Real Talk with Gio (Mike Gioseffi) - the Voice of the Hobby on Sports Card Nonsense

Summary

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Collectibles Podcast on SI: Real Talk with Gio (Mike Gioseffi) – The Voice of the Hobby

Host: Ryan Alford
Guest: Mike “Gio” Gioseffi, Sports Card Nonsense
Original Release: August 25, 2025

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Overview

In this lively episode, Ryan Alford brings on Mike “Gio” Gioseffi—breaker, content creator, and host of Sports Card Nonsense—for an unfiltered conversation. Recorded at the 2025 National Card Show, the duo dives into the evolving landscape of the hobby, the intersection of business and collecting, the future of breaking, authenticity in content creation, and what makes the community tick. This is “real talk” about the state and future of collectibles, from two insiders with very different backgrounds but a shared love for the game.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ryan’s Entry and Perspective on the Hobby

• Starting Fresh: Despite Ryan’s established success in marketing and podcasting, Gio notes he’s “a titan in the real world, and you’re nobody in this world yet,” (05:38) highlighting the unique culture and pecking order within the hobby.
• Humility in a New Space: Ryan emphasizes a learner’s mindset:
  • “I come into this industry as a humble servant… I need to learn.” (08:12)
  • Shares the organic way his family, especially his kids, fell into card collecting: “I didn’t force my boys into the hobby. I let it happen organically. Then…they started getting into it… and the rest is history.” (07:24)
• Blending Family and Business: The personal, generational aspect is discussed with genuine enthusiasm, as the show aims to bridge “business savvy” and the fun of collecting.

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2. Gio’s Story and Voice of the Hobby

• Background: Gio’s roots are modest—“I was just doing construction for years. Me and my wife had a tiny apartment... No business experience.” (14:00)
• Motivation: He began as a breaker, got into content “out of spite” at the snake-oil salesman flooding the hobby:
  • “I started digging into content. And I was so angry... This stuff is terrible. You losers who have no idea are telling other people…” (14:00)
• Directness Pays, But Has a Price:
  • Gio is known for his bluntness: “Sometimes it’s awesome—like, ‘Oh, the thing went viral because you called out this person.’ And it’s bad when…we were a sponsor, and now we’re not.” (13:23)

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3. State of the Hobby (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)

• Money’s Impact:
  • Boom brought opportunity but also squeezed out “socially awkward people where this was their escape… Now it’s like, ‘Can you move away, I gotta film content next to you?’” (16:20)
• Accessibility and Kids:
  • Gio likens it to Disney World: formerly $20, now $150. The cost barrier is real, but “the entrepreneurial level of 12-year-olds in this hobby is obscene…” (18:27)
• Evolving Expectations:
  • “Nobody wants to hit a $10,000 card anymore. We are chasing the 100 or million dollar…” (24:21)

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4. The Impact of Breaking and Live Selling

• Breaking as the Hobby’s Engine:
  • “Good and bad. It is the fastest growing form of the hobby… It’s the gambling mentality… There’s a community, the personal collection aspect… but a ton of money to be made, so you have bad actors.” (19:23)
  • Breaking grew during COVID, accelerating the shift to digital community: “People are ready and willing and able now to do community in the digital space like never before.” (22:29)
• Live Selling’s Future:
  • Ryan: “Live selling is barely on the uptick of the bell curve… We’re just on the cusp.” (20:57)
  • Studio audience, technology, FOMO, and water-cooler effect are driving engagement.

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5. Media, Content, and Community

• Building Authentic Content:
  • “We want this to be like the Barstool of the sports card world… Everybody can be a star, but at the end of the day, there’s also the business end of it.” (09:44)
  • On the proliferation of inauthentic content: “I hate every other content… the last word was the one if you didn’t say it, I was going to. That’s why I’m here.” (25:22)
• Brand Partnerships:
  • Ryan: “This beats 9 out of 10 things I ever recommended to [brands]… Affluent audience, their loyalties, tie-ins to brands…” (26:16)
  • Gio: “Hobby money’s cool… Real sponsorship money is different.” (26:25)

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6. Inclusivity: Growing Diversity

• Gio and Ryan discuss bringing more women and new voices, but stress authenticity:
  • “I just want good people who like the hobby… If you’re coming in for a paycheck, I’m good. We can find other people… with passion.” (28:30)

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7. The Manufacturer Wars: Fanatics vs. Panini

• On Exclusivity:
  • Gio: “I hate exclusivity of any kind… If you got two people competing, I’m going to work harder.” (30:39)
• Panini’s Future:
  • “There’s no love loss with me and Panini. I don’t like ‘em… When you’re king of the hill, you can talk like that. You get knocked off, you weren’t there for us.” (31:39)
• Nostalgia in the Hindsight:
  • “Three years, all we’re gonna hear is, ‘Man, remember the golden age though, Panini?’ Any time you can’t have it, it’s the greatest.” (32:19)

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8. Collectibles Beyond Sports: The “Pokemon Effect”

• Respect for TCG:
  • “I’ve never seen anything like Pokemon. Insane. Passionate collectors, intelligent collectors. Way better marketers than card guys… They are a class above us.” (32:54)
• Emerging Trends:
  • “The split [at shows]… 80/20 Pokemon to sports at some… It’s growing faster.” (34:13)
  • Pokémon offers cheaper entry points: “You can rip boxes and have a nice night… Spend a thousand dollars on one night ripping three boxes? That’s a lot of money.” (35:04)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“I come into this industry as a humble servant. I need to learn. I’m not someone that tries to step in someone’s backyard and go, ‘I’m just going to dominate because I dominate at something.’ I want to contribute… it’s got to be authentic and organic.”
– Ryan Alford (08:12)

“When I sold the company in 2020...I started digging into content. And I was so angry...This stuff is terrible. You losers who have no idea are telling other people...Everything out of spite. Terrible.”
– Gio (14:00)

“If you don’t have love of the game, there is no game.”
– Gio (12:10)

“The entrepreneurial level of 12-year-olds in this hobby is obscene. When I was 12, I was trying to climb a tree...These 12-year-olds are like, ‘my ROI on this card is here and my margin is there.’”
– Gio (18:27)

“Sometimes the best things come from energy in motion, from inertia—anger, passion...it doesn’t matter as long as it’s authentic.”
– Ryan (15:27)

“We want this to be like the Barstool of the sports card world. Have fun, everybody can be a star, but at the end of the day, there’s also a business end to it.”
– Gio (09:44)

“I hate exclusivity of any kind. If you got two people competing, I’m going to work harder. If you told me we have three or four companies with licensing, that’s my paradise situation.”
– Gio (30:39)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:18 – 05:38: Host Intro, show philosophy, plans for community engagement
• 05:38 – 08:50: Gio’s frank welcome; discussion of Ryan’s entry into the hobby
• 08:50 – 11:51: Family, organic collecting stories, blending business and hobby
• 11:53 – 14:00: Gio’s background, motivation, "the real voice" of the hobby
• 14:00 – 15:52: How Gio’s opinions formed; content “out of spite”; authenticity
• 16:20 – 19:02: The hobby’s monetary boom, accessibility, and entrepreneurial kids
• 19:02 – 24:21: The growth, pros/cons of breaking and live selling; digital transformation
• 24:21 – 28:30: Building a content empire; battle for authenticity in hobby media
• 28:30 – 31:02: Inclusion (especially women in hobby); authentic voices
• 31:02 – 32:39: The manufacturer wars, licensing, nostalgia and fan sentiment
• 32:48 – 35:26: The "Pokemon Effect" and broader collectibles market
• 35:26 – End: Wrapping up; Rad Rips of the Week (Select vs. Mosaic 2024); community call-outs

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Final Thoughts & Next Moves

Both Ryan and Gio are optimistic about the future—keen to keep things authentic, fun, and honest, while also inviting in new voices and responsibly welcoming the business side of collecting. The show’s vision is clear: give everyone “a front-row seat” to stories, strategy, and the real action inside the hobby, from the family table to the national stage.

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For more content, community submissions, and weekly “Rad Rips,” visit:

• collectibles.show
• Sports Card Nonsense
• eBay Live/Store

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Transcript

[A]

This is the collectibles podcast on si, part of the Sports Card Nonsense Media Network. From chasing grails to calling bluffs, going inside the hobby, here is your host, Ryan Alford.

[B]

Yo, what's up, guys? Welcome to Collectibles on si, your home for the hobby on the Sports Illustrated Network, part of the Sports Card Nonsense Media Network. I am Ryan Alford, your host, and I am pumped. I get to do what I love, talk about the hobby, get to join this space. I host another show called Right about now. It's the number one marketing and business show on Apple. Been doing it for seven years. But I grew up in the hobby. I grew up collecting cards. And on the set you can see the cards, the shoes. Want to give a shout out to my guys on the Sports Car Nonsense Network. Gio, Jesse, all the guys that are a part of that group that have welcomed me in, I appreciate it. I want to do justice to the hobby and just bring another gear and a fresh perspective. A dad and his four boys here, ripping, selling, talking the business, sharing insights, news, of course, the latest and greatest in the hobby and some of the best interviews on the planet. And I just want to be authentic and true to this space because I'm blessed to get to do this show, to come to you twice a week, bringing you the best and brightest, hopefully in the hobby. That's the goal. You know, we're going to talk about all things in the hobby on this show, but admittedly, the boys and I are into kicks and cards probably more than anything else. You have a dose of Pokemon? Yeah, a little bit. We're more sports card guys. Football, basketball, but we're light on baseball. And that's probably the good, you know, switch with us and Geo and the guys. You, the guys are big on baseball. We're more football guys. Yeah, we grew up in the south. Clemson Tigers. Go Tigers. Clemson grad. And literally, you know, bleed orange. But this show is going to be about bringing all perspectives and everything happened. Nil's crazy. There's so many topics to get into. I'm so pumped. This show is built for you and I'm really excited about the interactivity we're going to bring to this, bringing some of the things we've been doing in podcasting to hopefully make it a more engaging show. Talk a little bit. But hey, I'm going to let the specialist talk. I'm just like you. I'm a collector at heart and I'm here to learn as much as anything got, you know, got my takes, got a Business savvy to me, running four companies, podcast, network, running the right about now your business show. But I'm here to bring to you and curate the best in the hobby to sort of bring it all behind the scenes and use the access that I have to show you what's happening and also show you real time what's happening with me and the boys with what we're collecting. And I guess more than anything, you know, the hobby's really turned into this business, which I love. But I also want to get it back to what the name of the show is. It's collecting collectibles. I'm just pumped excited to be here. There are a few segments, a few notes. One, here's what I want you to do. If you're listening, you'd be watching. If you're watching and you'd be listening because we're on YouTube, we're on social media, we're building this thing. So go follow Collectibles show is going to be the universal handle. That's the website www.collectibles.show, tikTok, Instagram and of course YouTube. So depending on where you're catching this now Collectibles show is where you'll find all of the channels and learn more about what we're doing and ultimately we want to hear from you. We're going to be doing every week once we get rolling, start getting submissions in case hitsollectibles show send in those videos. I want to know the stories. We're going to bring them to life here on the show. We're going to do a segment each week once we get rolling and get some videos videos in where we share that and we want your collections to make it here on the show with us. We want to feature you mark calendars for where we will be Tuesdays and Fridays here on the show. This first episode is releasing on a Monday and then next week we'll be releasing on Tuesday and Friday. We got some big names telling you talked about Josh Lure. We got Geo, the voice of the hobby. Talk to Geo about that. You're going to hear that segment. Awesome. Got behind the scenes of what's happening in the hobby, why Geo got in, why he's doing what he's doing and really the the whole hobby is an industry and how much opportunity is there is here and how great it is. And that's why I'm here. I'm just here to learn, to love and to ultimately bring to you something a little different. So stay tuned. Go follow us on social media. Go follow on YouTube if you're listening and give us some love there and give us some feedback, give some comments, and be gentle. Hey, first time with this one. There are a lot of shows, but here to get better and here to learn and here to bring it to you ultimately so that you can collect what you want, learn what you need to learn, and get inside the hobby every week. Did I mention the king of cards? He's coming on, guys. My boy, he's coming on too. He's one of the first episodes after Geo, we got Josh Luber, king of cards. Two things up our sleeves. A guy named Gary Vee, little buddy of mine, talk a little V friends. He'll be coming on here in the next few weeks, man. We're lining up the big ones, the big hitters. And then we're gonna get into the hobby. Some of the. The subtle things in collecting artwork, memorabilia, all that stuff. Pumped to be here. But here's what you can expect on the show. Great interviews, insights, the rad rips of the week. And then of course, those case hit pools and just PC pools from you, those great stories that we want to tell for that card you hit. I want to bring these stories to life just for you. And I'm so excited to be here. Now let's get to the interview with Mike. Gio, Cefi from sports car nonsense. I'm just calling him the voice of the hobby. We sat down at the national just a few weeks ago, had a blast with those guys. Mike is awesome. He tells it like it is, man. I respect him and we're gonna have a lot of fun together. Here comes that segment right here. What's up, Mike?

[C]

I'm excited to be here, man. Yeah, I am curious. I don't want to. I don't want to nosed up bomb this thing originally, however, you are like this titan in the real world, and you're nobody in this world yet. I don't want to be that disrespectful, but I'm serious. Like, it is a weird. What's the mentality? Give me the playbook. Like, are you coming here, like, divide and conquer, like you've done the other stuff or is this like, I want to know because it is like, I've never talked to somebody way more successful than me in everything else. You're even taller and better looking than me, but, well, that as good looking as me, but then like totally starting fresh here, honestly.

[B]

You know what's interesting, Gio, is like a lot of people think that like success and like, Especially me building personal brand and doing what I've done.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

That there would be a lot of ego attached to it.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

And that would be a fair assumption.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

I know how to sort of compartmentalize what's work and what I'm good at from my ego attaching to it necessarily. And so thus I come into this industry as a humble servant. But. And I mean that, I know you may go, this guy's full of shit.

[C]

No, I agree. From what I do, I actually agree with you.

[B]

We've been working together for a few.

[C]

Months and my dad, plenty of vices and flaws, legally and illegally. However, his first thing, he's like, big guy. That's him. He's like, big business, whatever. He's very skeptical. Then he met you and he was like, listen to you. He's like, hey, he's alright. And that is like the nicest compliment he's ever given anybody.

[B]

So that means a lot.

[C]

He did. He was like just the guy. That's his big thing. If you're just a guy.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That's like his biggest. Because I just thought that was cool.

[B]

I'm a guy's guy and like I have four boys and I never thought that, you know, the hobby and business could blend together necessarily.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

And I stayed on the sidelines, Mike. Like literally. I didn't force my boys into the hobby. You know, I think some dads not forced them. But I didn't even show it to them. I let it happen organically. And then, you know, they go, they started getting into it. We went to a store, they said, dad, buy this pack. I'm like, what'd you say? Buy a pack of cards.

[C]

We're cheering inside.

[B]

Cheering inside. We buy a pack and the rest is history. So I mean, I pointed out what I've built with my network and things like that. You know, Meeting Jeremy and Brian at Ludx. We're in the Ludx lounge here at the National. How do we not mention that? You know, we are dripping right into it. But we're here at the national. One of the biggest shows on earth.

[C]

This is the biggest one ever. Yeah. Not even close.

[B]

Yeah. I was at Fanatics Fest and so I've done both. Being new. New back to the hobby.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Which I want to talk about that because I'll get us down. I want to close this out though. I'm honored to be here. I really am able to sort of compartmentalize and go, I want to learn. And the way I can learn, the way I can contribute whatever it might be to this industry. And working with you guys on your team is to absorb, because I have a lot to offer, but I need to learn. I'm not someone that tries to step in someone's backyard and go, well, I'm just going to dominate because I dominate or something. I want to contribute because I think the only way that this will work is if it's authentic and organic.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

So I'm trying my best in the Ryan Alford way to just absorb, learn. And not because it's hard for me to do those things, but I do sort of run headfirst into everything.

[C]

Sure. Yeah. You got to be a totally different mindset.

[B]

Yeah. But I do. I'm excited because I see how much potential there is. And the reason I'm on this team is because it's a bunch of guys having a good time, but also serious about business. And I think the skill sets I bring, like, no one wants to be on a team where they're the seventh man.

[C]

Right.

[B]

They have nothing to offer, but they're getting the water bottles.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

I see my place on this team, but I also respect where this team's already gotten, and if I can do anything to elevate it, great.

[C]

Love it. You know, and so that's our mindset, too. Like, we want this to be like the barstool of the sports card world. Like, you have fun, you score and do all this stuff, everybody can be a star, but at the end of the day, there's also the business end of it, so.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

But I was curious, though. I was like, man, I've never dealt with, like, a real alpha in business. And, like, you know, because this is a. This is a small pond, and, like. Well, it's true. And I'm kind of like, I feel like I'm one of the whales. There's a lot of us. But I'm like, I'm kind of a known little bit of a person here, but I'm like, this is cool to have other people who are whales and real pawns and real oceans.

[B]

Fun walking around, like, watching, you know, you are rock star out there and watching a couple of other guys. And, like, you know, in my world, you know, I'm. That.

[C]

That's what I mean.

[B]

Yeah. A lot of people.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

But it's fun. Like, I don't sit there and go, well, you don't. You don't know who I am. I mean, if you've noticed, like, I try to tone that down.

[C]

Yeah. But you're also not bashful, getting written like, which I like. Yeah, yeah. It's going to be great, actually. And I think it'd be cool for people like your audience to say, hey, here's the journey through from, like. Because especially with us when we started. Okay, you're coming in. I had been a business for this for years. You're already at experience level. It's different now to see somebody like Jesse was like, that. They didn't know Jesse really well. So for you, I think it's gonna be cool for people to see somebody coming back in and, like, really start fresh.

[B]

I know, and I want. But I do. I'm glad you asked that, Gio, because, like, I want people to know that as they're getting to know this show, what we're going to do. And we're going to be so integrated. Like, I mean, I'm going to bring Gio on as often as he'll. He's going to say uncle at some point because, you know, we're going to try to blend it up and, you know, with the studio in Greenville, and hopefully I'm going to try to strong arm him into a retail store in Greenville. We talk about that.

[C]

Love it, dude. I pitched it yesterday. I'm not kidding. I'm in.

[B]

And so, yeah, so I'm just pumped. And I think, like, it's going to be great with my four boys getting, you know, to see this. I mean, literally, guys. So we'll be all over the place with this interview a little bit. But five minutes before we came on, Gio and two of my boys, Hudson and Hogan, and are ripping. Yeah. Gio goes and grabs a box. I was like, what are y' all doing? I thought I'd rip some packs with your. Your boys. I'm like, that's cool.

[C]

Did you see how excited he was, by the way?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And that's the difference, too. There was no camera around. It was not like, hey, okay, here we go. Three, two. Kid ripped a pack. He's like, oh. Jaden Daniels held it up. He was like, pumped. I was like, that genuine. I was like, this is cool. We need more of that. Like, there's business, there's everything else, but we also just need, like, if you don't have love of the game, there is no game.

[B]

So it's pure joy.

[C]

That was cool to see.

[B]

Yeah. Who is Mike Gia?

[C]

So I'm a. Yeah. Breaker. Content creator, podcast host. And. Yeah. Been in the card world.

[B]

Who are you really? Who is the real. That's it.

[C]

Yeah. Simplest form now, man. All about the kid. I Got a two year old and that's it. My wife and kid, our world has changed. This used to be such a bigger deal. And I called my wife last night, like, man, I should have stayed home. I should have. And I've had a great time, but it was just like. So, yeah, at the end of it, like, that's where it starts and ends for me, my little guy, Theo, my wife. That's it.

[B]

One of the things that I really respect about what you've built and what you've done is in being the voice or one of the major voices of the hobby, is your ability to tell it like it is. And I'll say this, I've podcasted for eight years and I. I'm opinionated, but I think I struggle even sometimes. Not because I'm not telling like it is, but maybe being as direct as I want to be.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

And what I respect about you, though, is you've got a very popular show and you just say what the hell you want and what you think, and I respect that.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, it's good and bad, right? Like, sometimes it's awesome. Like, oh, the thing went viral because you called out this person or did that and that's cool. And it's bad when, hey, we were a sponsor and now we're not sponsoring because. Which has happened, like, we've cost us money before. So I think overall the thing has done well and it's financially done well. But yeah, that's a downside. Like, sometimes you either gotta learn to shut up and play the game or you're gonna lose some money. So.

[B]

Well, that's probably sage wisdom learning, you know how it goes. And that's definitely something to dance around. But, like, what's formed your opinions of the hobby? Just experiences in it, or is there a level of acumen that's come from something else?

[C]

No, this is it. So I was just doing construction for years. Like, me and my wife had a tiny apartment, lived in it forever, super content, thrilled. Like, we were happy just having nothing and making no money. And we were, we were happy. So we didn't care. Had no business experience. But I always was kind of like, man, I would look at things like, think I could do this better than somebody? Like, I think not even as an ego thing. Just, I think I could improve this. And then we had a chance to really get into breaking originally and then just really get into the hobby. And then it kind of took off. But the viewpoint now is just like, I've seen a lot of these guys come and go. You know, which I'm sure you have, like, in your business, like 2021, there were a billion business and finance podcasts and all these losers, when they couldn't just point at any stock that was 10xing, they left. Cause there's some of these. You actually have to know what the heck is going on. That's how the hobby was. It was like, this dude's got a great camera and is well spoken. More well spoken than I am. Let's follow his advice. And it's like, this guy is a dummy. Like, this moron could get run over by a truck and just look around. Like, what happened? Just stupid people. But they came across well, like snake oil salesmen. And I hated that. I just was like, when I sold the company in 2020, I was like, I'm done. I'm retired. I'm gonna step back. And I started digging into content. And I was so angry. I'm a fiery Italian from Boston. I was. I was just pissed. I was like, this stuff is terrible. You losers who have no idea are telling other people. I was like, I'm out. I can't do it. So it was all started out of spite. Everything out of spite. Terrible.

[B]

It's not a. It doesn't surprise me though, hearing that.

[C]

It's true. Yeah.

[B]

You know, that's. Sometimes the best things come from. It's all energy in motion. Like, it's like inertia. Inertia starts from a lot of different things.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

It's like what gets that ball moving.

[C]

Yeah. And as long as it's authentic. That's the other thing. I'm not going out of my way to call out people who like this one. Sometimes people have called, hey, we gotta. We gotta crush this guy. He did xyz. I don't agree with it. I just won't say anything. I'm not gonna crush people just to get the clicks. But if you need to be called out, I mean, that's. That's. To me, that's part of the job.

[B]

Also, the hobby's changed a lot since I was. I was in late 80s. You know, junk wax. Yeah. Unfortunately, I didn't come up during the. Any of the good periods of, like, great cards. I have all the. The junked wax of the late 80s, early 90s. 91 Donrus. That's a good year.

[C]

Perfect. Good for kindling.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. And bicycle spokes.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

It's changed a lot. It'd be easy to lump it all into money. Yeah. That's changed it.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

But what's the good and the bad and the ugly of the hobby right now.

[C]

Yeah. So the good, like I do, like you said, it's almost an easy answer. Like money has changed it. Money has, but interest is where it started first. Like people coming in with interest. Those people who had interest in the hobby also had a lot of money to spend. The COVID boom was nuts. Like there was no other time like that where you could buy anything and just resell it and make a profit. Like everybody did it and it worked great. But the interest level is different. You know, like the fanatics guys will tell you now, it's like a cool. I always say, well hey, us nerds, myself included, us nerds are in the hobby. And now it's like, no, there's a bunch of like cool guys out here. All these athletes do it. It's a different world. And so the popularity is good. Popularity is also bad. You got, you got socially awkward people where this was their escape. Like I'm going to come here, I'm going to just nerd out on a 25 cent box and build my sets. But this is my safe place and good for them. And now it's like, hey, can you move away from that box? I gotta, I gotta film content next to you. Or hey, this guy's gotta be making a deal for 10,000.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So I do feel like we've squeezed out some people unfortunately.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I don't know, it's kind of like the trade off with any industry as it takes off. Like I can't go buy a house for 20 grand. That stinks. The house I live in is worth a lot more than 20 grand. Cool, that's good. It's kind of the give and take of it.

[B]

I know. And I had this conversation like yesterday of talking to someone and the money has changed, the cost of cards has changed. But I don't know how you put that genie back in the bottle. Because if you walk around and you want to go, man, I want to make it more affordable so kids can buy a two dollar pack again. Well guess what? Those kids walking around down there wouldn't be happy with a $1 base card. They all have the parallels out of 10 and walking around with 5,000 to $100,000 cases from 10 years old to 25 years old.

[C]

Wild.

[B]

And so I don't know how you put that genome to go back to the bottle because I mean everybody's kind of sipping from the same juice now.

[C]

Agreed. Yeah. And you said it right. I think me and you were Talking too. Like every table you go to is hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars. How are they all worth it? Because everybody's buying it. Like there is such a crazy market, but it's like, okay, let's get kids involved. I hate to say it, but to a degree it's like anything else. Like all kids should be able to go to Disney World. Okay, well, Disney World's now 150 bucks for the day.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

It used to be 20 bucks. Cool, I get it. It's not anymore. Do I feel bad for people who now can't get in? Yes. There's also entry levels though. You can still get the two dollar pack. If your kid's not content with that, I understand that he sees his buddies with 10 grand, but like that's the reality. If you want to get to that point, you got to start hustling at a younger age. That's the good though, dude. The entrepreneurial level of 12 year olds in this hobby is obscene. When I was 12, I was trying to climb a tree and like try to be 4 foot 10. These 12 year olds are like, oh, my ROI on this card is here in my margin. And I'm like, great. Like that's the world you've created.

[B]

So Mike, you're a breaker.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

You had a show. Talk about the hobby. What's breaking doing to the hobby, if anything, positively and negatively. And where's it going? Because it's pretty saturated now and there's only so much product to go around. But I'd love just perspective. Just about that sub segment of the hobby.

[C]

Yeah. So good and bad, right? Good, it's. It is the fastest growing form of the hobby. People love it. It's the gambling mentality. Have you ever seen a casino go out of business? No, because people want to chase. I like to think there's more to it than just pulling the slot machine lever because there's a community, there's some piece the personal collection aspect to it. But it is the easiest way to get people in. Like you see a guy on a screen, you click a button, you're in. I don't have to go to Chicago, I don't have to go to a shop. So it's good for that. The growth is good. The bad is there's a ton of money to be made. So you have bad actors. Hey, let's. And some of the worst garbage tactics. Let's hype up crap and hook you. And then as you're slowly losing money, you just don't know it yet. You're so hooked. And then those. I feel like there's a lot of attrition because those people come in and they're hooked and it's all great. But then I hyped up a card to be worth 200 bucks. They just sold it for 47 and now they're like, man, I'm done. Like, I don't want to keep doing. So there's good and bad. I think you have to foster a community if you're just in it for the short term. But it's. It is crazy. Like, that area just keeps growing.

[B]

As a marketer, I think I have a lot of opinions, but I've never been like the prognosticator necessarily. But in 2018, before COVID I did a FedEx speech and said live selling by 2025 will be on its way to. And yeah, that whole, like, segment of live selling, it's not just cards and collectibles, a lot of other things too. But that hasn't even. I mean, as a whole, live selling is barely on the uptick of the, of the bell curve. That is the speed with which that is going to increase. I think we're just on the cusp of it across collectibles, everything.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I also think, like, look at other markets. Yeah, like the Asian market with live selling a billion times. I'm curious too. Let me ask you, because again, you're the marketing guy. I have no experience with that. To me, I would look at it and say, I think breaking is the easiest thing in this hobby. The easiest entry, easiest aspect to market.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Like what? Like, dude, it's like, come in and hang out with your friends virtually and we're going to rip stuff. I think that's part of the appeal.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. And I always say, like, there becomes intersections of, of things that matter. And you have this intersection of technology capability, smartphones, proliferation of smartphone networks and Wi fi, ubiquitous nature of connectivity, combined with these apps and the development of those, combined with demand and people ready to do it. And there's been this intersection now and the timing and Covid sped it up probably. I think it was coming anyway. Sped it up, the life cycle.

[C]

I agree.

[B]

But there's been this perfect intersection where those things have hit. One of the biggest things is, you know, if you go home and you open a pack by yourself, it's fun.

[C]

But tree falls in the woods, though.

[B]

Yeah, but a tree falls in the woods.

[C]

You've heard it. I agree.

[B]

So it's the immediate water cooler effect of telling everybody what you did all Weekend, but you're live in the stream with them or whatever. And it brings together so many things of FOMO combined with community. People are ready and willing and able now to do community in the digital.

[C]

Space like never before.

[B]

Ten years ago they weren't ready for that.

[C]

Right.

[B]

And that's where I think Covid probably sped that along. They're like. Because people were staying at home and they had to like, you're gonna have community. It was gonna be digitally.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

And so now it's going shopping together and no more. I have to open a pack alone. And so now I think it's the inner, the perfect intersection of all of these things and which is why it's booming. The supply and demand is an interesting aspect of what that does. It's like because once you start chopping up boxes, you know, it's like on one hand it allows you to get access to something. Like you maybe cannot afford that Prism 2024 football box. It's a thousand dollars. You can't afford that.

[C]

And especially if I only want the Patriots.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

I don't even want to spend the money to chase them. Like, I just want the one thing. Yeah, I agree.

[B]

So that's the benefit.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

Then the negative is like chicken of the egg. Are the boxes costing more because there's breaks or you know.

[C]

Yeah. Or the brakes just more because. More because.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

And where do you stand on that?

[C]

50. 50. So like I would say this box prices have gone up. Yeah, Singles have gone up. I mean I made my money in singles. I collected Tom Brady for since 2010. I was buying patch out. I mean I sold his contenders champ ticket for 7, $500 15 years ago. That card is worth 700000 now. I guess an extreme example, but that's example. So I don't want this box to be 500 bucks. Okay, well, do you also want the single best hit you can get to be only be worth a thousand ceiling in the floor. And I'm skewed. Right. Like, I fully admit I'm biased. I'm a breaker. I think I do think some stuff is way overpriced and we speak to that. But it's like people want to hit the million dollar card. Now that's the market. Like the Ohtani judge. That's a half million to a million dollars. Nobody wants to hit a 10,000. Even that is insane. People aren't chasing a $10,000 card anymore. We are chasing the 100 or million dollar. So to that extreme, it's like, so that's kind of where we live with it.

[B]

It's been some news lately. Sports card nonsense, media network. Yeah, that's a big deal.

[C]

So, yeah, very cool.

[B]

You know, I'm excited to be a part of it, but how do you feel about the growth of all this?

[C]

I mean, I'm excited. I mean, like, me and Jesse, our thing was we want to do more. There's Jesse, my co host on the. On the podcast. Yeah, yeah, we want to do more, but it's like, we're tapped out. Like, I've got a newborn at the house. He's got family stuff. We have a lot going on. We kind of brought this as far as we could and then was like, we got. We had a good team anyways. Then we get guys, like I said, big people from outside the hobby coming in with a bigger following. Like, our following is massive in the hobby. Our following is a peon in. In the real world. So to bring guys like yourself in, to me, it was like, hey, let's just build a whole network. And that was the like for me and Jeremy and Chris, too. Our vision was like, I kind of dumb it down. Like, was. Was the barstool model. Like, one podcast is cool. Seven podcasts and five shows and 50 clips a week and content about content and then debates within the team. Like, we get to that level, and I just don't think there's anybody in the hobby that does it. And there's no. No, nothing authentic.

[B]

You went there, you nailed it.

[C]

Oh, I hate every other content.

[B]

The last word was the one if you didn't say it. I was going to. That's why I'm here. You know, meeting Jeremy, meeting Chris, meeting you, you know, I was like, these are guys I want to hang out with. This is real.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And your show was real anyway. That's why respected it. I'm like, it's real. And in a way, it's because where I was gonna go next, being the brand guy, you know, nonsense. You know, it's like, part irreverence, part don't take yourself too seriously.

[C]

Like, what else we're talking about pictures of dudes on cards. Like, chill out. But yeah, that. That is really. And even, like, the thing about authenticity, like, does it. Does it prohibit certain brands because they want yes men to make stupid content? Sure. But, like, the brands. Some of these brands we've worked with for years are pretty big deals in this world. And it's like, hey, we're glad you ripped us the other day, because then when you praise us down the road for something you actually like. It's authentic as well. So I, I think there's a real opportunity.

[B]

It's interesting with the brand comment, I think not only are we going to do this together, bringing more brands into the hobby, which is why we need you.

[C]

And that's. Yeah, there it is, dude. Because that is the ultimate golden goose. Hobby money's cool. I'm not talking about Ruben. Hobby, sponsorship, real money is, is different. Yeah.

[B]

Yes. And they need, and they need to be here because when you look at the data, look, I've been digging in the data. Like I'm, I'm a marketing guy and a creative guy and all this, but I'm also a data junkie. And when I started looking at the data, that's when I went, okay, this is a hobby and it's cool. The boys like it. But this is real business. The affluent audience that's in this industry and their loyalties and the tie ins to the brands that I know what I used to recommend to brands, sure. I'd go, you should be on this, that and the other. From a media perspective, when I looked at the data from the hobby, I'm like, this beats 9 out of 10 things I ever recommended to them.

[C]

Yeah. Here's your extremely heavy male demographic, 24 to 50, with expendable income. Like, hello.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And by the way, I say male heavy. Dom. It is like at this point, like we're working with some female creators too. I want to build that out as well.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But I also know at the core of the, it's like, hey, what's your demographic age? Like what, who are you appealing to? And here I'm just like, this seems like a home run, but do you.

[B]

Think their hobby's ready for more women?

[C]

Yeah. So we were talking a girl named Kayla. I say girl, she's 20 years younger than me, so she's a girl. To me, Authenticity there, I think is even harder to find because there are some women in our hobby right now. They put out a bunch of content as soon as the camera's off. Hey, what do you collect this? That? Nothing. It's a paid spot, which, by the way, a lot of companies do that. Hey, we have to have diversity. We need a woman here. And great. Like, I guess, like, I don't care. Good for you. I just want good people who like the hobby. This young woman was me and Danny met with the other day. I liked it because she is a crazy collector. She's been in it since before the boom. She was going to cars when she was like, 12, and I was like, this is what we need. Like, this is a cool thing. The fact you're a girl, great, whatever. You check that box, you're a collector who makes content. Awesome. So, yes, I want more. I don't want more women in the hobby just to come in and make content and not be in the hobby. If you're gonna come over, we want everybody. If you're coming in for a paycheck, I'm good. We can find other people to do that who also have passion.

[B]

Yeah. I love that. It's the right answer too. And it's why it's another reason I'm coming in. The way I'm coming in is because I want it to be that way. Like, I don't. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I get paid for brands to do whatever.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

But I wasn't gonna do that here until I've spent a year and six figures plus learning the hobby again, understanding it again, paying my own dime to then go, I have something to contribute, and now I know what's going on.

[C]

Yep. And then you bring your outside expertise.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That's why I think it's like a cool. Like, you talked intersections before. Dude, you're one of those intersection people. Hey, like, I got the means and the funds out here. I don't have to just be in here chasing the brand money, which I think is great, because some people doing the content have to. I gotta make X amount of money to stay in the life. I get that. Like, I don't even knock those people. But, like, that was my thing when I came in. And that's why for you, you're making your real money there. This will make money eventually, but we get to control who we make money from.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

Which I like.

[B]

And I think it will in turn make it better and bigger deals, because we don't have to chase it. It will come, and we'll build it the right way. It's interesting. You talked to Mike Michael Rubin.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

I was watching that interview. It's fascinating hearing him talk about the hobby. The owner of fanatics tops. You know, everything that's happening with licensing, that's been something that's really interesting, that's new with the hobby. I mean, I know they had the same deals, you know, 30 years, 25 years ago when I was in it. But like the panini, you didn't hear.

[C]

About it then either.

[B]

No, but it's so funny. Eight months ago. But in one of my second boxes of the foray Back into the hobby. And I go, there's no logos. I didn't even know. Oh, I didn't even know.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

I was like. I thought it was an airbox.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

I was like, where the. I didn't know anything about that. And listening to my Akle talk about it and the license changes and buying a lot of boxes now where you don't have the. It's. It's weird.

[C]

Agreed. It's a weird segmented thing for the next year and a half, because when we were younger, it was just like, hey, here's Tops. Upper deck flair. Don Russ. All different, all independent running, which I think is great. I also think competition is the best because, like, if I'm trying to be better than you, I'm gonna work harder. Like, I like that.

[B]

Should the deal have happened?

[C]

I hate. I mean, Michael knows this, Mr. Rubin. I hate exclusivity of any kind.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, if you got two people competing. I'm an athlete. Like, you know, Division 9 athlete. Ish.

[B]

High tide raises on ships.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. Like, I'm not, like, we're not going, like, Division one. Like, Division nine, though. Me and the old guys run ball twice a week. I play better when I'm playing. Guys who are a little better than me, I'm gonna try to chase them down. Oh, I'm gonna be. My jump shot's gonna be better. I'm gonna use my left hand. But, like, I just.

[B]

So the hobbies benefited from them competing?

[C]

I think so. So you take that aspect away. Now, the good thing is, too, Ruben's also like, hey, I make money everywhere I go. I'm not gonna bet against him. And they're in this for 20 years, so I'm also. Well, he's not gonna tank it. We're not gonna overproduce. I know those are fears, but to me, why would he do that? If you make money for 20 years and grow it, like, it's been growing. So. But yeah, at the end of the day, if you told me we have three or four companies with licensing. That's my. Yeah, that's. That's my paradise situation.

[B]

What's Panini gonna do?

[C]

I have no idea. Yeah.

[B]

And, like, are they gonna be able to do what Tops has been able to do and sort of eking out sales without the license? Because they sign all these top guys for autos and things.

[C]

I mean, like, it's tough because even those deals will go away, like the pa. So, like, they'll have nil deals. Like, Arch Manning's a good Example, they'll have Arch Manning nil. They have it now. Until he's a part of the pa, Then you lose him. I also. There's no love loss with me and Panini. I don't like him. I have him for years. Like, they. The arrogance. They came to us with just. I'm sorry. Like, when you come to me with, hey, why do we need you or anybody else? We're. We're Panini or we're any company, it's like, okay, cool. Hey, when you're king of the hill, like, you can talk like that. And I got news for you. Get knocked off the hill, you weren't there for us. Cool. Have a good fall. Like, I'm not. I have no sympathy. I know. That's terrible. I also know, though, in three years, all we're gonna hear about is, man. Remember the golden age, though. Panini, anytime. You can't have it. It's the greatest.

[B]

Yeah, dude.

[C]

Like, it's like, oh, Topps was terrible. We hate Topps. Then Panini takes a license, man. Topps Chrome 2000 was unbelievable. We couldn't sell it. Nobody wanted it. Panini, everybody hates it. Redemptions, they don't fulfill stuff. That's now three years, dude. National Treasures was the greatest. Can you imagine? We don't have National. That's exactly what it's always. Everything else is always great. Nobody ever remembers when you're in the moment.

[B]

So that's how it is. We always want what we don't have. What's your thoughts on hobbies? It's broad. Collectibles is broad. Like Pokemon. Even if you're not a Pokemon specialist.

[C]

Crazy.

[B]

Like, that is a subculture in itself. I've never seen Star wars and everything else.

[C]

I've never seen anything like Pokemon. Insane. Yep. Passionate collectors, intelligent collectors. Way better marketers and card guys. You know, the Pokemon tables out there, because they have lights, they have the little spin wheel. They have Pokemon. People know how to sell. Like, they are just in general. They are a class above us. They kill it, man. They do.

[B]

There is a sophistication to them.

[C]

Oh, dude. You know, showcase out there where the guy's like, oh, you want this card? He's hitting, like, animation on the. I don't even know how he did it. And I was just like, this dude is literally working magic and selling car, like, stupid. It's awesome.

[B]

It is. It's interesting seeing it blended in, too. We're here at the National Chicago, large sports memorabilia show in the country. But it's sort of just Blended in every show I've been in since we've been back in the game. You see it kind of thread throughout. A little bit.

[C]

So like your local show. I know you do the local show. The trade down with you.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So the split. I've been telling Jesse recently there's been some Nashville shows, smaller ones, 80, 20 Pokemon to sports, long standing sports shows. What is the mix in Greenville like or that area with your shows?

[B]

60, 40, probably sports.

[C]

Oh really? But Pokemon's.

[B]

Pokemon's growing.

[C]

So two years ago though, what was Pokemon? 5%, 10%.

[B]

Yeah. I wasn't in the flow of it, but my understanding, hearing and talking to people in the market, it's 10. It's growing faster.

[C]

Yeah, I agree.

[B]

I think it's going faster. I don't think it's one or the other. It's a different market.

[C]

Correct.

[B]

Like it's, you know, my kids are kind of in that. In between age, I got a 9 year old and a 16 year old. The low and the high. And I even can appreciate the artwork of the Pokemon. Do I want to showcase it in my, my sports, you know, office? No.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But do I appreciate the art? Do I mind opening some packs, ribbon packs for the kids?

[C]

No.

[B]

They're fun.

[C]

And you talk about entry level. Like I've never seen a new Pokemon box. I know they spike above retail.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But the $40 box spikes to 120. Cool. Like, I don't like the fact that we get scalpers going crazy, but the fact you can buy 100, what are you buying for 120 bucks in baseball, basketball, football.

[B]

Yeah, that's the thing. We can rip boxes and that and have a nice night. And I'm not like, I don't even at a point where I'm not sweating it, but like I'm still like going, this is just dumb, you know?

[C]

Oh yeah.

[B]

Spend a thousand dollars on one night like ripping three boxes.

[C]

That's what I mean.

[B]

I mean whether you got it or.

[C]

Not, it's like I'm with you. We get over and get weird with Dynasty. I mean if we get weird for an hour, it's not three. Like we're 48,000 deep. Like I don't care how much. Like that's a lot of money. Like I don't care. Billionaires at the 48 grand and you got pictures of car. I love cars, but like that's what they are. So it's. I do like that aspect.

[B]

Yeah. I think there's a lot of room for growth in the hobby I'm excited to bring that to life, you know, having the boys involved and, you know, doing it organically. I just, you know, really appreciate you coming on, man.

[C]

Dude, I really am. I'm super excited. We're trying to get content, guys. I did not think people in your, like, your level with where you're at with your career and stuff like that had any interest. So the fact that you are in on something like this, I think is great. I do. I really think that's what we needed. We need outside money. We also need outside people. You just make good content. I don't care that you don't know every subset in prism or freaking Optic. You have an interest. You have kids, you want to get in. And I'm like, this dude's an expert at what he does. I think it's. I think that's what's going to separate this from the other guys trying to make content.

[B]

I'm excited, man. We'll have all the links and stuff.

[C]

Cool.

[B]

Any. Anything else we want to plug?

[C]

Sports cards, nonsense everywhere. And collecting collectibles. Si.com collectibles. Nailed it.

[B]

You got it? I got it.

[C]

So. Yeah, brother.

[B]

Appreciate it. Hey, guys, Collectibles on si. The first edition of Mini. Gonna have lots of content blended into this from the national. Your man Gio is on the floor telling it like he always does. It's hilarious. We're going to be showing more of that content. You got to see this guy in action, really on the floor. He lives it, breathes it, just like he talks it. And I'm telling you, it's going to be great. I appreciate Gio for coming on. I appreciate you for tuning in. The best is yet to come. You know what? You came for those rad rips of the week. Let's get at it. Rad rips of the week. Two of our favorites, select and mosaic from 2024 football. So let's go ahead and open these guys up. All right, what we got? Let's see. Each pack is so the mosaic got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 packs. In the select, you've got 6 packs, 6 and 6. Those reactive blue parallels. You've got things like micro mosaics, which we've hit the some of stained glass. That's a fun one. Both beautiful cards, by the way. Premium sets. We'll see how it goes. We'll start with Mosaic. Bree Hogg, Claire John Taylor Gould, rookie finishing out with the notoriety that tua. Yep. TUA hall of fame. So we'll go pack for pack here between each one select. Cards are nice though. 20, 24 came out later in the season. Oh, there's our boy. I think he's have a bounce back year this year, guys. They were worthy. With my homes in Hampton. Not a bad start. All right, Mosaic, what we got? We got all kinds of lighting. That's what I'm saying with these cars, we have to change that up. Yep. Jataveon Sanders, ace of base. Terrell Owens, Lake Coram. On the rookie. Another touchdown Masters. So, so, so far we're saving the fireworks here. Which one of these do you like better? Mosaic or Select? Have to get some shading of light here. It's gonna make feel like everything's got a refractor on it. Oh, There's Marvin Harrison Jr. We'll take him. Little rookie Brian Thomas Jr. On the die cut. That's cool. Speed through this. See what we got here. Derek Carr tired. Last card, he'll have Ricky Sanders. There's a pinnock on that horizontal. The lighting in here is throwing the making every one of these cards look amazing. And we're gonna think everybody watch is gonna be like, whoa. What set of these? Quentin Johnson, Graham Roma, Dunze. Who's this? Von Bell, Aiden Hutchinson coming back from injury. Gabe Davis, William Waddle. We're moving through it. Brad Rips of the week. Al Pitts, Eddie George Michael Irvin, Corey Taylor, Marvin Harrison Jr. That's a good one. Got the refractor galore in here at the studio. Makes every card look tip Freeman. Red likes tip. All right, two of each left here. Hate it for Jordan Travis. Every time I see his cards and I seem to get a ton of them. Always hate it because what he had to go through. Tip. Remit again. Told you, Judy. National pride. Mosaic makes some good cards though. All right, select, what we got here? Two packs left. Patrick Herbert. All these offensive linemen on these, the SP inserts here. Stafford, great quarterback. Oh, that's something. Eric Dickerson. That is a definite insert out of 199. The white Eric Dickerson. Very cool looking card by the way. Hey, we. Hey, you ask and you sourceive here on collectibles. I said can we get it numbered? Let's get it numbered and out of 199. Very cool looking card for Eric Dickerson. One of the greatest running backs of all time. Finish with Brian Thomas Jr. Who I think is gonna have a monster year with my boy. All right, last pack. Magic. So Wilson to national pride here as these cards feel thick. Don't remember even seeing him. Isaiah Pacheco on The mosaic. Max Crosby on what looks like the fire mosaic and it's just a chrome bang card going out with a bang so far. I call select the winner forever Lawrence again on the front. We like it. Buddha, Baker, Santi, Samuel. Cool. It's almost like once you get that one hit, you know you're not getting any others loot because they really get good rookie. And we like these cards. But just don't be fooled by our lighting in here. Not everyone is a fire breathing dragon. Parallel. There you go. Your rad rips of the week. 2024 select. And mosaic fun rips. Good looking cards ultimately I think select one out there. More inserts and this numbered white Eric Dickerson is cool. Very cool. Numbered out of 199 and I think look cooler even than the numbering per se. That's your rad rips of the week. We're going to be breaking every week. Boys will be on here with me. We'll get this lighting a little improved so every car doesn't look like the greatest parallel of all time. So maybe that's good. We will show them on the ebay. We do ebay live guys, so check that out. Our ebay live store is under the RAD Collective. The Rad Collective. We have links to all that. We also do live breaks coming up on our good partner ebay live. So the Rad Collective on eBay and ebay live. Appreciate them as we bring to life the hobby behind the scenes. We're in it folks, not just talking about it. We're doing it every week right here. That's your rad rip of the week. We'll see you next time. Collectibles on that side.

[A]

Hey, thanks for tuning in to the show. Don't forget to follow us on your favorite podcast platform and don't miss the full video version on YouTube. You can find us at www.collectibles.show or follow Ryan on Instagram at ryanolford. We want you to send in Your biggest RIPs PC hits of the week to get featured on the collectibles on SI show. It's not about the price. It's about what it means to collect. Now get out there and collect yours.