Hobby Quick Hits Ep.157 How I save & prepare for the National

SPEAKER 1: Hobby quick hit delivering their breaking hobby news directly to your in laws. I know those hot drops from the car shops.

SPEAKER 1: We've got you covered your Hope, John, a new name.

SPEAKER 1: Hey, everyone. Welcome to another edition of Hobby Quick Hits. Episode 1 57.

SPEAKER 1: To be accurate. And, if you're listening to this on show Release Day, Monday, we are nine days away from the 43rd National in Rosemont, Chicago.

SPEAKER 1: I hope you're getting excited. I know, I am, as such and, you know, I know around this time. Right. All the content creators, all the podcasts are doing, you know, heavy National stuff and, I guess I'm not gonna be any different.

SPEAKER 1: And today's show is gonna be my approach to the National kind of how I get ready things. I do, how I save some money. This is not gonna be a, necessarily a, a tip show, you know, wear deodorant, wear comfortable shoes.

SPEAKER 1: There's plenty of that and this is just gonna be things I do to have more money for the show, and different things like that.

SPEAKER 1: It might be tips in that you might get an idea or two from something. I said you could, by all means if, if you, if you like a tip that I'm doing be, be more than happy to steal it, or, or use it, not steal it. But, but use it and, might, might help you and, and your prep, for the National, as well.

SPEAKER 1: So I'm gonna tell you how I kind of generate, some money for my pocket and to buy some stuff and to enjoy myself and all that other good stuff. So that's what this show will be about. Won't be super long, but you might, you might take a few things from my pro. All right, let's see what's hitting the market product wise starting on July 19th, 2023 historic autographs flight same day 2022. Leave Trinity football.

SPEAKER 1: Also on the 19th, a lot of releases here. These are all on the 19th, 2022 23. Panini chronicles basketball 2022 23. Panini impeccable soccer.

SPEAKER 1: 2023. Panini score football 2021 22. Upper deck Credentials. Hockey, 2022 23 upper deck Parkhurst champions hockey on the 21st, 2023 leaf superlative sports also on the 21st, 2023 Panini Prison baseball also on the 21st 2023. Panini select draft picks. Football also on the 21st 2023. Panini select UFC going to the 26th.

SPEAKER 1: We have four items 2022 creator series update one. Jumbo 2023 an Hidden Gems collection.

SPEAKER 1: 2022. Panini National Treasures. Football, 2023 upper deck Marvel Loki season one and closing out the month on the 28th, we have 2023. Panini select UFCH two and 2023. Panini select WWE and last, and maybe not least July, 28th, yu-gi-oh do list Nexus.

SPEAKER 1: So, lots of product coming out. Some of it aligning with, the National, especially with, National Treasures Football coming out on the first day of the nationals. So, as I always say, choose your weapon. Happy ripping.

SPEAKER 2: Let's go around the hobby verse and catch up on this week's hobby news.

SPEAKER 1: All right. Got actually quite a bit of news here even, before the National, fanatics, has announced they are starting a live event branch. So they're gonna look to get into the kind of card show space.

SPEAKER 1: You know, there's been a debate, I know on Social Media whether they're gonna try to do an event that kind of competes with the National, you know, again, fanatics, Michael Ruben said, you know, when they first got into this card game that they were looking to, to take it over so that they, they, you know, they, they haven't really been shy to say, you know, what they want to do.

SPEAKER 1: So, I wouldn't be shocked to see an event, like the National kind of compete against it.

SPEAKER 1: I really hope they, they don't, and kind of do their own, sort of, kind of regional shows. They announce that they'll be, you know, they'll have some of their athletes at these live events and, they mentioned a sports betting, aspect to it which, you know, as someone who does sports bet, I don't know if that, that there's a direct correlation with cards.

SPEAKER 1: But, you know, again, fanatics has big eyes, big stomach and the money to do it. So we'll see where, this goes. Sgc nine man will, be headed to the heritage auction block, very soon. So look for that estimated to bring $6 million if not more.

SPEAKER 1: One of our great sponsors, re a Robert Edward Auctions, has acquired Huggins and Scott, auctions. So they will still be run as two separate entities under the re a, enterprise, three robberies, that made the news. It seems like par for the course. Now, almost every day we hear about this, West York, Pennsylvania, a store was robbed there, they know who did it. They are looking for the suspect.

SPEAKER 1: Na, na Massachusetts, a store was robbed there.

SPEAKER 1: About $13,000 worth of merchandise was stolen.

SPEAKER 1: And last, but not least. And mint mint in is the name of the store. It's in Toronto, Canada, three masked men came into the store, ordered the employees into the back of the store, filled up some garbage bags with merchandise and wax boxes and made it to a getaway car driven by 1/4 suspect.

SPEAKER 1: And, and local authorities are looking for those folks. So again, robberies at the forefront and again, these are not always after hours in the case of the Toronto one, they came in during the store opening and ordered everyone into the back room.

SPEAKER 1: Ebay has announced their vault won't be just for cards listed on their auction site. You could send your cards to them to be listed on a future auction or just kept in the vault one stipulation.

SPEAKER 1: They won't accept raw cards. They have to be graded and worth at least 250 or more dollars.

SPEAKER 1: You will see Derek Jeter maybe at the Chicago National.

SPEAKER 1: But he won't be signing autographs at least for Tristar.

SPEAKER 1: He'll be there as a company rep for arena grading.

SPEAKER 1: So arena club grading. So Derek Jeter won't make an appearance at Chicago. I don't know how long he'll be there if it's a day or two. I don't, I'm not guessing the whole week.

SPEAKER 1: And last new story I have for you this week B BCE has announced they will be launching the launching an auction division. Their auctions will run two weeks and ends on Sunday nights and they will have more information at the National. So there you go.

SPEAKER 1: Now, our feature presentation, all right. National is fast approaching.

SPEAKER 1: I am still in the process of, of getting things squared away. But I am excited and hope you are too hope to see many of you there in person, maybe again or even for the first time if you see me and know me.

SPEAKER 1: I am very approachable come, you know, shake a hand. I, I love chatting with fellow hobbyists, and it's a great fraternity, right?

SPEAKER 1: To be in and you, you, you share that passion and, and, love to do it via conversation, as well. So things I do my approach to the National. I'm, I'm, this is really off the cuff, because, you know, I've, I've kind of got, I don't wanna say, got it down to a science, but I kind of do the same thing now, every year. And so, you know what I try to do with my National, right? I PC Hall Of Fame, graded rookies.

SPEAKER 1: I try to go to the show and get two cards if not more, but, you know, at least two cards of significance. Now, what does significance mean? You know, for me it's, it's usually four figures, right? A four figure card. And I said I'm not crying poverty by any stretch of imagination, but I'm also not a rich guy. Right. I, I do, ok.

SPEAKER 1: But, but I do things all through the year to kind of prepare for the National and spending, you know, money on a couple of cards like that. Now I'll go in with a list of five or six cards on a target list. Not gonna get all five or six, not, not a chance, too expensive.

SPEAKER 1: But if I get two, that's the goal three, I, I went above the goal one, I got to do a better job at looking and finding some deals and, and that sort of thing. But so how do I save up money, you know, during the course of the year to bring to the National? So I'm gonna give you a couple of things that I do. I've talked about it before. I'll talk about it again. The dollar envelope.

SPEAKER 1: I, this was my, my buddy's deal and I'm sure he stole it from someone else. My good friend Chad was going to every a couple of times a year and you know, I'm like, hey, man, how are you affording to, to do that? And he's like, hey, I, I did a dollar envelope and so what the dollar envelope is, the crux of it is every, every day, whatever singles you have left.

SPEAKER 1: If you, if you're a person that does carry cash down any singles you have left at the end of the day, you take out of your wallet, your pocket and you put them in a box or an envelope or wherever you put them.

SPEAKER 1: I have a, an envelope I use, and then you just keep saving them each day, that you have them and I bundle them up, you know, when I get to 50 I, I put a $50 band on them and, I keep them in my safe and at the, I, I would say at the end of the year, but what I do because it's July, it's not the end of the year. But, in July I turn out that in for, for bigger bills and that's some of the money I bring to the National.

SPEAKER 1: What does that average for, for me, I've had the lowest I've had was 500 something dollars. And the most I've ever had doing the dollar envelope was $1300 and that becomes National money. And, you know, the best part about that folks is you're saving it and you don't even feel like you're saving it. Right.

SPEAKER 1: The other thing I do is kind of saving it where you do feel like you're saving it. So, you know, I have pocket money from my paychecks.

SPEAKER 1: And sometimes I'll just take that out rather than keep it in, in my wallet or on me is, I'll just put it in another envelope. These aren't ones but $20 here, $20 there, maybe $50, maybe I had a good selling week, selling cards online.

SPEAKER 1: I'll take a percentage or sometimes all of that and put it in another envelope and that becomes National spending money. And, you know, another thing I do, I do have some stocks and, stocks earn dividends. I'll take the dividend Dior Dens earn from 1 July to the next and withdraw that and add that to the, the cash.

SPEAKER 1: Usually that's about 100 100 20 bucks, if not more, obviously, depending on how well the stock did or, or, or didn't do. So, there's three sort of ways. I sort of save dollar envelope, put money aside. I just, the old fashioned way and some dividend earnings.

SPEAKER 1: You know, the other thing I do to save money, right, is try to book for as far in advance as you can if, you know, you're attending, you know, where the next National is gonna be. Right.

SPEAKER 1: The earlier you kind of book stuff, you can save a few, pennies, you know, and, you know, when we take National, obviously it's cards and, and, and that's what we're there for and, and then you, but people, right, the hobby is the people. We do a dinner right. There's a hobby, hotline dinner. Danny Blacks doing a hobby news, daily dinner. And so we got, you know, you gotta pay for dinners too so that, that can add up.

SPEAKER 1: I skip lunches at the National. I'll just have some snacks and water in my backpack, to kind of trail mix beef jerky stuff during the day. Just so. I am eating something right. It's not really great to go on an empty stomach. You go lightheaded but getting some sustenance in, in my belly.

SPEAKER 1: But I, I really skip lunch and it's dinner time that, I kind of, I'll be honest with you. I make up for it. Right. Whether it be in Chicago's case and deep dish pizza or, like I said, Hobby Hotline dinner, which will be Harry Carey's or Hobby News Daily, which will be Park View, Tavern, right?

SPEAKER 1: We, we, we have get togethers and, you know, enjoy the company, enjoy a nice meal with that company and, and those meals, you know, listen, you travel, right. You're sort of on vacation. You don't wanna, you know, just skimp and get, you know, a club, right?

SPEAKER 1: You want, you wanna, you know, if you're in an Italian restaurant, you get a nice Italian dish or, or whatever, right? You wanna enjoy yourself? You don't want to necessarily cut corners, right? And so, you know, that, that can add up to, depending on what city it's in, but especially in this year in Chicago's case, right?

SPEAKER 1: There's always events outside the National after the National close. Right. Cubs might be home. White Sox might be home. It's a great opportunity to go with some friends ball game, sporting event and, and I think this year will be similar, I believe the White Sox are, are home and the Cubs are.

SPEAKER 1: And so I've never been to the White Sox Stadium, so we get to do that this year, be the first time, attending that stadium. I, I have been to Wrigley, prior, but not, not the White Sox Home Stadium. I'm not even sure what it's what it's called anymore. But, that'll be fun and, you know, if, if we get to do that and so all these little incidentals and, and then meals can add up.

SPEAKER 1: Right. So those savings that I do leading up to the National are huge, for me and, and, you know, I, I share these and I'm being very forthright with some of the amounts and how I do it because listen, it's not rocket science, right.

SPEAKER 1: I'm not, you know, a financial planner or AC P, I just learned some things from being probably old over, over years of, of life and other people. Right. The dollar envelope is not my idea.

SPEAKER 1: I took that from, like I said, my friend Chad and so I'm sort of sharing it with everyone else and I am sure he got it from someone else, I didn't really ask him but I'm assuming, someone else told him how to do that. Right. So, you can save all through the years, 10 bucks a week, five bucks a week, whatever is in your budget. Right. Everyone doesn't make the same amount.

SPEAKER 1: So I can't tell you, hey, put 50 bucks a week aside, not everyone can do that. I don't think, you know, that's fair to, to tell. So, put it aside each week, what you can, you know, afford to do, make an itinerary too. Like, I already know kind of each day. You know what, what night is, what dinner, what night is, you know, whose get together that I plan on attending.

SPEAKER 1: It just takes a lot of the stress, off your plate. Right. You kind of, you know, where you're gonna be each day, you know what time things start, and that sort of thing, you don't have to, you know, you know, and, and the other thing it, it avoids is you telling someone, yeah, I'll be there and you don't, you don't put it in your planner or your phone and someone else invites you to something else.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah, I'll be there and you find out they are both the same day and the same time and you're gonna let somebody down, right? So I put it in the planner.

SPEAKER 1: Someone asked me, hey, you're invited to this and then I look, and I say Oh, man, I'm already, you know, I've already committed to this, you know, I would like of the go, it's not personal and people understand that. Right. So, you don't sort of disappoint anyone by not showing up or saying you're gonna be there and then not, not actually being there.

SPEAKER 1: And that's, that's not AAA good reputation, to get, I'm a guy that says, you know, if I say I'm gonna do something or be there, you know, God willing, I'm, I'm gonna be there. It's not gonna be a scheduling, snafu.

SPEAKER 1: So, you know, kind of planning, putting stuff in your phone, your itinerary, that sort of thing, you know, helps, even planning with the show show, right? You gotta, you gotta know how many days you're gonna be there in my case, I'll be leaving, you know, Sunday, sort of early afternoon. So I really won't be there for long Sunday.

SPEAKER 1: So my itinerary is gonna be Wednesday to Saturday, right? Kind of set a show, a game plan for the show. Hey, you know, Tuesday, I'm gonna really be, or Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. I'm gonna really be hitting the showcases hard looking for those couple cards for that PC.

SPEAKER 1: You know, Thursday, I, I might have, you know, plans to be somewhere at the show doing live interviews in, in, in my case, a main stage appearance, potentially.

SPEAKER 1: So you, you know, and any of those kind of things like that you have to organize again, put in your planner, put in your phone, your notes, whatever. So you, you, you, you don't miss anything, you don't lose an opportunity, to do that. And so that's sort of, my approach.

SPEAKER 1: The other thing I do to, folks and I've talked about this before too and I actually broke this rule this year. You know, but I had to because I got a really good deal on the car, but about 30 or 90 days, three months out from the show, I literally stopped buying anything of significance.

SPEAKER 1: I'm not saying I don't buy a 5 10 $20 card, but anything really past that, I sort of lock up the accounts, any kind of money and I don't buy any of those cards. Now, I broke that rule this year. I'm usually pretty good, but he did break that rule this year with a Hank Aaron Rookie that I won at an auction.

SPEAKER 1: I put one bid on it and I said I'm not going higher if someone comes over the top, they get it, no one ever did. And so got a pretty good deal. According to comps on a card that was one of those cards on my National list. Anyway. So now it comes off that list.

SPEAKER 1: I it did cut into the National budget. Obviously, so maybe I have a little bit less, than I initially had planned on taking, but I have a great card, in the process and listen, one of the things you have to realize sometimes at the National is stuff may cost slightly more. Right.

SPEAKER 1: Dealers have travel expenses, hotel, getting their stuff there. It's the biggest show on the planet. They know it. I know it, you know it, and they'll probably price the stuff with that in mind.

SPEAKER 1: Does that mean you have to buy it? No? Does that mean you can't bargain or haggle for a better price by all means, you honestly should do that as a, as a dealer myself.

SPEAKER 1: You know, you're almost crazy not to, doesn't mean they'll do it, but at least you can, you can ask, but, you know, expect the sticker price to be maybe a little higher than online, at least initially not. And every deal is different. Right.

SPEAKER 1: There's some dealers there that maybe don't have as much travel, maybe they're local, the Chicago area, they don't stay in a hotel, they get to drive home every night and then just drive back.

SPEAKER 1: And so they're, they're expend, you know, they're packing the lunch and, you know, they're not buying big dinners and so they, they have an advantage over the dealers who travel, they can, you know, have overheads. So they don't have to, maybe, you know, have that sticker shock price. Those folks are there, find, you know, find them shop around. Right. That's the other thing.

SPEAKER 1: I do a first day. I really kind of look rather than buy kind of make notes of, of where I've seen cards, their prices. Right. Have I ever bought on the first day? Sure. I mean, if you find a card you love and, and like a lot and the price is just right.

SPEAKER 1: Nothing wrong with buying it, right? But just know that you, when you do that right? And then you do happen to see it cheaper later on, you really can't bring it back to that dealer and say I found it cheaper over there. Ii, I want to give this card back and it's bad etiquette number one and he's probably not gonna do it and nor should he right?

SPEAKER 1: Or he or she. So, so, you know, it's not wrong with buy the first day. I tend to, unless it's a very difficult card to find, I tend to sort of shop around the first day, make note of where I've seen cards kind of on my target list and their prices and then kind of the next day, the second day start to try to acquire them last year's National in Atlantic City.

SPEAKER 1: I, I tried that strategy and it was until my last day at the show Saturday that I, you know, made my, my significant purchase, which was a Sandy Koufax, graded rookie 4.5 sGC.

SPEAKER 1: And it was a last minute under the wire on, you know, just before the bell type of purchase. Otherwise, it actually would have been card wise, it would have been a dis appointing a hall from the show. So, you know, sometimes it's, it, it can be difficult.

SPEAKER 1: You know, last year we've sort of seen the hobby reset, but many of the dealers did not want to really do cops. Right. They were still holding out hope. Like I said, for many of the reasons I mentioned higher, operational costs, travel expenses.

SPEAKER 1: And so they, they weren't, you know, there wasn't, you know, as many deals I think now with the hobby, sort of calm down for a longer stretch of time, reality has set more in, I think there'll be some sort of, more deals if you will or more prices closer to the comps rather than that sticker shack National price.

SPEAKER 1: So, there's, there's my approach. I hope you got a little bit, from it, maybe, you know, a, a way to save some money. Like, like I try to do, you know, and, it helps me. So I hope to see you at the National. And, thanks for listening. We'll see you soon.

SPEAKER 1: All right. Thank you for listening to another episode of Hobby Quicks. Wanna give out our Social Media starting with our website, which is www dot sports. Car nation podcast dot com. Facebook. You can follow us at www dot Facebook dot com, forward slash sports coordination podcast, forward slash Twitter.

SPEAKER 1: We are at Sports Card, NAT T one. So it's Sports Card nat I one Instagram at Sports Coordination Podcast. Or you can email the show hobby quick hits at gmail dot com again. Thanks for listening.

SPEAKER 1: We'll see you next week.