The Hobby Handbook

With football season here, Drake from Jet Breakers steps in for Trent this week as he and Alex preview the upcoming season, look ahead to Topps Football products, and discuss what exactly football fans should be chasing in the new products. Plus, Drake grades Alex and Trent's teams in the SCN Challenge! 0:00 - Drake is filling in for Trent this week.  4:45 - Drake got into football cards because of his love of fantasy football.  8:00 - Paul Skenes and Jacob Misiorowski broke the mold in baseball; can the quarterback-focused market be broken in football? 15:20 - What happens if Fernando Mendoza doesn’t play in 2026?  20:00 - What products would you like to see come to the football side of the hobby? 24:30 - Drake looks at Alex’s SCN Challenge team and grades his 40:00 - Looking ahead to the football season and awards and how to use that in the market 59:00 - What do you think of Bowman football? 1:08:00 - Where does the football market go from here? 1:17:30 - The best answer for “What should I collect?” Follow Sports Cards Nonsense: https://www.tiktok.com/@sportscardsnonsense https://www.instagram.com/sports_cards_nonsense/ https://x.com/SCN_Pod https://www.facebook.com/groups/sportscardsnonsense https://collectibleslife.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A busy show on the Hobby Handbook as Trent and Alex open up, discussing their pickups of the week and why people are sleeping on platforms that aren't eBay. Carl Abrams joins to discuss the GPK x MLB market. Plus, we look at Flagship Football and why everyone is wrong about it and why the Fernando Mendoza All Kings being redemptions is actually good. 0:00 - Pickups of the Week 8:00 - Why buying singles on platforms like Fanatics Collect is great because some people don’t look outside of monster cards 9:45 - Topps is sending out multiple redemptions to the same people and mistakes do happen 17:30 - Introducing Carl Abrams 19:30 - The growth of the GPK market 29:00 - Topps continues to find a balance with inserts/case hits 33:00 - Looking at the GPK market and the differences between each series 41:50 - GPK thoughts 45:15 - Trent is a football guy now? 49:50 - People are missing the point of Flagship Football 53:20 - Fernando Mendoza has redemptions for All Kings 54:40 - The one card you could remove from hobby history 1:06:20 - Pop Counts Don’t Matter As Much As People Think Follow Sports Cards Nonsense: https://www.tiktok.com/@sportscardsnonsense https://www.instagram.com/sports_cards_nonsense/ https://x.com/SCN_Pod https://www.facebook.com/groups/sportscardsnonsense https://collectibleslife.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is back solo this week with Trent in Mexico enjoying his time off. He dives into something that came up on The Ballcard Show last week - are comps dead? Plus, educating and protecting yourself in the hobby. 0:00 - Intro 9:00 - Are Comps Dead? 17:00 - Buying/Selling and how to use comps in negotiations 19:50 - We are moving away from “Comps are everything” because of how quickly things change 21:00 - Theft in the hobby 25:00 - Protecting your investments in the hobby and the importance of security and insurance. 33:40 - Education in the hobby is a tough conversation with friends and family trying to re-enter the hobby Follow Sports Cards Nonsense: https://www.tiktok.com/@sportscardsnonsense https://www.instagram.com/sports_cards_nonsense/ https://x.com/SCN_Pod https://www.facebook.com/groups/sportscardsnonsense https://collectibleslife.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A jam-packed Hobby Handbook today as Alex and Trent are back from Fanatics Fest, prepping for The National, and also getting ready for the 2026 Topps Chrome Baseball release day. 0:00 - Everyone is back from Fanatics Fest 7:00 - Is it okay to have cards that aren't for sale in your showcase? 14:00 - Favorite pickups from the show 23:20 - Favorite moments from Fanatics Fest 38:55 - Darren Rovell’s hot take and why it was so wrong 46:25 - Topps Chrome Baseball Release Day 48:30 - Ohtani Back-to-Back Dual Logoman vs. ‘52 Mantle  51:45 - Alex blind ranks the rookies in 2026 Topps Chrome 56:30 - What do we think of The Minions SPs?  1:02:30 - The National Plans Follow Sports Cards Nonsense: https://www.tiktok.com/@sportscardsnonsense https://www.instagram.com/sports_cards_nonsense/ https://x.com/SCN_Pod https://www.facebook.com/groups/sportscardsnonsense https://collectibleslife.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is very rare we get breaking news in the middle of a show, but after a major Topps announcement, we break down what their new pilot program with 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball mega boxes means. Plus, going through card show etiquette, the mailbag, and more! 0:00 - Alex is back and Trent’s Story about Facebook 10:00 - Alex’s buying habits on Fanatics Collect might be changing if they have fixed shipping 15:50 - Alex’s game for Trent on Ohtani cards 25:00 - Topps Finest Releases Today 35:40 - Topps Chrome Update Basketball and the rookie debut chase 40:00 - Card Show Etiquette  42:00 - Buying for your PC and your collection  55:25 - What do you think of the concept of flippers vs. scalpers 1:03:20 - Knowing card prices will help you so much at a card show so you don’t waste time looking up comps 1:09:00 - Breaking Topps announcement about Topps Chrome Update Follow Sports Cards Nonsense: https://www.tiktok.com/@sportscardsnonsense https://www.instagram.com/sports_cards_nonsense/ https://x.com/SCN_Pod https://www.facebook.com/groups/sportscardsnonsense https://collectibleslife.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon Stuff has gone from zero followers to nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram in less than a year as he continues to build his card business. While he's focused on buying Shohei Ohtani and Paul Skenes for himself, he still moves cards at shows, online, etc. 0:00 - Trent’s intro with the release schedule this week 2:45 - Introing Brandon Stuff and his backstory in the hobby 6:00 - His card-collecting philosophy 11:30 - The importance of connections in the hobby and how they help to move bigger cards 17:20 - People don’t utilize Instagram enough for trades/sales 18:45 - Relationships are what make money in the hobby 25:00 - Not being afraid to overpay for a card you want if it is scarce 33:00 - Avoiding scams in the hobby, especially on higher-end cards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A loaded episode of The Hobby Handbook with Alex and Trent. Series 2 released today. The importance of having a relationship at your LCS. Plus, a case hit/SSP draft, PSA backlog update, and more! 0:00 - Series 2 release day, and Alex pulled a 1/1 for the first time himself, and it was a 1/1 auto at that. 4:55 - The importance of having a relationship with your LCS. Alex picked up two huge cards at his LCS yesterday from a customer while he was there shopping on his own. 13:15 - What do we think turnaround times will look like for PSA at The National? 15:50 - Updated PSA backlog: they took in 4 million cards over the 5 days post-announcement. 22:00 - Topps Finest dropped on Monday, an update on mega boxes 31:00 - SSP/Case Hit Snake Draft 41:00 - What an incredible time in sports between the NBA Finals, the World Cup, and the Stanley Cup Finals 53:15 - Performance over potential seems to finally be winning out in the hobby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Hobby Handbook, Doug breaks down the massive Wemby sale and is joined by Aaron Amarant of AAMint Cards. 0:00 - Intro 6:20 - Doug finished his latest set! 9:10 - Aaron from AAMint joins the show! 11:45 - How AAMint got on the map 19:00 - Starting a brick-and-mortar store 30:25 - The Toughest part of owning a sports card shop and breaking company 46:00 - The one product he buys to rip every year Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Hobby Handbook this week, Doug Plagens breaks down the names moving the most at card shows over the last month. Plus, how he consumes Bowman in the most boring way possible, but it is a money-maker. Doug dives into: The athletes moving the most at card shows right now The one athlete he was surprised to get asked about the most Doug's boring, but effective, way of consuming Bowman Baseball products Plus, some tips for setting up and attending card shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are sports cards becoming too expensive for the average collector? In this episode of The Hobby Handbook, we’re joined by Gary LeMaster and Jason Otero from The Ball Card Show to break down what’s really happening in the hobby right now. From skyrocketing wax prices and overloaded release calendars to the growing gap between breakers, hobby shops, and everyday collectors, we dive deep into why so many people feel priced out and whether that feeling is actually justified. Tune in to Clever Cuban Cards' upcoming ⁠⁠eBay Lives on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 pm ET⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topps Chrome Football is finally here, and the hobby is already reacting in a huge way. Clever Cuban Cards and Trent break down release day prices, early singles sales, Breaker’s Delight buzz, and whether Topps Chrome Football is already getting too expensive for collectors. They talk through hobby boxes vs. Breaker’s Delight, the Fanatics credit card debate, and the bigger question of whether this kind of wax appreciation is actually healthy for the hobby.They also react to early sales for stars like Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward, discuss whether ripping or selling sealed is the smarter move right now, and look ahead to other major upcoming releases including Bowman Baseball, Topps Chrome Black Baseball, Topps Chrome Cosmic Basketball, Select WNBA, and more.Later in the episode, they get into eBay and Whatnot policy changes around cancellations, debate Bowman’s new design, touch on Jac Caglianone's slow start, and throw around a fun MLB rule-change idea. Tune in to Clever Cuban Cards' upcoming eBay Lives on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 pm ET. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clever Cuban Cards and Trent are back for another wild week in the sports card hobby. They start with Bowman’s Best, including recent pulls, break ROI, standout patch autos, and why the product has been getting so much attention from collectors and breakers. Then the conversation shifts to the Huntsville card show, where Alex shares an unbelievable story about someone leaving behind a cash bag with more than $20,000 inside. From there, they get into hobby advice on carrying cash, protecting inventory, and avoiding costly mistakes at shows. They also talk about retail vs. hobby wax, why Topps has done a better job than Panini of keeping retail exciting with real chase cards, and what that means for collectors priced out of more expensive hobby boxes. They also touch on release-day website issues and whether local hobby shops should get more consumer-friendly product allocation. Later, they discuss the current baseball prospect market, including why some Bowman autos may be peaking before more rookie cards hit the market. They close with another Kevin O’Leary hobby story, as Mr. Wonderful claims he had a major card deal done before the seller backed out, and says he is ready to sue everyone involved to try to get the card. ⁠Be sure to tune into the next Clever Cuban Cards eBay⁩ Live Thursday and Friday at 7:30 pm ET. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clever Cuban Cards and Trent break down a huge week in the hobby, starting with the fallout from the World Baseball Classic, including Team USA’s loss, which players could see a card bump, and how collectors should think about selling into short-term hype windows. They also touch on a Jayden Daniels mailbag question and the bigger hold-versus-flip mindset that comes with timing the market. Then they give Bowman’s Best its flowers, explaining why it might be one of Topps’ best recent releases, why the shorter checklist and four-autograph format still work, and why the product has been such a hit with breakers and collectors. They also get into Topps Heritage, Bowman Basketball, and the growing appeal of Bowman case hits like Garbage Pail Kids. From there, the conversation shifts to platform issues across the hobby, including Fanatics Collect’s slow fulfillment, pricing questions across auction platforms, and a longer discussion around Whatnot, breaks, transparency, and buyer protections. They close with one of the strangest stories in the hobby this week: growing chatter around 2025 Donruss Optic Football and whether wrapper orientation may be tipping off which boxes contain case hits. If true, it could have major implications for box buyers and breakers. Join Thursday's eBay Live with CCC at 7:30 pm ET Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices