Ep.245 Live from the NSCC Mainstage w/Andy,Danny,Dylan & Adam

SPEAKER 1: What is up? Welcome to episode 2 45. We don't have one guest on today's show. Matter of fact, we didn't do a stream yard interview for the guests that we have on this show. We actually have four guests on this show. Here's what I mean. About that. This episode is actually the live stage sports coordination we did from the Mike Burke main stage at the National in Rosemont, Illinois and July 27th.

SPEAKER 1: That was Thursday. We did this Thursday at 11 a.m. Chicago time and I put a panel together which included tops artist, Andy Friedman. My good friend Danny Black Double D Vintage Dylan Davis and Adam from Splendid Sports. And when I do these live main stage every year and first off, I, I'm blessed and fortunate enough to get to do it.

SPEAKER 1: I always try to have someone up there, who's, it's their first National and for Adam and Dylan it was their first National and here they are on the main stage. So it's myself, Danny Adam, Andy and Dylan. And topics range from questions about the National, current stuff about the Hobby and art and, about 50 minutes of audio, went quick, at least for those of us on stage.

SPEAKER 1: And, every seat was filled, pretty much in front of us, which was really cool and, was, was great to, oh, again, very privileged and honored to get to do it. And so this is for those that weren't a, weren't there. This is that main stage performance of Sports Guard Nation on July 27th. I hope you enjoy it.

SPEAKER 2: Time for our Hobby is the people announcer of the week.

SPEAKER 2: Hello, collectors. This is Ed Green from Sacred Home sports cards. Remember the Hobby is the people if you'd like to be the Hobby is the people announcer of the week. Do a wave or MP3 file and send it to Sports Card Nation PC at gmail dot com.

SPEAKER 2: Iron Sports Cards is your number one source for all your PS A and other grading submissions. Their elite status improves turnaround times. Heck, they even provide the card savers. Their chat rooms, provide updates on all your submissions.

SPEAKER 2: They also offer wax options and single cards to cover all the bases. Check them out on Facebook at Iron Sports Cards Group or on the web at Iron Sports Cards dot com. Or even give them a call at 1 877. Ironp A Rob's got you covered.

SPEAKER 3: For more than 30 years. Robert Edward auctions has been the nation's premier auction house specializing in sports memorabilia and trading cards with significant experience and expertise in all major sport, non sport and Americana collectibles.

SPEAKER 3: Re A has helped clients achieve record breaking prices for their items and has done so with a reputation for integrity and transparency by actively partnering with collectors and enthusiasts throughout the entire process. Re A has created the Hobby's most trusted forum for selling high quality collectibles. Go to Robert Edward auctions dot com for more information on how to buy or sell in their next auction.

SPEAKER 2: This is Sports Card Nation.

SPEAKER 1: I had to be smarter than the microphone. No such luck starting out. But now we're good. My name is Sean Newman. The host of Sports Nation podcast.

SPEAKER 1: Every gentleman on the stage has been a guest of that show. I'm happy to say I'm going to have them introduce themselves and tell you a little bit about what they do. I have a couple blaster boxes that I'm going to give away to a couple young kids today and we'll have some other stuff going on. So we'll start with Mr Andy Freeman. Go ahead. Introduce yourself.

SPEAKER 4: All right. Well, is this on you? Can you hear me?

SPEAKER 4: Ok. I'm Andy Friedman from Brooklyn, New York tops artist that have 2 70 card sets with tops. My paintings of old shoebox cards. I call them called Spotlight 71 and two.

SPEAKER 5: I am.

SPEAKER 1: Is this?

SPEAKER 5: Hi, I'm Danny now it's on, I run Hobby news daily and I hope everybody will check out Hobby news daily dot com.

SPEAKER 1: I just want to add, I'm also from Brooklyn, New York. So Brooklyn Brooklyn is in the house and, and you're outnumbered up here. It is.

SPEAKER 6: Hey, guys, my name is Dylan Davis and I'm from Double D Vintage baseball cards. And I also do a podcast with my friend Adam right here. Splendid Sports. And it's called Turn Back The Clock.

SPEAKER 6: And I'm honored to be here and I collect vintage baseball cards and I'm from Hawaii, Hawaii and just a pleasure to be here with everybody. And this is a whole new world for me seeing all this my first National. So really excited. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER 1: You're welcome. And I want to thank ripping wax and all the people that go GTs put this on for having me. This is I think my fourth or fifth time doing this and I still forget to turn the mic on apparently so. And last but not least Adam.

SPEAKER 7: Hey guys, my name is Adam from Splendid Sports. This is my first National. So very excited to be here. And yeah, thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER 1: So, one of the things being I'm sort of a veteran at doing this guys is I like to have people. Does that just mean you're old. It does mean I'm old. I'm not listen, my birth certificate doesn't lie and I tried to white it out but it's on yellow paper.

SPEAKER 1: But I love, I love having someone that on stage at their first National for you, Dylan and Adam, this is like you just said, your first National, we'll start, we'll go, you know, left to right here.

SPEAKER 1: Like your thoughts here. You know, I'm sure you had to envision what you thought it might be like, I know we're only in the second day here, but your initial thoughts here as a first timer.

SPEAKER 6: Good question, John, thanks for asking that one.

SPEAKER 6: It's it's been an absolute eye opener and such a blast.

SPEAKER 6: I'm like one of those guys who collected in obscurity for, you know, I'm 42 years old and I've been collecting cards as long as I can remember, my first memory of collecting cards is like five years old. So for me, I've been buying cards online because you know, I live on an island.

SPEAKER 6: So collecting cards going to card shows isn't really a thing. And so for me to see all these special cards in the flesh and see all these fellow collectors like me like minded individuals.

SPEAKER 6: I was, I literally got off the plane and got on a bus and the first person that was on the bus, the only other guy was a vintage collector from Toronto and it was his first show. We are best friends in five minutes. So this is, this is the funniest experience probably of my entire life. Don't tell my wife.

SPEAKER 6: But I have been like a kid waiting for Christmas morning and every day has been like that so far and for a month leading up to it. So, yeah, man, I'm just in shock with everything. It's not as overwhelming as a lot of people thought it's more of an excitement and just a joy and a pleasure. So, yeah, that's what we got. Thanks, John Adam.

SPEAKER 1: Same question to you. I mean, I'm sure I remember my first National. Everyone tells you what to expect. Here's what it's like. And then you walk in the building yourself and you know what you hear it, it doesn't always match up to the actual experience itself. So, your thoughts here on your first National.

SPEAKER 7: It's definitely living up to my expectations. And then some, and, you know, I think somebody said the Hobby is the people I think, I think I heard that somewhere.

SPEAKER 1: I don't know the guy, but he sounds like a very smart guy who.

SPEAKER 7: Said that is a very smart man. And that's for me, that's been so far. It's been about not even a day since I got in and just seeing all the, all my friends, all my, all my friends that I had never met in person now, meeting them in person is just incredible. So I look forward to doing more of that.

SPEAKER 7: And yeah, it's been, I've been on, you know, having a podcast and YouTube for a couple of years now and I've met, not in person but met virtually so many people that man, they're even cooler and nicer in person. So, this is surreal. Just looking out at you guys right here. This is incredible to me.

SPEAKER 1: And in my case uglier in person, I want to turn to probably the most talented guy on the day here today. In, in and the best city, right. Brooklyn, we got to represent Brooklynn. Andy. You've done great work with tops. You've done great work. Not with taps. This is your third National. You told me just your thoughts, even being your third National, what this event has, you know, means to you and what you think about it.

SPEAKER 4: Well, I mean, I think I end up spending more time talking with fellow collectors than I even do looking at tables. It seems. And that says a lot to me about the Hobby, but also the National, it's like, you know, like it's like its own country. You know, what can I say?

SPEAKER 4: Ideas are disseminated conversations.

SPEAKER 1: Do you get a lot of people come up to you or in your conversations? Telling you what they want to see you do or giving you some advice?

SPEAKER 4: I'm inspired daily. Yeah. And that, that's never lost, lost on me. You know, because that's how I look at it. I, I, it's in, it's inspiring every conversation. Yeah. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER 1: I know we talked on on my show about, you know, your spotlight 70 now you highlight it maybe some of the lesser names if you will. But important just the same.

SPEAKER 1: You know, you know, for those that maybe didn't hear the episode. Where did that come from? Is that something like you kind of set out to do?

SPEAKER 4: You know? Well, three of the cards in Spotlight 72 which is the set that came out last year. I drew when I was 12, I drew those cards before I even was watching the game before I even knew who the players were. There was something about the color of the film, something about the expression on the faces that drew me to the characters and the cards. It's actually drawing baseball cards that got me into the game.

SPEAKER 4: So, you know, years all through my life, I had this little shoe box of sort of lesser known players and would always draw from them.

SPEAKER 4: You know, for 20 years, I drew characters and magazines of all the biggest celebrities, you know, like this is very important. It has to draw, you know, what, what the person looks like, drawing, you know, like lesser known players took a certain pressure off me when I was recovering from a hand injury.

SPEAKER 4: I kind of reconnected with the innocence of that youthful anonymous way of drawing cards. And that's what, that's how, that's how it happened. Really most of many of the cards in that first spotlight seventies set extensions from a body of work that I started when I injured my hand and had to kind of get back to, you know, who I am at the core. So that's really the story.

SPEAKER 1: Stay true to yourself and working with taps. How has that inspired you, like your own personal collecting, like getting sort of into cards. It has it shaped kind of what you do on that side.

SPEAKER 4: Well, working with Tops, I mean, is incredible because it's the first entity I've ever worked with that gives me full creative freedom. So it's the absolute dream of any artist outside of that finding collectors that appreciate this work enough to want to acquire it is what's been sort of keeping me afloat the last few years.

SPEAKER 4: I don't illustrate it anymore. I don't do anything. I owe it all to the enthusiasm of the collectors. And that's the oldest arrangement in the books, you know, the collectors and the artists that exchange. So I feel very much like the fine artist that I always was and wanted to be and for that to happen through Tops.

SPEAKER 4: And this space is even more of a dream because, you know, I've had a long diverse career in the art, but I never wanted to just hang my stuff up in a gallery. Whenever I used to go to car shows as a kid, I used to think, why aren't art shows more like this.

SPEAKER 4: People are afraid of art because of the stuffiness of it and the sort of pretension of it a space here, you know, it's just, it's more home grown, it's more down to earth rougher on the more trustworthy people look each other in the eye. And I know that's a funny thing. But, you know, so this is, this is a space where it's really fun to see this art movement happening within this space.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah. And when you think about vintage cards, especially Andy, I mean, a lot of them were, you know, art, art pieces in themselves. And to me, cards are all works of art in their own right? With, with design.

SPEAKER 1: And you mentioned that we've seen card art really explode back on the scene in the last few years. I want, we got someone out there, I want to recognize Rodney Card Killer, who, who does a lot of card art also also from Brooklyn, by the way, we got to throw that.

SPEAKER 1: So, so, you know, but we, we've seen, we've seen people do some great work and put their own spin on things. And one question to you and then I'll get someone else involved too. Do you see the card art kind of continuing and maybe even getting bigger, potentially 1000%.

SPEAKER 4: And a lot of the reason why, besides the great art that these artists are doing when tops came out with project 2020 followed it with project 70 what they did by branding artists as the authors of this work, they created a phenomenon for the first time in history where people are actually collecting artists.

SPEAKER 4: And so, you know, the idea that you want to catch someone's rookie card and you hope they have a really rich career so that the value of that card, you know, corresponds with that rise. Now people are looking at artists and what they do. And I think I want to collect that artist or that artist, not only because I like the work, but because I believe in what they're doing. And I think the value could fluctuate.

SPEAKER 4: That brings a whole other level of art collectibility to the world of art that even the art world doesn't necessarily follow. So it's really exciting, the artists in a way have become almost like what the athletes are. So people are no longer just collecting their favorite team player and brands do I think it's good? Yeah.

SPEAKER 4: And I think for that reason, that's why I have kids every show coming up to my table and gifting me with their art cards that they make at home because they're aspiring young art card artists. So we all know that this Hobby starts with the kids and continues with the kids and that's what we want. And so to see kids aspiring to have sets out by tops is a first in history.

SPEAKER 4: There have been cards in the past with paintings on it and outside of maybe Dick Perez with Diamond Kings, they're unknown, even the 1953 tops artist, unknown to, you know, the house artists. So it was never, that aspect was never celebrated. So it's creating a new playing space for young people in the Hobby. So, yes, I see it fully growing.

SPEAKER 1: So we might see some future Andy Freemans coming up. They're coming for you.

SPEAKER 4: We're going to see future, whatever their names are.

SPEAKER 1: No doubt, no doubt, daddy. I want you to, you know, you started Hobby news. You can't draw a stick figure to save your life. But you did start Hobby news daily this year. Which is what it sounds like. It's a Hobby news source. You've got an incredible writing team and I'm also on it as well and just talk a little bit for those that may have not seen it or heard about it. Talk about that.

SPEAKER 5: Well, thank you. First of all, I want to second everything that Andy just said about what art is doing in the Hobby right now. And the opportunities for artists coming up and to make a living in doing fine sports art at every level my background comes from and I just want to second that so much.

SPEAKER 5: I started, I started Hobby news daily because I wanted a place where people could go every day and have this vibe in here, have this positive with good articles with good content, with interesting information with historical evergreen pieces with people covering daily topics. We do a podcast every morning that's put out.

SPEAKER 5: Adam Palmer who hosts about half of them is out in the crowd there. You'll hear him or Mike Joakim every morning and then we do a weekly email and the email has been a huge success to give you an idea of anybody who does email list. We have a 70% open rate on our emails within 24 hours. So we have great getting out there to people. I'm thrilled about that.

SPEAKER 5: We've got 20 writers right now. So it's original content from people all over the Hobby, talking everything from vintage cards to modern cards, to sports art, to comics, to Pokemon, the whole gamut of collectibles, everything under this roof we hope to talk about and cover at Hobby news daily dot com. So if you've never been there, you can go on your cell phone or your computer.

SPEAKER 5: It's Hobby news daily dot com. And I just encourage you. We'll take feedback if you want to see an article on something. We've got a writer who's probably an expert on it. I want to thank John for all his help in getting it off the ground. I think when I was teetering on whether I wanted to jump in with 2 ft, he might have just thrown me in the deep end.

SPEAKER 1: But I appreciate it. Yeah, I just told you, like Nike, I said, just do it right. So, and it's, it's great and it's different. You got, like you said, 17 riders have fresh content every day and opinions which nobody is wrong with, which is always, always fun. Let's go back to Dylan.

SPEAKER 1: You're first National, but you're here from Hawaii. That's a little bit of ways away. Talk about your trip and, and you know what you picked up so far.

SPEAKER 6: Yeah. It was a long journey. I was on an hour sleep yesterday and I was just running on adrenaline all night and all day. What? I really, my pick ups, you know, I haven't gone crazy on the pickups yet. But what I really have just appreciated is that my friends that I've met on being on YouTube, anyone out there who is shy and nervous about creating their own content, but they love the Hobby.

SPEAKER 6: They should just jump in. All I do is push, play and push stop. And I have friends that I've made that are true friends and they're out in the crowd right now and they're listening at home and it just means the world to me and seeing everybody out there. It's just, like, really special. I have someone's videoing us and my whole front row. This means so much to me.

SPEAKER 6: That's all I gotta say. I, I'm just in shock with everything. I get really emotional about things because this Hobby has has been with me by myself all these years and then having this, like, in an opportunity like this, it's just incredible.

SPEAKER 6: So, anyone out there who is nervous and shy like me, you might not think I'm shy because I like to talk. But I was shy when I first came on and to make connections, true, deep connections with friends.

SPEAKER 6: That's what this Hobby is about. And that's what I love about it. It's not even about the cards as much anymore as it is about the friendship within it. So, that's what I'm here for. And that's what I've enjoyed so far.

SPEAKER 1: Danny's got a question for you, Dylan. I've coined Dylan the most enthusiastic guy in the Hobby. And there's a lot of us don't get me wrong. That's no slight to, to anybody else. But that's just how enthusiastic he is. I know. I know. I don't know anyone that can match it. So we're all fighting for second place after that. But Danny's got a question.

SPEAKER 1: I just want to know.

SPEAKER 5: Since you got started. What's been the biggest surprise doing the YouTube channel? Has it been the reception? Has it been the ease? Has it been the relationships? Has it been the cards?

SPEAKER 6: The fun in it? It's been how fun it is to make a video and go through the cards that I already own and enjoy them again and again and again and then having responses from friends and they leave comments and then you make, it goes back to the connections that I've made with friends and I can meet someone for the first time and we're best friends in 10 minutes where I have friends.

SPEAKER 6: You know, I hope they're not all listening, but I've been friends for my entire life and we struggle to have a conversation unless we're drinking and even my surfers. I'm a long time surfer surf my entire life. I live and breathe.

SPEAKER 6: I surf every single day. Me being out of the water is like a fish out of water right now. But I have connections with friends in this Hobby that are just incredible. That's been my greatest thing. I just always go back to the connections and enjoying my collection more than ever because of it.

SPEAKER 1: And Adam. Adam might be in the running for that second most enthusiastic guy in the Hobby with the, with the rest of us. But, you know, you do, you do your own content and then you do a show with Dylan called Turn Back The Clock, which is, which is awesome.

SPEAKER 1: You do 33 and three. I'm begging to come on at some point. I don't beg to get on shows. But that one, that one, that one I will, but talk about sort of your journey with content creation and, and being your first National. Have you picked up anything you want to share?

SPEAKER 7: Yeah. Well, I picked, I had one pick up yesterday, which was a KDK, a Clemente card from his personal collection. Shout out Theo Clemente collector. I'm in the group, I'm in the group. Now I feel, I feel great about that pick up.

SPEAKER 7: But yeah, now, now you see why I love Dylan. I mean, he, the first video I ever saw of, of his, I knew right away that he was being just genuine himself and passionate. He loves cards. And, yeah, it, it, it was, it was strange yesterday meeting for the first time in person.

SPEAKER 6: Yeah, that was pretty awesome.

SPEAKER 7: I feel like we've talked for hours and hours on the phone and over YouTube and then meeting in person was pretty cool.

SPEAKER 7: But, yeah, I, I zoomed back in the Hobby early 2021 and I got to thank a couple, a couple podcasts. One being Sports Card Nation. Doctor Beckett Podcast and Golden Age of Cardboard.

SPEAKER 7: I needed, I needed those because, you know, I needed to hear from people that had a lot of experience in the Hobby that didn't like me. Leave the Hobby for a while. I mean, I was buying cards but I really wasn't connected to the Hobby.

SPEAKER 7: So, to listen to podcasts of, of, you know, legends really? In the Hobby. It, it, it brought me a lot and to think, you know, here I am in my first National and up here, like, what am I doing? Up here. But, I don't know. I, I guess that's all I have to.

SPEAKER 1: Say and you promise you would give me 50 bucks. That's what you're doing, check checks in the mail.

SPEAKER 1: I'm kidding.

SPEAKER 1: There's probably a couple of people like what, what just happened. No, I'm kidding.

SPEAKER 1: Andy. You know, we've seen fanatics acquire tops, any effect on what you do, you know, with tops or that, will that relationship continue?

SPEAKER 4: Morale seems higher than ever? And I suppose so does the budget things are just moving forward? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER 4: As far as for what I do, I mean, as an artist, you're like a cockroach, you're always going to survive. If you just keep doing what you're doing, nobody can destroy an artist. That's why it's good to be one.

SPEAKER 1: What do you.

SPEAKER 4: And I should add, being an artist is a decision. It's not like a divine right kind of thing. Anybody has the right to participate. All you need to do is just say that that's what you are and own yourself. It's, hey, it's scary. It's scary but it's easy in a way too. Just be and then let everyone see it simple as that. You want to learn techniques and all that kind of stuff, you could do that.

SPEAKER 4: So I just want to make that clear.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah. And you epitomize that and I appreciate you saying that to maybe you never know who's, who needs to hear that and that's, that's what it takes to, push them forward. What do you got? I know you got something coming out that you want, you want to share.

SPEAKER 4: Well, I've been really excited this past year. Not only doing a lot of painting and a lot of traveling. I mean, I've been making my original, one of one paintings, whether those are paintings used by tops to create the spotlight, 70 cards or my own little paintings of cards. Everything I paint is the same size as a card collectors have been collecting them for a few years, but never before have they been able to be slabbed?

SPEAKER 4: So, the past year I've been talking with all the grading companies and in the mint collective, CS G was the first to pull the trigger on slabbing, non pack pulled works of original art the past year. That's what I've been doing, Beckett followed and PS A. So all the grading companies pretty much now are, do.

SPEAKER 1: You want me to yell at SGC for you?

SPEAKER 4: Maybe someday they'll decide to do it. But right now they're not authenticating signatures that are not certified and pulled from a pack. So I understand that. So look, technically PS A Beckett and I'm totally blanking out CCGC aren't really authenticating the art either to make it clear. And I'm trying to get all these places to understand the difference.

SPEAKER 4: They're authenticating the signature and they're saying, well, the collector will assume that the art, you know, is also real, but in this space, do we really leave anything to assumption? You know. So, not really. So I think there's still improvements to be made.

SPEAKER 4: I think someone should come forward and say, oh, the signature is real, but so is the art. But in the meantime, we're authenticating one of one works and they're finding their way into slabs. And that's something I've been working really hard on. What is happening here this weekend at the pa plastics booth are the world's first two oversized slabs. Those are officially authenticated by Beckett.

SPEAKER 4: They're 4 ft tall. I have a, one of one painting of Wayne Gretzky rookie card. I have a, one of one painting of a Dwight Gooden 85 record breaker, both in 4 ft slabs with enormous stickers authenticated by Beckett Numbers. This opens the door for collectors to not only slab other works of original, one of one art.

SPEAKER 4: And by the way, I have a whole selection of stuff there if you want to see it, but people could authenticate oversized movie posters, autographed record albums, all kinds of stuff. It completely opens the door. So continuing to help build that infrastructure of collectibility is something I've been working really hard with.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah, no doubt I did see the sky. I haven't seen the good, but the sky is amazing as, as expected. And is that something you will continue? We'll see new, new cards.

SPEAKER 4: I mean, like I said, three of the cards in spotlight 72 I painted when I was 12. I had never stopped painting cars even, no matter what else I was doing as an artist, it was always on the side.

SPEAKER 4: I mean, I'm, I'm of the belief that especially if you're an artist, whatever you're doing on the side and whatever you don't want to show anyone is what you should put to the forefront. So I'm really happy that this is where it's gone, but I won, I won't stop doing that. And now that we're slabbing all different sizes, it's just gonna keep, keep having my fun. Absolutely.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah. When, when we were younger, Andy, we didn't, the slabs didn't exist, you know, we were like, what the, what is this? You know, they didn't, and now it's an everyday vernacular. Yeah.

SPEAKER 4: It's an interesting thing, you know, and, and to authenticate something, I mean, it, it makes sense and cool. Look. It's a kind of frame in a kind of way. At one point in art history, somebody came up with a frame and the first time that happened, someone would be like, what do you need to put a frame because it looks great and it preserves it and it makes it an official.

SPEAKER 4: So I think this is a really cool way to frame a piece of work and the fact that they all are mostly painted the same size as a card. We all know there's that O CD side of collecting. We all like everything to be the same size and the same. So that's part of what drove me to want to paint my cards the same size as a card so they could fit seamlessly right in, right in a collection.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah.

SPEAKER 8: No doubt you are listening to the Sports Card Nation podcast.

SPEAKER 8: We'll be right back after this break.

SPEAKER 3: For nearly 50 years. Sports Collectors Digest has been the voice of the Hobby, bringing you comprehensive coverage of the sports collectible industry from industry news, auction results, market analysis and in depth stories about collectors and their collections. Sports collectors digest has everything you need to know about the Hobby.

SPEAKER 3: Also your leading source for listings of sports collectible dealers, card shops, card shows and the latest from the industry's top companies to check out all the latest news or to subscribe to the Hobby's oldest magazine. Visit sports collectors digest dot com or call 1 808 29, 55 61 hotline is the Hobby's only live interactive call in show.

SPEAKER 3: Join some of your favorite Hobby personalities every Saturday 11 a.m. Eastern 8 a.m. Pacific and the first Tuesday of each month at 9 p.m. Eastern to discuss the hottest Hobby topics. If you miss us live, catch us after the fact on all major podcast platforms. Follow us on socials at Hobby hotline.

SPEAKER 2: We are back.

SPEAKER 1: I'm, I'm gonna give a box a blaster box of Bowman away to a young man. He's sitting in the front row, he's in the teal under armor shirt. He's not sleeping. He's not sleeping. So, you, you, you're gonna win this for us?

SPEAKER 6: Yeah. Tyres.

SPEAKER 1: Congratulations. I don't know if that's your friend or your brother. If you want to share that. That's up to you.

SPEAKER 5: Do you mind if.

SPEAKER 4: I ask you a question, please?

SPEAKER 5: I was just curious as card collectors, we come to the National and a lot of us have a list of stuff that we want to get to. Do. You have a list of projects that you want to get to, that you're just physically the time to create the art. You have to go in and order a list of projects that I want to do certain things, you know.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah, I always know. I want to get to something, you know, and when I don't know what it is, I need to get to, I know what I need to get to, which is something.

SPEAKER 4: So I'm always, you know, I'm feeling my way through and it's honestly, art is about telling a story about how you feel in the moment. So, you know, the best thing for insomnia is to sleep it off. And the best thing for a creative block is to produce.

SPEAKER 1: I'm gonna ask Dylan and Adam, they're obviously vintage guys like myself. I have a list of 68 cards on the list I'm hoping to get one or two of them without, you know, I don't know if you mind letting the cat out of the bag you got, what are a couple of your targets you're hoping to go back home with.

SPEAKER 6: Yeah, I'm looking for the 1941 play ball teddy ball game and Joe DiMaggio cards because it's an incredible season and just everything about that set to me is vintage and the artwork on it is just stunning. I'd love to find those in the lower grade good eye appeal.

SPEAKER 6: And then I'm also looking for any Du Kahanamoku cards. I can get my hands on since I'm a surfer and he's the legend of surfing and a great humanitarian and Olympic swimmer. So I haven't found one but I have one coming.

SPEAKER 6: So anyone out there that sees one, let me know that's what I'm going for.

SPEAKER 7: I would love a 1959 Bazooka Mickey Mantle authentic. So if anyone has one, please let me know, I'd love to get one of those and another one would be 51 Burros, Joe DiMaggio. So if anyone has one, please come see me and I'll come see you, Danny.

SPEAKER 1: Danny and myself do a show every other Friday much like Dylan and Adam do called Card Mensches and it's really unscripted and who knows what we're going to talk about. We have a lot of fun, right. That's what it's about and it's, you know, like Dylan said to do that with someone that you get along with. So.

SPEAKER 1: Well, it's a pleasure. I know. It's another show. You probably like, how many shows do you need? I only really do three technically. So. But I just want to say it, it's been a lot of fun and just someone, you know, like Andy said, you know, get off kind of the ledge if you want to do something, go do that. Right.

SPEAKER 1: That's some of the best advice you can, you can give someone even when Danny, like, he's mentioned what Hobby news daily, he sort of, it was on that fence. It didn't look like he was going to do it. And I'm like, no, the Hobby needs something different and I'll help you as much as I can and here it is, it's, it's in existence.

SPEAKER 1: Right. So, to anyone out there, whether you're live now or you're listening to this later on audio. Right. Whatever it is you want to do, you can paint, you can draw, you can share your experiences, do that stuff. You can leave a legacy and that sort of thing. But we got a little time left. Danny. You want, I.

SPEAKER 5: Wanted to talk about some of the cards that we were looking to get.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah. Oh, yeah. I didn't ask you what you were trying so I can steal them from you. Yeah.

SPEAKER 5: We'll talk about the Koufax Rookie.

SPEAKER 1: I can't hear myself right on it must have turned off.

SPEAKER 4: Wait, I'm going to fill in the blank here because, you know, I'm also a collector. So it's nice to talk about projects when I walk around. But people don't know, I'm also a collector and what I collect are the most iconic cards I could find in the absolute worst condition possible.

SPEAKER 4: I love the stories that lightning bolts of creases tell in a card. I got an Eddie Matthews rookie for 15 bucks. You know, I got, I paid $250 for a 1956 Mickey Mantle that PS A wouldn't slab and neither would SGC because they were afraid it would fall apart. That's what I like because one of ones those go in bikes, spoke in the fifties.

SPEAKER 4: Those are flipped against walls. Those are, you know, they're like veterans of the childhood wars that we fought and they shouldn't just be sitting on the side of the road. They should be the ones in slabs. What does a gem min 10 ever accomplished in their life?

SPEAKER 6: I love it.

SPEAKER 5: Well said, well, I am working on the 57 set. So I am looking for the Brooks Robinson, which is, there's a bunch of those on the floor, but the card I'm really looking for is the 33 gaudy MO if I can find the right one there, that's a card I've been buying and selling for decades and I'm finally ready to hold on. To one. So if I find the right one to go home to Baltimore.

SPEAKER 1: Home run hitting MO, but this story for those, I'm not going to tell the MO story. We don't have enough time, but Google look up research MO. He's a tremendous part of American history and history in general and so much more than a major league baseball player. And so I know they made a movie about him and it's just a great story of history and he's got what? One card? Right? That's his only card. Well, that's his.

SPEAKER 5: Main card is broken. 30 30 he's got to play ball, but it gets back to the stories and it gets back to the passion and you know, and the love you have for people. So when I have a card that there's a story behind it, I have a connection to the player. It's rare, but it's findable, you know, it's kind of that in between area where, which means you're just paying more than you want to.

SPEAKER 5: It's a great card, the story behind it. So if you've never checked out the 33 Gaddy MO, you're walking the tables, you'll find it at a good vintage table that should have a couple.

SPEAKER 5: They are going to be low grade because nobody kept them in 1933 because nobody knew that MO was working as a spy for the US against the Japanese. So it's a crazy story and it didn't come out two years later. So they're hard to find, but it's worth it.

SPEAKER 1: There's also other layers to that story that are whether they're true or not, it's not official, but it's interesting go check it out. But great point too by Andy, you know, that all conditions are cards, cards are cards, right?

SPEAKER 1: And you know, we're not all, you know, rich in actors and can buy 9.5 Mickey Mantle 52 tops and I sure do and you know, I didn't, I'm looking for a receiver rookie somewhere in probably a mid tier grade if possible at best. And you know, for you guys as vintage guys. How do you fall in with raw and graded? And that?

SPEAKER 6: Well, John first, I want to add to Andy's point of the stories of cards being at a show and buying a card in the flesh with your friends next to you just adds a story to that card and I really am enjoying that part of this as well. And John, I forgot your other question.

SPEAKER 1: Well, I was just gonna say when you, when you acquire Oh yes.

SPEAKER 6: Rock hard versus ungraded versus graded. Yeah, I'm a, I'm a graded collector. I have a side collection that consider a separate collection of ungraded cards. I just like the fact that since you know that grading started, it was the great equalizer for us people who collected at home and us young guys.

SPEAKER 6: I was young when graded started that the dealers really wouldn't talk to me and I wouldn't talk to them. So it made it fair for me. I could buy a card and knowing it's authentic and it's real, that's the main reason and they look cool. So, as far as the collectors go, it makes no difference. It's just a preference basis. That's as simple as I would put it.

SPEAKER 7: Yeah, I think, you know, I'm seeing a lot of raw vintage here, which is great. You know, a lot of, a lot of opportunity there. I, since I've primarily been an online buyer, you know, I've really bought mostly graded cards, but being here I'm inclined to definitely buy some raw cards. And actually John, I just thought of something I wanted to mention.

SPEAKER 7: It was pretty cool. The Uber driver on the way here, my Uber driver, we, we were talking and, I think I brought another person back into the Hobby. I told him where I was going and he had no clue about any of this stuff, but he said he still has his cards at his mom's house. So he's going to his mom's house later trying to get his cards.

SPEAKER 7: So, stuff, I think it's important to talk about the Hobby to not just each other but to people that aren't in the Hobby or maybe they were in the Hobby, to bring him back because the more the merrier, you know, I already added one today. So who else is going to add some people today if you can?

SPEAKER 1: Yeah. Yeah, no doubt. And good job bringing, bringing another guy in. At least he said cheers National just grew by one.

SPEAKER 5: I wanted to turn the tables a little bit on John. You know, John is up here asking all the questions he's had, I don't know how many hundreds of guests now on his show. But the question is what got you started? How did you get started? What was your inspiration? And how did you.

SPEAKER 1: End up here?

SPEAKER 1: I'll answer your first question. I've had over 200 different people on Sports Car Nation. I'm very proud of that. I'm not going to lie from a seven year old young collector to a CEO, right? The Hobby is the people. I don't care what your title is. I don't care how old you are.

SPEAKER 1: So over 200 people, I got my start. I probably told this story. Some people have heard this right. We've heard this story, but seven years, seven years old in Brooklyn, my grandfather was raised by my grandparents and we went to the corner store and I was a sports kid and I think I had like jaws cards at the time.

SPEAKER 1: That was my first real. But I didn't really you know, until we got up to that counter and I saw that box in 1979 tops and I said to my grandfather, those baseball cards, like my draws cards. And he said, yeah, would you like a few packs? And of course, I said yes.

SPEAKER 1: And the third, the first pack I opened like the fourth card in was Reggie Jackson. Now I was a Thurman Munson guy at the time, but Reggie and Andy could have tested as Reggie was the toast of New York, Mr October. So every kid, you know, that was the guy too.

SPEAKER 1: And I got that Reggie and the rest was history. And as I always say, my friends collected cards, they wanted the gum. So I traded them my gum and got their more cards and they got cavities from the gum and then I just drank Pepsi and Coke and got cavities that way that way. But, but had the biggest stack of cards.

SPEAKER 1: So that's really how it started in 1979. If you do the math and you know how old I am, which is old and the rest is history. And, you know, I had a few years where I kind of just hit pause but I never really left the Hobby and it's just in a different stratosphere.

SPEAKER 5: How about starting the podcast?

SPEAKER 1: Oh, man, that's a longer story. I'll make it, I'll make it short. Yeah, I was, I was a guest on a sports show on Fridays, a gentleman, a friend of mine named Dan T to used to work for EPN radio. He did, he collected cards. He's like, hey John, you have Fridays off from your job. Why don't you come on my show, bring some cards and we'll connect like sports in the Hobby and it was supposed to be one show.

SPEAKER 1: And so we did this one show, it was audio and video and all that morning and afternoon, he, his listenership was calling and messaging him. Is this going to be like an every Friday segment? So he called me up like you have Fridays off and I'm like, I do for now, that might change. But right now he's like, can you do this every Friday?

SPEAKER 1: And we did it, we called it Friday Morning Live and then my job hours change like we need you here on Friday. So that was the end of that. But doing that show, Danny kind of, I had thought about doing a podcast. My son said, you know, we listened to Eric Norton from Becket doing fat packs and trips to Brooklyn. No less. We binge less. And that.

SPEAKER 1: And my son said, dad, with all your experience at, you can do this. And I'm like, Eric, such a great job. I'm not gonna like, but doing that show and then it stopped. That was what made me say, hey, I can do this much. Like Andy said, it was sort of the inspiration that like, hey, go for it. And I launched Sports Star Nation in November of 2018.

SPEAKER 1: If you listen to those early episodes, please know the audio equipment was not what we have today. I was definitely, I don't know how polished I am now, but I was definitely unpolished then. But you know, you do 240 episodes, you learn a few things along the way. Hopefully you get better. I think, I think I have, I'm still learning and improving, but I guess the rest is history. I hope I made that short enough.

SPEAKER 5: I think that's the shortest story you've ever told.

SPEAKER 6: John question for you. I remember this story on your podcast. Was it Jason Verri? You hit a home run against or did he hit a home run against you in Little League?

SPEAKER 1: So true story. I'm in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I lived there for a couple of years playing Little League baseball. I was quite a, quite a ball player in my younger years and we were one win away from going to Williamsport in the Little League World Series and we didn't know, you know, this is before you watch them and you get scouting reports.

SPEAKER 1: You know, this is 1984 85 and I'm looking across at the other team I'm pitching. I get the, the, the, you know, the start. My coach said you're going, you ready from rugby? Yeah, let's go. And I'm sizing up the other team and they're all like smaller size kids except for this one, one kid that was a little bigger.

SPEAKER 1: And that's why you never judge a book by a car. I think I was like eight and oh, on the hill that year. And I, I looked, and I'm like, oh, I think we got this little over but I'm not gonna lie. Well, that, that the bigger kid, you know, was, was a young man named Jason.

SPEAKER 1: Many know him now as a world Series winner, the Boston Red Sox and I will say this, Jason Ver took me, took me yard. I didn't give up many home runs, but that was one of them. I gave up and I will just say that as soon as he hit it. It's one of those no doubters. I didn't watch it. I just put my glove up to get the next ball the pitch again. I think I lasted like four innings. I think the final score was like 14, 3, 14 4.

SPEAKER 1: It was, it taught me at a younger age though to lesson there two guys besides being disappointed that we weren't going to Williamsport against Jason. Well, is to never judge, right? You never size anyone up and just, you know, write somebody off.

SPEAKER 1: And you know, I, I guess that was my 15 minutes giving up a home run to 14 year old Jason Verte.

SPEAKER 7: John, at least he didn't smack you in the face like he did to a rod.

SPEAKER 1: He probably wanted to if he heard what I was thinking. But yeah, it, it, it, it was a fun story. I got to hit another quick. So I got hit against John Franco. Saint John's alum playing pickup ball in Brooklyn.

SPEAKER 1: And he kind of pulled over. He had, he had his college catcher with him and said, hey, you want me to throw you some batting practice. We all realized who he was and we got to do that. So I got some real quirky stories like that.

SPEAKER 6: I didn't mean to open up a wound there. I actually thought you hit the home run. So sorry about that one.

SPEAKER 1: I think I'm over it now. I went to therapy and talk through it and, and what not. I'm going to give another young man a box of 2023 top series one.

SPEAKER 1: You know what he, he's here too and let's be fair in the Cleveland hat.

SPEAKER 1: Congratulations. You did not fall asleep.

SPEAKER 7: John, can I give away a couple slabs?

SPEAKER 1: Yeah. Go ahead. Go ahead.

SPEAKER 7: No, no. Theo you're too old.

SPEAKER 7: I would, I'd like to give a couple slabs here. I got a wada Franco PS A 10 and a Peyton Manning 2000 medal. I'd like to give them to Dave legends of the dugout.

SPEAKER 7: His son because because Dave and his son helped me find my Clemente card yesterday.

SPEAKER 1: So there you go. How about that?

SPEAKER 1: Awesome.

SPEAKER 1: So Andy, you, you got some stuff here on the, on the side of the stage, some, some promo stuff, some of your work, if you want to talk a little bit about that, we're gonna take a group photo as well, but people can kind of come over there and meet you. Right.

SPEAKER 4: I got a, one of ones, paintings used by tops to create cards. I have PS A certified one on one paintings. I just have a selection of stuff there to illustrate some of what I was talking about. If anyone is interested in, you know, handling any of it or looking at it, I also have 250 of these promo cards.

SPEAKER 4: If anyone wants to know what I'm doing in the next few days, there's a QR code on the back that shows everything I'm doing. I'm doing a lot of live drawing events. I'll be drawing Brian Erlich live on Friday in the VIP room.

SPEAKER 4: Frank Thomas, I drawing somewhere Tim mchenry from slap strong. I'll be drawing him at two o'clock today. Four o'clock.

SPEAKER 1: Luke, can you make him look better?

SPEAKER 4: It depends how much he pays me.

SPEAKER 4: Four o'clock, Luke, the cardist and I collaborated on a card. We made a number to 100 edition. We're going to be signing those at cards and coffee and on Friday at four o'clock and on Friday at David Adams. But if anyone wants one of these cards, it's rated rookie Chewbacca.

SPEAKER 1: Be some Star Wars fans. Yeah, rated definitely gotta be.

SPEAKER 5: So those are free.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah, if you want, come over the side, we'll hand them out that way too as well. I want to thank all the powers that be for allowing Sports Car Nation to come up and do this. I want to thank the panel today for agreeing to come up here and given of their time and this is fun, right?

SPEAKER 1: Like the tagline of the show, right? The Hobby is the people all you got to do is take a quick look around the show. I think it epitomizes that and you know, have fun. Right. That's what the Hobby is about and for and continue to do that. And I want to again, thank everyone if you're listening to this after the fact, thank you as well.

SPEAKER 4: And thank you, John for helping us, educating and edifying us along the way.

SPEAKER 5: Thank you for having all of us up here.

SPEAKER 1: Thank you, John. Thank you.

SPEAKER 9: Hi, this is Pat Hughes Cubs announcer coming to you from the sports card shop in beautiful New Buffalo Michigan. The Gocher family has built an incredible place here for collectors to buy, sell and trade cards and memorabilia. Be sure to stop by and let them show you around the sports card shop dot com, connecting sports athletes, the Hobby and collectors around the world.

SPEAKER 8: Hi, this is Alan Pinkett and I'm here to tell you the Gocher family has done it again.

SPEAKER 8: They've just opened up the sport card shop in downtown Valparaiso, Indiana. And it is awesome. If you're a collector, you need to check this place out. Tell them Allen sent you and get a free gift on your first visit.

SPEAKER 8: Are you a new sports cards collector or someone returning to the Hobby? Maybe you're just looking for a friendly trustworthy Hobby community to hang out with and enjoy collecting Midwest Box brands has been bringing collectors together for many years with affordable brakes, helpful and a discord group packed with generous people who genuinely care about the Hobby and other collectors.

SPEAKER 8: Check out the brakes at Midwest Box breaks dot com. Our goal is to bring you as much value as possible. Also find us on Twitter at Midwest Box bra.

SPEAKER 1: Also remember to check out Midwest Box brakes marketplace for brakes packs and single cards from over 300 trusted sellers apply to sell today at ISO dot GG forward slash Midwest Box brakes.

SPEAKER 10: That's a wrap for this week. Huge thanks to you, the listeners out there because without you, there is no ice.

SPEAKER 10: If you like the show, we truly appreciate positive reviews. Big ups to our great guests who drive the show and our awesome sponsors who make it all possible. Sports Co Nation will be back next week but don't forget to catch either Hobby quick hits or Card Mensches coming up on Monday, I'll leave you with this?

SPEAKER 10: How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time.

SPEAKER 10: Remember the Hobby is the people.