Vintage Spotlight

In this episode, Jeremy Lee and Leighton Sheldon officially announce that Vintage Spotlight is joining the Sports Card Clubhouse network while continuing to be available on podcast platforms everywhere. Then it's time for Round 2 of the Vintage Baseball Card Draft. After covering pre-1954 cards in the previous episode, Jeremy and Leighton build their dream teams of non-rookie vintage baseball cards from 1954 through the end of the vintage era. Along the way they debate iconic selections featuring Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and more. The conversation also explores: • The newest features coming to AuctionWire • How PSA's grading service changes are affecting vintage buyers and dealers • Why discovering a new grail card is one of the best feelings in the hobby • Whether a PSA 1 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle could someday reach $100,000 • The cards that nearly made the draft What would make your list? Drop your five favorite non-rookie vintage baseball cards from 1954–1989 in the comments. Follow Jeremy on Instagram: @jlee_sportscardslive and @jlee_cards Follow Leighton on Instagram: @justcollect and @leighton_sheldon Check out Pops & Comps by Jeremy Lee, available on Amazon. Take the Hobby Spectrum survey and discover your collector profile: hobbyspectrum.com Subscribe to: • Sports Cards Live on YouTube • Just Collect on YouTube • Sports Card Clubhouse on YouTube Thanks for watching and listening to Vintage Spotlight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are back with Episode 15 of The Vintage Spotlight. Jeremy Lee (Sports Cards Live) is joined by Leighton Sheldon (Just Collect) for a collector-first conversation about “winning the hobby” without feeling trapped by rookie cards or a number on a slab. We start with a simple idea: if you only chase rookies, you are leaving an entire world of vintage beauty on the table. Then we shift into one of the clearest real-world examples of eye appeal being rewarded: the 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson in a PSA 1 holder that sold for premium money because it looks incredible. From there, we connect it to the record SGC 7 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle private sale and what it says about buyers prioritizing the card over the label. We wrap by talking about the growing role of private sale brokers and why more collectors are paying for help hunting the right card. If you are listening on audio, the cards we reference are shown on YouTube on The Vintage Spotlight channel. Shoutouts and mentions: Philly Show and how it continues to level up Eye Appeal and why more collectors are thinking like “card first, label second” Card Ladder and global population reporting Auction Wire as a way to track the broader market Jeremy’s book POPs & COMPs is available on Amazon. If you want a deeper look at how comps, population, and private sales fit into the hobby’s pricing reality, it’s a strong companion to the topics we covered today. Recorded February 26, 2026. Subscribe for Episode 16. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vintage Spotlight Episode 13 brings together Leighton Sheldon of Just Collect and Jeremy Lee to share the full story behind a fresh T215 Red Cross tobacco card find that surfaced from a family collection in Nashville, Tennessee. In this episode, Leighton walks through how one vague email turned into a major vintage discovery, why photos and provenance matter so much when you are evaluating old cardboard, and how he balances honest appraisals with the reality that Just Collect is in the business of buying and selling cards. You will hear how this family collection produced sixteen T215 Red Cross cards, why two stayed behind with the owner’s sons, and what that says about nostalgia and the future of the hobby. From there, Jeremy and Leighton dig into where T215 Red Cross cards really sit in the early tobacco landscape. Should Type 1 Red Cross cards be considered part of the T206 family or a separate issue entirely. How much weight should we still give to Jefferson Burdick’s American Card Catalog in light of what we know today. And what do you do when there are barely any comps, only a couple hundred graded examples, and collectors trying to complete impossible sets. You will also get an update on AuctionWire.ai as it heads into beta, a quick check in on Jeremy’s upcoming book POPs & COMPs, and details on how to enter a very cool vintage giveaway. 🎁 Vintage Spotlight giveaway Leighton is giving away a vintage Mickey Mantle card graded SGC 3 to one viewer. To enter: Watch this episode on YouTube, leave a comment on the YouTube video that: Say hi, where you are from, share what you are currently collecting or what you used to collect if you are not active anymore. If you are listening on Apple or Spotify, you can still enter by coming over to the YouTube episode and leaving a comment there. We will pull all eligible comments into a randomizer and select one winner. 👍 If you enjoy Vintage Spotlight, please like the video and subscribe. 💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments about T215 Red Cross, the T215 vs T206 debate, or your favorite vintage tobacco back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 11 of The Vintage Spotlight, Jeremy Lee and Leighton Sheldon dig deep into one of the most nuanced topics in the hobby: “own appeal” vs. “eye appeal.” Sparked by a video from Dan’s Vintage Baseball PC, the guys explore whether owning a rough copy of a grail is better than holding out for a cleaner version — and what it means for how we build our collections. The conversation heats up with a detailed comparison of two T206 Honus Wagner cards: one restored and sharp, the other tattered and raw — and double the price. Which would you rather own? Also in this episode: Why collectors may be turning to vintage amid modern market instability A preview of Fanatics Fest and goals for The National A look at Matty C’s new project, Eye Appeal Inc Reflections on hobby community, fatherhood, and the joy of collecting This one’s a blend of insight, fun, and hobby philosophy — classic Vintage Spotlight. Vintage Spotlight is a spinoff podcast from the Sports Cards Live segment of the same name, which Leighton has regularly appeared on since 2022. Please check out the hosts YouTube channels Jeremy: @SportsCardsLive, Leighton: @JustCollect and Leighton's Trading Card Therapy podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Vintage Spotlight podcast, Leighton and Jeremy welcome Chris Trout (@pursuitsportscards) to discuss Chris' journey back into the hobby, how he found his path, his "pursuit", and his unique approach to the T206 set. The panel discusses the ways in which the hobby itself acts as therapy, and we finish off with a very unique 100+ year old Ty Cobb collectibles. Vintage Spotlight is a spinoff podcast from the Sports Cards Live segment of the same name where Leighton has joined the show for the last year and a half. Please check out Jeremy's @SportsCardsLive and Leighton's @JustCollect other channels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Vintage Spotlight podcast, Leighton and Jeremy welcome Matt Cirulnick (@mattyc_collection) to discuss some recent Babe Ruth sales and the benefits collectors can have by being open to low-grade, high eye-appeal cards. We learn about Matthew's approach to collecting and we all show some of our recent pickups that are in line with this new trend and one of which that Leighton has acquired for his young son Crosby. Vintage Spotlight is a spinoff podcast from the Sports Cards Live segment of the same name where Leighton has joined the show for the last year and a half. Please check out Jeremy's @SportsCardsLive and Leighton's @JustCollect other channels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Vintage Spotlight podcast, Leighton and Jeremy discuss the recently ended auctions on Memory Lane including two ultra-rare Rose Company postcards and two HOF autographed rookie cards. Guest Nate joins to share how his approach to targeting vintage cards has evolved and the criteria he filters his options through and Jeremy and Leighton show and discuss their recent personal pickups including Jeremy's new vintage card that has become his favorite card in his whole collection despite it's very low technical grade. Vintage Spotlight is a spinoff podcast from the Sports Cards Live segment of the same name where Leighton has joined the show for the last year and a half. Please check out Jeremy's @SportsCardsLive and Leighton's @JustCollect other channels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Vintage Spotlight podcast, Leighton and Jeremy discuss the recently ended auctions on Heritage of Michael Jordan's 1986 Fleer and 1984 Star cards along with guest Jeff Hart, we learn about Jeff's love for Vintage and his main collecting pursuits, we share some important tips for the National and we finish with three viewer questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this inaugural episode of the Vintage Spotlight podcast, Leighton and Jeremy discuss the T206 set and the varying levels of scarcity of the card backs, the importance of eye appeal via the analysis of two 1952 Topps Mantle's, the impact of the Baseball Hall of Fame's decision to integrate the Negro League stats into Major League and resulting rise of Josh Gibson collectibles and finally why did Leighton commend Jeremy on the oldest baseball card in his collection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices