That Card Collectors Podcast

This week we look at the trend of late for ‘the hobby’ to circle the wagons when a perceived predatory newbie steps up. At what point is this suspicious welcome bouquet actually damaging to the Marvel cards scene? How can the hobby welcome those attracted by the current spike in Marvel cards popularity and visibility, without tarring & feathering those attracted to the shinier cards that are p...

What happens when a major voice in the hobby burns out? Find out this week as we discuss Norrin’s recent break and generally have a good natter about the pressures of being ‘all in’ to Marvel cards in 2021. Ian swears a bit and reads inspirational quotes. Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. Artist Intro – HUGE thanks to TONY AND ELA...

We are back baby! And we waste no time in getting into the scant details released so far about the return of Marvel Beginnings , added to Upper Deck’s slate for April 2022. We reminisce about what made the OG so great, and ponder the meagre clues in the set announcement. We also, as it turns out, spend a fair amount of time discussing one single image which (it later transpires) was part of the ar...

This week we ask the question ‘What’s the entry point?’ for Marvel cards. With prices on the rise, how realistic is it to be collecting by buying sealed product? How much of a risk is 90’s sealed product? We talk about little Jimmy Jones from Bootstrap, Missouri, and hypothesise how he might get involved in the hobby in years to come. Then we talk EXIT plans, and collectors who have walked away fr...

A fun All Hallows Eve chat this week about collecting and hunting strategically on e-Pack – and when your budget is set/finite, how to maximise what you pull. Very much a conversation starter – do reach out with any questions or experiences of how you’ve done this. Episode title could also have been “If you do spend, be strategic!”. Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss -...

We did a LIVE episode on our Instagram feed – and we talk about the rabbit holes one goes down as a character collector; cards are shown, stickers are glimpsed and Norrin has an awesome pot plant. You can see this episode in all its visual glory here on our Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/p/CVk6EdKgFbe/ - Please give us a follow! This episode is best viewed, however this audio is for all y’al...

We get kinda serious for a hot minute this week, and focus on collector experiences with overspending. There’s talk of how far is TOO far when it comes to pack prices for two thirds of the contents being digital, plus we talk FOMO, getting into debt and more. Huge thanks to all of the collectors who shared experiences and views with us for this episode, and we hope this episode can help if you’ve...

We all make mistakes, but when card makers make mistakes, they can become collectors’ items in their own right. We’re thrilled to speak this week to Tommy Henderson, who collects the cards nobody loves – the errors, the weird variants, the obscure and the true WTF cards. Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. Here's the link to Tommy’s...

We preview the new Marvel’s Black Widow set from Upper Deck, which will be exclusive to their e-Pack platform. We get enthused again by The Pernas and Ian opens Lego Minifigs. Please note – the plural of Lego is Lego; that is official. Message ends. Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. Artist Intro – HUGE thanks to TONY AND ELAINE PE...

So… what IS ‘vintage’ when it comes to Marvel cards? Thanks to some great thought starters from the community, we muse on this and come up with (what we think) is a decent yardstick for how to standardise ‘eras’ of Marvel cards! Clue; we don’t consider most 90’s to be ‘vintage’. Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. Artist Intro – HUG...

We get into Marvel Unbound , so far. This new-ish weekly release of Upper Deck’s new ‘living set’ format, only available on the e-Pack platform, with all new original artwork by Fred. Ian . Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. Here's the intel on Marvel Unbound; https://www.upperdeckepack.com/News/7672/Marvel_Unbound_is_Coming_Soon_t...

His exploits are legend. His commitment unwavering. And he speaks exclusively to Ian and Norrin – yes, folks – it’s Mr FUXM himself. Hear from Alan about the WHY behind his passionate pursuit of Fleer Ultra X-Men 2018 cards. We hear about Alan’s reasons for collecting the set, his learning curve with modern card collecting, and his goals. Nobody else we know keeps their cards in a concrete bunker,...

Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is going METAL – with the newly announced 2021 Skybox Marvel Metal Universe Spider-Man set, scheduled for release Dec 2021. We dig into what’s been released so far, what the set is and what’s gonna be a challenge to get! There’s also a giveaway of an X-Men Metal Universe box on our Instagram. It’s like Christmas up in here! Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any...

This week we welcome the man behind the curtain at Upper Deck’s e-Pack platform – Daniel Machado, Content Manager at Upper Deck. We hear about how Daniel came to work at Upper Deck, and about his journey through e-Pack including the V2.0 site upgrade in late 2020. Daniel then kindly tackles a whole bucketload of collector questions and suggestions for the site. We also say farewell to a beloved Up...

The phone lines melted, so we call on our friend Billy Vezzosi aka WATCH ME OPEN to help us handle the weight of collector questions. Hear about how Billy discovered the joy of opening, and rejoice as we deal with more weighty hobby questions. Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. Thanks Billy for joining us – you can find him on thes...

The phone lines are open, the questions submitted, and we dive into a new batch of collector questions. Should you grade a serial numbered card, how much importance does Disney ownership have for the future of Marvel cards, and what’s the deal with release dates anyway? As always, these are just our take on it folks, but it’s a shit ton of fun nevertheless. Game over man! Our ‘tasting notes’ – fea...

Printing Plates; best thing since sliced bread? Or over-hyped? Norrin inspires us to talk about our view on them, plus Ian tells of his adventures with Marvel Black Diamond on e-Pack. Also, what was the best thing BEFORE sliced bread? This stuff keeps us awake at night folks. Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. The large collection...

THE LORDS OF METAL COMMAND YOU TO SHRED…. packs of the new Upper Deck set X-Men Metal Universe ! Ian & Norrin convene to talk about the highs and lows of the Metal brands return. There’s listener feedback, there’s gushing thanks for gifts received, and we get silly in our heads! Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. Head to The Fa...

A change of pace this week with a hostful episode where we talk about lots of cards that are not Marvel – Ian has had an epiphany and gets emotional, Norrin flexes his Silver Age autos, and we have a fun relaxed episode beyond the final frontier! Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. =========== As always friends, YOU can help us by;...

Marvel Black Diamond! Genius product or warthog product? Our friend Brad Galli returns to guest review this super premium product from Upper Deck. Brad tells us how his hot streak played out, we discuss the set quality and give the set a rating (out of 10) - spoilers; Brad hails the set as ‘The best Marvel Cinematic Universe release that Upper Deck has ever put out – all killer and no filler!’ so...

Ash Gonzales comes to talk to us this week! Fresh to the Marvel cards scene after years of sketch cover and Disney work, Ash has proven to be the ‘hot new’ artist in the scene. Ash talks about ‘the grind’, his experiences in Marvel cards so far, and talks about his goals, process and influences! Also, Topps – get this man on a Star Wars set stat! Ash is a busy man and we thank you for taking time...

Triple digits! 101 takes us into the third year of shows with our guest – artist George Vega . George has been in cards for longer than many and is probably the best kept secret you’ll wish you had discovered many sets back. We hear of George’s journey into Marvel cards, how Warren “The Godfather” Martineck mentored him, and adventures at card shows. There’s talk of getting into a Puerto Rican vib...

Who better to celebrate our 100th episode with than Warren Martineck -  the Godfather of sketch cards himself! Warren gets up super early for a Sunday and we talk about his start in sketch cards, creativity over so many cards, and how many different IP’s he’s worked on. There’s also a quick game of ‘Riker; with or without beard?’ Warren also generously donated us an AMAZING sketch to giveaway...

Pre-centenary bantz this week with some Marvel Annual 19/20 review and 20/21 preview plus we have a little vent over e-Pack prices and Pack Wars win ratios. We also talk about the ‘value’ of what’s been in some of the recent sets, the design and Norrin goes to some card shows! Our ‘tasting notes’ – featuring any images and links we discuss - can be found via our Facebook page. The early info for M...

Bella Rachlin is a firm favourite amongst sketch collectors, and her AP’s are often lauded for their vibrancy and their delivery to the collector. We talk about her start in cards, her training, her inspirations and her process. We also dive into some pop culture talk, including cosplaying in Israel and in 1987, what movie would YOU choose? Thank you Bella for a fun conversation! Our ‘tasting note...