The Shallow End

Shohei Ohtani's performance in the Dodgers' NLCS clincher drove us back to the microphones a few weeks early. We talk about his cards, his performance, his cards, his legacy, and his cards. Overthinking Baseball Cards is hosted by Jason @contrarian_cards and Dave @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Jason ( @Contrarian_Cards ) and Dave ( @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards ) pick out the most eye-catching individual cards, sets and genres of baseball cards throughout the decades. Agree? Disagree? Let us know. This episode is also available on YouTube .

Aaron ( @Two2Sportscards ) drops by to talk about his own approach to collecting: how he ignores the noise, only listens to content that enriches his experience, and surrounds himself with the right people. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards *** Support fellow collector Luke ( @LukeJBrowning ) as he takes part in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to raise money fo...

You might be asking yourself, didn't The National end two months ago? Yes. Yes it did. But one card I picked up there extended how I thought about The National. Depending what PSA thought of this card, my overall National experience could have tipped one way or the other. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

In this podcast audio essay, Dave confronts two infections living inside the sports card hobby. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

The Shallow End is off this week, so welcome back to Overthinking Baseball Cards. Episode 2. In this episode, we each draft one baseball card from nine different eras of baseball card collecting (plus three bench spots). Who and what will make the cut? And who will end up on the outside looking in? Overthinking Baseball Cards is hosted by Jason @ContrarianCard s and Dave @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards The...

From Aug. 14-31, 18 brave sports-card collectors shared with you their stories of mistakes, failures, and perspectives. Before we move on to other topics, let's stay in this world just a little longer. In this episode of The Shallow End, I'll share my 18 takeaways — one from each collector. If you want to catch up on the limited series, 'Failing Up' is available in full on the Shal...

In this 18th and final episode of Failing Up, we welcome Dave, known on IG as @paperstreetsportscards . When Dave came back to the hobby, he did a little exploring and discovered cards he found interesting. But when he approached the so-called experts about his interests, they told him his point of view was wrong. They preached a "better" way of doing things. Spoiler alert: the experts w...

Let's welcome Matt Worley ( @slabnomics ), host of the up-and-coming Slabnomics podcast . He’s an exciting, honest new voice in the card space. In this episode you’ll hear Matt describe, in detail, something many of us went through when first getting into — or getting back into — the hobby. This is a lesson about what happens when you’re still finding yourself, and the mistakes that come with that...

Today’s guest is Marty, otherwise known as @signed1933goudey . He’s all about starts and stops, pushing and waiting, patience and passion. This series about sports cards might be called Failing Up, but to Marty, a little bit of struggle isn’t failing. It’s learning. It’s understanding. And it’s getting just a little bit better, one day at a time. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Da...

Today in this 18-part limited series we’re talking with John, co-host of the Global Card Collectors podcast and @Istanbulcards on Instagram. John is a basketball and soccer collector. He’s thoughtful. He’s deliberate and disciplined. Yet anyone, even collectors who stay on their path, are not immune from a painful lesson: Not all 1-of-1s are created equal. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwart...

Today we’re talking with someone who has been a great help to many in the collecting space, Zan, @zanoo23_sportscards on Instagram. These days those who follow Zan know him for his refined collection of football and baseball cards, and for his ability to spot fake serial numbers in some of the hobby’s most popular sets. But when Zan first re-entered the hobby, he wasn’t drawn toward singles, he gr...

In this episode we welcome Jeff, @MyFavoriteCardboard on Instagram and part of two wonderful shows, Blabbin’ 'bout Slabbin’ and Spitballin’ Cards . I appreciated Jeff’s willingness to share some of his stories because he’s such a good storyteller, but also because they’re so relatable. This is an episode about the persistence of hope, even when there is none, and a reminder that sometimes the...

Today we welcome to the program Josh Adams, @MidwestVintageCards on IG and one of the driving forces behind the 90s Auctions platform. Many years ago, nearly two decades, Josh said he had a great plan to make some money in the hobby. He’s here today with a warning for all of us: Not all plans … work out. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Today’s guest is Mark, @mjs_sportscards on Instagram. These days, Mark is known for a few things, from his Jrue Holiday collection, to the WNBA, and of course his beloved L.A. Lakers. But when he first got back into the hobby, he made the sort of moves and mistakes that might have sent many right back out of the hobby, perhaps for good. Yet Mark stuck around. And just as importantly, he learned, a...

Today we welcome to the show Nick, the Instagram user known as @TastyCardSandwich . Among other things, Nick is a connoisseur of early 2000s cards. But sometimes, as he points out, it’s possible to become SO focused on your lane that you miss out on what’s happening around you. In Nick’s case, it was the rise of some of the biggest modern cards in The Hobby. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwa...

Today’s guest is Jonathan, better known on IG as @sportscards.and.sunsets . As one-third of the Rough Cuts Vintage Card Podcast, Jonathan and his partners have fun discussing vintage cards and all related topics, which is why you’ll find this conversation so interesting. This is Jonathan’s tale of what can happen when one wanders a little too far from what makes a collection, a collection. The Sha...

Today’s guest is Robert, @robertm_cards on Instagram, where his feed is full of some of the coolest game-worn cards you’ll find. There was a time, a span of about 15 years, when Robert built the sort of collection many of us would love to have. Until, one day, someone came along with an offer he couldn’t refuse. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Today’s guest is Craig, @NewYorkCitySportsCards on Instagram. Years ago he decided to buy lots of cards of an up-and-coming basketball player, and wouldn’t you know it, Craig nailed his assessment. The player became one of the greatest of his generation. When he decided it was time to sell, what he discovered is sports cards are about the long game, and the first urge to sell might be a better tim...

Today’s guest is Dr. Jim Beckett, host of the long-running podcast, " Dr. James Beckett Sports Card Insights ." It might be hard to believe now, but there was a time when Beckett Media was the upstart underdog. As they began to pick up momentum, Dr. Beckett, who sold the company two decades ago, considered how to manage a then-growing company. But as he learned with one decision, bigger is not alw...

Today’s guest is Chad, @Blackhat_Cards on IG. Have you ever really wanted to collect a player, so you buy a card online, it arrives, you look at it, and it doesn’t really do it for you? That’s what happened to Chad. Then it happened again. And again. And, well, you get the picture. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Today’s guest is Dave Spinrad, @ratedrabbi on Instagram, and as you’ll hear at the top of this episode, he’s worn lots of different hats in his life. The one constant, he says, has been failure. But, he wouldn’t have it any other way. In this hobby, sometimes you have to figure out what you DON’T like before you figure out what you do. The Shallow End is hosted by @iowa_dave_sportscards

Today’s guest is Andrew, who is @FairStarCards on Instagram. Andrew collects hockey and other sports, and he’s a collector who seeks personal connections within the cards he collects. As an educator, he knows that learning can sometimes be painful, but it’s what you do with that pain, and how you react, that makes the difference. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Today’s guest is Theo, who’s ClementeCollector on IG and YouTube. He’s a smart, thoughtful collector, he’s got a growing YouTube audience, and he was a big contributor to this year’s Hobby Palooza. But when he first got back into the hobby, he learned the hard lesson that some cards are irreplaceable. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Today’s guest is Andrew, who’s @StCroixCards on Instagram. Andrew is a soccer collector, among other things, and a contributor to the Slabstox network. These days, Andrew’s collection is in great shape, but there’s one decision he made when he first got back in the hobby that taught this teacher a lesson he’ll never forget. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards