The Ungraded Truth 23: Non-Sport Card Mania

The Ungraded Truth Podcast Episode 23 broadcasts live from Collector Summit in Las Vegas, discussing the current state of collectibles across multiple markets. The episode opens with acknowledgment of a three-week hiatus and transitions into the main story: the explosion of non-sport trading card prices. Hosts Swaglehos, Manu, Ryan, and Rob discuss how every non-sport card category is experiencing price surges, from 1931 Mickey Mouse cards selling for $32,000 to vintage Marvel trading cards seeing unprecedented demand. They debate the terminology around 'rookie cards' for non-sports items, with Swaglehos arguing that criticizing the term is foolish.

The conversation explores why this mania is happening, with several theories presented: displaced Pokemon and sports card investors seeking new opportunities, low population counts making manipulation easier, and pure market enthusiasm. Rob describes it as a 'land grab' where collectors rapidly buy up overlooked cards before prices spike further. The hosts discuss specific cards like the 1992 Marvel Masterpieces Spider-Man base card ($3,795 for a PSA 10) and the 1993 Marvel Universe Venom hologram ($2,550 for a PSA 9), noting that sports card collectors entering the market aren't intimidated by population counts that would concern Marvel-only collectors.

The episode then shifts to personal collecting strategies for the next 3-4 months. Manu discusses his multi-vertical approach: acquiring animation cels (particularly Spidey/Venom pieces), collecting action figure artwork, and strategic card purchases when opportunities arise. Ryan plans a major Heritage Auctions consignment to free up capital for family goals while focusing on finding raw books to grade, particularly bronze and copper age books that are stable and liquid. Rob explains his strategy of identifying undervalued categories (vintage Magic, key comics) and leveraging profits from hot markets (Pokemon, sports cards) to acquire them at seemingly reasonable prices before movies drive further appreciation.

Swaglehos outlines his focus on liquid, mainstream books (Hulk 181, Giant-Size X-Men 1) expecting Avengers Doomsday to drive casual collector interest, plus his deep dive into Japanese Famicom games and video game original art. The hosts discuss how these strategies vary based on market conditions and personal preferences, with Ryan emphasizing value buying and stability over speculation.

The discussion of Beckett's website outage and PSA's reopening of standard-tier grading follows, with speculation about whether Beckett experienced a technical issue, malware attack, or deliberate downtime coordination with PSA's launch. The hosts analyze the $2.1 million Cooper Flag rookie patch card auction (plus 20% buyer's premium making it $2.5+ million) and contrast this with comics' inability to achieve comparable valuations, discussing why athletes have more promotional power than actors in driving card prices.

The episode covers Collector Summit itself, including the new Cell grading/authentication service for animation cels and original art, with debate about whether grading is necessary or if authentication is the real value add. The hosts examine the Lucas Museum opening in LA, showcasing George Lucas's personal collection of fantasy and comic book original art worth millions, discussing whether his purchasing power inflates OA prices or legitimizes the market.

Video game sales are discussed, particularly the $225,000 Super Mario 64 sale (down from its prior $1.5M record) and Final Fantasy 7 sealed games reaching $185,000. The hosts note the video game market is healthy and doing well despite the decline from previous highs. Multiple celebrity appearances at the show are mentioned, including Russian Max buying a 1991 Marvel Series 2 rookie card.

The Heritage Auctions A-1570 auction is previewed, featuring multiple scarce keys like Fantastic Comics 3 and Suspense Comics 3 without the million-dollar books, making it a collector-focused rather than investor-focused sale. The Amazing Fantasy 15 in that auction is already at $94,550 with 11 days remaining.

The episode concludes with Manu's Minute featuring a 1966 Batman black bat printing proof (pre-production material before the card sheet was printed), currently at $2,600 after buyer's premium with auction days remaining. Manu discusses the value of production materials and asks whether the market will recognize their importance as enthusiasm for first appearance cards grows. The hosts debate the potential value, with comparisons to uncut sheets and recognition that this represents a niche within collectors interested in production history.