Ep.197 w/The Card Carver

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What is up episode 1 97? Glad to be back, crazy, Brock and cards weekend for this guy trying to catch up on some rest. But, you know, sleep, when you're dead as they say, Friday Night, Last Friday, got last minute, kind of a surprise, got free tickets to the Loverboy. REO, Speedwagon Styx concert here at the Syracuse a theater and, you know, I don't want to go into all the Gory details, but my wife knows someone and she gets a lot of free tickets for concerts. And so we got that one sort of last-minute usually have more of a note that was And of last-minute deal. And thankfully, the fairgrounds and where the Amphitheatre is, is only about five miles from the house a little bit about 4.5 miles. Great night, great show. My when I with my wife to that show and I got to say, you know, REO Speedwagon 6, those guys are either almost 70 and some of them are 70 and those guys can still perform it was inspiring. And great, watch a great show. And then on Saturday, Elton John was playing what most people would know as the Carrier Dome or to Syracuse University. Athletic teams play holds about 40,000 people. 45,000 people. They do big concerts there. When really big acts come in, and it's now called the JMA Wireless do, but most people who aren't from the area, still call it the Carrier Dome. And Elton John's on his farewell tour and getting down to the, you know, last dates of it. And my wife and son were already going and to you know with another party and that other party could not make it as the wife is not feeling good. And they told my wife, they could have, she could have the other two tickets. So I got to go, which I was really, really excited to see. And again, I saw a years back with Billy Joel and my even took my we took my sister. So it was me and my sister, my wife and my son and great show at the JMA Wireless Dome, one of the last times it's going to be last time, he plays in New York state and put on one heck of a performance and we were 19 Rose from the stage. So the closest I've ever been in that venue. For confort by a long ways and was a great night and it had a lot of fun. Got home, got home late, you know, what would the traffic getting out of the stadium? But made it home late and I had to be up for hours later from, when I finally hit my bed for the car show, which was at the fairgrounds area, which is again, 4.5 miles from the house, where they have the New York State Fair and where I saw the The concert on Friday night REO, sticks and lover, boy. They also have the fairgrounds there and so had my show to get ready. Knew I was going to be tired and frankly thought we were going to have, you know, the last two shows, I did, there were really great, some of my best ones ever actually won. They both were my best one ever. And the second one BT to the the last one as far as my Syracuse show record for You know, sales and so I was going in This one kind of really leery that, you know, with everything going on in the market and stuff down and Syracuse is not a hotbed for cards to in comparison. To many other cities. I was figured I was due for a not as great show. Sort of a clunker may be on alert for that. And again, pleasantly surprised have a great show, not a record Setter as far as Sales. But very, very pleasantly surprised it a lot more in sales than I was expecting and made a lot of big sales even before the doors open. I made two sales to fellow dealers that was very exciting to think that I had done that before the doors even opened and then the doors open and and did well and very pleased what a crazy weekend fun did well to show, you know, for 

Ann's and little tired but where were you know, or make it up for going to bed earlier and get things done, so the catch up on sleep. So exciting, you know, Sunday show really sort of you know reinvigorated me. I you know, I mentioned even on my social media that I was thinking, it might be the last show, I do nothing. I'm getting out of cars but maybe just continue to sell online only, it's a lot of work to log everything at the show, you know. No, my son's getting busy where he can't always help me. Although he did help me this weekend and even came to the show and brought me some lunch. So I think my my son still loves me a little bit, but enough about me. Let's talk about the great guests on this week's show. His name is Tom but most people no one has the card Carver, he does some great custom artwork much like another gentlemen. We've had on this show and in the car killer Riley Christensen and their friends but you know, they're each individual artists that do, like I said, great work and glad to have Tom on and talk about what he does. The art World blowing up some hobby stuff. And he's a good guy. Doing great things. We're going to talk all about that. So without further Ado, let's get the show started. Time for all hobby, is the people announced Sir. 

Hello collectors. This is it clean from sacred home sports cards. Remember the hobby is the people. If you'd like to be the hobbyist of evil announcer of the week to a wired or MP3 file, and send it to sports coordination, PC at gmail.com, are you in a sports car to like? There was someone returning to the Hobby? Maybe you're just looking for a friendly trustworthy hobby Community to hang out with and enjoy collecting Midwest Boxberger. The bringing collectors together for many years with a portable break, helpful thread and a Discord group pack with generous, people who genuinely care about the hobby 10 other collectives. Check out the brakes at Midwest box. Breaks.com our goal is to bring you as much value as possible. Also find us on Twitter at Midwest Boxford. Hey folks John here just wanted to remind you use the discount code M bb10 for 10% off your first order at Midwest. Box breaks cam. 

Glad to have my next guest on his fourth card shop at Moco guess line. He is an excellent car, drive card artist collector, Tom AKA guard. Carver welcome. Hey, how are you thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Yeah, no, no problem. We're going to definitely talk about what you do, because it's insane and there's someone who can't draw a stick figure to save my life, you know, this, you know, card are as you, well know, pound really. Kit in a big way to last few years. We're definitely gonna get it to all that and more, but just kind of your history with with the Hobby and cards. Just did, you know, quick quick synopsis synopsis there I collected as a kid. I kind of as a kid I was a collector of almost like everything right away and that was kind of passed down to me from family you know going to antique shops on the weekends with my mom and my grandma. My grandma collected cut glass, and they were Yeah, there was times you are wasn't that exciting, but I'd also always be excited to see sports stuff or when I was a kid, like, World War two things, you know, things from the wars, but I got into cards initially because my great uncle played Major League Baseball from 55 to 60 3. So the first cards that I remember seeing my his cards you know and then my first non Uncle Bill card I guess I would say it was a Greg Maddux, right? See that I bought it at a garage sale. So I had to beef up eight or nine years old or maybe slightly younger. Yeah, and for those lists than Tom's uncle's Billy Clause. So Major League Baseball infielder who's also has a brother who played a shorter shorter career. Bobby claws. So, nobody got to be Town had to make the major league, no matter how short or long, your, your career isn't. That's pretty cool. I mean, just having that person, Collection. You know, we all collect cardboard actually be have a relative appear on a major-league card as old as a whole different ball game. So you almost see. Almost, I don't want to speak for you. You almost had to collect cards at that point, kind of. Yeah, it might my grandmother was super into collecting and had some autographed baseballs that she had held on to and from even as far back as when she was a child and that baseball's that were given to her by my uncle. Uncle as well. And so I've always had those things in the family and that were passed down to me that I now have in my possession and that I've had since I was 12 or something like that. I did stop collecting for a while and it wasn't until I had kids and my firstborn son was like t-ball age and those, okay? We're playing baseball or going to get some baseball cards. That's how I got back into it. Yeah, that's it. And you know, as you know we're you know, Common stories but 

None. The less, right? That's it. You know, I always say. It doesn't matter if you stop, if you come back, there's no Pension Plan. It's If You're Happy and now and here you are doing some different things. Obviously, what we give it to the, the art side of things, what doubt? Have you always been like, you, obviously, and you know what, we're done wrapping up. I'll have you give out where people can catch what you do. Have you always been creative and And especially on the art side of things or talk speak to that for him, you know, when I was a kid, I actually found recently card. I was at my buddy's house in his dad, gave him his childhood collection back and we're looking through cards in his basement. And he found a card that I made, when I was like 10 or 11 years old, it was like a 1991 Upper Deck basketball card. And what we would do when we were kids is we would get our school pictures, 

Take them home, cut our faces out and glue them to existing, like sports cards, and bring them to school the next day. And we would all trade them with one another. So, I've been even playing with cards like that since I was a kid, but I've always just been into art graphic design and things, you know, drawing clothes my own starter jackets. When I was a teenager, just things of that nature found at that card, your friends in your friends collection but you, you know, you redid it in your Own staff from from 91. So that's really got to be one of your first early pieces. It is, it's probably one of the first earliest, card art pieces. Amongst the others kind of like a community of card artist. Probably one of the earliest pieces that anybody has three. I couldn't believe it. When he found it, he's looking through. He's the one that found it in boxes. Yes, that's me looking through her boxes and what is this? And he turns around with it? I was like, you're kidding. Yeah! Wow! Yeah, it's in my case and in the other room I have 

11:37 PM
Yes, 30 I mean from 30 years ago and really you know, when you look at what you do now and I mean you know, incredible stuff and I like how you mix you know your subjects you could have a an athlete with someone from pop culture. Even a cartoon figure or an actor and actress. You kind of you can mix Both Worlds and you know it's Unique to me how you sort of do that. No, what where when how do you come up with? You know, how's the top bar? How do you is it just come to you? I mean is it just pop in your head? And you're like, this is what I want to do, how, you know, sometimes, yes. Sometimes I really put quite a bit of thought into a card, you know, I look at it and I'll think about, you know, different subjects and different images, or even just the type of images that would play well with it. And then I kind of start looking into those type of images, whatever. 

Did I did the Mantle rookie was one of my earlier popular pieces. They had Marilyn Monroe and elders and it had a kind of a period-correct, Superman image on it as well. Going with period and era correct type of things is often where I start, you know, I really enjoy doing 80s stuff and I'm going to start doing a lot cleaning, really heavy on that type of material, just because it's the stuff that I enjoy doing the most. I think that a lot of other people really enjoy it as well. Going to step aside to pay a quick bill, but we'll be right back with more with card Carver. Okay, everybody have you heard about collectible it's the one stop shop, where any collector can buy a trade affordable shares in some of the most rare and valuable sports cards and memorabilia in the world. Starting from just five dollars from 1950 to Mickey Mantle. PSA tens and Wilt Chamberlain's iconic rookie uniform to one of one Patrick Mahomes rpas rare, LeBron James Global mass and everything in between Collectibles, creating never-before-seen access can opportunities for all. Let's go the hobby. We love together. 

This is not a recommendation or solicitation by any security, all investment decisions should be undertaken after doing your own research. Sports car nation has returned was card Carver. So I saw that Nano time that you did. And like you said with the Marilyn Monroe and the Elvis and the Superman, you know, anytime you know, are the beautiful thing about artists people can, you know, see it and interpret it in their own ways. And like the way I kind of when I saw that card, I sort of thought like these are all icons of their Industries right man. Oh obviously for Baseball Marilyn Monroe. As far as actress slash, you know, pin-up girl, in Elvis, you know, the king of rock and roll. All, you know, Superman, you know, we some, some would probably argue with me, but probably one of the most famous in top superheroes in that genre. So all sort of iconic, personas sort of all on one card. That's how that's how I perceived it. I mean, was that Sort of the mindset or not necessarily yeah for sure. That's kind of like what I was talking about with being proof period-correct. You know. I'm glad you took it that way because that's what I was going for bringing like some of the biggest icons from that era and just putting it into one card. Yeah, it definitely it struck it hit me that way and you know, it's even if you would have said no, not really, but that's again, that's the beauty of what, right? Well, someone can perceive 

You know, one way net and no one's really wrong. It's, you know, it's however, you want to take it. But that's, that's how I took and I love how you will mix. You know, different different subjects like that instead of, you know, and a lot of the card art is done by talented folk. That's that's risky to I think you put yourself out there because you know, it's easy. I don't want to say it's easy. But I mean Carter it's not easy but it's easier. Kind of Doing one subject especially if you're good at what you're doing. But to kind of go out there and say hey I'm going to not only am going to you know, do manual. But I'm going to incorporate three other, you know, non-sports people onto onto the card and make it work like it did. That's I think the degree of difficulty goes up when you add those elements and you pull it off very well, you just did 

I've seen, I've seen a lot. Just, you know, and you take iconic moments, you know, Bo Jackson breaking that bad overs over his knee after striking out and so many other things like, I know. Yeah, you do commission work. Sometimes I know you're busy. And sometimes you have to sort of turn that off and on occasionally, but just speak to like some of the work you might do or someone asks you to do something that's possible. A lot of the commission's I do. Our with autographs. I also had a certain a certain style that I introduced that. I added seen done before that. I called my drip cards where I hand-cut a drip, like, you know, with peers to be a dripping type of pattern, and I create layers of that, drip, along with the other cards, mostly cards that make our 180 point. So I'm able to create like a shadow box basically in create depth so that it's more than 2D. 

Comes a 3D visual kind of like experience in a way you know. So creating autographs with that style is also super unique. It allows me to incorporate with that depth and even going deeper. Sometimes I did a Stone Cold Steve Austin, card that wound up being one of the hardest projects I'd made because I agree with the customer to incorporate a miniature title belt into the card and in order for me to have that belt in the Card. I had to make the car really deep in my booklets are functional, they all open and close properly and you know, to make them like that, there's definitely a degree of difficulty to do, all those different things and put it all into one and also cut an autograph. That's somebody's mailing to me. And, you know, make sure it all looks really good, so it can be sent to Beckett. It's a lot of fun. It's definitely a lot of pressure sometimes, but I enjoy all. 

Backs of it. I kind of thrive in the chaos and Away the more the better. Yeah. You like that. You like the heat lamps a little a little warm as they say. So yeah, I get kind of bored without them. Yeah, no problem. Nothing wrong with that. Obviously every piece is different. I mean on average what does you know most pieces take you? How long it's anywhere from? Like five to eight hours sometimes. Yeah. It's and sometimes it's hard to tell really Because I don't sit down and just do one piece. I don't have the time, you know, full-time job three kids, they'll deal. So I do sit down and pick away at things here and there might be an hour today. It might be three hours when the weekend comes and so on and so on, but yeah, that's generally. It's a whole bunch of hours. Yeah. We're having a hard question for today. It's I mean, how would you describe your style? Someone who I am asking you, you know, someone asks you 

Describe your style with card are. How would you yourself describe your own style rather than someone else pointing at themselves? Well, certain cards that I make are definitely pop art pieces. So I do call myself a pop art cartoonist. Not every card is a popular piece but that isn't really my jam. Like, you know what I do, what I enjoy doing the most, and what I think, really, helps me, stand out from the crowd, you know, could have, is it is so different, like you're talking about? About mixing up all the different characters and just everything that I can, that I think is fun and that is going to play. Well, that's what sets me apart. Yeah, well, we've seen the genre explode, the last few years. I think that you tell me if you agree or disagree with this, I think, you know, the tops starting, you know, the project 2020, really put more of an emphasis and a spotlight on it. I guess, two parts. 

Action number one. Do you agree with that? And my second part of that question is, you know, they've really sort of also, you know, beat it to a dead horse with, you know, with subsequent releases. You know, they said they were going to. They were going to not do it every year and then they just changed what they called it. And literally have been non-stop, you think, as much as maybe they're bringing attention to Carter's help the genre, do you Take because they've really just not stop. Presses and just keep cranking out this stuff. I mean, it's talented work. This is not me saying something derogatory to the artist for more, you know, tops. You think they have overdone it, sort of hurt people are sort of getting fatigued, maybe from that tube. I would you, what would you say? I'm fatigued from the tops are projects so I mean, yeah, for sure. But also, I almost don't even think of what I do or what Rodney does. Does as like even being in the same realm. It's two different types of ball game day. I feel like we're kind of like if you were to compare it, the best comparison that I can think of is, we're kind of the underground. It's if it were music, you know, they're like the industry pop stars and where the underground. So time to hear from one of our great sponsors, but sports card Nation will be right back after that but the athletes we admire the sports cards. 

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We're doing for you. The sports card shop, Connecting People Sports and the hobby around the world. 

Let's go. You are listening to you the sports card Nation Podcast. I do think that tops with those these projects, whatever you want to call them has definitely helped to raise awareness. And maybe open people's eyes to what else sports cards can be, which is more than just photographs of, you know, professional athletes, you know, it can be so much more, it can really be anything. Yeah, no doubt and you know, you use the term underground where I And I don't look at that as derogatory and I know you didn't mean it that way to, you know, underground, you know, many famous people have come from that and and and, you know, I without mentioning names, right? Well, some of what if, you know, air quotes underground artists are doing by Franklin, like you said, yourself is the degree of difficulty and what you're doing is even more difficult than what some of the mainstream. Artists are doing. I'm a talented in their own, right? Like you said, we were talking about two different styles of art so underground. You you just determine which is a lot of talent and a lot of Spotlight is come from that underground cemeteries mainstream guy dies in ladies, right? They started there as well. Be nice to maybe see it. Tell me what you think it is. You know, cops is obviously probably going to continue to roll out these 

He's our card project if you will, you know, maybe tap into that underground and ask some of you folks to get involved and do maybe, you know, some custom work. Obviously the custom work is harder because in a sense, they're really one of ones, right? They're not mass-produced for the masses Maple, but even Incorporated my thought process of time is his, you know what? I'm Thinking is even incorporate it where, you know, maybe they put a Redemption card in a product for an original, you know, card Carver piece, you know, you won, you know, commission you to do whatever, you know, whatever, they deem they want done for the product and then put a redemption in there. Hey, you know, someone opens a pack and it says congratulations you won, you know 101, you know, wander Franco. 

Done by cards or whatever. I'm just making that play your name. That could be anyone that you and tops would agree on. In that particular case, you know, something like that. Because you do, you know, you got, you guys are doing great work. Like you said, it's even a little more difficult because now you're going, it's three dimensional rather than one or two dimensional. I mean, have you thought about stuff like that? Of course. Absolutely. The most of the guys that are doing what I'm doing, you know, aspire to that. That's I wouldn't say called the endgame, but that's kind of like an ultimate goal of sorts. I mean, I could keep plugging along just doing what I'm doing now and meeting people and making new friends and making connections in the Hobby and, you know, just continue on, but it would be awesome to do something like that. You know, having been a collector, basically my whole life. Life working with tops would definitely be an honor and a lot of fun. And I don't know how the licensing works and stuff too. But with an artist like myself, where tops are Fanatics, whatever company it is, that's in charge of all of it. If they have the rights to the wrestling cards and the rights to the Star Wars cards, can I create a 101 with, you know, Yoda and Hulk Hogan on it for them and make it like the ultimate? 

Tops, 101, you know what? I'd love to see. I love to see that. I think someone would love to get that card, you know, via redemption or however, they Market it, right? Maybe, you know, I know everyone hates Redemption card where maybe they just put that, you know, you you make that card, you you get it to top / Fanatics and they put it in whatever product right in the pack itself, right? Imagine your that debt collector right? You open that back. There is that Yoda Hulk Hogan. That's you made one of, right. That's gonna look awesome to begin with. And, you know, and I don't mean this as harsh as it's going to sound, it's not going to be that, you know, print to, you know, order the print where there's 5,000 of that, you know, card are produced it. And in this case, let's be real, it's it's hand design. It's the, it's you, that was from your hand, to that collectors collection, whether they get Get, whether it's done via redemption, or come down to the back that way, that's the original artwork and its own self. And there's something to be said about that. I love this. I love to see them do something like that, especially if they're going to continue with these, you know, it's, you know, mass-produce. I know they're, you know, a lot of people feeling the fatigue than they did the Hundred where they're trying to start to limit these now. So there's sort of 

You know, produced value if you will, but you know, people know how to write. You say, one of one is there's a kind of tation to that. There's only one of these I have it and it's cool that I have, right? And so if they can do that not say they have to stop what you're doing with the other projects. But if they can even, you know kind of embrace what, you know, air quotes the underground is doing as well. Which Is being embraced by by The Hobby already, right? But people love this stuff. It's not like you know it's not really risky the way I look at it. I mean the people were ready to love this stuff and it's custom. It's, you know, it's the actual item from artists to to whoever gets the guard or whether it's purchased or pulled or however they decide to distribute that, I'd like to see something like that. And You know, all artists for most artists are very talented in their own, right? But like you said, you're creating, you know, these three dimensional works of art? It's to me, that's harder than, you know, painting, or drawing alone. I mean, that's hard to, I can't do it. But, you know, I think the degree it different. What? What? 

11:55 PM
There's something to be said, and I'd love to see tops or whoever, you know, we're talking about those, but even someone else say, hey, you know what, let's let's do this. Let's you're ready, well-received, but let's, let's even get you out in front of even more people who may not know of your work. I love to see it. I think it's a win-win, you know, you know, but again it takes two to two to tango so hopefully you know, I know they sort of really, really ran, you know, this up with the ra and deservedly so, but even try to do some different stuff rather than the same old, same old. Yeah. But could you I could imagine a product, you know, where it's a nice case, like a Flawless type of case, you know, where you open it up and there's maybe only one card in there and it's it could be a one of one from me, it could be a card. Killer a Cavs cards? Or maybe it's an f and f dot for a Freedman one-on-one. But you don't know what you're getting. You know, what will the product, the product that comes in mind here and you say that you mentioned Flawless, which is obviously a panini product, but you know, tops has tops as transcend it which is it's an expensive product but a lot of 10 ones are in that case, right? Then you've got you know the other ones too that are as pricey. 

Got luminaries, you get diamond icons. They can, they can even utilize that product to Showcase. What you folks are doing a, there's more than one way to skin a cat. You know what I mean? They can do a whole lot of different things and, you know, one of the things that I was hopeful for when it's it remains to be seen, you know, when Fanatics acquiring tops is maybe, see some different ideas, right? And this this kind of Falls. Into that category, some fresh thoughts and fresh approaches. Some, some new eyes, some new thoughts. And and again, it's never too late to do something like that. And maybe, you know, the people in charge of people that push those buttons and make those decisions, will you know, recognize that Talent as it should be and try to utilize it, you know, they're ready, they're ready and bracing are. So, this is just a continuation and to me going 

The next level with, it's not like it's super risky. They've already kind of taken that risk and been fairly successful with it, especially early on. And I think when they first introduced it, I think now they can even raise their game by incorporating some of what you folks are doing which is obviously incredible work. You never know. You know, we may look at the same, you know, conversation a year, two years, three years from now, Now and say see we told you did it. That's not what they should it did. I think it's really I think it's really just a matter of time. It does. Yeah, you know I think the a lot of there's a lot of collectors that are ready for new products in that are adventurous and want to see something different and this definitely something different. Yeah, no doubt and done, you know, and worst case scenario, like you said to, even if they don't, you still doing great work, you still People who can acquire it and however, they acquire their enjoying that work, you're enjoying the process of making it. So, you know, whether that had obviously, I hope it happens for for those involved, that deserve it. But even if for some reason that doesn't happen, it still doesn't, it doesn't, you know, doesn't knock the work you're doing, it's still great work, whether you know, tops or whoever else Embraces it or doesn't doesn't change the Fact that it's just incredible works of art and you know that that'll that'll always remain the case. Yeah I appreciate it. It's a lot of fun. Someone's at my door. I've got to get laughs be right back. Zion cases are the best card cases in the hobby one, quick walk around the national or even the local card. Show will bear that out whether it's a case to protect your one single Grail card or the holders, protect many of your precious cards. Look, 

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Schools called nation has returned. 

I'm trying to Branch out Beyond just making sports cards, sports cards, a lot of fun but I want to take the sports cards and put them on walls, you know, and put them on shirts. Shirt that I'm wearing. Now is a card that I designed. Yeah, do stuff like that. I pictures in my mind of galleries that are like interactive Sports art galleries, you know with video and pieces of Art and just all kinds of stuff. So 

Yeah, yeah technology gets better, right? Doesn't get worse or at least, I hope not right. As the years go by things improve and you know, we've seen video we've seen while I may not be a huge fan of n FN F DS. We can't argue that. There's been success stories in that space. Be there are people, you know why? I may not like it, there are people who do enjoy that realm and, you know, No, if you can Encompass, both of those worlds and people like that, and nothing wrong with that, right? That's the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So there's a lot of different directions you know you yourself can go as an artist. There's a lot of different direction these card manufacturers can Embrace or choose to you know go that direction as well. So that's that's going to be the fun part to see here in the next few know. 

12:02 AM
Yourself? What, you know, how you develop your skill in, what direction, you can go, right? It's like, you know athletes, right? You get better, the more you do something, you get better at what you're doing and then you add on things and to your repertoire, right? So yeah, same thing, you know. So you're sure the Best of Both Worlds. So we'll see. It's going to be interesting. Get back to, you know, collecting you know you're okay. Willie closet, how many, how many cards I know you going yourself super collected. Like, how many cards do you have at the moment of my uncle? Yeah, I'm not even really sure. I mean, if there's not really that, that many of them were even made to start with, but I've got a I've got almost all of them. All of them need a half. There's one card that I know of that, I don't have that. I never will, because it was only one of them that it's even know. 

Do exist and it wasn't even part of the checklist of for this particular set that was made. So it's really just a weird card. Yeah. And but other than that, I've got pretty much all of them including the total of Taro scarred that I sent you a photo of. Yeah, the that's all true ultra rare. Lucky I found that on eBay a few years ago. Not that long. After I found out that there was even a card that existed. Yeah. And I ran into a guy on Twitter that I'm on Twitter Instagram, Facebook different groups anywhere I can letting people know that I'm looking for Billy Klaus items. Specifically is game-used bat, which I have not found yet, but I found someone that showed me that Puerto Rican Carlito and Taro says, yeah, they have an SGC slab one, that's the only one I've ever seen and I've been collecting all of my uncle's cards, one of each card in 

PS a slab. So I'm going to get that slab and PSA. I'll have the pop one and it will complete my run of PSA cards of his, which I'm really looking forward to doing. I should have done it at this. This last year's National I didn't, I was really super focused business and networking. Next year, I plan to take, I hope to spend two days. The majority of two days just as a collector, you know, and And a fan of the hobby. Yeah. Now, if you're around a card, shall not necessary to Nashville, but just a card show any, I mean, will you like, even if you have the card, will you buy additional Babbitt when? Yeah sometimes I mean I have like I've got so many multiples of them already. I'm also buying cards to have other card artists. Create Customs for me. You know, guys do not have guys that I'm friends with, I'll send them cards. I've been doing that with autographed ones. I have a 

Different autographed cards that I've sent out to different artists and they've created their own Customs for me. So yeah, I definitely still will buy them if they're cheap and whatever. Yeah, yeah, they're fun pool. Yeah, you mentioned, you mentioned other artists. I know you're friends with some. Would you say that fraternity is for the most part friendly? Does it get competitive? Is that, you know, sometimes in the hobby there can be some want to say trash talk. But Maybe not everyone's always friendly, you can get competitive and that sort of thing. Would you say most card artists are sort of respectful of each other as a viewed? Sorta as a fraternity or is there sometimes you do have to mention names if you don't want it. But is there sometimes some bad blood or competitiveness? How does how would you describe you know that part of the world? John, it gets pretty spicy. Yeah. Sometimes Overall overall just like a hobby I would say it's a hobby also reflects life in general so that within the community it's definitely fraternal. There's definitely a solid core of just great guys who are collectors and artists and are just having fun and then sometimes you know people want to start talking crap and yeah creating issues out of nothing. And yeah you just try to just keep it moving you. 

Yeah, that's right about theater. It any mind but it's a competitive space which is how that stuff pops up. It's just kind of naturally bound to happen when you're in a competitive space and assure that there's some people will say it's not competitive but I mean, overall it really is doing to an extent and some people take it more seriously than others. But yeah, overall it's a lot of fun. Just just like a hobby and people are, you know, very friendly with one another. Yeah. And you said, you know keep it moving. I think that's the best bet, right? As you can get sidetracked, right? Just focus on doing your best work and don't let you know most, I think a lot of times I don't want to know speak for everyone. I think a lot of times when someone's, you know, talk and maybe or fog in some drug, I think a lot of time, not every situation different, I think a good percentage of time, right? It usually comes from a place in jealousy, right? Someone is envious of what. 

No one else is doing or has and rather than just do better yourself, right? It's just easier to take a cheap shot or potshot at that person. That's, that's the easy thing to do. And so sometimes just keep being, you know, you had down so to speak and just, you know, keep it moving. Like you said, is you win more? I think like that because you don't even give them the satisfaction of responsive if it's directed towards you. And if that's the case, so I think that's that's just the best, you know, play in the best way to handle that, right? So I think you are intelligent in doing so, you know, at the same time, right? You know, we all, we all have feelings and you know, someone says well, you know, don't take it personal. Sometimes it's easier said than done, but I think that's when you can do it and just kind of focus on what you, what you're working on with you're 

That's how you win at the end of that, that day. So put dice nice to hear for the most part. You know, that's that's not necessarily the norm, but sort of the, the outlier rather than the prevailing, you know, added I've gotten to know a lot of a lot of you guys from doing the show and, you know, even even when I'm not recording like, we go off the air. I've never heard someone say anything derogatory. Negatory to me about someone else and I think that that speaks volumes to most right, so their time for a quick break but we'll be right back. Introducing the only Auction House dedicated exclusively to the cards of the 1990s, Josh Adams, and John Linden of created, an auction company solely for the rare scarce and hard to find in certain parallels of the 1990s Weatherby Bass. 

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Thanks for sticking with us. Let's return to the show. 

You imagine the national, I know you and your son, get the both, enjoy your first national. You just kind of, you know, that's, that's a cool thing. To, you know, your first national is both your first name. Jim just kind of speak to that that experience for for you and your son Bo it was incredible, overall. I mean, it was everything that I was hoping it would be. Basically. I went there on a mission. I accomplished my mission overall just as I mentioned earlier just networking and trying to meet as many people as I could there's a lot of people that I'm fri