Sports Cards Nonsense

Latest Episodes:

A New Program To Help Local Card Shops Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

Mike and Jesse are joined by Shep in the studio for the first guest on the new set. Football season is almost upon us and Mike and Shep look at what will be a disappointing rookie class for 2026 and where collectors will go. Plus, the new CAP program from Topps for Card Shops and why they need to focus on maintaining a healthy ecosystem for the LCS's. Wrapping up with Good Charlotte and Josh Luber at our SCN studio at The National.

0:00 - Intro

6:00 - Football Season is upon us. When is a good time to sell football cards?

9:30 - Who is a buy/sell before the season, and why does Shep want to sell Joe Burrow now

17:00 - 2026 NFL Rookie Class

27:00 - Theft in the hobby

32:50 - WhatNot raising money

35:10 - Topps’ Retail Reserve is now the Collector Access Program and how it works.

50:10 - The hobby is currently at a crossroads where they need to decide if they want to make as much money now or help the hobby long-term.

55:30 - Will CAP fix things for the LCS vs. corporatization? Mike takes some positives from Topps at least responding to people's concerns.

1:00:00 - Why won’t the market accept multiple high-end grading companies at a time?

1:07:10 - What will the lockout in MLB do to pricing?

1:10:30 - Good Charlotte Joined Josh Luber in the SCN Studio!

1:30:00 - Wrapping up!

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The Best (of the Rest) From The National Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

Some of our favorite moments from The National that didn't make it into other podcasts this week. We have a roundtable with some of the personalities from the network. Interviews with the youngest and oldest new shop owners at The National. Plus, an interview with Adam Ireland and Papa Gio opens a box of mob cards.

0:00 - Intro

2:10 - Roundtable featuring Jesse, Doug Plagens, Alex from CleverCubanCards, and Alex Tressler

31:30 - Mike interviews the youngest and oldest new shop owners at The National

37:30 - Adam Ireland from eBay Collectibles joins Mike to discuss eBay's investment into the space

48:00 - BJ is joined by Papa Gio to open a special box of Mob Cards

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Post-National FOMO? Plus, Logan Paul & Gary Vee and Gronk! Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Another jam-packed episode of Sports Cards Nonsense with Mike and Jesse. We're live in the new studio and the bounties for the Cooper Flagg Debut Patch are getting higher and higher. Plus, Bryan and Danny from Black & Gold Sports Cards stop by. We also hear from Logan Paul and Gary Vee from Jesse's panel with them and Gronk with Gio at The National.

0:00 - Intro to the new studio

2:30 - Are collectors experiencing post-National FOMO?

8:00 - Cooper Flagg Bounty

12:10 - Market Predictions for the rest of 2026

15:30 - Grading Shutdowns

21:00 - Bryan and Danny from Black & Gold Sports Cards Join the show

22:45 - How did the idea to bring Bart the Robot to The National come up?

43:55 - Gio on comps at The National after pushback from his Bobby Orr video

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The Good, The Bad, and The Gronk from The National Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

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 and Mike Mahan on Growing The Hobby Aug 01, 2026

Show notes

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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Jason Masherah, President of Upper Deck, Talks Michael Jordan and More at The National Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

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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Thursday LIVE from The National Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

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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Previewing the 2026 NFL Rookie Class as Camps Open Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

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 market
34:37 - Looking ahead to the 2026 NFL rookie class for fantasy and cards

55:00 - Looking ahead to The National

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Massive Update on the Patch-Switching Scammers Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Getting right into it with a big update on the eBay patch-switching scandal. Plus, with the release of 2026 Topps Chrome Baseball, the big hits are starting to come out. Looking at a local shop near Gio and Jesse that pulled one of the product hits.

0:00 - Intro

2:00 - Gio’s update on the eBay patch-switching scandal

16:00 - Multiple big Ohtani’s have been hit from Chrome so far, including a local Tennessee shop hitting the Ohtani/Judge Dual Logoman auto

24:15 - Jesse is joining Logan Paul and Gary Vee

35:00 - PSA Grading University Boot Camp

38:00 - Interview with The National

46:25 - Mailbag

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Fanatics Fest Recap and Looking Ahead to The National Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Jesse gives his recap from his time at Fanatics Fest and what his highlights were from his time in New York. Plus, an incredibly awkward story about meeting our social media manager. We are joined by Joe Drelich, Brian Coppola, and Jim Ryan from The National to preview the show. Plus, a very important message for those on social media about why the two shows aren't competitors and why they actually need each other for both to thrive.

Also, Tim from BCW stops by to discuss all the happenings in the hobby.

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