The Talking Shop Podcast

The countdown to The National Sports Collectors Convention is officially on! In Episode 201 of Talking Shop, Josh and Michael share everything they've learned from attending the biggest sports card show in the world—from budgeting and buying strategy to grading decisions and navigating the massive show floor. We also discuss whether PSA's grading slowdown could impact the raw card market,...

om Brady finally explains why his autograph has changed over the years... and collectors may look at his signatures differently after hearing it. Then we dive into what might be Panini's biggest hobby win in years. With the FIFA World Cup taking over the United States, 2026 Panini Prizm FIFA World Cup has arrived at exactly the right time, and the product absolutely delivers. We also discuss:...

Victor Wembanyama didn't make the Finals. Again. So what does that mean for basketball cards? This week on Talking Shop, Josh and Michael discuss the health of the basketball card market, whether Wemby can truly become the face of the hobby, and who could be next if collectors start looking elsewhere. Plus:🏈 Brady & Gronk's game-used Super Bowl touchdown football heads to auction🇺🇸 On...

Has grading become the hobby? And which basketball company actually owns the future: Topps or Panini? PSA says it has a 10 million card backlog and is suspending several submission levels. At the same time, a Victor Wembanyama Black Prizm 1/1 sells for $5.11 million, a LeBron James Topps Chrome Superfractor Auto sells for $1.26 million, and the hobby's most famous missing redemption card final...

Did Aaron Judge just enter all-time territory? And are collectors too early… or already too late on Wembanyama? Aaron Judge's 2013 Bowman Chrome Superfractor resurfaced after 13 years and sold for nearly $840,000. That sparks a bigger question: where does Judge actually rank among Yankee legends and baseball's all-time greats? Then the guys dive into Victor Wembanyama's latest hobby he...

Would you rather own a $700K Luke Skywalker card or modern sports grails? Plus: wrestling fork relics, Toy Story autos, and GameStop trying to buy eBay. The hobby officially got weird this week. We debate whether a PSA 10 1977 Luke Skywalker card selling for nearly $700,000 says more about nostalgia than modern sports cards, react to an AEW match-used fork relic that somehow became real, and try t...

This episode starts with the numbers — and they don’t tell a clean story. The guys dig into Cooper vs. Kon Knueppel, what really matters for ROY, and why the hobby may have already crowned its winner regardless of the debate. Then it’s a deep dive into Topps Royalty WWE , where a 1/1 John Cena match-used patch auto sparks a bigger question: are we chasing greatness… or just the same names over and...

Two Topps products. Two completely different bets. This week, we break down Chrome Football vs Bowman Basketball, how collectors actually behave, and whether rarity is starting to slip in the hobby. Topps Chrome Football breakdown Bowman Basketball prospect debate Gold Logoman controversy Pokémon display Links: https://www.topps.com/pages/topps-chrome-football https://www.topps.com/pages/bowman-ba...

Are collectors gaining clarity—or losing control? What happens when everything starts to “make sense”?Topps got on stage and laid out the future of the hobby. Not just products — the system. Parallels are getting standardized. Products are getting cleaner. Fewer surprises. More structure. On paper, it all makes sense. But that’s kind of the question…If everything starts to make sense — does the ho...

More stars… less value? Does grading even matter anymore? The hobby says one thing — but does another. This week, Deadpool crashes the hobby, Leaf drops chaos in a box, and two major stories challenge how collectors think about value, grading, and what actually matters. Deadpool cards = fun or future value? Leaf Glory = chaos or the future? Hall of Fame “Who’s on the Bus”PSA vs BGS debateOhtani vs...

Opening Day is here… but the hobby isn’t waiting. Players are already priced like they’ve had great seasons. Prospects are moving before they’ve proven anything. And collectors are being pushed to make decisions early. In this episode, we break down what’s actually happening:Why Topps Heritage is hiding value that most collectors never even noticeThe new Topps Chrome Deadpool “Reflections” inserts...

Jack Hughes up 2,617% — sustainable surge or sugar high? What actually defines a rookie card? Team USA wins gold and the hobby explodes. Jack Hughes autos jump 2,617% in one month — but is this real market movement or emotional buying? CHECK OUT THIS EPISODE'S SPONSOR:https://www.ebay.com/str/jasonstrashandtreasures?_trksid=p4624852.m570.l113337We debate Olympic spikes, spring training hype, M...

Is breaking helping the hobby or hurting it? And what do you do after a monster pull? Breaking cards dominates the modern hobby — but is it good for collectors, bad for the market, or something uglier? Before the episode even begins, the guys debate the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of breaking cards. Then the show dives into a packed week in the hobby:• World Baseball Classic cards already hitting...

Series 1 vs Stadium Club — and are we in the golden age of wrestling cards? Topps Series 1 is still hot — but the odds tell a different story. We break down what you’re really getting in Series 1 and Stadium Club, then shift to wrestling with a historic dual auto and a full 90s autograph set. This episode: - Topps Series 1 - 2025 Stadium Club explained - Blind ranking why people grade - Cena &...

Episode 187 opens with Super Bowl nostalgia as the guys revisit Seahawks–Patriots and predict card value swings. A snow-hit Carolina Card Show and a tense Babe Ruth ball update set the tone early. New in the shop features the final licensed Panini Prizm Football and Topps Series 1 Baseball — Opening Day for the hobby . Hobby News tackles Bowman timing, Series 1 reactions, and PSA delays. Seahawks...

Is nostalgia overpriced? Do inserts matter more than players? And can podcasts move markets? Episode 186 kicks off with wrestling nostalgia and a $28,000 WrestleMania boot debate before rolling out our new Hobby 101 blind ranking segment. Then we dive into insert overload in Topps Series 1, Twilight case hits in Midnight Basketball, a controversial $75K Dallas Card Show trade, a Tiger Woods birthd...

The guys have a plethora of topics to talk about, including hobby chaos, big grading news, and gold-plated cards everywhere. After three weeks away, the guys break down a Pokémon robbery gone wrong, Upper Deck’s Wizarding World play, Shohei Ohtani’s latest monster sale, and John Cena showing up again. Plus: Bowman Draft’s quiet release, Marvel and Pixar heaters, premium Topps fatigue, a Brady grad...

Did PSA really bump 9s to 10s after buying them back? And is Ohtani breaking the hobby again? PSA is in the hot seat after collectors uncover a pattern of PSA 9s turning into PSA 10s only after PSA buys the slabs back. We break down the evidence, Nat Turner’s response, and what this means for grading trust. Plus — a $315K One Piece card, Pete Alonso to the Orioles, minis in Chrome, Ohtani’s record...

The Talking Shop Podcast — because every card has a story. Episode 182 brings heat from every angle: Darth Vader claiming a $95M jackpot, a CGC 9.0 Superman #1 found in an attic, a PSA 10 Gengar traded for $30K at GameStop, Chrome NBA’s wild Dutch Auction sellout, Emma Roberts creating a bounty card, Messi Kaboom fireworks, SGC’s worrying trend, and a Mahomes Gold Vinyl finally pulled after eight...

A huge week in the hobby: eBay drops its new in-app Price Guide, Prizm Football releases its final licensed NFL set ever, and non-sport continues to explode with Pixar, Marvel, and Elsa autos outpacing top prospects. Plus: a viral baseball debate, a wedding-day grail card, and a collector who had Barry Sanders sign a 1997 PMG Red. The Talking Shop Podcast — because every card has a story. Topics:...

Is Snype the next Whatnot? And can Wild Card actually take down Panini? Snype is officially live — and Wild Card just filed an antitrust lawsuit against Panini. The guys break down what both moves mean for the hobby. Plus, Cody Rhodes’ toy obsession, PSA ends Funko POP grading, a record-breaking $268K Luke Skywalker sale, and the missing Yamamoto grail card. In this episode: Snype platform launche...

Chrome NBA is officially back — and MJ’s coating debate is suddenly relevant again. Topps Chrome NBA returns after 16 years and the hobby is buzzing. Plus, a new MJ Finest sale has reignited the great coating debate. We break down Murakami’s posting, a 1,000-pack Topps giveaway, Debut Patch previews, Trout’s dip, and Skenes’ surge — plus the wildest Opening Rip we’ve had in months. Because every c...

 Shohei keeps the spotlight — and Topps 2025 Basketball lands in shops. The World Series is set and the hobby’s heating up. This week we break down the FBI’s NBA player arrests, new WNBA Downtowns , Randy Johnson’s autograph rule, Shohei Ohtani’s postseason and shoe-in-a-card, plus Topps’ golden return to NBA cards. Story Links: NBA Players: https://www.facebook.com/reel/4193056894343969 WNBA Down...

LeBron opens Topps NBA packs — can Panini’s Manga inserts keep up? Episode 176 dives into the first licensed NBA showdown in 15 years — Topps vs Panini. LeBron opens Topps packs for the first time in over a decade, while Panini’s Prizm Black Manga inserts set social media on fire. We break down what this means for collectors, plus the latest in hobby news from debut patches to Ohtani’s diamond-stu...

Wemby’s first Spurs auto, a $1M bounty chase, and Disney’s Mint debut. A wild week in the hobby — from Giannis’ $1,000,000 bounty for the LeBron-Curry-KD Triple Auto, to Black Label sales and Russell Wilson’s crash, to Topps’ new “Three Kings” program and Disney’s first Mint Collection. We finish strong with the comeback we’ve all been waiting for: Topps Basketball is officially back. In this epis...