Ep,290 w/ Chris Sewall Part II

SPEAKER 1: This is Sports Card Nation.

SPEAKER 2: What is up everybody? Welcome to episode 290 of Sports Card Nation today. The conclusion of our two part conversation with Chris Sewell, had a lot of fun, talking with Chris. We're chopping up the Hobby and, today is the conclusion of that. If you're listening to this on show Release Day, we are 24 days away from the National under a month.

SPEAKER 2: The National in Cleveland. I hope you, if you wanna go, you're going and, looking forward to it as much as, as me. I've never been to Cleveland. This will be my first time going in a day early, checking out the rock and roll Hall Of Fame. Cross that off the, list of things I've always wanted to, to do.

SPEAKER 2: And, you know, it should be, should be fun times as all nationals, usually are. And, but we're gonna have fun times today again, the conclusion of our two part conversation with Chris Sewell. And so, with that being said, let's take a quick 32nd break and we'll be back with Chris.

SPEAKER 3: Sewell 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: S CD. 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.com or call 1 808 29, 5561.

SPEAKER 4: So, you're sort of an accidental youtuber, it sounds like, definitely.

SPEAKER 4: Has it surprised you? Like the success of the che, has it even surprised you or, or not? Not necessarily. Yeah.

SPEAKER 5: Well, first of all, thank you for the, the, the kind words. And I, it's a good, good observation that I think people sort of gravitate towards.

SPEAKER 5: Yeah, I think a lot of my viewers are the, yeah, I opened my first pack when I was five and I, I been collecting ever since I think. Yeah.

SPEAKER 5: Yes, the s the cha, I didn't, yeah, the sup, the channel was, like, totally unexpected that it, it did that well, again, it was really just a short term plan. I was gonna do it for a year or two until I moved back to the States. I had no, no plans to do it long term. But, that all changed quick when it, it kinda, it kinda blew up right at the beginning.

SPEAKER 5: It pretty early, like the first, maybe, four months was a really, really slow grind. And then I don't remember there, there was just a couple of videos that took off and then all of a sudden it, it, it shot up real quick and then I was like, oh, wow. Maybe I should rethink this as more of a bigger, bigger, like, part of my life, as opposed to just something I'm doing short term to fill a hole.

SPEAKER 5: Yeah. So I was definitely, I had no, no, no plans to have some big YouTube channel. And it was very surprising. Yeah.

SPEAKER 4: Has the success of the channel changed how you Hobby, like, has it influenced even how you Hobby some of the personal decisions you have to make? And is there pressure now that you have a, a very popular channel that you like? You self ait it, like, hey, I didn't expect it to blow up like this.

SPEAKER 4: Has it put pressure on you? Like, hey, I, I gotta create c like, I gotta live up to the Billy now or that I'm just like, or is it, I'm just gonna do what I enjoy being myself and if more people like it than not like it then that's, that's, that's a win.

SPEAKER 5: Yeah. So, I, it's CRE, well, so when I was in Europe. I had all the time in the world. So I would put out 4 to 5. I was putting out about five videos a week and I'm in my my videos, take a lot of research, a lot of editing, like I put in a lot of time into each video.

SPEAKER 5: You know, So it was a, it was essentially like a full time job running my channel in Europe now. I only, now I'm down to now, I only put out two videos a week.

SPEAKER 5: And that's, that's just because I have, I wanna play with cards instead, but I'm still, you know, I still enjoy putting out two videos a week if I had to put out five a week right now, I would, I would, it would start to drain on me and I would probably start to feel it was more of a job.

SPEAKER 5: But at two videos a week it's, it's still very fun. It's definitely changed the way I Hobby. First of all, the, the, I'm not a Social Media person, I'm actually a very private person.

SPEAKER 5: I, I, I'm very, very introverted but, the com and I thought I was gonna hate the comments and the community, you know, and having to be involved in a community, like having to eat. But I actually loved it like, being, you know, getting comments and getting, starting to get to know people and I, I was surprised how much I loved it.

SPEAKER 5: I thought I would have thought I would have faded. Ii, I assumed the Social Media was always this is toxic, evil place and I'm sure a lot of it is toxic. But what I, what I mostly experienced was positivity and encouragement and, and I, I really, really love that.

SPEAKER 5: So that changed that way of thinking for me. And also the, the channel has really created a lot of just a massive network in terms of where I can buy cards. So a lot of people reach out to me to sell me collections. A lot of people reach out to me. Hey, my friend has a collection.

SPEAKER 5: A lot of people come up to me at shows and specifically seek me out to sell me cards. And this is the real value to me of the channel because again, what I wanna do is play with cards. So yeah, that, that is really, really advanced my my card collecting dealing career.

SPEAKER 5: So that, that's the best part of the channel for me.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah, I know you, you buy collections. I try to it's, it's, I don't know about you. I think it gets, it's been getting a little bit more difficult taking, taking it back like when you first started the channel to where you are today and you do a show, do you think your success from the content hurts hurts you when it comes to maybe acquiring a collection or you think it aids you or neither.

SPEAKER 5: I think it, I think it generally aids.

SPEAKER 5: I don't know, it's kind of like a, a bit, I don't know, gives you a general sense of credibility. I mean, there's a, there's a, a lot of dealers in the Hobby who do, are looking to sort of, you know, rip you off or rip somebody off or, you know, lowball you.

SPEAKER 5: And so when you're meeting a dealer to sell, you know, if somebody's meeting a dealer to sell them, their collection, they, they often don't know that person very well. So at, at least I can point to my channel and say, here's who I am, you can at least get to know me a little bit. So I think, I think that helps a lot. Yeah.

SPEAKER 4: Do you ever feel baby, someone's like a little intimidated, like this guy knows his stuff. You know what I mean? I, I, you know, sometimes I think even with me, like, I, when I do shows I have like, my retractable banner, like, advertising the show, I think sometimes not, not all the cases. And I'm a very approachable guy.

SPEAKER 4: So anyone that really knows me knows it's not the case, but if someone doesn't know you or, or very knows you very little of you. I think sometimes it could be a detriment. They feel like, man, this guy, like, lives the Hobby, which is really not the case for me. But it's a, it can be the perception.

SPEAKER 4: You know, sometimes I think that can be a detriment. Not that maybe not distrust but, like, he's gonna use his knowledge as an advantage over me. And I don't even want that to happen when it's not reality, but that's just the perception.

SPEAKER 5: Yeah. Maybe I, I don't, I don't know that that would be, I would say that that's my experience. But, it's certainly possible that it's happened. But I'm curious why you said it's, it's harder to buy collections now than it to be. What, what's that based on?

SPEAKER 4: Well, for, for me, I, I'm, I, now I, as a dealer and as my setup I'Ll have vintage and, and modern and ultra modern. But my heart's really with, with vintage crescent and I just think less, I think more people let's, I, I don't know how I, I'Ll have you give your opinion. I think more people are going to the vintage side. I think there's a movement.

SPEAKER 4: I, I remember being that I wasn't set up at this show. I was just a, a consumer at the show and I was at a table, a young man, I say young man because I'm old, probably 1920.

SPEAKER 4: I, I would put him at, he had, you know, he had like a Zion case and, and it was all new stuff and we and this dealer table we were at was all vintage stuff and basically to make a long story shorter, the young man was asking the vintage guy, hey, I'm looking to get completely out of modern ultramodern and, and fully into vintage, you know, would you be interested?

SPEAKER 4: I wound up the vintage guy says, listen, you have nice stuff but like it won't do me any good. I, I just don't want to go there. I don't, I don't carry that and I've, I've seen similar circumstances or have had people message me like, hey, I wanna get more into the vintage, you know, any advice chat or, or tips.

SPEAKER 4: I wanna move on from my modern or ultra modern. Heck, I bought some stuff like that because they just wanted the cash for to, to buy vintage.

SPEAKER 4: So I think there's, there's when people realize like the presses don't run anymore, that stuff is what it is. A lot of the wax has been open, there's very little on, on open wax of, of product unless every year as, as some still gets open, I think people are just kind of putting 22 and two together and I've seen a lot more younger people kind of get into that, which I, I love seeing from a selfish point of view.

SPEAKER 4: I love seeing that. And so now I think there's more competition to acquire vintage and even II I, you know, I have a box, which is like off grade vintage stars and semis star.

SPEAKER 4: Even that stuff seems to, be less available or sometimes people want maybe too much for where as a dealer when we crunch our numbers, we're like, man, I, I won't be able to work with that. I want it, but I just won't be able to make it work.

SPEAKER 4: I, I guess I'Ll, I'Ll throw it to you. Do you, does anything like that ring a bell to you or you're not running into that necessarily?

SPEAKER 5: No, I, I definitely am. I, I, when you said that I was, I found that interesting because that's been my experience and it's, I not, not neces, not a bad thing actually.

SPEAKER 5: I think a lot, I think that people have way more options to sell than they've ever had.

SPEAKER 5: There's like you said, there's a lot more competition for buying a lot of, there's a lot more people who aren't just pure collectors but they, they collect and they deal a little on the side or, you know, so there's a lot of, a lot of transacting going on and so people have a lot more options.

SPEAKER 5: So, yeah, people expect much higher percentages. I mean, a lot of people come up to me at the show and they have nice stuff but that, you know, they want 90 90% of comps and I, I'm like that there's no room and I can't pay that. There's no, I not break even.

SPEAKER 4: I'm laughing because I, so II, I actually not the last show I did the one before the last show I did, a gentleman came up and, he had some vintage and I picked a few, I think I picked like three cards out and I said I'd be interested in these. And he's, he said, well, they c at like, all you add them together, they c at like $700.

SPEAKER 4: And I'm like, ok, and I'm like, well, what are you looking to get? He's like $700 and I had to explain to him. All right. So if I buy him for $700 what am I gonna put him in my showcase at? And he really couldn't answer me. The light bulb sort of went on.

SPEAKER 4: He realized like, what did he say? I'm trying to, I think he said like 720. You know what I mean? Like he, he wanted to say, I was like, now I'm over cops. What do you think that the next person who's interested in is gonna do? They're gonna be like, hey, it's, this is going for this when you.

SPEAKER 5: Can't, you can't run a business putting up $700 make 720.

SPEAKER 4: So to make a long, you know, obviously we did consummate a deal and, and, but I, that happens, maybe not exactly at cops, like you said, 90% and, and then, you know, then it becomes as the juice worth the squeeze. I sold stuff, I'm sure you have too, Chris where, you know, you buy a few things and you sell something almost what you pay for.

SPEAKER 4: But, you know, you do that because you, you do all right on the rest of it or, or that sort of thing. Or I've, I've bought something more or less for the conversation piece. It is like this is a pretty cool and unique item. I might have overpaid for it a little bit, but it's gonna have people pointing in the showcase or later somewhere else in the show.

SPEAKER 4: They're gonna be like, hey, did you see that, you know, Joe dimaggio tattoo from a carnival in that guy's case over stuff like that? You know what I mean? But you can't do it across the board obviously or, you know, just it, it doesn't make a lot of sense.

SPEAKER 4: So I, yeah, you run into that sometimes. I think if you're recognized even as a, a co creator, I think people think we're like making money and we're, we're rich from that. And and we, I think we both get a test. That's not the case. So sometimes I think that price might go up based on that thought process alone.

SPEAKER 4: And you know, and like, I've, I've had people come up, oh man, you're famous. I'm like, I'm not famous, man. I go to, I go to my supermarket. No one recognizes me. That's saying when you can't go grocery shopping without someone saying, oh, look at that guy that doesn't happen. So, maybe I've recognized Hobby wise, but I'm not a celebrity.

SPEAKER 5: Yeah. My, my, I have, I have friends who refer to me, my, I have friends who refer to me who are not in the Hobby who refer to me as ad minus celeb. Which, yeah.

SPEAKER 4: You know, but there's people who are of that mindset that think, oh, man. You know, you know, and, and maybe, I don't wanna say, take advantage. I don't think that's fair but maybe try to use that, to their advantage or, or, or think we'll pay over com so that, you know, for that, for that reason.

SPEAKER 4: But, like I said, I've bought stuff at a co, if it's for my, see, I will, I have like, hey, I'm not even gonna sell this. I just want it. What do you gotta have? And obviously you try to get it at the best deal, but there's times I'm like, all right, I'Ll take it. I, I just need that for my personal collection.

SPEAKER 5: Yeah, of course, of course. Or, or like a card that I'Ll, I'Ll buy a card to break even on if it's a really cool, just a car I want to own for a little while because it's really cool. Or it's really unique. Or, like you said, it's a conversation piece. Yeah, once in a while. But across the board you, you, you can't. Yeah, there's gotta be some room.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah. And, and I try to do it, you know, in a nice way. Even, even the gentleman who was, who wanted comps for, for the cards I had, picked out, you know, it, it didn't end badly. I just said, like, it's not gonna be able to, to make that work. He's like, OK, thanks and on to the next table.

SPEAKER 4: He, he went but we are seeing, I, I agree with this. I think we're seeing more people get into the V and more you, again, more younger people. I know the last year's National Chris, I saw a young man 13 years old for it. Very, you know, again, young to me, 1213, 14 years old and he was at a table.

SPEAKER 4: I didn't stick around. So I don't know what the final outcome was, but he had three, Hank Aaron graded rookies out on, on the case and he was basically trying to, I think do two things decide which one, which, which one he wanted and then negotiate a deal for that.

SPEAKER 4: I didn't want to be nosy and just loiter around. I was legitimately looking and it was done. I moved on, it looked like they were gonna make a deal. But I was, that made me feel good seeing a young man who, you know, didn't grow up with, with Hank Aaron.

SPEAKER 4: Obviously we all hear about him. He's a, a baseball legend of Americana, but it nice to see that age group. Appreciate the history of the sport and the car and the cards and I think we're seeing, we're seeing more of that. Would you, would you agree?

SPEAKER 5: Yeah. So definitely. So in the, in the, if you went to a card show in like 1990 it would be like all kids or not all kids, but there would be a lot of kids running around. I remember when I got back into the Hobby in 2010, I would have been, you know, in my early thirties.

SPEAKER 5: I was the youngest person at any card show. There was no kids, zero, like no kids, no young people. It was an old man's thing.

SPEAKER 5: I was the young at, at th, you know, in my thirties, I was the, the super young kid.

SPEAKER 5: And, and, and now if you go to a show there's like teenagers all over the place, there's parents with their kids. So, that's a very, very promising thing because it was, it was definitely concerning when you're thinking, like, there's nobody in this Hobby who's young.

SPEAKER 5: Like, that's the future of the Hobby is gonna really struggle here. But now you see it all over the place. The last show I was at was a local show down here in Maryland.

SPEAKER 5: And Yeah, there was like, dozens of teenagers came up to me to sell cards or, or trade stuff and they're all, you know, they're all, it's, it's a, it's a, it's, it's not, I wouldn't say it's a young person's Hobby at the moment, but there's plenty of young people involved and, and, I agree with you. I, I, there's nothing I love more when a, than when a young person wants a vintage card.

SPEAKER 5: I don't know. That's just, that's just as cool to me.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah. It warms, it warms my heart settlement on me. And I'm a, be, like, I had a, a debate with someone I won't match who they are because they're kind of known in the Hobby. And basically his take, Chris was, I'm a big kids in a Hobby guy.

SPEAKER 4: Like, it's a play if I was run, if, if Hobby was full of politicians and I was running for a seat, one of my platforms would be kids in the Hobby. How important it is. You can never have too much. We always need more.

SPEAKER 4: And, this gentleman said John, I love you and he was very respectful. I love you. But you're wrong with your kids in the Hobby thing.

SPEAKER 4: Well, they're great. I don't have a problem with them. We don't necessarily need them. Like you can get in the Hobby at age 25 or 30 or whatever age. Like it's not, but I my take is the Hobby is gonna be more successful. The younger the people that are, are enjoying it are, because they were gonna be in it longer.

SPEAKER 4: You know, if you're looking at, chronological and timeline you're gonna be in it longer, hopefully, or mostly. And I don't know, I, I just think I was seven when I, when I started, there's something organic about that. Right. Look how many people while we were already in it. When, when COVID hit, how many stories you hear?

SPEAKER 4: Am I hear? Like, hey, I was bored. I remember collecting cards as a kid and I went back and III, I got back in again and that's, that's great too. Right. But they reminisced about the nostalgic of collecting cards as a kid and now they're back as a young adult or even an older adult.

SPEAKER 4: And I think there's something to be said, about that. And, so I think kids and III, I can't really be talked off that ledge. I think kids in the Hobby, are, is important. And, you know, while, while you can get in at any age, I think the, the more younger people we have, the better off the future is.

SPEAKER 5: I don't even, I don't even see the argument against that. Like, every, I mean, yeah, what you said both of us, we, we, we're doing this because we collected cards as kids. I mean, I Yeah. Yeah, of course, you can always enter at any age.

SPEAKER 5: And I'm sure there are people who do, but I would say the vast majority collected as kids, they have a memory of that and they've gotten, they're now doing it because they loved it, doing it as kids. I, I think that's, I think that's the, the foundation for all of this.

SPEAKER 4: So I think they argue, I, I'Ll defend them because they, they're actually a great, a great person to have a great, I think their argument was that the success of the Hoy doesn't solely lie on just kids. I think that was their kind of.

SPEAKER 5: Maybe, maybe not the present day success. But I would say the future success cer certainly does.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah. I, I, I agree with you. You know, it, it, you know, we're friends so we didn't let it get to terms where, you know, there was just a, a friendly debate, where we just agreed to sort of disagree. But again, I'm like you, as a kid of the Hobby who's still a kid, just a, a 51 year old, kid now.

SPEAKER 4: It's still, I, you know, seeing my son kind of collect, even as a kid, I just sort of instilled in me that, that, we can't, take that for granted and, and while you can get into it at any age, I think it's, I think you appreciate it more when you get in as a kid.

SPEAKER 1: It's time for a quick break, but we'll be right back.

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SPEAKER 1: Thanks for sticking with us. Let's return to the show.

SPEAKER 4: You know, when I started at seven, I and I'm probably gonna speak for you here too. Chris, I didn't care about the values, right? I just wanted Reggie or Th Munson or I wanted Yankees. I wanted Mets cards. Like I don't wanna say I didn't care about the value, but that wasn't at the forefront.

SPEAKER 4: It was just the cards, my favorite players, my favorite teams, my buddies wanted to come. So I would trade the gum and get their cards and just amass more cards and then just drink soda to get the cavities they were getting from, from my gum. So we both got, we all got cavities together.

SPEAKER 4: But, you know, so those memories and, and, and, and that nostalgia, right? That's, that's where it comes from. But I think there is an importance to that. I think if, to me, if, if you start as a kid, you're more likely to stay in it or even come back then if you start later, I think it's easier to get out and again, to each their own, you know.

SPEAKER 4: You know, you don't hold anyone hostage in the Hobby. But I think it's easier. I think people who are in it for the long haul, probably 80 90% of them if you ask them, start it as a kid. I, it's a smaller percentage that didn't. And so that's kind of, yeah, that's where I kinda, come from, o on that, you know, one of the things with being a dealer, I'm a pricer. Everything's priced.

SPEAKER 4: I've always been that way. I'm a, I'm a kind of a shy guy myself, believe it or not. So if I'm a consumer at a show and I'm at a table with a dealer doesn't price stuff unless I really, really, really need that card.

SPEAKER 4: I tend not to ask and just go to the next table and try to find it there. I'm not saying that anyone that doesn't price cards is, is necessarily overpriced. But what's your strength? Are you a pricer? And, and why? I guess if you are, are man.

SPEAKER 5: Yeah, you and I really line up on a lot of things if, if I, if a table is has no prices, I just walk right past it.

SPEAKER 5: I, yeah, I'm sure that dealer I know obviously there's dealers who do that and are successful so good for them, but that's not interested. I'm, I'm not interested in, in having to start the conversation by asking what the price is. So I'Ll just, I'Ll just move on.

SPEAKER 5: I would say that, and maybe there are dealers that do it successfully, but I would say if you don't price your stuff, you're, you're missing out on a lot of potential customers because there are a lot of customers like me and you who just aren't gonna bother.

SPEAKER 5: So yeah, I, I would always, I always price my stuff.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah, so I have a deal, a friend of mine who he doesn't, he's a non pricer. His prices are actually very reasonable. I know him. I know, but his argument is, is this Chris is, he says I have so much stuff chad and the way cops change, I don't have time. I'm just saving a bunch of time.

SPEAKER 4: You know, not having to reprice or going back to put the price sticker. But my argument back to him is what we just talked about, as I said, I think 70 or whatever percentage you wanna put up, a high percentage of people won't ask. And so you're sort of eliminating them as, as potential customers.

SPEAKER 4: I rather be a little bit over cops on a sticker price and have someone tell me that and then come down and, and work with them and said, you're right. I just looked it up. That's the, you know, I just have so much stuff, you miss stuff and let's, let's talk about, you know, making a deal of, I'Ll honor comps and all that good stuff.

SPEAKER 4: You know, but his argument is sometimes the swings are so big that you might be way over then you're definitely not gonna make a sale. So, it's, you know, what's your stra, you know, what's your strategy with that? We've seen stuff, you know, swing or come down more than necessarily go up.

SPEAKER 4: You know, what's your take on his take that? Hey, II, I sort of look at it kind of the lazy way out. I don't price anything so I can just worry about it. The other thing, I don't always, like, I don't know about you. I don't always like pulling out my phone all the time to check it. Like nothing was priced, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER 4: Like, I don't wanna have my phone out constantly to look that that up. I rather, you know, and, and you do this long enough, you've done it long enough. I've done it a long time. You tend to know who's moving, going down, going up, you can rifle through your inventory and kind of focus on those cards and reprice them whether that's up or down.

SPEAKER 4: You know, either way I tend to do that.

SPEAKER 4: Kind of, what's your take with my buddy's argument that, you know, there, there's so many price swings that it's just easier to leave them unlabeled and then deal with people who ask.

SPEAKER 5: I mean, that's a, that's a fair point.

SPEAKER 5: I would, I would counter with basically what we've been saying, like you're, you're, you're missing out on a lot of customers. So maybe, maybe we find a co, you know, maybe price one case worth of stuff or something.

SPEAKER 5: Just so you have some prices and then you can have a box of unpriced stuff. I don't know. You're just, I think many, many customers are just gonna walk by and not look. So I don't know if that's worth the trade off.

SPEAKER 5: I would guess it's not, but maybe, maybe it is.

SPEAKER 5: I, for me, when I saw the show I don't really price stuff that I don't really have stuff at a show that's gonna swing in value much. I have like dollar boxes, $2 boxes that have vintage.

SPEAKER 5: So I don't really have to worry about that too much.

SPEAKER 5: If I have like mo mo modern cards that I sell that I, that have potential big swings.

SPEAKER 5: I will price really high and then lower them over time to the point where they'll sell properly. So I don't really have to worry about big swings. It's very rare where I end up with a car that's like wildly priced wrong.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah, I'm a, I'm, I'm a pricer, no one can convince, you know, I've done that from even in that first. Show at, at age 15, all my stuff was priced. I tell the story. I didn't have a lot of bedside manner, Chris. So I literally would just sit there.

SPEAKER 4: And to the point I remember g I've told the story of the show. So I apologize to those who heard it before. You know, a gentleman came up this in 1987 and wanted a card and he's like, hey, I wanna, I, I'm interested in this card. I wanna see if your dad could do better. Do you know, when he's coming back and like, this is my stuff.

SPEAKER 4: I'm shocked, you know, because I was a young looking too. So, but I, you know, I wasn't like, hey, how are you doing today? Or is there something I didn't have that, bedside manner at the time? I have it now after many, many moons of, of, of practice.

SPEAKER 4: But when I was a shy kid, so it was just like, you know, if someone wanted something, they pick it out, I, I would deal with someone but they, I, they have to make like, initiate the conversation. I was very poor, very poor salesman in the early going. And, fortunate I did all right.

SPEAKER 4: I just had enough inventory that people wanted and I still was successful that, that really, that wouldn't work today, that kind of, that kind of, bedside manner wouldn't work today, with, with more dealers and and more, you know, more opportunities to, to buy from someone who might be a little more person in. And I'Ll go, which I've, I've obviously become, through the, through the years.

SPEAKER 4: I got, you know, segment we do sometimes with the guests. Not all the guests.

SPEAKER 4: Is what I call the Hobby. Magic Wand. I, I hand it to you. Obviously it's a fictitious item. Too bad. It really didn't exist but it doesn't. But for the show it does. So I hand you this Hobby Magic Wand. You get one wish Hobby related.

SPEAKER 4: You know, what is it? It could be for a holy grail card. I don't like this aspect of the Hobby. I wanna fix it. It's your wand. It's, you can do whatever you want with it. What does Chris Sewell use it for?

SPEAKER 5: So I can do anything, anything.

SPEAKER 4: But you only get one. You can't, like, you can't wish, like, for three more wishes. And they were, and I.

SPEAKER 5: Like, have all the 52 manal in my possession. Is that?

SPEAKER 4: Yeah, that's, hey, that's your wish. There you go.

SPEAKER 5: Ok. Yeah, I'Ll, I'Ll do that. No, I mean, well, there's a lot, you, there's a lot you could go with here.

SPEAKER 5: I, I, like, we already talked about the kids. I would love to see more kids. I would love to see it back to the nineties when, like, all kids did it I mean, when I was a kid, literally, like every boy at my school collected car, it was, it wasn't like a few of us. It was like every single one all trade on the bus. And, you know, I'd like to see, get back to that on some level.

SPEAKER 5: I would love to, I would like to see, dealers who, who take advantage of people get out of the Hobby. I think that's, that makes my life harder because, a lot of people are skeptical of dealers and, and, and at times rightfully so, so I guess those would be a couple of mine. What would, what would yours, what would yours be?

SPEAKER 4: Well, I like the last one you said. I think sometimes as dealers we sort of get lumped in with everything. It's with breakers. Right. We see a bad breaker who doesn't send a card or take something off screen and we just sort of, oh, all breakers are crap. Right.

SPEAKER 4: And I think sometimes with dealers too. Right. Oh, they're all over, you know, he's so overpriced. They're all trying to gouge everyone. We just sort of get, you throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. So, when, when you said that, you know, I, I was nodding my head because I think that does happen and it's like, unfortunate that you're sort of just kind of group with the bad apples of your group.

SPEAKER 4: You're automatically sort of guilty by association may not even, and in many cases we don't even know that person that we're sort of aligned with them because we do the same thing. Right. We set up a show so that we're, they're all like that, you know, the old, they're all like that line. And so I agree with you.

SPEAKER 4: You know, I've already said I'm a big kids in, in, in the Hobby.

SPEAKER 4: I've never really asked myself that. I guess one of the things I gravitate to people who are passionate and genuine, I would just like, if, if, if the, if the wand existed for real, I would just make it where everyone, you know, was that, from a selfish, point of view and, and, and I think most people are, I just make it 100% across the board.

SPEAKER 4: Although I'm thinking about, I could have every Jackie Robinson leaf rookie that doesn't sound too bad now that I think about it. But, you know, sounds pretty good too.

SPEAKER 4: But, unfortunately it's not a real item. As of yet, I'm working on it one week.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah, we have a few more tweaks to, to work out and, but, you know, I think overall, you know, a lot of times we hear the bad stories. But I think you'll agree. I think, you know, 90% probably even higher than that are, are good. People doing good things. It's just that, that single digit percentage, that kind of ruins it.

SPEAKER 4: I don't wanna say ruins it but puts a, a negative connotation and the people doing it above board in the right way and, and that's unfortunate. It kind of comes with the, the territory. The only thing we can do, Chris is just keep doing what we do and, and people who really know us or get to know us, they'll, they'll see and that's all you can, I guess you can ask for.

SPEAKER 4: And if, you know, if someone wanted to just kind of paint with a broad brush that everyone's like that, that's their shallowness. If you, if you will, you, you know, you hope, you hope it doesn't happen. But, it's not a new concept. So, it is what it is. But, yeah, you know, as long as.

SPEAKER 5: Good point, yeah.

SPEAKER 4: As long as, as long as you're having fun, whether it's, you know, I have fun on, on both sides of the table. One of the things I, one last question too and then we'll kinda, close it out is sometimes even when buying stuff I've gotten better at this. The younger version of me was, was worse at it.

SPEAKER 4: I've gotten better in, in, in my older ages. What, in, in buying, whether it be collection or some cards is, oh, I'm gonna keep that. I'm gonna, like, that's not gonna make it into my show inventory. I used to do a lot more of that than I do today.

SPEAKER 4: I still do it just on a very lesser scale. Do you ever run into that difficulty? Like, I wanna buy this, but I'm actually, I'm not gonna resell it. I'm gonna keep it. Or, or are you, are you, are you disciplined?

SPEAKER 4: Like, I've gotten a little bit better. You ever run in? Like, how, how's that for you?

SPEAKER 5: No. And, sometimes, but I'm, I'm very disciplined.

SPEAKER 5: And I have, the way I explain it, the way I try to describe it is like, for me, dealing is just, is the same as exact, same as collecting. I just don't need to keep the cards. I, everything is the same. I get to buy cards. I get to play with cards. I get to grade cards. I get to look up cards.

SPEAKER 5: I get to sort cards. I get to do all the fun things. I love about collecting. I just don't need to keep the card. So, I, I've gotten to the mentality where that's the case. And so I, I very rarely, you know, that, that very rarely is a problem.

SPEAKER 5: But if there's a card that I is truly unique and I'm like, wow, I've never seen that or I really want to own it, but it's not like a PC card, I'Ll probably buy it and then just like, keep it for a few months and then, ok, I've now owned it for a little while now. So, and just sort of to like ex ex extend the collecting aspect a little bit, we'll say.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah, I'm, I'm probably along the same lines. I remember working in that store with Rudy.

SPEAKER 4: And I remember you telling me like, we love cards, right, John. But don't, don't get too attached. Right? If there's always a potential a replacement, there's no shortage of you can pivot and, and get into something else that you enjoy too card wise.

SPEAKER 4: So, you know, I've had other dealers who don't keep anything and their, their mantra is everything has a price. Even if I had a PC, if someone offered me a crazy price, I'd sell it. So, you know, he, he's even his, his take to me is you might have stuff at home John. But if I just wrote you a blank check, you'd sell it to me.

SPEAKER 4: So like even that's available, technically you just don't have it here. So I just don't bring it the stuff I don't bring to the show.

SPEAKER 4: Some of it's behind me.

SPEAKER 4: That I just so I don't get tempted to, to sell it. So that's, that's, I guess that's where my discipline comes in. But it's fun, right? It's fun to have to make those decisions and, and like you said, you keep it a little bit like, hey, it's, time to move on. Someone else will enjoy it and I'Ll enjoy, I'Ll get something else and, and enjoy that, as well.

SPEAKER 4: And there's obviously, nothing wrong with that. That's, that's the fun and, and, I've done that now for 40 something years. It's crazy. So, I always give the, the, that's the last word, Chris, where people can find, your great show, twice a week And as you said, anything else you want to throw out there?

SPEAKER 4: If, if the, the contact you, if they're selling to collect whatever you wanna share, take your time.

SPEAKER 5: Well, first, thank you for having me on your show. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, we missed each other. Yeah, John flew into Baltimore and it was exactly exactly the four days when I was going to Toronto.

SPEAKER 4: So Chris Bur I was coming and he's like, hey, I, I'm not here, I'm, I'm leaving, I'm not even leaving the state. I'm leaving the country because.

SPEAKER 5: He, he literally like arrived on a Thursday and I was flying out Thursday and then I came back Sunday night and he was flying out Sunday night. It was literally so we didn't get to grab lunch or anything.

SPEAKER 4: Yeah. Well, well, I'm planning on making not to cut you off because I'm planning to make that like a yearly kind of trip around that week and, and catch an Oriole game.

SPEAKER 4: And definitely hopefully next year, we could all meet you, Danny, whoever else grab some lunch, maybe catch a ball game, whatever the case may be. But, yeah, go, go ahead.

SPEAKER 5: No, you know, so that, so sorry, we didn't get that yet, but we'll do that. We'll do that next year, I guess, or the National or something if you're there.

SPEAKER 5: And, yeah, thanks for coming on my channel and, and facing off against Moynihan.

SPEAKER 4: It was a close guy. I lost. I don't know if it was a nail biter.

SPEAKER 5: It was a nail biter.

SPEAKER 4: I lost but listen, Mohan knows his stuff. It's not like, you know, so it's, you didn't, you didn't lose it to it though. It's like losing to a jeopardy champion. You know what I mean? I'm all right with that. I'm all right with that.

SPEAKER 5: But my channel is baseball card collector, investor dealer. It's a long title. I, I kind of wish I had created a smaller title four years ago. Just been easier to see. But yeah, all my contacts there if if you're interested in watching or, or want to reach out about a collection, my email's there and my web, I have a website collector, Investor dealer.com.

SPEAKER 4: There you go. And great channel, great content from a guy who who loves the Hoy.

SPEAKER 4: You just have to watch one episode that becomes shining through. I, I gravitate to people like that cause if I may be so bold, I feel like I check those boxes too and like we talked about, I think, I think we tend to gravitate to people who have similar interests in, in the way they collect or deal or whatever the case may be. So, keep, do you know it might have been by accident?

SPEAKER 4: But you, you hit on something and you're doing well and people like myself enjoy it. And so, you don't need me to tell you this, but keep, keep up the great work and look forward to what's around the corner. You're doing game shows now. Maybe you replace Ken Jennings on jeopardy. Who knows? Who knows? Maybe, you know, we have to do a baseball jeopardy.

SPEAKER 5: You get, you get ESPN eight, the old show to host the next.

SPEAKER 4: There you go. Well, Chris, I appreciate your time. I know you're busy. I appreciate you coming out, love to have you back down the line as well. Yes, I play, I'Ll be at the National so we'll have to make up for Baltimore in, in Cleveland and then we'll do Baltimore again next year.

SPEAKER 5: So I'Ll, man. Yeah, thanks so much, man.

SPEAKER 4: Thanks Chris. Yeah.

SPEAKER 7: All right. That's gonna conclude this week's episode and part two of our conversation with Chris Se, a great guy, gotten to know him a little bit more like he like he said, I was on his show for a game show. He did and, just a really cool guy doing it the right way, which we, we love those folks and that's why we have them on the podcast and, check out his show on YouTube.

SPEAKER 7: You probably are already, but if not check it out, speaks from the heart, loves the hobbies, very passionate and, those are ingredients for success if you ask me. So, with that being said, we're gonna hear from our hobbies, the people announcer, some closing thoughts and we'll wrap up this week's episode.

SPEAKER 1: Time for our Hobby is the people announcer of the week.

SPEAKER 8: What's up? Sports Codon Nation?

SPEAKER 1: This is Brett mcgrath with Stacking Slabs Podcast. Remember the Hobby is the people, if you'd like to be the Hobby is the people announcer of the week, do a WAV or MP3 file and send it to Sports Card Nation PC at gmail.com.

SPEAKER 9: That's a wrap for this week. Huge thanks to you, the listeners out there because without you, there is no ice.

SPEAKER 9: 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 Card Nation will be back next week but don't forget to catch either Hobby quick hits or Cod Mens coming up on Monday.

SPEAKER 9: I'Ll leave you with this.

SPEAKER 9: How do we change the world?

SPEAKER 9: One random act of kindness at a time.

SPEAKER 9: Remember the Hobby is the People.

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