The Mount Rushmore of Non-Sports
A lengthy podcast episode featuring discussion of non-sports card collecting, sports card market analysis, and investment strategies. The hosts, joined by guest Funkle who is a successful Disney card investor, debate the merits of various collectible markets and share personal investment experiences and predictions.
Summary
The episode opens with sponsor messages for eBay Live and a movie trailer before diving into the main show. The hosts attempt to create a Mount Rushmore of non-sports Disney characters, landing on Mickey Mouse, Elsa, Minnie Mouse, and Woody. Funkle, a businessman who entered the card hobby four years ago specifically for investment purposes, shares his strategy of identifying underserved markets. He recognized Disney cards as an opportunity in early 2023 when the product launched, buying and grading approximately 8,000-10,000 Disney cards. He employed a strategy of buying raw cards and grading them to unlock value, which has proven highly profitable.
The discussion expands to broader market analysis. Mike and Jesse debate whether the current sports card market is due for a correction, with Mike expressing concerns about high-profile purchases like Cooper Flagg's $8 million card and the sustainability of such valuations. They agree that investing in established "goats" (greatest of all time) is safer long-term than speculative prospects. Funkle articulates an investment philosophy: buy when players are eliminated from playoff contention or injured, wait two weeks when prices bottom out, then sell when they announce they're in "the best shape of their lives." For football specifically, he emphasizes only buying goats like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen for long-term holds.
The conversation covers quarterback performance analysis, particularly criticism of Drake May's play for the Patriots and comparison to other draft prospects like Bo Nix, Jaden Daniels, and Caleb Williams. They discuss PSA grading turnaround times and a concerning report of grading errors including tape on card backs and cards inserted upside-down. Mike shares details of selling a Batman GMT Rolex watch and trading it for sports and non-sports cards, netting approximately $19,500 in value.
A significant portion addresses the difference between sports and non-sports card collecting, with Mike cautioning against the hype cycles he's observed in non-sport markets driven by social media influencers. He expresses concern about products like Cooper Flagg rookies and modern Pokemon reprints being driven by celebrity endorsements rather than genuine scarcity value. Funkle counters that 2023-2024 Disney sets remain recession-resistant due to low print runs and strong collector bases.
The show includes multiple voicemail segments with callers asking about various topics including steroid usage in baseball and its effect on card values, pitcher quality control across sports products, basketball card trends, and whether grizzly bears or silverback gorillas would win in a fight. The hosts conduct giveaways promising three free cards to YouTube commenters who write "hot dog" and end with trivia questions submitted by listeners, including questions about card sales trends and NFL quarterback statistics.
About this episode
Mike and Jesse are joined by Funcle in the studio today (and Papa Gio, kind of) to look back at most of Week 3 in the NFL. Why it might be too late to sell some of your non-rookies for football. Funcle's guide to buying and grading in the current market. The Cooper Flagg Debut Patch wrapped up at auction, and Mike thinks people have too much money. Plus, are cards now status symbols? Wrapping up with the Mt. Rushmore of non-sports cards. 0:00 - Intro and Funcle in studio 12:30 - NFL Buy/Sell after Week 3 14:30 - Better to sell football before the season starts, as guys will sell more in preseason than once the season starts 17:25 - What is Funcle buying to grade these days? 29:15 - Differences between the major sports as investment pieces 37:35 - The Cooper Flagg Debut Patch Auto sold for $8M, but how outrageous is that sale? 42:00 - Are cards turning into status symbols? 47:15 - Why aren’t Bowman Chrome U more popular for football and basketball like Bowman prospects for baseball? 1:05:00 - Tips for vending at a card show 1:13:40 - Are PED suspensions a death sentence for hobby value? 1:36:00 - Who is the most underrated athlete? 1:39:45 - Mount Rushmore for Non-Sports Voicemail Mt. Rushmore: Larry Beefcake Hans Gruber Caleb 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<sid=5764ed98-4893-4eae-bf91-0bd89949ed99 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Key Insights
- Funkle identified Disney cards as an underserved market in early 2023, buying 8,000-10,000 cards to grade, which has appreciated significantly since initial purchases
- The investment strategy of buying cards when players are eliminated from playoffs or injured, waiting two weeks for bottom pricing, then selling when players announce they're in peak condition is described as a reliable method for generating returns
- Mike expresses skepticism about the $8 million Cooper Flagg rookie card sale, noting that no non-LeBron, Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant card has ever sold for more, and only 70 games of performance data exists
- Funkle argues that 2023-2024 Disney sets are recession-resistant due to low print runs (2,500 cases) and strong collector bases that hold rather than sell during market downturns
- Mike believes the overall card market is due for a correction, predicting that lower-rarity cards will be sold first during downturns before high-end goats are ever liquidated
- The hosts distinguish between collecting for passion (PC collections) and buying for investment, arguing that investors should be explicit about their strategy and timeline when purchasing cards
- Mike criticizes how social media influencers driving hype in non-sport markets may create unsustainable bubbles, drawing parallels to the 2021-2022 Pokemon speculation boom
- Funkle claims that first appearance and rookie cards of fictional characters represent an untapped investment market similar to how sports rookie cards function
- The discussion reveals that baseball prospect cards in minor league systems (single-A, double-A) outperform college football cards despite college football having more passionate fan bases
- Mike sold a Batman GMT Rolex watch for $17,500 and received back approximately $13,500 in cash plus $6,000+ in graded sports and non-sports cards, demonstrating portfolio diversification strategy
- PSA is reported to have quality control issues including tape visible on card backs and cards inserted upside-down in recent submissions, raising concerns about consistency
- Funkle has a personal collection of approximately 700 PC (player collection) cards despite entering the hobby primarily as a business investment, indicating emotional attachment develops over time
Topics
Transcript
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