Jason Kelce's $30k Introduction to Cards
This lengthy Monday sports card podcast episode covers Jason Kelce's $35,000 SP Authentic football box break with significant misinformation about card values, discusses the most physically demanding sports according to ESPN rankings, explores undervalued SGC graded cards, and features extensive voicemail segments covering topics from WNBA cards to baseball prospects to trivia games.
Summary
The episode opens with sponsors eBay Live and Hilton before diving into Jason Kelce's recent box break of 2000 SP Authentic Football, where he spent approximately $35,000 on nine boxes. The hosts note Kelce's lack of knowledge about the set name and discuss the dramatic misinformation presented during his break, particularly regarding Tom Brady rookie card values. Kenneth Golden incorrectly stated pack-pulled autographed Brady rookies exist in the set and vastly underestimated card values, claiming a PSA 10 sells for only $20,000 when recent sales show $60,000-$91,000 depending on timing. The hosts express frustration with viral misinformation affecting market perception.
The show features a segment on ESPN's rankings of most physically demanding sports, ranking boxing first, ice hockey second, and football third, with basketball fourth and wrestling fifth. The hosts debate whether basketball or football is more demanding, with soccer appearing at number ten. Discussion shifts to card pricing disparities, specifically highlighting how SGC-graded cards currently trade at significant discounts compared to PSA equivalents despite similar conditioning, with examples showing SGC 9.5s selling for roughly half of PSA 9 prices.
A substantial portion covers the Tom Brady market, noting that while overall Brady card values remain elevated, specific vintage cards have experienced dramatic drops. The hosts advocate for picking specific spots in the market rather than blanket buying, particularly in SGC and Beckett-graded older cards which represent current collector value opportunities. They discuss the merits of buying raw or lower-grade vintage cards for personal collections versus investment purposes.
The Jacob Mizorowski baseball prospect segment reveals his extraordinary 2024 season statistics: 743 fastballs over 101 mph versus only 653 thrown by all MLB starters from 2008-2026. His 2022 Bowman Draft first auto experienced a 60x price increase in less than four years, from $31 to $1,850. The hosts discuss how Mizorowski deserves more media attention given his transcendent performance with the Braves, comparing him favorably to Paul Skenes regarding talent but noting Mizorowski's team playoff success as a differentiating factor.
Voicemail segments occupy the final two hours, covering diverse topics including Topps shipping quality issues for high-end cards, the antitrust lawsuit dismissals against Fanatics/Topps, the mysterious Ronnie Lott Tecmo card offering Topps fan cash for retrieval, Coinbase entering the Pokemon repack market, a Beckett security breach investigation, and multiple calls about baseball and football prospects. Notable voicemails include one criticizing Jesse's dismissive attitude about tariff costs, a detailed defense of WNBA card investments based on player attractiveness, and a fifth-grade teacher offering trivia game services for future episodes. The Mount Rushmore voicemail ranking includes Larry (with his medical injury), Beefcake, Hans, and Franco as top contenders.
About this episode
Mike has company today, as Jesse is back off the IL (Gout). We get into Jason Kelce's $30k hobby adventure and how he was completely misled about the boxes he bought. Mike has a bone to pick with the shipping from Fanatics Instant Rips. Plus, how much would you need to give up a misprinted 1-of-1 card? Plus, we hit voicemails and have a new member of the SCN Mt. Rushmore. 0:00- Intro 9:15 - SGC 9.5 vs. PSA 9 market price differences 13:55 - Buying SGC or BGS 9s is a nice little hack for PC cards 15:00 - Jason Kelce spends $35,000 to chase Brady rookie cards 29:30 - Shipping for the Fanatics Instant Rips has been a disaster. Shipping has to be secure. 39:00 - Topps offers $400 fancash for a 1/1 Ronnie Lott Tecmo Bowl; Gio says to turn it down and ask for $5k 1:10:25 - 2000s eTopps Cards have gone up massively 1:18:00 - Checking in with a 5th grade teacher about what kids are collecting 1:33:30 - WNBA Investing Update VOICEMAIL MT RUSHMORE: Larry Beefcake Hans Gruber Franco, Not Wander Follow Sports Cards Nonsense: https://www.tiktok.com/@sportscardsnonsense https://www.instagram.com/sports_cards_nonsense/ https://x.com/SCN_Pod https://www.facebook.com/groups/sportscardsnonsense https://collectibleslife.beehiiv.com/subscribe https://scnchallenge.com/ https://linktr.ee/SportsCardsNonsense?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=5764ed98-4893-4eae-bf91-0bd89949ed99 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Key Insights
- Jason Kelce's box break presentation contained egregious misinformation about card values, with Kenneth Golden claiming a PSA 10 Brady rookie sells for $20,000 when actual recent sales range from $60,000-$91,000, demonstrating how viral content spreads market inaccuracies.
- ESPN's comprehensive ranking of physically demanding sports places boxing first, followed by ice hockey, football, basketball, and wrestling, with soccer ranking tenth despite being perceived as highly demanding.
- SGC-graded vintage cards currently trade at significant discounts compared to PSA equivalents of similar condition—SGC 9.5s selling for approximately 50% of PSA 9 prices—presenting potential opportunities for collectors seeking discounted condition-verified older cards.
- The Tom Brady vintage market shows selective pricing patterns where some cards have dropped dramatically while others maintain stability, requiring targeted selection rather than blanket market buying.
- Jacob Mizorowski threw 743 fastballs over 101 mph in a single 2024 season, exceeding the total of all MLB starters combined from 2008-2026, making him a statistically transcendent prospect deserving greater media coverage.
- Mizorowski's 2022 Bowman Draft first auto increased from $31 in December 2022 to $1,850 by September 2024, representing a 60x return in less than four years driven by exceptional on-field performance.
- Topps/Fanatics shipped high-value cards without proper protection—a Cooper Flagg rookie received in a penny sleeve and folder rather than appropriate slabs—indicating training gaps between card company employees and hobby standards.
- The antitrust lawsuits against Fanatics/Topps were dismissed before discovery because plaintiffs relied on Reddit and YouTube anecdotal experiences rather than market-wide data, failing to demonstrate clear market injury.
- WNBA card investments show strong performance specifically in players perceived as attractive (Cameron Brink, Haley Van Lipp, Sophie Cunningham) despite zero All-Star appearances or awards, suggesting aesthetics drive retail value independent of on-court performance.
- Low-end vintage card flipping through shows generates steady profit opportunities when purchased cheaply and sold at fair markups, with the advantage that lower financial investment reduces risk compared to high-end speculation.
- The hosts stopped promoting specific 'Straight Cash Homies' card recommendations after noticing the practice appeared to inflate prices for cards they mentioned, creating perception of market manipulation.
- A PSA 10 non-autographed 2000 SP Authentic Tom Brady rookie card has varied between $91,000 (July 2024) and $60,000 (June 2023), showing significant volatility tied to broader market conditions and grading service perception shifts.
Topics
Transcript
Before we start, a quick word from our sponsor, eBay Live. If you've never checked it out, eBay Live is eBay's live shopping experience built for collectors. It's where you find rare, exclusive, and hard-to-find items. Through live auctions and special drops, you can only get there. What makes it different is the energy in the community. Real sellers, engaging hosts like SportsCardsNonsense, and streamers that make it fun and interactive. It's all backed by eBay's protection and authenticity guarantees, so you can shop with confidence. Just download the eBay app and hit the eBay live button under the search bar and jump in. Now back to your show. College football is back. So Hilton called to me, the superstition…
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