Hobby Nonsense

Potentially MILLIONS of PSA-graded cards have reportedly been stolen from a FedEx shipment — and collectors have some serious questions. Jesse and Ray discuss the growing problem of card theft, insurance concerns, and what collectors can do to protect their collections. Plus, as a follow up from last week’s conversation, MikeJY, one of VeeFriends' biggest collectors, joins the show to explain why he actually stopped spending, the production issues behind his decision, Gary Vee's response, and why he still believes in the future of VeeFriends. This week on Hobby Nonsense: 🏰 Disney Vault: $21,000 cases, huge autograph chases, and whether the pricing has gone too far 🦸 Marvel Neon: First impressions, valuable inserts, and where has all the product gone? 💎 VeeFriends: The truth behind a major collector's spending pause and falling card prices 🤼 WWE Stadium Club: New autos, inserts, and potentially overlooked value 🕷️ Marvel Studios Chrome: Tom Holland autos and what Avengers: Doomsday could mean for collecting 🤖 TAG grading kiosks: Could automated grading change the hobby? 🎃 Wednesday trading cards: A new collectible release for Addams Family fans 🔥 NEW SEGMENT — Hobby Hot Takes: Are collectors becoming too obsessed with card values? Plus, Pokémon, Lorcana, new releases, and plenty of Nonsense along the way. Presented by Columbia Hobby, in association with Trove. Collect What You Love. ❤️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than $940 MILLION was spent on cards and sealed wax in September — while Pokémon recorded its biggest month ever for five-figure sales. 📈 Jesse and Ray break down the numbers and ask what collectors should be watching next. This week’s hobby rundown includes: ⚡ A record 3,034 five-figure Pokémon sales in September 🃏 Understanding Kakawow products, IPs and pricing 👀 Why Black & White-era Plasma/blue-border cards could be next to move 🩸 Blood Meowth, red tape and what it could tell collectors about foil supply 🥊 Topps x Street Fighter 2026 🏰 Disney Mint, including new NYCC exclusives ✨ Magic: The Gathering introducing God Packs 📱 Topps Digital and the Disney, Marvel & Star Wars Collect apps 📦 USPS shipping slowdowns and what they mean for collectors Plus, Jesse and Ray cover Mars Attacks out of this world autos, Smurfs, upcoming Pokémon products and some of the biggest Topps non-sport sales of the week. Collect What You Love. ❤️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A $2,500 Simpsons card is suddenly selling for $25,000?! 🤯 Jesse and Ray break down the explosion of the 1990 Topps Simpsons market, why Bartman has jumped roughly 10X in such a short period, and the warning collectors need to hear about what could happen next. 🎙️ Cary Williams of American Arbitrage joins the show to talk about making a living finding overlooked collectibles, his success ripping retail packs on social media, and the unbelievable story of pulling a $40K card from a FREE pack at his first National. Also this week: ⭐ Why Star Wars Unlimited could be a sleeper ahead of serialization and Star Wars' 50th anniversary 🏰 The biggest Disney card sale ever at $600K — and why it could actually signal a market pullback 📦 Jesse and Ray prepare for their biggest Disney break ever ⚡ How Pokémon 30th Anniversary RGB Mew presale prices compare to today's market 🎬 A forgotten comedy card set has collectors asking: What other hidden gems are still out there? 🛒 A look at some of the obscure TCGs and hobby packs hiding on the shelves at Target and Walmart From forgotten cards suddenly becoming five-figure collectibles to products hiding in plain sight, Jesse and Ray look at where collectors might be searching next. Collect What You Love. ❤️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Hobby Nonsense, Jesse and Ray kick things off with a deep dive into Topps Chrome Marvel Comics 🕷️. They break down the most collectible inserts, highlight a few sleeper cards that many collectors may overlook, and discuss the surprisingly strong autograph checklist featuring names like Kevin Feige, Aaron Judge, and Steve Aoki. Next, they cover several notable new releases and announcements: 🏀 Upper Deck's 30th Anniversary Space Jam set, including NASCAR crossover content and Michael Jordan autographs 🦇 Enemies of Gotham City, a new tabletop game that feels like a perfect fit for fans of DC Comics and strategy games like Settlers of Catan 🎟️ Updates on Fanatics Fest and The National, including which event may be the better fit depending on what kind of collector you are and where you can find Jesse and Ray Ray then shares some new Pokémon news, including the possibility of a more collectible Pokémon coin making its way to the United States with additional rarity and chase appeal. The conversation shifts into a broader hobby discussion as Jesse and Ray explore why Pokémon and TCG collectors often seem to have a deeper collector culture than the traditional sports card market. Finally, they revisit one of the hobby's most controversial topics 🎨: card restoration. As the use of paint to repair white edges becomes more accepted in some circles, the guys debate where the line should be drawn and what collectors should consider acceptable. It's an episode packed with Marvel, Pokémon, Michael Jordan, hobby philosophy, and one of the most debated subjects in modern collecting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney takes center stage this week on Hobby Nonsense. Jesse and Ray kick things off by discussing the controversy surrounding Disney Chrome breaks happening days before release, with some breakers charging double and even triple what others are asking while allegedly listing characters that don't even appear on the checklist. Is the system being manipulated, or is this simply the cost of being first? The guys then break down what is shaping up to be the biggest non-sport release of the year: 2026 Topps Chrome Disney They cover: Debut characters Major signers Case hits Top chase cards What collectors should be targeting Why Disney Chrome continues to separate itself from other entertainment products Then they're joined by Digital Inkwell for a deep dive into one of the hottest topics in collecting: Is Lorcana the answer to "What's next after Pokémon?" The conversation covers: How Lorcana got to this point Whether the current boom has historical precedent How collectors are reacting to recent set changes The most undervalued cards and sets What new collectors need to know before jumping in Whether you're a seasoned Disney collector or someone curious about Lorcana's future, this episode serves as a complete guide to where these markets stand today—and where they may be headed next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Hobby Nonsense, Jesse and Ray tackle one of their biggest episodes yet. They kick things off with reactions to two major releases: 2025 Star Wars Masterwork, where sketch cards are proving to be a massive draw thanks to book sketches, panoramics, and triptychs WWE Cosmic Chrome, where Adam Gellman joins the show to discuss Planetary Pursuit, collector demand, and whether WWE collectors have already exhausted their budgets after a flood of recent releases The guys also break down: Upper Deck Inspirations: The World of DC The surprising new Feline Collection release A major concern with 2026 Disney Chrome, as facsimile autographs raise questions Then the conversation turns to Pokémon. Recently released data revealed that more than 80 BILLION Pokémon cards have been printed over the past two decades. Jesse and Ray discuss what that means for collectors, investors, and the future of scarcity. They also examine: New details about Pokémon's upcoming 30th Anniversary release A brand-new rarity that could become one of the toughest modern pulls yet Cards collectors should be targeting now before demand ramps up Then the guys explore the news about the PSA shutdown of Value submissions. What does it mean for grading, slab values, raw cards, and the future of the hobby? And finally... The guys explore a theory that has started gaining traction: Could Taylor Swift actually have autographs in 2026 Disney Chrome? Plus: Ray's newest grail pickup Cards to target before Pokémon Pitch Black And where they see the biggest opportunities in today's market Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Hobby Nonsense, Jesse and Ray discuss the growing frustration around PSA grading delays, the increasing relevance of grading in the TCG and non-sport space, and why some collectors are now openly pushing for a complete stop to grading altogether. From there, the guys break down: The massive WWE patch bounties, including the $100,000 John Cena WrestleMania patch chase The kindness shown from a Disney card collector to a sketch artist And plans for the upcoming card show they’ll be attending, including giveaways and content ideas The conversation then shifts toward a bigger market question: Can Disney cards attract collectors the same way Pokémon does? Jesse and Ray discuss how Pokémon benefits from decades of games, shows, movies, and TCG infrastructure — and why Disney may need to build stronger collector ecosystems around its cards if it wants to reach that next level. They also cover: The newly announced 2026 Topps Chrome Disney release The record-setting $236K Bubble Mew Black Label sale And why the massive gap between Black Label and PSA 10 prices shows the market is still obsessed with true scarcity To close the show, Ray shares: His top undervalued Pokémon cards And what may be the 25 most popular Pokémon characters in the world A packed episode covering grading, scarcity, Disney strategy, and where the hobby may be headed next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Hobby Nonsense, Jesse and Ray start by reacting to the news of a potential GameStop buyout offer involving eBay, and why the move raises more questions than answers — including what Ryan Cohen’s real intentions might be and how it could impact the hobby. From there, they break down 30 Years of Toy Story and then 2025 Star Wars Masterwork, including: A major increase in top-tier autograph signers A limited case run that could make this one of the most desirable Star Wars products in years The conversation then shifts to a growing concern: With Costco now selling bulk top loaders, are we seeing signs of another junk wax era? The guys discuss why it might feel that way — and the key differences that could make today’s market very different. They also dive into: The difference between TCG vs CCG, and a new CCG pushing hard into collectibility with serialized cards and celebrity autos And a look at Pokémon promo cards that could be easy flips, along with an experiment testing how social media messaging impacts buying behavior A mix of speculation, strategy, and real collector concerns about where the hobby is heading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices