Sports Cards Nonsense

There was so much to take away from The National, and Mike and Jesse tried to pack it all into one episode. Plus, we got a first-timer's perspective from Mike, who helped film and edit much of our footage from the week.

0:00 - Intro and National Thoughts

5:00 - Favorite pickups at The National

19:45 - The National EQL Packs

29:30 - The viral story of the dad and son who stole a big Mahomes card

33:50 - Gio’s story with Gronk

44:00 - The PSA Experience Mike and Jesse had

48:00 - PSA not getting cards back by the end of the show. Plus, the demand for grading as a whole.

50:45 - Trade Nights at The National

58:00 - Mike joins after helping with The National

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Michael Rubin joins Sports Cards Nonsense for an extensive conversation about Fanatics Collectibles, Topps, the future of sports cards, rising card prices, breakers, hobby shops, global expansion, and the changing collector experience.

Recorded at The National, this interview examines Fanatics’ claim that it may have multiplied the size of the hobby, the company’s plans to grow collecting internationally, the success of its London store, and how athletes such as Lewis Hamilton, Tom Brady and LeBron James are helping introduce sports fans to trading cards.

The conversation also covers Fanatics Fest, Topps’ direct hobby-shop accounts, entry-level versus premium-product pricing, sports-card supply and demand, celebrity collectors, non-sports cards, FIFA and the global future of the hobby.

Topics:

Fanatics Fest versus The National
Fanatics’ growth in sports cards
Global expansion and the London store
Lewis Hamilton and celebrity collectors
How Fanatics measures success
Fanatics’ celebrity-authenticity rule
Is the sports-card boom sustainable?
Breakers versus hobby shops
Card-shop pricing and allocations
Why sports-card prices rise
Topps direct accounts and distribution
Is Fanatics making too much product?
What Fanatics still needs to fix

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Jesse and Gio kick off their Day 2 recap with voices that are almost gone after the MojoBreak x SCN party the night before, doing karaoke. Plus, Gio is joined by Doug Plagens of Nonsense on Ice on the SCN Media Network for a sit-down interview with Upper Deck President Jason Masherah to discuss Upper Deck's deal with Michael Jordan, the incredible run of rookies in the NHL, the Debut Patch project, and more.

Follow Doug Plagens on Instagram: @DougPlagens

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Gio is joined by Dalen from Junk Wax Vintage and Doug from MojoBreak as we look back at the first day of The National. Gio opens with some initial thoughts from the first day, including the incredible lines to get in. Plus, we touch on the PSA news from The National and more!

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Training Camps are starting across the NFL, and we welcome Joe Bartel from RotoWire to the show to look at the 2026 NFL Draft class as the season is on the verge of starting. Plus, an update on the eBay report from last week and looking ahead to The National.

0:00 - Update on eBay Patch Scammers, including trying to call one of the bad actors 12:00 - Gio responds to Darren Rovell's hot take 17:55 - How Fantasy Football can translate to cards with Joe Bartel 23:20 - How Fantasy Football differs from the card market34:37 - Looking ahead to the 2026 NFL rookie class for fantasy and cards

55:00 - Looking ahead to The National
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