Chris HOJ-Cast

This episode dives deep into the Highway 99 Gold 1/1 of Michael Jordan, contemplating the card through the lenses of metaphor, design, and historical importance.  It then shifts to discussing whether the collector is also an artist.  The episode concludes with a few thoughts on how markets for “trophy cards” function.

This episode has three main sections.  The first discusses Brock Purdy and the predictive power of analytics in anticipating historic breakout performances like KAT’s 2026 playoff run.  The second tees up multiple topics relating to the philosophy of collecting, including: how information changes the way we “see” cards, the gifts of research and storytelling, and the logic of the first.  And the t...

This episode has six parts: 1) a reveal of the release dates of Michael Jordan's first seven 1/1s, 2) a deep dive into the first basketball 1/1 checklist (which happens to be an MJ card); 3) a quick look at some recent MJ 1/1 sales; 4) a discussion of "iconic" status in the sports card context; 5) some thoughts on Nikola Jokic's $1 million logoman autograph 1/1 sale; and 6) tho...

This episode has five parts.  1) A quick dive into my Luka fandom.  2) Reflections on how research shapes collecting—and how research builds meaning.  3) Using my recent pickup (2024-25 Silhouette Holo Platinum 1/1 Luka Doncic) as a case study in how research creates meaning.  4) A review of the market for Luka's first Lakers 1/1s.  5) Some closing remarks on the legacy Luka Doncic is etching...

This episode has 5 parts.  First, a discussion of PER and who has won its crown in each NBA season.  Second, a review of two headline Jokic card sales with Goldin last weekend.  Third, a deep dive into Joker's Totally Certified Holo Blue 1/1 run.  Fourth, a synopsis of Jokic's 2025-26 season.  And finally, some thoughts on culture and leisure in prehistoric times.

This episode analyzes the two 1/1 MJ sales from Heritage Auctions last weekend—the Platinum Masterpiece, which sold for $2.1m, and the Purple Masterpiece, which sold for $625k.

This episode revolves around my recent pick up of the "Heart and Soul" Gold 1/1 of Michael Jordan—using this card as a springboard into discussing: (1) MJ's first fifteen 1/1s ever made, (2) the historic "Heart and Soul" 30-card set, (3) my recent public poll asking collectors to choose their favorite among four MJ 1/1s, (4) all 66 public sales of a 90s MJ 1/1 since 2004,...

This episode has three parts.  First, a registry of the 72 first MJ 1/1s is introduced—identifying the 37 cards that are publicly owned, the 21 that are privately owned, and the 14 that have yet to surface.  Second is an exercise in 1/1 valuation methods, specifically towards estimating a price for the two Ultra 1/1 masterpieces coming to auction soon.  Third, the concept of a "hobby Rorschac...

This episode has 3 parts.  First is a discussion sparked by the recent Flawless 1/1 Jokic sale.  Second is introspection around whether to pursue a very special Michael Jordan 1/1 that is coming to auction soon.  And the final segment is a recap of Christian McCaffrey's legacy-enhancing 2025 season. (Here is the MJ card ranking system mentioned in the second section: https://tinyurl.com/MJRNK...

This episode has four parts.  The first contrasts two styles of sharing cards: (1) the yearly pickup recap and (2) the "card tree."  The second section discusses my recap of eight cards added in 2025.  The third segment investigates to what extent a card is a reflection of its owner versus a reflection of itself.  And the fourth part shares a viral tweet on how Van Gogh's paintings...

This episode has two major segments.  First, a new Jokic 1/1 is revealed, which is then used as a case study for contrasting a human-based presentation of its properties versus an artificial intelligence description.  Second, two styles of understanding a card are contrasted: (A) the personal, narrative-driven recap, and (B) the communal/objective entry, rooted in facts about things like history a...

This episode has three parts: (1) a review of my PC players, plus some commentary on how I'm currently collecting each, and which cards I'm looking for next, (2) meditations on the idea of evolving as a collector from the "aesthetic" state to the "conceptual" state, and (3) an analysis of my most recent social media post of Jokic's first game-worn logoman autogra...

This episode has 3 parts.  The first questions the role of market price in card rankings.  The second and third use rarity to rank Michael Jordan cards. The document ranking MJ cards can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/5antmxn5

This episode has four parts.  The first poses the question: what is the most misunderstood card in your collection?  Second is a discussion of "commemorative" cards—culminating in the reveal of a recent MJ pickup.  The third section analyzes historical Q4 price trends through the lens of the CL50.  And the fourth offers some quick thoughts on the NBA's recent GM survey.

This episode has 3 sections.  The first investigates how "known unknowns" induced a bout of collecting paralysis—and how I plan to prevent it from happening again.  The second tells the story of a "One of a Kind" Michael Jordan 1/1 from the inaugural Master Collection product of 1999-00.  And the third analyzes the current sports card market—through the lens of Michael Jordan c...

This episode opens with a segment on what "utopia" might teach us about card collecting.  The next segment investigates how ownership of a card triggers a learning process.  The third segment introduces the "90s MJ 1/1" taxonomy.  The fourth is a review of my recent social media post of the PowerDeck 1/1.  Fifth is a spotlight on cautionary episodes issued by @TheHobbyWithCage...

This episode has three segments: 1) September supply increases and how they might counteract runaway prices in this bull market, 2) a deep dive into storytelling about sports cards, and 3) does the "better player hypothesis" predict that Duncan prices should be higher than Kobe, or does it actually predict the opposite?

This episode puts forth 12 segments.  Several of the highlights include: a thought experiment designed to figure out the goal of collecting, reflections on successful market predictions in a bull market, and photo-matching a recent pickup. 

This episode dives into my recent trade.  I received the 1997-98 Upper Deck PowerDeck White Jersey 1/1 Michael Jordan (plus six more MJ 1/1s).  I sent out the 1998-99 Skybox Molten Metal Fusion Titanium /40.

This episode analyzes the $12.932m sale of the MJ/Kobe 2007-08 Exquisite Dual Logoman Autograph 1/1 PSA 6.  What will be its ripple effects on the sports card industry?  What does it imply for the market?  Was it an overpay?  Where does it rank among MJ 1/1 cards?  Then, in the final segment, the recent formula tweak of ESPN's "Net Points" metric is discussed. MJ 1/1 Spreadsheet Ref...

This episode has two segments.  The first dives into the concept of "iconic" while reviewing the process I used to create my rankings for Adam and Ryan's "25 in 25" project.  The second replies to a listener question about how lesser known cards gain visibility in the collecting community.

This episode dives into the current bull market in sports cards.  Topics include: what proof is there that it exists, what are its impacts on daily collecting activities, and how long will it last?  The episode concludes with a few thoughts about what enables collectors to change their minds every once in a while.

This episode has two parts.  The first reviews my experience at the 2025 National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago, sans the pickups and grades I received at the show.  The second segment then dives into the pickups and grades.  Enjoy!

This HOJ-Cast, likely the last for the next 3 weeks or so, has four segments.  First is a deep dive into my Pre-National Bounty List.  Second is a review of Nikola Jokic's basketball career to date.  Third is a review of two competing collecting philosophies, specifically whether one should spreadsheet or not.  And fourth is a reveal of a Jokic pickup from earlier this year, which illustrates...

This episode takes the scenic route to revealing a recent Michael Jordan card acquisition.  Along the way I explain the series of events and revelations that led to it.