Hobby Quick Hits Ep.175 Navigating the Football hobby off-season

SPEAKER 1: Hobby Quick hit, delivering that breaking hobby news directly to your in laws.

SPEAKER 1: I know those had dropped from the car shaft.

SPEAKER 1: We've got you covered with your host, John, a new man.

SPEAKER 1: Hey, everybody. Welcome to episode 1. 75 of Hobby. Quick Hits. Got a short and sweet one for you today. That's why they call it Hobby Quick hits. I know we're literally about a week away. A little over a week away from the first official game of 2024 major league baseball.

SPEAKER 1: And, but that also means we're a few weeks after that away from the 2024 NFL draft. It is the NFL off season. I like to buy some football cards this time of year.

SPEAKER 1: So I'm gonna share some strategies, and different things you can do to save a few bucks.

SPEAKER 1: They work for me, to each their own, but I thought I share some when it comes to the NFL hobby, portion, of the hobby. So that's what we're gonna discuss today on today's episode.

SPEAKER 2: Ok. Now, a quick word from our great sponsor, followed by the new product release schedule. Then we'll go around the hobby verse to tell you all the latest hobby happenings in news. Then we'll tackle today's topic of discussion.

SPEAKER 3: Hi, this is Pat Hughes Cubs announcer. Coming to you from the Sports Card shop in beautiful New Buffalo, Michigan. The goer family has built an incredible place here for, to buy, sell and trade cards and memorabilia. Be sure to stop by and let them show you around the Sports Card shop.com connecting sports athletes, the hobby and collectors around the world.

SPEAKER 4: Hi, this is Allen Pinkett and I'm here to tell you the goer family has done it again.

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SPEAKER 4: 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 1: It's me this week giving out the not giving away, giving out the product release schedule, not a ton, but have some here today, the 25th, show release day. Anyway. March 25th upper deck Halo Legacy collection on the 27th, 2024 historic autographs, retro graph three baseball staying with the 27th. Actually a few more all on that date.

SPEAKER 1: Mar Marvel Allegiance, the Affinity Trilogy.

SPEAKER 1: 2023 pieces of the past historical premium edition 2023 Panini Obsidian football upper deck. Marvel platinum 2324 upper deck sp game use hockey, moving to the 29th. The following are all released this day. Panini 23 Panini impeccable WWE 2024 Tristar Hidden Treasures, football mini helmets.

SPEAKER 1: Yu gi oh speed dual gx midterm destruction. Going to the third. We have 2024 keepsake Bruce Lee 50th anniversary collection. 2023 24. Panini's contenders basketball 2023. Panini immaculate football 2023 slash 24 Panini origins basketball H two going to April 5th Pokeman Gray IEX also on the fifth Pokeman Pokemon Ayano premium tournament collection same day as well.

SPEAKER 1: And closing out this segment will be Pokemon Scarlett and Violet. Temporal Forces build and battle debt. There are your product release schedule. Choose your product. Happy ripping.

SPEAKER 5: Let's go round the hobby verse and catch up on this week's hobby news and find out.

SPEAKER 1: All right, not a long laundry list of news to report. But let's start with probably the bigger story, for this episode, J Ss A James Spence authentication has been acquired by CCGAK AC GC grading.

SPEAKER 1: James Spence out the location run by, obviously James Spence and James Spence Junior, they will stay on, even with the acquisition to run that department, they will operate side by side, James Spence at the Js A, the leading authentication group, on the plane.

SPEAKER 1: They authenticate in-person autos rather than certified pack pool ones. And so they will either give a thumbs up or thumbs down as they do now, in conjunction with CCG and they will encapsulate anything that is certified by, Js A, if that is what the consumer wants.

SPEAKER 1: Again, they, they are being acquired, this is not a merger. So this, they are now owned by CCG. Again. I think they stay on. I think the press release said they are staying on for a few years and then we'll, we'll see, what happens, past that. March madness has begun as it does every year at this time.

SPEAKER 1: So, what's the hobby twist on this if you will? Well, with the N I L and products like Bowman University and other nil company products and, you know, it has a different feel to it. Right. We have, we are watching players now that have cardboard and chrome already where in years past that wasn't the case.

SPEAKER 1: So that's sort of a game changer or hobby changer. If you will, you got Caitlin Clark who's taking the hobby world by storm women's basketball, basketball in general. May she be in line to win her first NCAA championship and add to her legacy and cla and crash through that next class ceiling?

SPEAKER 1: Well, we'll have to see that's what March madness is all about, but figured I'D, I'D mentioned that with the nil that has, you know, has a different, context to it. Some bad, bad news, I guess you would say in, in baseball, with the allegations. Shohei Ocon, he's translator who has been, fired in a sense by the L A Dodgers.

SPEAKER 1: There is conflicting reports with this story. One version has, you know, Shohei giving his translator a $4 million to cover gambling debts. That's one heck of a gambling debt. If you ask me $4 million Nikes, that's a lot of LS. If you ask me and sh that, so Shoe's translator said that Shoe knowingly gave him the money to cover those debts.

SPEAKER 1: Shoe's team, on the other hand is saying that Shoe's translator basically defrauded him of $4 million. I don't know, that's a lot of money to be defrauded without some knowing. How did he have access to that? I don't know.

SPEAKER 1: So very early stages of the story, you know, what if the wrinkle comes out, that Shoe was involved in betting? What if it comes out that show? Hey, bet on baseball, we know what happens when you bet on baseball, right? You get banned or suspended for very long times or, and beat Rose's case for life. And so very early stages, you know, I like Shoe as a player, just a tremendous player.

SPEAKER 1: I hope, you know, I wish he went to the Mets, but that's a whole another show. But, you know, I hope it doesn't come out and really tarnish one of the greatest baseball players, of our generation and maybe of all time, but again, very early stages there. So we'll see how this all transgresses.

SPEAKER 1: A little extra time here. I wanted to mention something. I don't, I don't know if I've talked about it even on any of my podcast. But I write a column for Sports Collectors Digest every month called the Hobbies of the People A K A, the tagline of Sports Carnation.

SPEAKER 1: But each month in S four S CD, I write about a person in a hobby that I want to give some shine to and, and give some kudos to, someone positive in the hobby. So I'm fortunate enough to do that. Each month it can be found on in online form or you can subscribe to sportss collectors, Digest and read it there in print form as well.

SPEAKER 1: So I know, I don't, I don't mention that if, if at all, but figured I'D take an opportunity here to mention. I've gotten great feedback from, writing that piece and, even got a few, a few guests as a result of people reaching out, from that piece. So I, I wanted to, mention that. So that's the news.

SPEAKER 1: Now, our feature presentation.

SPEAKER 1: All right, guys, we're gonna talk about football, you know, picking up some deals if you will, I don't wanna say steals, but deals and how to do it. Right. And the off-season and, and this isn't relegated to just the football side of the hobby.

SPEAKER 1: But most sports, but the off-season, it's a great time to pick up, you know, some cards that maybe guys you like or, or prospecting or think are gonna have their breakout year coming up. And there's a saying in football, you know, there is no off season because, you know, with free agency and trades, we're, we see more movement in the NFL than we have ever have comparatively 22 past years.

SPEAKER 1: And so the off-season, if you will is really short, I mean, we're already starting to talk about where guys are going in the draft. We've seen some big time free agency signings. We've seen teams move, move players move off players. And one thing I will say in today's NFL and I think you'll agree with me is teams have less patience.

SPEAKER 1: Teams are giving a player two years, three years max and if they, they're not looking like they're what they were drafted as that team's gonna move on from them, whether it be to cut them, trade them, that sort of thing. And we, we've seen it a lot quicker than in years past where a guy could sit four or 56 years behind an incumbent quarterback and wade his turn.

SPEAKER 1: I think those days are over. I'm actually, I'm pretty sure those days are, are over a guy quarterback that gets drafted. Now, a lot of times you're asked to come in and do it right away and you look at like CJ Stroud's rookie year. Right? Incredible.

SPEAKER 1: One of the greatest rookie quarterback performances of all time, if not the greatest. And that's a rookie. Right. So teams are expecting more out of rookies in football than ever before and that, sitting and waiting and learning that curve just got a lot shorter.

SPEAKER 1: And so that obviously affects how your hobby, if you're buying cards or acquiring cards with that thought process in mind. Another thing that's sort of thrown a ripple in the pond is the Bowman University, right?

SPEAKER 1: These cards before their cards right before their true rookie cards, if you will, you got now, you know, cops producing Bowman University cards, there are Caleb Williams cards already ahead of what will be considered his true rookie cards, you know, that, that come out during the year.

SPEAKER 1: You know, you even had Lee putting the Caleb Williams in their autism set.

SPEAKER 1: So the landscape has changed with the licensing as well. So it's not as cut and dry as before. So, what do I like to do?

SPEAKER 1: I like to pick a few players that, I like or think are, you know, are on the cusp of breaking out.

SPEAKER 1: You know, I le let's take a player, for example, like CJ Straub, I'm not talking about necessarily someone like him. He had an incredible rookie year. His stuff is, is skyrocketed up. Can you buy something of his and sit on it? And put it away. Sure.

SPEAKER 1: But you're probably better off buying it before this past year buying it, you know, before the, the season was complete, but you can still, if you think that's legit and that's gonna be the guy he is going, or, or even getting better going forward, he's still, you know, you can still buy some stuff, someone like Pat Mahomes who I've know I've thrown the Brady comparison, who's very close to being in that discussion, with his second straight Super Bowl title, maybe a third one coming up.

SPEAKER 1: I think, you know, when it's all said and done, he's gonna be arguably the greatest quarterback to ever live.

SPEAKER 1: You know, in that mix with Brady and Montana and others.

SPEAKER 1: He's gonna probably, I don't think he's won. I think we all can probably agree that's not going to be, you know, his last Super Bowl rink. How many does he wind up with again?

SPEAKER 1: He's sort of at that ceiling, but there are certain cards whether it be an RP A or, or, or something along the rookie lines that you can still buy even at the levels they are now kind of sock it away. Forget about it, marinate as I like to say and still come out.

SPEAKER 1: All right, I'm, I've got my home stuff that doesn't even make my showcases at the shows I set up at, I just, I'm just keeping them at home, waiting, and, when the time is right, I'll, you know, I will sell him but, right now I think he's kinda in the middle innings, to use a baseball term, you know, he's at halftime of his career, maybe, maybe not even a little bit less than, than half time.

SPEAKER 1: And, he's gonna break some more records. He's probably gonna add at least one or two more rings if not more. And, gonna be w, you know, barring a, a catastrophic injury is gonna be one of the, the all time greats.

SPEAKER 1: But what I like to do that, those are some of the, the top or tier guys, if you will, I like to find some of those guys that are a little bit under the radar. They showed something, you know, the year before and situation has maybe changed, right?

SPEAKER 1: A guy that was sort of ahead of him on the depth chart is gone, has signed somewhere else where they've traded that player to make this g this guy number one on the depth chart and I'm not just talking about quarterbacks, wide receivers, even tight ends, right? Running backs.

SPEAKER 1: You know, you've heard me talk about running backs before I wrote an article recently about running backs, for hobby news daily. You can check it out there but running backs, you know, the days of Barry Sanders and Emmett Smith and guys like that, it's the, they're fewer and further between, running backs career shelf life is shorter.

SPEAKER 1: Many teams are going to a running back by committee having two or three different backs, fresh legs rather than one workhorse back. You know, the, the two guys kind of remaining as, as workhorse backs are, are probably Derek Henry and Jonathan Taylor and I like both of those guys. I think they're both on a hall of fame track.

SPEAKER 1: But, you know, when you, when you think of running backs, I don't know how many other ones wind up get, you know, being Hall Of Hall Of Fame running backs, I think the stats may not Bear that out, you know, and, you know, Josh Jacobs, he could make an argument for, but, you know, a guy I really like deandre Swift.

SPEAKER 1: He's on his, I think third or fourth team in the same amount of years and he go, he produces wherever he goes. It's not like he's struggling and teams are giving up on him. It's just, I think the running backs aren't running backs are just looked at differently in the NFL.

SPEAKER 1: The game has changed. So, you know, I buy definitely a lot less running back cards than ever did before. I think it's wide receivers and quarterbacks, but there's a tight end in this draft coming up that I absolutely love. I think he's gonna be the next big tight end. I know we've, we've heard that before. Right.

SPEAKER 1: Ie Kyle Pitts, although he's still young and the jury, the verdict is not fully on him, in, on him. But the guy I'm talking about right now is Brock Bowers, the tight end out of Georgia. I mean, arguably, on some people's board, I've heard even people saying he'd be their first pick.

SPEAKER 1: Now, that's, that's a huge, I don't think he's probably that on most boards, he's not going to be the first pick in the draft. That one will be Caleb Williams to the Bear which allowed my Steelers to pick up Justin Fields on the cheap. I'm, I'm happy about that.

SPEAKER 1: But I like, I like Brock Bauer. So, you know, if you can get some autograph stuff of him again to each their own. This is just different guys. I like, I'D be careful with quarterback classes, you know, every year we hear this is the best quarterback class since su such and such a year, right in 2022 we heard that as well.

SPEAKER 1: Let's, let's look at that class, right? Kind of features a guy that my Steelers just gave up on and traded away to the Eagles, right? Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis Desmond Ritter Matt Corral who's not even in the NFL anymore. Malik Willis is QB three on the Titans. Pickett got dealt to the Eagles.

SPEAKER 1: The backup Jalen Hurtz Desmond Ritter is now in Arizona behind, you know, Mur Murray. So, you know, again, that class was highly talked about it. Be careful with the pundits right now. If you've seen a guy and you like him, you're a college football fan or the situation just makes sense again to each their own, right? But be careful.

SPEAKER 1: I'm almost a wait and see guy on quarterbacks unless I just fully believe that they're the next guy I think, you know, Brock Bowers is the next guy to the tight ends. As guys like Travis Kelsey and George Kiddo, sort of wind down their hall of fame careers. There's got to be that next group.

SPEAKER 1: I think Brock Bowers is gonna be one of those leaders, Sam Laporta in Detroit is gonna take the baton and run with it. But, you know, I and I get it. Someone who might say John, come on, man, tight ends traditionally, you know, aren't worth a lot of money again. If that's your angle, then, you know, you have to weigh out the pros and cons of said player in the situation, right?

SPEAKER 1: Pay attention to the off-season when it comes to buying football cards, right? All these moves and acquisitions really shape who's going to play, right? It looked like, you know, Kenny Pickett might be the guy Mason Rudolph moved on. Russell Wil Wilson supposedly washed up, you know, Kenny has a temper tantrum and the Steelers move on from him. Now, I'm not a Kenny. Kenny Pickett guy.

SPEAKER 1: I wasn't a Kenny Pickett guy when they drafted him and it's kind of what I thought he was gonna be turned out to be 13 touchdowns in two seasons, basically, one touchdown every two games. I, I, he just has bad pocket presence. He's not accurate and he's sort of a kind of a petulant guy. A little bit of a brooding entitled guy and, and the Steelers have moved on from him and then comes Russell Wilson Justin Field.

SPEAKER 1: So pay attention to that depth chart carousel and it can change quickly, you know, Kenny Pickett went from one a in Pittsburgh to potentially two or three in Philadelphia. You know, I think we all know Jalen Hurtz is a starter and they got a guy they picked up in the fifth round last year. Tanner. I think his name's Tanner mckenzie.

SPEAKER 1: He might be better than Pickett too. I, I don't like Pickett, so Pickett might went from 18 to 3, double clipboard holding. So, you know, keep an eye on some of these off-season moves.

SPEAKER 1: Number one, they change the depth chart and number two, it tells you kind of what the teams are thinking, right? We got another receiver in this draft, a few, a few guys, Roman Aoni, from Washington, you know, Marvin Harrison, Junior from Ohio State.

SPEAKER 1: There's gonna be, you know, receivers are, are playing sooner playing a lot better earlier we've seen what Puka Nua did, with the Rams, breaking some rookie record. So I like receivers have really thrown their hat in the ring as far as, you know, it used to be just quarterbacks for the most part.

SPEAKER 1: I think that's changed, a little bit. So, you know, do your own research. Maybe you've watched a lot of football. I, I kind of tend to watch a lot of college football living in a college football city with, with Syracuse, University. So, you know, you know, pick someone you like, if you want to collect them, don't make it all about dollar signs.

SPEAKER 1: It, it shouldn't be all about that. I, I, yes, I know. It's a factor. Right. We're doing this show to talk about how to save some, a little bit of money, in the off season, as well. So let's talk a little bit about the Bowman University product. Kind of burst onto the scene.

SPEAKER 1: Kind of quiet at first and I sort of picked up some late steam as, as, you know, with colored parallel colored parallels and autos. You know, I get off and ask John, what, how will it be? How will these cards be viewed long term? I don't know. You know, will people care less about them once the, you know, regular license cards come out?

SPEAKER 1: I think that's a safe bet. Yes. But, just because people care more about the regular licensed product. I don't think that, the interest completely wanes in a Bowman University card. For example, if Ken Williams is the real deal as many project, if Marvin Harrison is the real deal as many project as a receiver.

SPEAKER 1: And if Brock Bowers is the real deal as I project for a tight end, you know, their Bowman University cards and their autographs and their colored parallels are going to sell. Right.

SPEAKER 1: You know, a question I get asked to is, should I sell now before the licensed products come out? I, you know, that's a hard question to answer my question to that is if you don't believe in the player, you think he's not going to live up to the billing? Yeah, I would definitely move off from.

SPEAKER 1: Wow, it's at its, you know, what you would consider its peak point or its ceiling. But, you know, if, if you think that that person's gonna be legit the real deal, it may not be a bad idea to wait till they, they start playing very well and then move on from that card too. So, there's, you know, it's a double sided coin. There's 22 trains of thought there. Right.

SPEAKER 1: But I, I think we've seen the football card hobby make strides. I'm a real, you know, when it comes to collecting baseball and football are my, my go to. Right. I don't do much NBA, I do hockey, but more of a, on the Rangers side, more of a, a team guy than a, across the board.

SPEAKER 1: But baseball and football, I pc, it, I sell it as a dealer so I really look forward to, you know, not only watching it and, and the season itself but buying cards, dealing cards and that sort of things and no, you know, I tried to share some tips today to maybe, you know, save you a few bucks or give you something to think about how you go about, you know, purchasing football. Here's another thing, right?

SPEAKER 1: Don't forget about vintage even on the football. I know when we talk vintage, everyone, you know, instantly thinks about baseball, but football has vintage too and we're seeing a lot of guys kind of get in the hall of fame, you know, 20 even 30 years after their playing days are over as, you know, they, they get late consideration.

SPEAKER 1: So be on the lookout for guys like that and maybe pick up, you can always pick up some rookies on the cheap and then they get the call right? Or the knock on the door.

SPEAKER 1: And they're, they're in Canton. So, you know, look at that aspect as well. And then I wanna, you know, shout out, my friend Joe Coles. He does a great pod podcast that's exclusively football hobby. Check it out.

SPEAKER 1: It's called the football card curator. I think he does it every week and it's found on most major platforms. Joe's a great guy. I had him on Sports Car Nation, about 56 weeks ago, loves the football hobby. Knows the football hobby. So, give that show that's, that's, fully football hobby. So if you really, really, he deep dives it.

SPEAKER 1: So, check him out in his podcast. So my door is always open. I know. I always say that but it really is. So any questions, I will try to answer them the best they can. But again, you know, hobby your way, football hobby, your way have fun right at the end of the day, that's what it should be all about. So, with that being said, we're gonna come back with some closing thoughts and wrap up the episode.

SPEAKER 1: All right. Thank you for listening to another episode of Hobby Quick. Its wanna give out our Social Media starting with our website, which is www dot Sports Carnation podcast.com, Facebook. You can follow us at www.Facebook.com/Sports Card Nation podcast forward slash Twitter. We are at Sports Card.

SPEAKER 1: Nat T one. So it's Sports Card. Nat I one Instagram at Sports Car Nation Podcast. Or you can email the show Hobby Quick hits at gmail.com again. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next week.