Podcast Summary: "Sports Card Investing Tips That Actually Work"

Podcast: Trading Cards & Collectibles Podcast
Host: Ryan Alford (The Radcast Network)
Guest: Kunal Ahuja (Sports Card Invest)
Date: November 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the evolving landscape of the sports card and collectibles market, with a focus on smart investing strategies, sustainability, product innovation, and shifting demographics. Ryan Alford welcomes investor and collector Kunal Ahuja of Sports Card Invest to unpack recent trends, the impact of Fanatics' acquisition of key licenses, the explosion of Pokémon, and actionable investment advice for both new and experienced collectors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Current State of the Hobby: Growth After the Bubble

• Post-Pandemic Market Adjustments: Kunal reflects on the meteoric rise in 2020–21, the ensuing crash, and how the hobby is now entering a more sustainable growth phase.

  • "There was always that awareness that like okay, when is this going to calm down? And it did. 2022 to like 2024... a pretty slow period for us and our business and in general the sports card industry. ... This time around, we've seen a lot of great growth over like the last 12 to 18 months and I would say it feels a little bit more sustainable." — Kunal [07:14]

• Smarter Investors: Money is becoming “smarter”—less speculation on base rookies, more focus on legendary players and high-end “grail” cards.

  • Investors today are “a lot more calculated and slow paced... the biggest growth this year has come from like the Kobe's, the Curry's, the Jordans, the Lebron's, the Brady's, Mahomes.” — Kunal [09:25]

• International Expansion: Notable growth in Asia (fans of NBA) and Europe (soccer) is bringing fresh liquidity and interest into the market.

  • "The amount of shows… in Asia and Europe…every single year there seems to be an incredible amount of growth…" — Kunal [08:46]

Sustainability, Scarcity, and Entry Points

• Bubble Fears and Market Balance: Conversation around the perception of a bubble, referencing concerns from Upper Deck's president and how high-priced wax might price out new collectors.

  • "When entry boxes are $1,000 a box…there’s nowhere for it to go but down." — Ryan [12:28]

• The Need for Tiered Products:

  • Kunal relays from Mike Mahan (Fanatics) the importance of balancing scarcity and affordability to ensure long-term industry health.
  • "There's going to be products for everyone... the top 1% of collectors... and then there's got to be products that are affordable... [otherwise] it does become hard for the industry to grow." [14:29]
  • Ryan compares it to autos: "You don’t get a Porsche for fifty bucks..." [17:54]

• Lessons Learned from the Past:

  • "A lot of people have learned from the junk wax era and a lot of people have learned from the COVID bubble…how do we avoid those traps?" — Kunal [15:40]

Licensing Shakeups: Fanatics, Topps, and Panini

• Transition Anxiety & Nostalgia:

  • Discussion on Fanatics’ acquisition of key licenses, nostalgia for Panini, and the challenge of balancing business moves with collector sentiment.
  • "Anytime there's change and, you know, you don't have that nostalgia for stuff you've collected for the past decade. It's going to be tough." — Kunal [21:08]
  • "People are saying the new product doesn't look high quality...I think that's part of evolving." — Kunal [21:35]

• Future of Unlicensed Panini:

  • Likely harder for Panini without major sports licenses; possible pivot to non-sports or niche markets.
  • "It's going to be tough for Panini to reinvent themselves…they're going to have to figure out, okay, what can we do here that's going to get us the most market share.” — Kunal [23:33]

Pokémon and The Rise of Non-Sports Collecting

• Broader Demographics and Deeper Passion:

  • Pokémon now dominates many shows, with 60% of tables, surprising some sports card collectors.
  • "Pokémon's got such a wider demographic... it's so much higher percentage of collectors as opposed to investors." — Kunal [25:27]
  • Ryan agrees: “The people walking around that are Pokémon people, they are collecting, baby...and then in sports card, every 12-year-old’s a dealer.” [26:30]

• Culture Differences:

  • Sports card scene is more transactional, Pokémon about passion and collecting for its own sake.

• Call for Greater Collectibility in Sports Cards:

  • Artistic inserts like Downtowns, Kabooms, Color Blast drive collectibility; there’s demand for more creativity in traditional sports products.
  • "The desire is there for something different in the sports card market." — Ryan [28:08]

Product Evolution and What’s Next

• Tops Basketball’s Return:

  • Mixed feelings—good for nostalgia and standard rips, but lacks the chase elements or iconic inserts that modern collectors want
  • "For a Base Tops product, it's not a bad product... but it's more so... comparable to like a Prism or an Optic... I don't think Topps has cards that replicate that." — Kunal [32:31]

• Anticipation for Unique Inserts:

  • Need for Topps to develop their own versions of “Downtowns” or “Kabooms.”

• Innovation Praise:

  • "One thing I will give Topps a lot of credit on is—the debut patches are super interesting…like each player is only going to have one debut patch." — Kunal [30:36]

Actionable Investing Tips & Market Trends

• Follow the Data, Not the Crowd:

  • Use tools like Google Trends to spot opportunities where others are not looking.
  • "Look where people aren't looking, buy these players when people aren't looking their way and maybe they're injured, they're out for the next six months...it's just kind of a simple supply and demand thing." — Kunal [35:16]

• Sell Into Hype, Buy in Lulls:

  • "Buy low when there's no demand or the player is out. Sell when they return and attention comes back." [35:45]

• Undervalued Eras and Players:

  • 90s basketball and “in-betweeners” (not yet vintage or ultra-modern) offer overlooked value.
  • "Players who retired over the last 10 years that haven't quite been put in the nostalgic category...that's a break in between vintage and modern...wildly overlooked right now." — Kunal [37:14]
  • Peyton Manning, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett specifically highlighted.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You don’t get a Porsche for fifty bucks. There’s layers…you want the Lamborghini, save your money." — Ryan Alford [17:54]
• "I think a lot of people are chasing the current products instead of looking at what's next in terms of overall trend wise…. It's just kind of a simple supply and demand thing. Look where people aren't looking, sell when people are looking at your player." — Kunal [35:16]
• "It's a little bit annoying…as a sports card fan going to these shows…and now it's like, damn, 60% of the tables are taken up by Pokémon." — Kunal [27:12]
• "One thing I will give Topps a lot of credit on is I think the debut patches are super… super interesting. It's like bringing back the logoman but in a different way…” — Kunal [30:36]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [07:14] - Post-pandemic Hobby Boom and Crash, Market Reset
• [09:25] - Shift Towards High-End Grail Pieces/Legends
• [14:29] - Sustainability, Product Levels, and Entry Points
• [21:08] - Transition from Panini to Topps, Nostalgia vs. Change
• [23:33] - The Challenge Ahead for Panini Without Licenses
• [25:27] - Pokémon’s Growing Dominance in the Hobby
• [28:08] - Demand for Artistic Collectibility in Sports Cards
• [30:36] - Topps’ Innovation: The Debut Patch
• [35:16] - Kunal’s Actionable Investing Strategy
• [37:14] - Underappreciated Eras/Players in Sports Card Investing

Final Thoughts

This episode provides both a big-picture look at the shifting landscape of card collecting and practical investing tactics for listeners at all stages of the hobby. Kunal’s advice centers on data-driven buys, patience, and long-term thinking, while Ryan brings an honest, entrepreneurial lens to the industry’s evolution. Their banter highlights both the challenges and passion that keep collectors engaged.

Connect with the Guests

• Kunal Ahuja/Sports Card Invest

  • YouTube & Instagram: Sports Card Invest
  • Website: sportscardsinvest.com

• Host: Ryan Alford

  • Instagram: @ryanalford

For the video version and more episodes, visit www.collectibles.show.