from the Lakers. And you say, well, John,

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what about Lebron? Where does Heat rank if you if

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you think this is the second biggest acquisition for the

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Heats franchise history. While we'll keep this in mind, they're getting, uh,

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you know, Giannis who has a ring. You know, when

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they signed Lebron, he didn't have a ring, and there

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was already a pretty decent supporting cast there. So Miami

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gave up a lot for him. So the cupboard is

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not as full as when Lebron went to Miami. But

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it's gonna be interesting to see. You know, he does

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have that championship pedigree. I know things in Milwaukee have

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went south, no pun intended, So now he heads south

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from Milwaukee as they tried to rebuild with some of

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the stuff that they got from Miami and players and

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also in draft picks. All right, let's talk about cards.

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The biggest show in Northeast history. It's being billed at

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billed as July June twenty sixth and twenty eighth, so

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it's already happened at the time of this recording. But

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let's talk about it. Marlborough, Marlborough, Massachusetts, A thousand tables

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and fifty audis Graph guests, and that's that's kind of

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getting into national territory. Not exactly but pretty close. So

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congrats to those that have put her on. The show

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was over, but hopefully it went well for everybody involved.

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All right, let's talk about another sports story. I lied,

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I said, we'll get into hobby hobby, but the World

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Cup ongoing obviously if you follow it. The United States

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team we'll make it into the knockout round and out

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of the group stage. They do have another game before

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the knockout round. They're two and oh and I believe

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I'm not sure they play next. I think I heard England.

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I don't know if that's true, but they're two and

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oh and doing doing pretty well obviously on North American

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soil with games here in the States, Canada and Mexico,

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and so it's nice to see, right and especially when

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it's kind of your home championship, if you will. Now,

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I don't think anyone expects them to hold up the cup.

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But the fact that they're they're you know, doing well

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and moving out of the group and the one the group.

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I think that's exciting for US citizens and I think

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it's exciting for US soccer fans. So be remess. We

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have some soccer products coming out almost every day from

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different companies. So if you are a soccer fan who

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likes the rip packs, especially this time of year, there's

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no shortage of those products, all right. Venture firm seven

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seven six, which is led by Alex o'hannian, has been

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of Serena Williams, but you know a name in his

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own right. They have purchased on it who makes college cards,

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formed in twenty twenty two, so they're going to go

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head to head with Panini with these naal type releases

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on it's actually done well in recent years in a

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quiet in a quiet way, but there are no slouch

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when it comes to the producing college cards. And you know,

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o'hannian has stated that they are the number one manufacturers

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of female athletes on cards for the hobby, so that

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will continue. And he's tabbed Evan Parker alumnus of this

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very show as his CEO coming from Mantle, which is

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also Ohannians one of Ohanian's ventures as well. So Evan

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Parker new CEO on it and an o'hannian ladventure firm

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now the new owner.

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On it.

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So congrats to all involved there. Cops has unveiled their

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new rookie basketball logo. I'll check it out online. Obviously,

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this is an audio podcast, so I can't show it

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to you per se, but it's readily available for your

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browsing pleasure.

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I like it.

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I think it's very cool looking, well done. Got to

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give credit where it's credits due. And again we're seeing,

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you know, Cops rookie logos on basketball products once again.

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And we'll finish up with Steve Grad formerly of PSA

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and now formerly of Beckett. He is venturing out. He

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is very experienced and very knowledgeable, does his own YouTube

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channel and knows his stuff. Then he has been doing

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this for a long time. Well now he has his

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own company full time, so you can get your autographs,

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authenticated opinions. He can be a witness at a signing

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event and also a consultant. So Steve Grad, if you

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google that, I'm sure his website will come up. But

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we're going to reach out to to see we get

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him on sportscardination. So with that being said, that is

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the news. And now all right, let's delve back into

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the world of grading. And we've done plenty of shows

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on grading, but it's been a while, so let's a

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lot of things have changed, uh since we really have

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done a hobby quick hits on grading exclusively. Obviously, most

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know PSA has a acquired SGC and now Beckett. Many

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people are not fond of that. Many people some people

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want the Federal Trade Commission getting involved in calling it

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a monopoly. We have recently learned that the PSA has

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stopped many of their cheaper bulk levels. They've increased their

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turnaround time. And the cheapest level, I believe is the

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value level, and that's an eighty around eighty dollars card.

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So it's going to be right now more expensive to

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send a card to PSA. They are talking about this

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will be a four month thing and then they'll revisit it.

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They are in a you know, eight figure card backlog,

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and that's a lot of car to have in a

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facility or facility and be responsible for. So obviously is

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why the turnaround times are so bad, so they're trying

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to catch up. And you know, degrading card industry is

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not like other industries. You know, like a restaurant gets busy,

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you hire more staff, you build an addition onto the restaurant.

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Not saying that grading companies don't do either or don't

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do both, but they also try to stem the flow

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of cards so that they can catch up on the

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backlog as well. So that's what PSA is doing. Many

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had predicted that SGC would not exist at this time

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any longer with the acquisition. That has proven to be false.

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Now you know they are not obviously the same company

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pre acquisition, post acquisition right and full transparency. Many might know,

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but some may not. I am a folk suburb for

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SGC and still do it. I think I'm my third

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year of doing it. I actually enjoy doing it, and

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I expected a decrease in submissions after the acquisition, and

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that has happened, truth be told, but not on the

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level that I thought. I am still getting quite the

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hall in cards being handed to me for SG grading,

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and I'm appreciative and thankful of that. Still love the brand.

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I know it's not their standalone company, anymore. I get

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all the logistics, and their turnaround time has gone from

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at one point ACTUALLYC was ten to twelve days, it's

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now sixty to eighty. And you know you still got

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your CGC has made strides. Beckett now owned by the

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Collector's Holdings, the parent company of PSA as well, and

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they have a new label with that acquisition. So a

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lot of things going on in a grading, So let's

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let's tack let's tackle some topics here. You know, do

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I think you know PSA is too powerful? They were

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already pretty powerful. They were the number one greater even

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pre acquisition of the other two grading Do I think

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they have a monopoly? No, not in the truest sense

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of the word. But I also don't think it's maybe

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a great idea that they own SGC and Beckett. But

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I will say this, I am glad that a card

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manufacturer i e. Tops, Slash, Fanatics or Panini don't own

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a grading company at the time of this recording, and

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I hope it never happens. I believe that's a conflict

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of interest. I've said that many many times, and I

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always will feel and say that I hope that day

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never come. Then I don't care if that day comes.

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I would never do business with that grading company. So

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fanatics about PSA or SGC or whatever grading company you

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want to say. That would be my end of my

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relationship with that grading company if I had one to

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begin with. But that would be the end there. You

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know a lot of people talking about the consistency of

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the grades, right, Remember these are humans that are grading

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these cards, and it's subjective, right. We've heard the stories

232
00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:31.920
of people cracking and resubmitting and get a different grade.

233
00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:36.680
We've even heard stories where someone's cracked and resubmitted and

234
00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:39.920
a card that didn't get a grade the first time,

235
00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:43.799
like minimum size not matter, something along those lines, got

236
00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:46.960
a grade the second time. So again, a lot of

237
00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:52.720
it's subjective. You know, people mentioned like they want all

238
00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:56.640
AI grading, much like TAG does. I don't mind a

239
00:17:56.720 --> 00:18:00.319
little AI in my grading. I just don't want all

240
00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:02.200
AI in migrating.

241
00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:03.079
I really don't.

242
00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:07.079
I like the fact that a fellow human being, you know,

243
00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:11.039
picks that card up with gloves on and examines it,

244
00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:14.440
puts it on a magnification, and then gives his or

245
00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:17.559
her assessment. I don't want to lose that much. The

246
00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:20.119
same like as a baseball fan. Right, we have the

247
00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:25.240
ABS system now they can kind of overrule the or

248
00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:28.559
confirm the umpire's called. But I don't want to not

249
00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:33.160
see an umpire behind the plate. I don't want all AI.

250
00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:37.799
I believe there's a purpose for it. You know, AI

251
00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:41.039
has been used. It's not a new thing to grading.

252
00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:43.839
You know, when you send your cards tough grading company,

253
00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:48.079
most of them use AI and the intake on up.

254
00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:51.920
You know, when they're submitted and putting them into the system.

255
00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:56.240
They are scanned in and you know, a bar code

256
00:18:56.279 --> 00:19:00.200
is given to each card with the identification of the car.

257
00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:03.200
So I have no problem with that. I'm not even

258
00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:09.480
completely opposed to like an initial AI grade with you know,

259
00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:13.440
the human also giving it a grade or vice versa, right,

260
00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:17.200
initially graded by human and then the AI sort of

261
00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:20.640
sort of like we're seeing with the ABS in baseball,

262
00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:24.839
where the you know, the computer kind of checks the

263
00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:27.559
work of the human. I'm not opposed to that, but

264
00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:30.799
I don't want one hundred percent AI. And that's nothing

265
00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:33.160
that I haven't said prior.

266
00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:33.720
I've heard.

267
00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:37.519
You know what, John, these these companies have quotas. You know,

268
00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:41.640
they're not giving out nine's on Griffy eighty nine upper

269
00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:45.839
decks anymore because they they want, you know, what's out

270
00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:48.000
there to stay out there. They don't want to add

271
00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:51.440
to the population. I'm not a buyer. I'm not a

272
00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:54.799
believer and buyer of that theory. And I've spoken a

273
00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:57.960
few graders off the record who do not want their

274
00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:01.039
names mentioned, and I've asked them that you know, you've

275
00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:05.359
ever given a mandate that don't grade one higher than

276
00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:08.480
this or this card higher than that, And not one

277
00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:12.000
of them has said off the record that that's the case.

278
00:20:12.359 --> 00:20:15.359
And I really don't think there is. I think they

279
00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:19.640
can sometimes feel like there is, but I maybe I'm

280
00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:22.640
being optimistic, and I hope not. But I really do

281
00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:26.319
think that you know, they're not doing but they're not

282
00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:29.559
being told be very careful. I think they're being told

283
00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:33.839
to be very careful, careful, you know, make sure you

284
00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:36.480
know the grade is the grade what you're giving it.

285
00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:40.200
If you're not sure, get a second opinion, if you will,

286
00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:43.559
a lot of people like the point fingers and point blame, right,

287
00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:47.680
that's what we do as folks, and you know grading

288
00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:50.920
is no different, and so a lot of people are

289
00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:55.960
blaming other people for why turnaround times are so long,

290
00:20:56.039 --> 00:20:58.759
and one of the things people point to is the

291
00:20:58.839 --> 00:21:02.799
ultra modern. Right, people are sending two dollars cards, three

292
00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:05.839
dollar cards, four dollar cards, five dollars. You know, you're

293
00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:11.279
lesser valued cards to get graded, obviously with hopes of

294
00:21:11.319 --> 00:21:15.799
getting the ten as obviously a ten would significantly raise

295
00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:22.119
the value of said cards. And you know, I get that,

296
00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:24.720
and but a lot of people are saying, like, you

297
00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:28.839
shouldn't be sending those. That's causing the backlog. That's why

298
00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:32.680
I can't get my cards in a reasonable fashion. And

299
00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:36.279
here's my answer to that. Right, this is America. If

300
00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:40.079
you know Jill or Jack want to send in you

301
00:21:40.119 --> 00:21:43.359
know they're Scott Rowland, you know, two thousand and five

302
00:21:43.559 --> 00:21:48.680
card that's you know, a quarter or fifty cents. Then

303
00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:51.960
that's their business. You might not like it, give you

304
00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:56.839
adjuta or make you mad, but they they're paying the freight, right,

305
00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:59.960
they're paying their twenty bucks or more or whatever cost

306
00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:04.200
the grade that card. Maybe it's a sentimental card, like

307
00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:07.200
who are we to tell other people what you can

308
00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:08.400
or cannot send?

309
00:22:08.759 --> 00:22:08.960
Right?

310
00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:12.880
The grading companies are trying to not so much what

311
00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:15.759
cards to send, but they're trying to sort of do

312
00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:18.839
that with their pricing structure. Right, So right now, at

313
00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:21.839
the minimum level you can send a car to PSA

314
00:22:21.880 --> 00:22:25.519
at is eighty dollars, And so you're gonna pay eighty

315
00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:27.880
dollars no matter what card you said. It could be

316
00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:30.720
a Babe Ruth card, or it could be a Jose Kendo,

317
00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:34.880
whatever one, it's eighty dollars, right, And so now that

318
00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:39.319
person who has a sentimental Scott rolling card has got

319
00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:41.759
to decide do I now want to pay eighty dollars

320
00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:44.640
for that? But if they do, who are we to

321
00:22:44.839 --> 00:22:48.880
say you're the problem or you're what's making this backloger,

322
00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:53.279
You're what's causing this delay in my cards getting back

323
00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:56.359
in a timely fashion. I think we got to stop

324
00:22:56.599 --> 00:23:00.640
blaming other people. And just that's just the way it is.

325
00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:03.799
If someone wants to pluck down their hard earned money

326
00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:08.680
to get whatever card graded, whatever card, that's that's their business.

327
00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:13.759
A lou geig you know, Goudy or lou gereg Conlin collection, right,

328
00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:17.759
that's that person prerogative. And so you know, I'm not

329
00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:20.440
going to be that guy. Do I wish to turn

330
00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:24.799
around times we're more reasonable, no doubt, No doubt I would,

331
00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:29.200
So I understand. I understand some of the animosity, but

332
00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:32.920
we were not really pointing it in the right direction.

333
00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:38.160
Junk wax, junk slab error. Right, that's being because of

334
00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:40.880
a lot of the lesser value card. You can we

335
00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:44.680
can label things how we want, right, Labels aren't always

336
00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:48.039
always accurate, right, It's maybe we just call this the

337
00:23:48.119 --> 00:23:52.160
grading error. Just more cards are being submitted for grading

338
00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:56.880
than ever before. I don't like necessarily the junk slab

339
00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:00.759
error term, but people have come up with and are

340
00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:01.920
saying that's what we're in.

341
00:24:02.279 --> 00:24:03.079
So that's you.

342
00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:07.640
That's your prerogative to use labels, and I try not to.

343
00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:12.480
I might ask coming in the hobby like that's affiliated

344
00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:14.680
with grading, like what do you call it?

345
00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:16.119
Or what would you agree?

346
00:24:16.759 --> 00:24:19.960
Is it the junk slab era, junk slab eraror let

347
00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:23.960
them answer that question. But for me, we're just in

348
00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:28.160
the era where the more cards are getting graded or

349
00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:31.079
submitted for graded than ever before.

350
00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:32.440
You know, there's the old.

351
00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:36.079
Saying, right, buy the card, not the slab. I do

352
00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:39.880
believe that, right. I have a Jackie Robinson leaf Rookie.

353
00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:42.839
I have a few friends of mine that have the

354
00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:46.759
same card, and in a couple of cases, their card

355
00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:51.160
is slightly graded higher, and quite frankly, I like my

356
00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:55.079
card better to the I appeal than they, even their

357
00:24:55.519 --> 00:24:58.880
half point or full point graded higher Carding.

358
00:24:58.680 --> 00:25:01.640
Mind, I wouldn't trade my card for their card.

359
00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:05.119
It's still listen, Jackie Robinson, Rookie is a beautiful card.

360
00:25:05.160 --> 00:25:09.039
I don't care really what shape it is, right, but right,

361
00:25:09.720 --> 00:25:13.200
you buy the card, right, any I'm a dealer. Anytime

362
00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:17.039
I sell a graded card off of my table, whether

363
00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:21.000
it's in a box loose on my table or in

364
00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:24.119
a lock showcase and has to be asked to be

365
00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:28.400
purchased or looked at, every buyer potential.

366
00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:29.519
Buyer is looking at the car.

367
00:25:29.640 --> 00:25:31.960
Even though as a grade could have a ten grade

368
00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:34.559
on it or a ninth grade on it. People are

369
00:25:34.599 --> 00:25:37.319
still going to look at the card as you should. Right,

370
00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:40.680
you are buying the card. It is encapsulated in a

371
00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:44.799
piece of plastic. You should not be necessarily buy any plastic.

372
00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:45.039
Right.

373
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:48.720
We've all seen some tens that, like, let's be real,

374
00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:51.960
shouldn't be tens. They're not tens, but they got graded

375
00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:52.359
a ten.

376
00:25:52.519 --> 00:25:52.720
Right.

377
00:25:53.160 --> 00:25:56.240
We've all seen nines that when we look at them,

378
00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:59.240
I don't see anything wrong with this. I even looked

379
00:25:59.240 --> 00:26:03.319
at it magnification. I don't know why this wasn't a ten. Right,

380
00:26:03.640 --> 00:26:06.920
So that works both ways. That's that's a two way street.

381
00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:10.960
So you should always buy the card first. Yes, the

382
00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:14.480
slabs important, Yes, the company, that grade is important. Yes,

383
00:26:14.599 --> 00:26:18.119
the grade on the card is a huge factor. I

384
00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:23.240
am not sweeping those factors under the rug. But you know,

385
00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:26.359
at the end of the day, you're buying that card, right,

386
00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:29.640
And that's what I do. Even when I go here,

387
00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:32.839
We're going to go to the National here in about

388
00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:35.559
a month a little over in a month, Right, I'm

389
00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:38.960
going to buy some graded cards, no doubt. And I'm

390
00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:42.960
going to look at any graded card I buy. I'm

391
00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:45.599
not just gonna say I'm taking that or I'm you know,

392
00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:47.720
I'm more likely say I'm interested in that. Can I

393
00:26:47.720 --> 00:26:49.799
take a look at it, right, And I'm going to

394
00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:53.400
look at that card even more closely in hand, even

395
00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:56.039
though I've seen it in the case, and so should you.

396
00:26:56.279 --> 00:26:57.400
Right. But at the end of the.

397
00:26:57.440 --> 00:27:00.960
Day, I do believe with that sentiment, right, buy the card,

398
00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:04.559
not always the grade. You know, if you if you're

399
00:27:04.599 --> 00:27:08.240
looking at a ten and you see a chip corner,

400
00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:10.960
a chipped edge, or a ding corner in your heart

401
00:27:11.039 --> 00:27:12.359
or heart you know it's not a ten.

402
00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:13.359
Right now.

403
00:27:13.400 --> 00:27:15.400
You may be a flipper that says, I don't care.

404
00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:18.319
I'm just gonna move that card on to the next person.

405
00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:20.759
I'm gonna I'm gonna tell this dealer man, this card

406
00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:23.319
shouldn't be a ten. Look, it's got a chip corner.

407
00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:25.960
But what can you you know, what can you do?

408
00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:27.720
Charge me what a nine goes for?

409
00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:28.359
Right?

410
00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:31.039
Maybe he or she does it, I don't know, you know,

411
00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:34.640
But again, if I'm buying a ten, I like it

412
00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:39.720
to play that part right, look the row and it

413
00:27:39.759 --> 00:27:43.000
looks like a nine or worse, even though it says ten.

414
00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:47.039
That's that's gonna that's gonna bother me. So always always

415
00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:49.440
look and just in general, not even that's not even

416
00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:52.799
a graded card thing obviously even with a raw card,

417
00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:56.160
even probably more so uh in a raw cups case. Right,

418
00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:59.079
but always buy the card, not the grade.

419
00:27:59.359 --> 00:27:59.480
Uh.

420
00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:01.920
And let me close with this. You know, I get

421
00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:07.000
asked quite a bit like you know, what should I send? Again,

422
00:28:07.160 --> 00:28:11.079
that's your your call. Now with my like bulk suc

423
00:28:11.319 --> 00:28:14.279
table which I have at my shows, you know, someone

424
00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:16.519
will hand me ten cards that knows me and I

425
00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:20.480
have a relationship with them, and they'll say, John, I'm

426
00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:24.759
only sending five on this sub what five would you

427
00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:27.640
send if these were your cards? They're asking me for

428
00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:32.519
my air quotes, expert opinion, right, or my experience opinion.

429
00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:35.480
And I appreciate that they put sort of that trust

430
00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:38.240
and power in my hands, and I try to do

431
00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:43.240
the best assessment with that, and I'm very honored by that.

432
00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:46.079
But you know, if they're your at the end of

433
00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:48.559
the day, it's like I tell people to you at

434
00:28:48.599 --> 00:28:50.920
the shows. You know, I can tell you the five

435
00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:52.839
I would send, but at the end of the day,

436
00:28:53.240 --> 00:28:57.440
these are ten. These are your ten cards. In this scenario,

437
00:28:57.480 --> 00:29:02.000
I mentioned like, you just ultimately decide this is my opinion,

438
00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:05.880
but you decide what you want. I would tell you

439
00:29:05.960 --> 00:29:10.240
out there the same thing, Right, this is your hobby.

440
00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:14.039
You're the CEO of your hobby, your cards. You want

441
00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:17.920
to send something in for grading by all means do that?

442
00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:21.119
You know I get asked too, should I crack this

443
00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:23.640
and resend it? Have you ever done that?

444
00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:24.079
John?

445
00:29:24.519 --> 00:29:28.000
I will tell you in forty years now, grading hasn't

446
00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:30.839
necessarily been around forty years, but in my forty years

447
00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:36.920
of hobby I've done that only three times. And you know,

448
00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:40.039
two times they got a higher grade and one time

449
00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:43.079
they got the exact same grade. I take that back.

450
00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:46.599
I take that back. One time they got the exact

451
00:29:46.680 --> 00:29:49.839
same grade as I cracked it out of spot on there,

452
00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:52.319
and one time I got a higher grade.

453
00:29:52.359 --> 00:29:54.079
And one the other time.

454
00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:57.640
Was a card that got a minimum size not met.

455
00:29:57.960 --> 00:30:00.160
It was a card I know I pulled out of

456
00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:02.880
a pack. I could one hundred percent know it was

457
00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:06.200
pack pulled, so I actually resent it. And and then

458
00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:09.920
the second time it did get a numerical grade, I'm

459
00:30:09.960 --> 00:30:13.319
no minimum size not met to an eight and a half.

460
00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:17.279
So I've it's three occasions. I don't like to do it.

461
00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:20.720
You know, I have a full, full transparency. I have

462
00:30:20.759 --> 00:30:24.480
a Jackie Rookie and a Hank Aaron Rookie that anyone

463
00:30:24.519 --> 00:30:27.720
that sees those two cards are really impressed with the

464
00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:30.680
I appeal and said, man that that was mine. I

465
00:30:30.759 --> 00:30:33.880
would I would crack them and re sub them, or

466
00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:37.480
you know, try to cross them over and send them

467
00:30:37.480 --> 00:30:40.640
in the slab with like a minimum minimum grade. And

468
00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:43.880
so if I haven't done it, I don't foresee myself

469
00:30:43.960 --> 00:30:47.160
doing it. Like I said, I've only cracked and resubmitted

470
00:30:47.240 --> 00:30:50.559
three times. And you know, let's say twenty years of

471
00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:53.720
long that I've been so I tend not to do it.

472
00:30:53.759 --> 00:30:57.279
I don't know why. I just don't feel great about

473
00:30:57.359 --> 00:31:00.039
doing it or comfortable about doing it. I know some

474
00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:02.759
people are probably listening to that and saying, dude, you're

475
00:31:02.839 --> 00:31:05.079
you're nuts, or like, what's the deal?

476
00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:05.799
Do it right?

477
00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:08.319
You know when those cards, when they're graded, they're on

478
00:31:08.359 --> 00:31:12.079
the population report. When you crack them out, they're still

479
00:31:12.119 --> 00:31:15.400
on that report, and they don't exist in that format.

480
00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:18.559
And I know what, plenty of people do it, and

481
00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:23.640
I'm not saving the planet by by not participating in that.

482
00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:26.039
I just I don't know. I just don't do it

483
00:31:26.119 --> 00:31:28.039
that often. I didn't say I never do it. I

484
00:31:28.119 --> 00:31:31.559
just don't do it that often. I understand why people.

485
00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:34.720
I don't get that upset. It's not anything that upsets

486
00:31:34.759 --> 00:31:37.279
me when it's just not my favorite to do.

487
00:31:37.799 --> 00:31:38.119
Uh.

488
00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:40.799
You know, I've graded for twenty plus years. I've both

489
00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:45.039
subbed for three now, so have a little experience under

490
00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:47.440
my belt. My door is always open if you have

491
00:31:47.559 --> 00:31:50.920
any questions you want to pick my brain by all means,

492
00:31:51.319 --> 00:31:53.720
you're more than welcome to do that, but we're gonna,

493
00:31:53.960 --> 00:31:58.559
we're gonna bring this grading episode to a close. And

494
00:31:58.640 --> 00:32:02.240
I appreciate all of you out there giving your time

495
00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:05.759
to any of our shows that you may enjoy. So

496
00:32:05.839 --> 00:32:08.400
with that being said, we'll see you soon and we'll

497
00:32:08.440 --> 00:32:09.000
see you next