Hobby Quick Hits Ep.132 Is the Hobby headed for an "Age of Enlightenment"?

Hello everybody, Welcome to episode 132 of hobby. A kid. Today's Show is sort of inspired by something in my work life. I'm a teaching assistant at the high school level and we are learning about the Age of Enlightenment and, you know, back from the 17th and 18th centuries, you might say, are you crazy, John? How does that have to do with today's happy? And that's what this episode is going to be about. I'm going to draw that parallel. I'll give the official definition of the Age of Enlightenment during the segment where we can tackle it, but in the cliff notes version. It's it's where people started, questioning things that they've always just believe sort of blindly, they started to think about things more. Do research experiments to try to get not what they wanted to believe, but the actual scientific correct. 

Answer and, you know, I hope we're coming to a point in the hobby where maybe we care a little bit more. Maybe they're repercussions from not doing things the right way, sort of that an Enlightenment period but I'll save that for the the main part of the show. But before we get to that, we're going to hear from a great spot. Drew's Mojo breaks do our Q&A hobby news and our new New product release. Counter don't go away. Mojo brake, shop.com is the best place to get your sealed wax products. And breaks, they not only have the best selection but the best prices, whether it's a box or a whole case, they are your guys, they ship worldwide to your doorstep. Their reputation as one of the most trusted in the hobby goes unmatched. They are the 2021 tops. RIT party Champion Breakers from sports car to Pokemon cards. Their selection can't be beat. They offer. Daily deals and pre-orders. Hey guys, John Newman here. Mojo's prices are already great. But to save an additional ten percent off anything in their store, used to code quick hits. That's Q UI, CK h, i TS check out the full service store that's open. Seven days a week in Santa Clara California or the website at Mojo break.com. 

Let's check out this week's, take it away. Hey guys, over sports car shop. Let's go over the weekly releases on the 5th. We have 20 21, 22, Panini Mosaic mode to FIFA World Cup, soccer and 2022. Super break basket audition. That's it guys. See you guys later. 

Sorry for that segment. Where you ask me a question? And I answer it here on the podcast. Alright, today's question comes by way of message from our website. Shameless, plug, Sports Carnation, podcast.com, get more active there. And getting more messages through there. That's where this one comes from. In a question for the Q&A segment, which we haven't done in a Bit. So glad glad to get question on here. It says, it's from Micah and he says, John love the show. I do listen to obviously more than one podcast, but I've noticed, the couple of the ones in my rotation, have either dropped off or not done. Any new podcast, please don't do that. And why do you think this may be a curry? Well, my first response to this question. Mike is Easy. It's a Grind doing you know content creation. A lot of work goes into it. I'm not again I'm not trying to Pat myself or any other content creators on the back. Although I don't have a problem doing that because you know there's you know a show that you might hear an episode that's 30 minutes an hour. Most likely took two to three hours to produce depending on what type of show YouTube. 

Audio Only all those variables and to do that, especially on weekly show. So that's, you know, that, that increases the rate of difficulty, right, smorc time-consuming, you know, I another reason so that alone I think is why maybe you're seeing less frequency or shows not be able to do it anymore. I think the other reason is a two more reasons. I'll give again, according to my opinion. Yin anyway is you know, what the pandemic sort of, you know, lowering down or coming on the back side of that Hill as people return to work and some sort of this new normalcy, right? We're people are in this home as much and have a lot of extra free time and time to kill so to speak. So I think, you know, the time crotch like I just talked about, but kind of what's going on in real time is affecting, you know, contact. Creation production in the last thing and I don't think this is a major reason so that's why I kind of talking about it. Last is you know, the hobby with the with some of the prices resetting Market correction, it's not on fire like it once was and you know because it's not and that Crescendo level I think people's enthusiasm wanes a little bit along with that. One last note pertaining this question. To we just, you know, completed summer. And what happens traditionally during the summer season. Not just in the hobby but just in general, right more people outside, more people traveling to vacation spots, doing outdoor activities Sports, whether it's playing them, or observing them or going to events and less time, watching YouTube, less time, maybe downloading some programming, and so, typically, downloads views and stuff come down. A little bit and some are sort of par for the course. Now every episode is different, you know, even with this show, some episodes will be more, you know, viewed or listened to then the week before in the summer itself. But, you know, traditionally summer becomes at time, where more people are outside doing things and less concern with killing time. They don't have to kill time. They've got of Plan. Let's Go Round The Hobby verse and catch up on this week's hubby news. My slaps has a new partnership in place, it's with collectors and their vault. Let me read the statement from my slaves themselves. My slabs has entered into an exclusive escrow partnership with collectors Vault, the official won't of PSA and golden currently all items listed on the myself. My slaps platform in excess of Thousand dollars will be required to go through an Esco, escrow process in which my slaves, will be handling funds. And the collectors vote team will be handling Logistics storage and ultimate fulfillment to the buyer via, their collectors wealth account, once an item is delivered to their vault account. Buyers will have access to all services provided by collectors. Vault, this collaboration is designed to offer a safer more secure process for higher Dollar Tree. Transactions. There are no seller fees associated with this process soon. My slab sellers will have the option to utilize this service for items with listing prices as low as five thousand dollars. So here you heard that last line that eventually this Vault will be open to cards as low as 5000 dollars rather than the 60 thousand dollars. It is right now another hobby robbery date 

Anaheim California. The GTS distribution warehouse, there are six sports card, cases a 2017 18 Flawless basketball also a 20 1920 Flawless basketball case in 2021 National Treasures, basketball and 2020 National Treasures. Football in addition, to other cases were taken for six cases, total they release for Photos of two trucks leaving the scene. One was a white color truck. The other a darker color truck any information, call the local authorities there in Anaheim, California other than that, no other additional details. But again, continuing the trend of robberies, burglaries and thefts in the lobby, you know, those little league cards. We always order for our kids as they put a little 

Baseball well, hold on to him, you never know what they could be worth a little league card from Facebook inventor entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg just recently sold for a hundred five thousand dollars. That's right. A hundred five thousand dollars signed by him back when he was that age, that his current signature, he gave it to a camp counselor who And to keep that car, not knowing what the future? Young Mark Zuckerberg would become and now he still has it, but now he doesn't have it, he sold it via auction on Comic Connect and it went for a hundred five thousand dollars when they asked what he was going to do with his Newfound auction, winnings of 105 thousand dollars, he said, pay some bills and treat himself to a couple comic books. He always wanted to Also, he's a comic book. So he will be buying some comic books with the sale of his Mark Zuckerberg Little League autograph car. Our feature presentation 

I write the title of the show is the hobby, entering an Age of Enlightenment. And first things first, let's get the boring part of the way at least. I hope it's the boring part out of the way, right, for those that may not know about the Age of Enlightenment. Let's get the, you know, original definition of what that really is the age of enlightenment, or simply the enlightenment wasn't in the 

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Movement that dominated Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, and then split Ed spread globally through its influences and an effect. And what it was was a range of idea, said it under value of human happiness, the pursuit of knowledge obtained by reasons and evidence of the senses as also occurred, the Scientific Revolution caused it as more philosophers. And scientists started using real evidence to come up with real truth and real determination. And I'll stop there with all the 17th and 18th century stuff. But I used this comparison because I think similar stuff is starting just on the beginnings in the hobby, right? People are starting to realize things. Take notice be more aware spread. 

That word out there. I think it started with the all the, you know, the pricing and analytical data, right? We've noticed Trends, there's always been trans, but now we have more tools, right? Sort of like that Scientific Revolution. If you will allow, we have more tools that are getting more factual and accurate. You know, information again much like in the Age of Enlightenment, and more people taking notice more People aware, you know, we call it today, right? Woke being woke. Well, that was the age of enlightenment in. You know, in early seventeenth eighteenth centuries. Well, I think it's starting to happen in the hobby to like I said with some of the analytical tool, tools pricing structures and whatnot. But you know what happened was in those early seventeenth eighteenth centuries as people started saying once It was, you know, proven evidentially, what was really going on? People made decisions to increase their happiness and I think that's what's going on in the happen again. The beginnings of right as you know prices have come down as you know things out and real-world macroeconomics. Right are not great. We've seen the highest inflation across the board, not just in, in the United States, but other countries. 

To we all know if he drive you know about what the gas prices are starting to come down a little bit. Now the gas prices food prices right portions get smaller price goes up and even if the proportions don't get smaller, it's the stuff is still going up. Energy costs are rising, gas, water, heater electric. I can tell you that first hand as I'm here in New York, but I'm sure it's, you know, I just saw a news report it's going on across. Cross the country and when you pay more for things you have less money, less discretionary income for hobby like things. And I think, you know, I've had people DM me, email me and say, you know, Janam Stone hobby. I'm just really trying to make smarter choices before when, when I just had this discretionary income and prices were were lower for a lot of the, the Real Worlds. 

Of I had I could I didn't have to do as much homework. It just kind of by cars, they could buy into breaks. I could buy packs and rip packs, rape cases. And now I have to be more careful. And I think the other thing we're seeing is more people, not that you like Strife or or malice, but we're seeing more people, call out folks for doing things not the right way, you know, we've seen that That in Breaking, right? So I'm gonna break your does something, you know, not more, not right down, right criminal and we see you know word spread get the word out there just happened during this break now. It's still, you know, some people probably say I'm just not going to do business with that that establishment, but I think it's still a problem is accountability. Still an issue in the hobby. You know, I speak to the breaking. 

We've seen seems like every week. Breaker does, you know something unscrupulous sometimes we've seen the same breaker do it more than one time and yet they still have enough business to stay in business and you know, that's where that information sharing, that's where the enlightenment Factor can come into to let people be aware of what's actual and factual going on, you know, products we're seeing Fanatics, you know, Sort of takeover, the hobby hasn't really came into full effect until that licensing actually goes into effect with your being the next one to three years. And, you know, you have to make decisions on products that you want to buy in the companies themselves, have to decide what products, you know, they want to continue. I say companies, it's mostly fanatics but you know, we still have Leaf Upper Deck, they have to determine what products 

Brands, they still want to what lines they run to to release to be cost-effective. I think your Fanatics case, they're going to release a lot of lines to make the money. They need to be sustainable but there's a inherent risk. They're right too much. And maybe the hobby general public says we're not buying all the stuff and you know, they can lose money here. We got to we got to remember that grading we've seen. And I've talked about this at najin, we see a new new company, you know, new companies every week, right? Some you never heard of some you hear about and then you never hear about them. Again, some are many are defunct and on the side of the road, as I like to say with, you know, the Hood Up and Smoke billowing out and they're kind of dead in the water, but there's no shortage of grading companies to get your cards encapsulated. But when you talk about 

Viability right? I want to put my card in there and I wanted to have the greatest secondary market value for whenever I sell it tomorrow or two years from now, right? You have to make educated choices and the new companies coming along have to do something that moves the meter. This is why we're better. We're doing this the other companies haven't ever done this and we are and it's going to be a tough road to hoe. Hope but that you know, that's not stopping them from from trying. Again, the manufacturers it's like scales, right? What tips, the scales, there's a point where they have to make smart business decision or they can lose money. We've seen some products recently, what, you know, the companies won't advertise this. But I think we've seen a few products, not be profitable. We've seen very rarely in the past when everything was Crescendo in, right? 

Cops galleries. The only one that really came to mind that collected dust on the shelves. Now, we're seeing shelves kind of fool again, and I don't know if that's good or bad, I guess. It depends who you talk to, but I tell you that when I walk into Walmart again, I don't open a ton of the newer stuff or definitely. Not like I once did but I have options. The shelves are are not there as they once were during the height of the crescendo, you know, The LCS has lcss have to make decisions those things are skyrocketing and I love them as a former LCS owner. I love my store, sometimes my mind will go as I drive around and see empty storefronts to you know that thought Pops in my head. What do you think Jen do a store again most likely not going to happen but I will tell you a little voice in my head is talking to me. It's just I'm not picking up the phone and answering the call. 

You know, unless the situation was absolutely sort of a no-brainer can't lose type of deal, but LCS has have to make all sorts of choices to service their customers. And now, you know, we know the Fanatics motto is, you know, direct-to-consumer. They're going to have a store Division. I believe they're going to have a breaking division. All the stuff you have to be determined, but I'm sure there are some stores and LCS, owners really. Pins and needles so stew, you know, are they? Be able to get product. You know, how are they going to get? How much, are they going to be allocated in these things are all, you know, part of the process. They want to service the customers. They want to make money, they got bills to pay, you know, one of the reasons I'm going to be quite honest with you, one of the reasons I probably won't open the story again as I'm selling car now, you know, I'm on multiple platforms and multiple selling platforms at shows, when I set up that shows, do I I want to open a store and have that monthly and overhead most likely for figures and, you know, and, you know, I'm sure a lot of existing else he has to are weighing all those options everyone. You know, owning the stores fun. I can tell you that if somebody did it, but I almost did not, you know, myself and my partner Angelo as I talked about this on the podcast before. Almost didn't have a second year we added 

Enter meeting where we lost money that first year because we had to buy a lot of stuff up front. But your glass showcases equipment, you know, we had to open up accounts and phone light on all that stuff insurance and that first year was a losing proposition and we had a dinner meeting and we really sat down and pondered whether there be a year to there was thankfully and When we started to do pretty well, we lasted six more years, you know, until I sold out my half and then did the the show circuit. That's a story. I've already told, but LCS. Has you know, and that, you know, you hearing LCS? All, you know, I saw him, he weighs packs or he searches packs or, you know, they do this or they do that and that get out there, right? And you know, that's where that 

Ability comes in where we get enlightened by that information and then we, you know, you have to determine. I'm not I'm going to or I'm not going to do business with that LCS and that owner that allegedly or does do these. You know, unscrupulous things content. Creation is not immune to Enlightenment, right. I try on this show and I don't think I do it. I never tell. Anyone what to buy buy this, buy that. And that's done intentionally and I sometimes will get messages from folks. Hey John should I do this or how come, you know, what do you think of this? And I might, you know, depending on who it is. I'll I'll answer that or I'll just give say, Hey listen, it's just my opinion. I don't know. You know take this advice with a grain of salt but I don't like to go on live and say hey should be buying that she should be buying that, you know, do your own sort of 

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Ultra might modern and more into prospecting ghost decisions were based on Strictly. Perform, it's not because some investor guy on his channel told me to these are the top five hottest players. I already knew who the hottest players work because I'm a sports fan. And I remain one to this day, even I don't just follow teens. I like, although I do follow them more. So I just followed the whole Sport and I know who's doing well, and maybe who's that? And I used to, you know, I based that was by sell decisions really on performance, right? Because at the end of the day performance is what performance is a good percentage of. What determines you know what? What a card or card should be worth? Obviously ultimately what the cars worth is well someone's willing to pay for it and so as a content creator I take that responsibility very seriously and Keep being careful, what I put out there, right? If I don't know for sure, I'll say I think but I'm not positive. If I don't know, you'll hear me say, I don't know. I can't I can't comment and I know that's boring and mundane sometimes, but I'm being honest and I hope people appreciate that sincerity and the responsibility, I feel when I turn this mic on and I know how many people are listening to the show and, you know, there's a it's quite A bit. And so I take that responsibility, very seriously. I give my opinion, it doesn't mean I'm right, right? Opinions aren't really not right or wrong, that's why their opinions or not, they're not facts. And so I'm careful with when I say a fact and you know we've seen people come out and talk about Fanatics as acquired Panini already, I've talked about the rumor or the whispered but I can't it's not been confirmed by either party yet. 

I'm real careful, you know, on wording and the information that I talked about because people are you know, out there fan fact-checking we got blowout forms detectives. We got social media blowing up like it never has prior and the word is out there, right? The enlightenment people are getting informed. Getting woke as the kids say, nowadays in making decisions what I'd like to see a little bit more. More of personally and selfishly is more accountability, right? How many times do we see? You know, maybe Cee now, you know, two times as made an egregious mistake and we're human, I get mistakes happen, but we need to be, you know, we need to be accountable for those those mistakes, right? You make a bunch of mistakes at your employment at your work. You may put. And I hope it never happens, but you potentially may not have that job anymore. 

Right? I'm in the teaching profession. If I go to school and do something that's, you know, not Kosher not good and bad. I may be on the outside looking in and I see that's the way it really should be. But in the hobby, you know, we've seen people have three, four, five, six chances, sometimes unlimited chances are for their faith. Following our fan base is so that they can do it and not really be impacted by their behavior. Even so I want I'd like to see the some of those bad behaviors. Have some repercussions first off, let me say, I would hope the bad behaviors wouldn't happen in the first place, but if and when they do, I like to see the hobby, you know, be enlightened and make those decisions based on what they're seeing and hearing and doing the research and finding out about. I think we're starting to see that think we're in the beginning phases of that. Some of 

It frankly, you know, start on by, you know, Money, Getting tighter in, you know, income wise and knows card shows were seeing a lot of card shows and events. And I've recently have heard people say, you know, I went to the show, there wasn't as many people as there was the last time I went there last month or two months ago, and I think that's sort of an indicated hobby is alive. And well, do not take anything. In what I just said in the last, you know. 13 minutes, the hobbies that diet. I think it's just changing its evolving and we need to make decisions based on those changes. You know, I've said you know what when I did my store back in the 90s, if I tried to replicate that today, it would fail. It almost failed that thankfully. It didn't but it would definitely fail. Now, that that blueprint because it's a different hobby we need to change and adapt and you know, being liked With where we are today. So that's my little soapbox. If you will about, you know, making educated decisions with the hobby have fun at the end of the day, right? That's what it's got to be about having fun and enjoying it. And if being, you know, doing research and getting educated, I think that's part of the process. And then, you know, accountability holding folks, whatever had they work. 

The Creator breaker LCS owner card manufacturers. Distributors grading companies holding those folks feet to the fire and saying, listen, do the right thing or you will not get my business, and if one enough of us do that, the good will win the day. 

That's a wrap for this week's hobby quick hits episode little different but hope you enjoyed it and hope, you know, whether the masses are doing it. I hope you're making educated decisions. I hope you're looking at the big picture of what's going on and not necessarily questioning everything but questioning some things to make decisions and again it all comes down, right to accountability doing 

Right thing and holding people's feet to the fire and having repercussions when someone doesn't, which we really haven't seen in the hobby. Like we have seen another area. So we'll see you next week for another edition of happy quick hits. And we'll see you Friday for our 200th, episode of sports card Nation. My guess is Jeff Owens, we're going to be giving away some prizes this week. Week. So pay attention to social media is 21 years subscriptions to sports collectors digest, three free SDC, grading subs, and some prizes, from the podcast price Vault, so stay tuned for that. I'll be making a special now announcement on something. I got up coming on episode 200 as well. Thanks, everybody, take care of me. Well, we'll see you real soon.