The Shallow End

Until two days ago, Mark Sanchez ( @mjs_sportscards on IG) had never lived his hobby life as a dealer. Now, with his first card show behind him, Mark reflects on the experience. How did he prepare? How did it go? And what inspired him to do it in the first place? The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz ( @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards )

Kevin ( @Colorado. Collector on Instagram) started back in the hobby by trying to collect his favorite Colorado Rockies. Several years later, he's built a PC that is both deeply personal and full of the types of cards that many collectors can only dream of. The Shallow End is hosted by Dave Schwartz. Follow him on IG at @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards .

You watch them on the field. You track their cards across eBay and MySlabs. And you daydream about adding them to your collection – for better or worse. They're the players who cause FOMO: the fear of missing out.

Some of us in the sports-card hobby spend more time on eBay than we do with our families. But it's important to remember that eBay doesn't exist to give us a place to hang out. It exists to separate us from our money.

Lots of us have done it. We don't want a card, but we buy it. Why? To get our card fix? For the rush? To keep our PC's from getting stale? Whatever the reason, it's a crucial issue within the sports-card hobby: the decision to buy when we shouldn't be buying. In this episode, Mike ( @thegolfcardcollector ) and Dave ( @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards ) put themselves under the microscope to b...

Dave ( @Iowa_Dave_Sportscards on IG) sent cards off to grade. Now his card funds are tied up for the next 40-60 business days. Which means that for the next couple of months the collecting part of his collection is kind of … stuck. In this episode, we talk about what it means to be standing still in the sports-card space.

This is an episode by baseball nerds, for baseball nerds. David Brown, Iowa Dave's friend and former colleague, recently cast his first-ever ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame. They talk player-by-player through David's ballot, his research process, and how much personal views played into his decision making. At the end, they play a sports-cards trivia game to help bring David up to spee...

Bob Hosta ( @bobhostacollection on IG) wasn't satisfied with his collection, so he created a system to help him upgrade into a PC that he today describes as being so much better that he sometimes forgets they're his cards. This is the story of a collector who created a new ecosystem for himself because the old one wasn't as rewarding as it should have been. Thanks for listening. The Sh...

Would you trade 24 cards for one? Most of us in the hobby would – and have. In this episode, Dave talks about some recent moves he needed to make in order to pick up a new card.

Like any year, 2023 has seen highs and lows. Successes, failures, triumphs, challenges -- all can be used as lessons to make 2024 an even better year in the hobby.

This is an episode about process, about asking ourselves questions that will keep us focused. In this episode, Dave shares the six questions he tries to ask himself before each card acquisition.

Somewhere between prospecting and trying to get in on a Hall of Famer before they retire lies "The Lull." It's the forgettable part of a player's career, and if you're collecting on a budget, it might the opportunity we need to get the cards we want.

Derek, aka @RayLankfordCollection on IG, has been around the hobby for decades and has access to some of the best cards of legendary players. Yet his greatest satisfaction comes in supercollecting Ray Lankford, a very good but from far from iconic figure in MLB history. Derek is proof that when it comes to collecting, true value comes from emotional connection, not monetary value.

Where Dave lives, a card show is a special occasion. They don't happen all that often, but that doesn't mean they're not plagued with the same issues as card shows across the country. At least the dollar boxes were good.

(Originally aired 11.17.2023) Bad habits never die. They come, they go, but they're never truly gone. In this episode, Dave covers a recent misstep in the hobby.

(Originally aired 11.10.2023) As sports fans we are witnesses to the beginning of an incredible journey: the start of Victor Wembanyama's career. This might be one of the few times when collecting cards makes the situation less fun, not more. In this episode, Dave wonders whether Wembanyama is better enjoyed on our screens than in our collections.

(Originally aired 11.3.2023) Paul Hickey has a simple question: Why? The person behind @sportscardstrategy and NoOffSeason.com visits with Dave to discuss why it's important to investigate the personal motives behind our collecting. Paul is a proud sports-card investing strategist who's built his business on transparency. What you see is what you get. No tricks, no misdirection, just strai...

(Originally aired 10.27.2023) It's an accepted fact since the dawn of time that 1980s baseball cards are the most fun baseball cards—even if they're clearly not the most financially valuable. Dan and Dave talk '80s cards, '80s baseball, and share five of their favorites.

(Originally aired 10.20.2023) Collecting cards can mean so much more than their financial worth or how pretty they look when displayed. They can connect us with past generations. In this episode, Dave and Rob Girard explore the deeper potential of sports cards.

(Originally aired 10.13.2023) We're trained over time in the sports-card hobby who we should and should not trust. But this week, Dave had an experience that could have gone horribly wrong instead turn out perfect. Let's celebrate.

(Originally aired 10.6.2023) Dave has one grail card: the 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson. But it's so far out of reach that the only way to get close would be to sell or trade everything he owns. Should he do it?

(Originally aired 9.29.2023) Last month, Dave listened to nearly 60 sports-card podcasts in one week. After that, he needed a break. In this episode, he talks about what he learned about the hobby, content producers, and his own place in the collecting space.

(Originally aired 9.15.2023) There comes a point in everyone's PC when the status quo just isn't good enough. We want more. We want different. We need something new. In this episode, Brandon talks about his transformation.

(Originally aired 9.8.2023) It all started with a question on "The Crossover" posed by @packnicholson, and it ended with a new phrase coined by Josh (aka @cardboard_chronicles): Megabid. As we near the one-year anniversary of Pack's question, we learn more about this common hobby practice from @kevin.m.cormier, @signed1933goudey, @drakes_pc, and @jlee_sportscardslive).

(Originally aired 9.1.2023) Steve (aka @domer_cards on IG) visits to discuss his growing Notre Dame PC — a collection rooted in his rich history with the Fighting Irish.