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 What makes a card valuable—not expensive, but valuable? Matt shares the questions driving his research: Can sets tell us a player's lowest common denominator? Which archetypes have the most seasonal volatility? How do sports card markets mature as alternate assets? From GOAT multipliers to post-hype sleepers, generational prospects to position-specific volatility bands—the frameworks being built behind the scenes at Slabnomics. No deep dives this week, just the questions that will define future episodes.  Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

After breaking down PSA 9 and Beckett findings on Instagram last week, this episode returns to fundamentals: how to actually make money in sports cards. You'll Learn: The MLD Framework (Market, Legacy, Design) for valuing any card in 60 secondsThe Rule for Auction vs BIN... and when to break that ruleThe velocity of money principle: fast nickels vs slow dimesHow to identify demand windows and downshiftsSpeculation vs investment: knowing which bucket your cards belong inThe data is clear: sellers using auctions get 14.4% more than Buy It Now listings*. But there's a catch—and it matters for high-value cards. This episode breaks down when to use each strategy, how to ride attention cycles, and why capital that isn't working for you is working against you. Weekly frameworks like this? Subscribe to Comped: a newsletter breaking down card market data every Saturday. Free signup @ Slabnomics.com #sportscards #cardcollecting #investing #slabnomics #ebay #soccercards #auction #cardflipping #MLD #velocityofmoney  *"Auctions versus Posted Prices in Online Markets," published by Liran Einav, Chiara Farronato, Jonathan Levin, and Neel Sundaresan. Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

Want to hear it how it is in the Hobby and tired of everything either being positive or else the sky is falling? This episode is for you. This week we break from the soccer content to bring on Mike Gioseffi from Sports Card Nonsense. Mike doesn't hold back: "I've heard soccer will be the next big thing since I was on the Orange team in second grade. Still waiting."  We debate whether soccer cards will ever catch baseball and football in the US market, why baseball still commands 30% of the global card market, and Mike drops some hot takes about sports cards and presidents on coins.   Mike's eBay Live selling event with DC Sports - West Wing vs Breaking Bad (yes, really) If you've been wondering whether baseball's dominance is permanent or whether soccer has a real shot with the 2026 World Cup coming to North America, this episode has the debate.   ABOUT MIKE GIOSEFFI: Co-host of Sports Card Nonsense podcast, and notorious straight shooter. Catch Sports Card Nonsense wherever you get your podcasts.  FOLLOW SLABNOMICS: Free Newsletter: Comped by Slabnomics  - Instagram: @slabnomics - Market frameworks, portfolio transparency, and zero hype. Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

Is the PSA 9 dead? I dove into the data across three eras (vintage, modern, ultra-modern) and four sports (baseball, basketball, football, soccer) to find out when PSA 9s hold value, and when they're just an expensive failure certificate. The numbers are staggering: PSA created 31 million new 10s since 2020, compared to just 5 million total from 1991-2019. In 2025 alone, 6.5 million new PSA 10s entered the market. When gem rates hit 60-70%, the 9 becomes meaningless. In this episode: Why vintage PSA 9s command massive premiums over raw Why modern PSA 9s (Luka, Ohtani, Mahomes, Messi) are collapsing to 2x multiples regardless of scarcity Why Wembanyama has MORE PSA 10s than 9s and what that means for the hobby The one number that determines if your PSA 9 has value Actionable advice on when to grade, when to hold 9s, and when to crack and sell raw The thesis: It's not about the sport. It's not about the player. It's not even about the era. It's about the gem rate. Know your gem rate, Know your market multiplier. Keywords: PSA grading, PSA 9 vs PSA 10, sports card investing, gem rate, card grading strategy, vintage cards, modern cards, Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Mahomes, Lionel Messi, soccer cards, basketball cards, baseball cards, football cards, alternative investments, collectibles market Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

The market doesn't reward truth, it rewards timing. In this episode of Slabnomics, I break down the concept of DEMAND WINDOWS and why understanding the direction of capital flow is the key to profiting in sports cards in 2026. Key insights from this episode: → Why "a rising tide lifts all boats" is WRONG for card investing → The supply absorption capacity concept explained → Sport-by-sport breakdown: Soccer, Basketball, Football, Baseball, Pokémon → Why vintage Pokémon acts like bonds in your portfolio → The "Studs and Duds" strategy for 2026 → My 4-question checklist before ANY purchase This episode builds on last week's State of the Hobby data analysis—now with actionable strategies you can implement immediately. 📊 THE CHECKLIST (from this episode): 1. What tier is this card in? 2. What direction is demand flowing in this market? 3. Has this tier received capital or is it waiting? 4. Am I positioned ahead of the flow or behind it? 🔗 CONNECT: Instagram: @slabnomics Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

State of the Hobby 2025 Everyone keeps saying this is 2021 again. They're wrong. And if you're positioning like it's 2021, you're going to get hurt.  I spent weeks treating the card market like an equity analyst treats a stock: pulling index data, PSA submission numbers from SEC filings, volume metrics by price tier. What I found changed how I'm positioning for 2026.  In this episode: THE CORE INSIGHT, THE PSA PROOF, THE DEMAND SHIFT, CATEGORY BREAKDOWN (by sport+Pokemon), THE BILLIONAIRE SIGNAL, MY POSITIONING Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

PSA has officially acquired Beckett, and this is more than breaking news. It’s a structural shift in the sports card market. In this episode of Slabnomics, we break down what the PSA–Beckett acquisition actually means for collectors, investors, and flippers. We zoom out to examine where we are in the market cycle, explain why this moment signals consolidation, and then zoom all the way in to the microeconomics of cards and sets...the containers that ultimately determine long-term value. This episode is designed to help you make better financial decisions in sports cards, not chase headlines. 🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode 🔹 PSA Buying Beckett and Why This Matters 🔹 Market Cycles Explained  🔹 Why Consolidation Changes Everything 🔹 Sets as Market Containers (Micro View) 🔹 Who Wins During Consolidation 🔹 What to Avoid   🏆 Key Takeaway Understanding where we are in the cycle helps you position ahead of the market instead of reacting after the fact. Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

In this episode of Slabnomics, I’m joined by Tyler “T-Pott” Nethercott: Senior VP of Product at Sports Card Investor and one of the key minds behind the Market Movers app. Tyler walks through his journey from banking, risk analysis, and SAP data projects into building one of the most important sports card data platforms in the hobby. From there, we dive deep into what actually separates successful investors and collectors from everyone else: critical thinking, probability, and good decision-making frameworks. We talk about: The early days of Market Movers, beta testing, and building a massive card databaseWhy critical thinking & problem solving beat “knowing every checklist”Using floor, ceiling, probability, and opportunity cost to guide card buysHow Market Movers thinks about roadmapping, parity vs differentiation, and user feedbackThe future of AI, exploration, and augmented discovery in sports card appsHow to find mispriced opportunities by understanding why certain cards are expensive and applying that logic to overlooked segmentsThe difference between collecting what you like and investing in what others like and will like laterIf you’re serious about sports card investing, want to get smarter with data and tools, or you’re curious how AI might change the way we search for and value cards, this conversation will give you a ton to think about. This episode is for you if: You want to level up from beginner to intermediate (or beyond) in the hobbyYou care about sports cards as an alternative asset classYou want frameworks, not just “buy this card” callsConnect: Follow Tyler on YouTube: @MarketMoversFollow me and Tyler on Instagram: @Slabnomics, #drummondcardcollectorWatch full episodes on YouTube: SlabnomicsIf you enjoyed this episode, please: Follow the show on Spotify or Apple PodcastsShare it with a friend who loves data, tools, and nerdy hobby talkWhether you’re investing or collecting…  Keep building. Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

Over the last few episodes, I walked through my first full year of selling sports cards...my wins, my mistakes, and what I learned in buying, selling, and grading. Today is different. This one is slower, more reflective, and honestly one of the most important frameworks I’ve shared:  How time actually works in the sports card market. In this episode I cover: Market cycles & engineered scarcityWhy we’re living in an era of engineered scarcityHow Kabooms became the “reserve currency of flippers”Why bull markets push money into SSPs and inserts… until liquidity tightensRisk-on vs risk-off and the flight to safetyWhat happens when geopolitical risk and macro events flip the switchHow smart money quietly rotates out of hype and into safer stores of valueWhy modern parallels get hit first when the music stopsThe three time taxes on every card you buyNarrative decay – media hype, attention, and the slow fade when storylines dieOpportunity cost – what you can’t buy because your money is stuckLiquidity risk – getting trapped in illiquid players, sets, or parallelsVelocity of money vs “being right”Why I’ll take 20% in two weeks over “maybe 100% in six months”When it makes sense to break your own rules and let winners compoundHow to recognize when an investment thesis is dead and it’s time to take the lossUsing your 1,440 minutes like capitalWhy time is your second balance sheet—right next to your cashHow to audit your strengths/weaknesses and build a trading journalThe system I use to log every purchase and sale, and find patterns in my own behaviorBuying back your time with consignment If you’ve ever: Sat on a cold prospect hoping “it gets back to what I paid”Felt stuck with cards you don’t love, but don’t want to lose onWondered how to balance time, capital, and attention in this hobby…this episode is meant to be a reset button. Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

We wrap the mini-series with grading—the alchemy of the hobby when used correctly. I share the actual ledger: 1,127+ cards graded, $20K+ in fees/shipping, PSA (525 cards; ~$11.7K) and SGC (602 cards; ~$9.5K), and why I’d only re-submit ~21% (PSA) and ~17% (SGC) today. You’ll get a pre-grading checklist, a tier/upcharge strategy that protects cash flow, and post-mortems on failed CGC→PSA and BGS→PSA arbitrage. You’ll learn When a card shouldn’t be graded PSA vs SGC vs BGS vs CGC—where each fits nowHow to choose service tiers Why speed can trump top-end value for flip cycles (compounding ROI)A practical pre-grading system Why most crossovers disappointThe mindset shift: buy raw as if it stays raw; grading is bonus leverage, not a plan Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

Following Part 1 (buying), this episode breaks down the sell-side of my first year—$98K on eBay—and the exact lessons that moved the needle: how to seed early feedback, how to structure PWE vs. bubble mailer shipping (and when to use non-machinable stamps), the true cost of fees & promoted listings, and a negotiation framework so you stop caving under pressure. We also cover budgets to avoid forced sales, when wax/singles make sense (rarely), and why multi-market selling unlocks faster exits. You’ll learn A clean new-store launch checklist (so the algorithm finds you)Shipping by value: PWE under ~$20; bubble + guards over ~$20Fee math and when your target price needs ~20% headroomBoundaries & focus to raise ASP and reduce time drainA negotiation template (anchor, comps, “happy number,” walk-away)Budgeting to keep control of timing (no panic auctions)Wax vs. singles: patience, demand windows, and why most plays underperformProspecting as a portfolio + buy/sell journalingWhich marketplace fits which card (and why)Key Takeaways Feedback first → visibility → sales velocityRight shipping method = higher margins + fewer headachesModel fees before listing; price to a happy number and stick to itBudgets protect you from selling at the wrong timeSell where the buyer already is (channel-card fit) Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

In this opener to my “Year 1” mini-series, I break down everything I learned on the buy-side of the sports-card game—what worked, what wasted money, and how to buy with exits in mind. From the Spain/Messi spark to my first PSA submission (and why it lost), we cover pre-grading, avoiding “rarity for rarity’s sake,” the meaning of liquidity, negotiating bulk discounts, timing buys around seasonal cycles, and using hype as a catalyst—not a crutch. You’ll learn Why pre-grading and note-keeping beat wishful thinkingHow to identify motivated sellers and structure bulk discountsA clean framework for liquidity-first buying (picture the exit)Seasonality: offseason entries → on-season exitsThe “Sleep On It” rule to avoid impulse buysKey Takeaways Liquidity beats rarity: buy what you can actually sellSpend $3 on pre-grade to save $22 bad subsBundle to capture extra 10–15% discountSell into visibility; don’t chase the topTrack predictions vs results—process compounds edgeFollow & Support Instagram: @slabnomicseBay: The_Canary_CardsYouTube: Slabnomics Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

sourcing at the nucleus, grading for ROI, and dodging fakes. I unpack the full playbook from my Barcelona trip to find Messi rookies: why Campió (Catalan) issues matter vs Campeón (Spanish), the true 71 Bis story (third-edition BIS replacement → lower print + set-builder demand), and how Europe’s historic grading friction (pre-PSA EU) created today’s raw opportunity. I walk through Facebook ad targeting (40–55 men), peñas/outreach, euro/Bizum constraints, Spain-specific negotiation dynamics, and a fake-spotting checklist (stock, color, honeycomb, album lines). Final haul: 30 Messi rookies; 21 submitted to PSA with conservative grade bands and clear ROI math. Four raws sold in 24 hours—why liquidity + velocity matter more than perfection. What you’ll learn Messi rookie taxonomy: Campió vs Campeón, Mundicromo, Mega Cracks 71 BisWhy 71 Bis commands a premium (edition logic + set behavior)Field-tested fake detection & condition cheats (71 Bis vertical lines, Mundicromo centering, Barca edge flaking)PSA EU tailwinds & raw-to-graded arbitrage mathFacebook customer-gen for vintage holders (copy, images, ranges)Negotiating in Spain: firm anchoring, when to walk, bulk structuringCash, euros & Bizum realities for high-ticket dealsResults: what I bought, what I passed on, expected grades, grading cost stack, quick flipsTimestamps 00:00 Thesis & timing 06:05 Rookie map (Campió/Campeón/Mundicromo/71 Bis) 13:10 Grading friction → opportunity 16:20 Lead gen (FB ads, peñas, kiosks, radio) 22:28 Payments, euros, Bizum limits 29:40 Negotiations that work in Spain 34:18 Fake-spotting checklist 43:15 Purchase breakdown & PSA plan 49:30 Fast flips, velocity, and next steps Links / Mentions – Shoutouts: Albert Pastor, Sebas (@gradingclub), Hooked on Soccer Cards, Sacc Cards – Follow: @slabnomics • eBay: The_Canary_Cards  Messi rookie, Mega Cracks 71 Bis, Campió, Campeón, Mundicromo, PSA grading, soccer cards, Barcelona, sports card investing, raw to graded, card flipping, population counts, fake detection, Facebook ads, World Cup 2026. Hashtags #Messi #SoccerCards #MegaCracks #PSA #CardInvesting #Barcelona #Slabnomics Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

Welcome to Slabnomics, where we help sports card enthusiasts make better financial decisions about sports cards. In this episode, host Matthew Worley sits down with Anthony from @Sacccards to talk about the soccer card market - Why this world cup is different from the last one held in America in 1994, what changes he sees as a coach and consultant for youth soccer, and how that meshes with his love of soccer card collecting. They dive into: The pulse of the 2025 sports-card marketCurrent misconceptionsHow this may be a black swan moment for the soccer card industryHow far can USA go?A suprising prediction for the winner.🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts:  Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Buzzsprout 💬 Join the discussion:  Instagram → @slabnomics Guest → @sacccards #SportsCards #CardInvesting #Slabnomics #Sacccards #PSA #CardShows #SportsCardMarket #Collecting #Investing #HobbyTalk #TradingCards #SportsCardPodcast Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

 We get tactical on where to sell (COMC/eBay/shows), how to negotiate, when grading pays, and building a seller’s system that wins in any market. Themes: liquidity > hype, plan the exit, cut losses, protect reputation. Highlights: COMC flow vs. liquidity: when “no work” wins, when it doesn’tNegotiation that converts (and why “what’s your best?” kills deals)PSA strategy, turnaround math, and stacking velocityRarity vs. demand: why some “rare” cards don’t moveTiming catalysts (World Cup, case hits) and set premiums (Prizm/Flawless)The seller’s checklist: downside, upside, plan, buyer profile, exitGuest: Trike Cards (IG@TrikeCards/Ebay: trikecards/YT:TRIKE Sports Cards) Weekly Newsletter Signup: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram