There's no such thing as a boring month in the hobby and this month was no exception. I had a friend who knew I liked Pearl Jam invite me to join him at their opening night of their tour in San Diego. I took him up on his offer since they are one of my favorite bands and in addition to enjoying 23 songs before the rest of the world did, I found myself with a day to … [Read more...] about What’s Hot: Pearl Jam, a Visit to Upper Deck and the Top Selling Boxes
What’s Hot: Trip to The Mint; Top 5 Selling Boxes
It's been an interesting last few weeks (but aren't they all). I left the shop in capable hands last month and attended The Mint Collective in Las Vegas. Sure it was an excuse to visit my second favorite city, but it was also an opportunity to catch the vibe of the industry as it experiences some incredible changes. What I heard from many is that seemingly … [Read more...] about What’s Hot: Trip to The Mint; Top 5 Selling Boxes
What’s Hot: Ahead of Topps Conference, Box Sales Roll On
First of all, I wanted to thank all the manufacturers for not canceling my accounts after the 2021 Mikey Awards. I don't really have such concerns, but one never knows how good of a sense of humor people have these days. Fortunately, my annual piece seems to have gone over well and I'm taking notes to be ready for the 2022 edition. In just a few days, I'll be … [Read more...] about What’s Hot: Ahead of Topps Conference, Box Sales Roll On
2021 Mikey Awards: The Hobby’s Best, Worst, Strangest
I've been writing my favorite piece of the year for the past two nights/mornings and it has made me reflect on perhaps the most interesting year I've ever had in my 29 years of owning my shop, Mike's Stadium Sportscards. It was perhaps the best of times and now it's time to hope that it doesn't quickly turn into the worst of times. I can't really control the entire … [Read more...] about 2021 Mikey Awards: The Hobby’s Best, Worst, Strangest
What’s Hot: Wading Through the Waiting; Top 5 Selling Boxes
I hope you all enjoyed a tremendous Thanksgiving and that it helped you forget about the one you might not have fully enjoyed in 2020. I hosted my wife's family during the inevitable Lions loss and then went over to my brother's house for Thanksgiving part deux. Suffice to say, I wish typing burned more calories than it does. It has been an interesting time at … [Read more...] about What’s Hot: Wading Through the Waiting; Top 5 Selling Boxes
What’s Hot: Appetite for Boxes, Hot Players Still Hearty
As always it is an interesting time to own a card shop. In between either answering questions from collectors who are wondering what will eventually happen when Fanatics becomes more involved with the sports card community OR being “told” what will happen, it is still pretty insane at my shop these days. Pretty much from when the door pops to when things shut down for … [Read more...] about What’s Hot: Appetite for Boxes, Hot Players Still Hearty
What’s Hot: Everything Old is New Again
Before I get to my usual current event chatter, I wanted to share some thoughts about the unfortunate passing of hobby veterans Rich Altman and Ben Ecklar. Rich owned Hollywood Collectibles in my old stomping ground of South Florida. I only briefly met him at the 2019 Industry Summit. I had always been impressed with his exclusive autograph relationship with Bill … [Read more...] about What’s Hot: Everything Old is New Again
What’s Hot: Denver Show, Topps Visit, Top 5 Sellers
It’s hot outside (yes, even at 5,400 feet above sea level) and it’s still crazy hot inside the shop as well. It seemed like some of the sports card world took a few weeks off, but collectors are back almost as strong as they were back in February and March. I just tried to restock some 2020 NFL and found that one distributor was above every sell price on Dealernet … [Read more...] about What’s Hot: Denver Show, Topps Visit, Top 5 Sellers
Mike’s Hot List: Not Just a Baseball, Football, Basketball Card World
It's been an interesting month and specifically the last few days around the shop and within the hobby (but when is it not?). The good news - My shop has partnered with Denver Card Shows for the first large show to hit the Mile High City in well over a decade. As you may have read on SC Daily, we are hosting a 200+ table gathering at the National Western Complex in … [Read more...] about Mike’s Hot List: Not Just a Baseball, Football, Basketball Card World
What’s Hot: The Shop Sets a Monthly Mark (Again); Top 5 Sellers
Once again I find myself at the keyboard after a Nuggets win. Aaron Gordon played his first game for Denver and we looked pretty solid. Even Bol Bol got some run time after not seeing the court for some time. I'm probably getting ahead of myself here, but this team might be close to as good as it was last year and this year there are real home court advantages … [Read more...] about What’s Hot: The Shop Sets a Monthly Mark (Again); Top 5 Sellers