The Shallow End

What if? That's the question two notorious baseball card overthinkers started from when they decided to start a new show. In this debut episode, how might the hobby be different today if Topps had introduced a full set of parallels beginning in 1952? Welcome to Overthinking Baseball Cards. For the full experience, see our YouTube channel . Hosts: Jason @Contrarian_Cards Dave: @Iowa_Dave_Sports...

What began as a labor of love for Kevin turned into a hobby quest. Five years ago he picked up his first 1999 Topps Chrome baseball refractor. Last month, he completed a 637-card master refractor set that includes the inserts. This is the story of how Kevin ( @Colorado. Collector ) did it. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

In this wide-ranging discussion about rookie cards, Robert ( @BobHostaCollection ) and Dave get into a challenge each is facing: Should they get the iconic 1954 Topps Hank Aaron rookie? Or should they get the card they agree better captures Aaron the player and person, his 1958 Topps? The Shallow End is hosted by @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Dan ( @CardsAndCardio on IG) paints a picture of what it means to collect with direction. From Jesse Owens, to Otto Graham and other vintage QBs, to Jackie Robinson, to actor and comedian Bill Murray, Dan makes sure every individual card he picks up connects to the larger collection he's trying to build. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards .

Longtime friend of The Shallow End Samuel Evans returns to chat with Dave about The National, Samuel's role within the NSCC, and how The National is about the cards yet so much more. Find Samuel on Instagram @thesprtzcardcoltr . The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

We all deserve a good meal. Don't you think? Thank you to Steven Rodel and Cameron Ross Steiner for the inspiration.

When a consigner potentially mislabeled my sports card to such a degree that its value began to tank, I was faced with a decision: take a financial hit, or bid on my own card. In this episode, I talk through the situation and explain why I felt it was important not to bid. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Jason ( @contrarian_cards on IG) and Dave begin with the premise, What should a longtime Panini football and basketball card collector know about Topps as Fanatics readies to take over the NFL and NBA card licenses? From there, it's a free-wheeling discussion about what it's like to collect and understand baseball cards in 2025.

In this podcast audio essay, Dave confronts the realities of breaking and sports cards, and the false narratives used to make excuses for it. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

We've all got a horror story, a past decision in our collecting that haunts us. Today's guest, Andrew (IG: @fairstarcards ), knows more about failure than most. He preaches it to his students. In this episode, we become his students as he shows us why those past failures should be embraced, not forgotten. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Addiction takes many forms, including within the world of sports cards. From overspending, to patterns of hiding behavior, to an inability to detach from The Hobby, sports-card addiction can leave us feeling hopeless and out of control. Today's guest, Alyx Effron of CollectorsMD , knows this first hand. That's why he's created a platform to help collectors figure out how to get help. T...

Greg ( @Paper_and_Chrome on IG) is an Albert Pujols collector who set out to clarify "The Machine's" best rookie cards. So Greg surveyed 50 Pujols collectors. In this episode of The Shallow End, he shares the results. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_SportsCards on IG. If you'd like to watch the video version of this episode, you can do so here on YouTube .

Over several months, Dave read three books about the history of sports cards. Here are 10 takeaways that helped him learn more about The Hobby. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards Card Sharks , by Pete Williams (1995) The Card , by Michael O'Keeffe and Teri Thompson (2007) Mint Condition , by Dave Jamieson (2010)

Sometimes in sports cards, as in life, you have to confront your past before you can chase your future. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

Once you're interested in collecting sports cards, it doesn't take long before something in The Hobby takes hold. If we're not careful, our PC's have a way of getting away from us. In this episode, Cardladder's Chris McGill ( ⁠@chris_hoj⁠ ) stops by to discuss collecting goals he sets for himself—and occasionally revises and revisits as his own tastes evolve. No two people have...

Nothing about the sports card hobby is perfect, but it's those imperfections and, dare we say, failures, that help make us better collectors. In this audio essay, Dave shares his biggest hobby failure and pleas with one of the hobby's most influential influencers to not give the impression that every deal always works out. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards &...

If you're going to collect sports cards, you're going to need to make yourself some rules. But just as importantly, you need to be ready to break those rules when opportunities arise. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

In sports cards, is there such a thing as too many collecting rules? Can we build so many walls that fun gives way to limitations? In this episode, Pat ( @Insta_Account_Haver ) returns to discuss collecting lanes, their usefulness, and moments when they might not be. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

In this episode, we try something new. It's an audio essay, a meditative piece that looks at a side of sports cards many people ignore – but shouldn't. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

The Chase, a limited series recently concluded on The Shallow End podcast feed, was intended to be a celebration of what it takes to get the cards we want most. In this episode, we reflect on the series and what each of the 15 collectors we spoke with can teach us about our own collecting. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards

When Tony ( @tj.isonline ) returned to sports cards, he decided Reggie Jackson would be one of his guys. And when he learned the story of one of the hobby's great urban legends, about a card only a small handful of collectors even knew existed, he began his case. If this is the last podcast episode I ever do (it won't be), I'll retire satisfied. The Chase is a limited series on The Sha...

For Dan ( yankeedoodledandycards ), it's not just about finding any sports card to finish his player run. It's about finding the best version – to create the best possible player run of a Hall of Famer in a prized parallel. Dan shows us the value of being meticulous while maintaining high standards. The Chase is a limited series on The Shallow End podcast feed. The Shallow End is hosted by...

For years, Jeremy Lee ( @Jlee_sportscardslive ) chased a card he wanted from a set he appreciated. Just when he thought the card wouldn't be his, along came another one he didn't know existed. Often in the sports-card hobby, it pays to be patient and play the long game. Instant gratification is rarely the best route. The Chase is a limited series on The Shallow End podcast feed. The Shallow End is...

Step 1 : Identify the most collected team in all of baseball. Step 2 : Identify one of the most iconic parallels from the late 1990s. Step 3 : Decide you want to collect the entire team run. Congrats! You've just entered the world of Dalton, aka @refractorguy812 . The Chase is a limited series on The Shallow End podcast feed. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz ⁠@Iowa_Dave_Sportscards⁠ Musi...

If you're going to chase something in sports cards, don't make it too easy. That's one of the philosophies of Kevin aka @kevin.m.cormier , whose chase of a fully signed set from the mid-1980s came with failed attempts and month-long patches with little to no movement. But he got there, eventually, and his effort landed him a unique hobby accomplishment. The Chase is a limited series on The Shallow...