Max @PutnamCards is joined by Paul from @CardChannel to explore the math and science behind estimating sports card print runs.

Paul explains the methodology he uses to estimate the supply of modern sports cards, why understanding print runs can completely change the way collectors think about rarity, and how this data can help collectors make more informed buying decisions.

The conversation also dives into Paul's journey building Card Channel, the most surprising print run discoveries he's uncovered in the basketball card market, and why his research has influenced the cards he collects today. Paul shares several Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal cards from his personal collection and explains why he likes them.

Lastly, Paul announces the upcoming Card Channel analytics platform, shares what collectors can expect from the new tool, and explains how you can be one of the first 50 people to receive early access.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:50 How Did Card Channel Start?
05:45 The Math Behind Finding Print Runs
13:05 Modern Case Hits Perspective
18:01 Most Interesting Discoveries
21:31 New Card Channel Platform
26:40 How To Get First Access
32:45 What Does Card Channel Collect?
39:15 Weekly Alley-Oop

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In this episode, Max @PutnamCards is joined by Brent Weyer @DeepValueInvestor to break down the most overvalued and undervalued areas of the basketball card market today. They explore the market forces and collector psychology that drive prices, creating both opportunities and risks for collectors.

The conversation dives into the concept of front-loaded risk and why so many of the hobby's most hyped players face incredibly high expectations that are difficult to live up to. They also discuss how narratives, recency bias, fear of missing out, and investor behavior can lead to mispriced cards—and how collectors can recognize those situations before the market catches on.

Along the way, Max and Brent touch on a handful of the worst public sales from 2026 to illustrate these ideas in action before wrapping up the episode by sharing some of their favorite recent pickups and the thinking behind each one.

Chapters:

00:00 Episode Introduction

02:59 Most Overvalued

12:14 Most Undervalued
29:31 Worst Buys of 2026 So Far
36:50 Favorite Recent Pickups

Leave a rating if you enjoyed listening and thanks for tuning in!

Selling cards? Sign up with The Wharf Sports Cards and use promo code HOOPS95 to get 95% of the final sale price on any cards submitted in your first consignment here: https://wharfsportscards.com/r/HOOPS95

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Max @PutnamCards takes a full deep dive into every 2008-09 basketball card release from Topps and Upper Deck, breaking down the underrated sets, hidden gems, and insane grails.

The 2008-09 season is especially significant in hobby history. It’s the rookie year of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, and it also serves as the final year before Panini took over the exclusive NBA trading card license, making it a true end of an era for Topps and Upper Deck basketball releases.

Across the episode, Max highlights the best cards, most important parallels, and under-the-radar finds from each product, with a heavy focus on some of the biggest names in the hobby, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan.

Some of the key products covered include Topps Chrome, Upper Deck Exquisite, and Bowman Basketball.

Chapters:

00:00 Episode Introduction

05:28 Breakdown of 2008-09 Releases

37:47 Weekly Alley-Oop

Leave a rating if you enjoyed listening and thanks for tuning in!

Selling cards? Sign up with The Wharf Sports Cards and use promo code HOOPS95 to get 95% of the final sale price on any cards submitted in your first consignment here: https://wharfsportscards.com/r/HOOPS95

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors

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Max @PutnamCards shares three basketball card market hot takes post-NBA Finals, including what the New York Knicks’ championship means for Jalen Brunson cards, whether the Knicks winning is actually good for the hobby, and how the NBA’s era of parity is impacting basketball card collecting and long-term market growth.

He also discusses upcoming 2025-26 Topps basketball releases, specifically the new Minions SSP cards coming to Topps Chrome Update this summer.

Chapters:

00:00 Episode Introduction

03:44 Hot Take 1

08:53 Hot Take 2

15:52 Hot Take 3

22:11 Weekly Alley-Oop: NBA Finals or Championship Cards

Leave a rating if you enjoyed watching and thanks for tuning in!

Selling cards? Sign up with The Wharf Sports Cards and use promo code HOOPS95 to get 95% of the final sale price on any cards submitted in your first consignment here: https://wharfsportscards.com/r/HOOPS95

Social links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors

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Max @PutnamCards explores how the next generation of basketball card collectors—those growing up during the later years of Panini and the beginning of the Fanatics era—could shape the future of the hobby.

Will players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry become even more desirable as today’s young collectors enter their peak earning years? Will Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant remain hobby icons?

He also discusses the different eras of basketball cards, what card categories could become future grails, and why modern concepts like Kabooms, case-hit inserts, cartoon-inspired cards, and game-dated memorabilia cards may have a bright future ahead.

Chapters:
00:00 Episode Introduction
00:50 NBA Finals Talk
03:00 The Dirk Nowitzki Story
05:40 Different Generations of Basketball Cards
09:02 Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant
10:28 Collecting in the Early Panini Era
14:53 What Do I Want to Collect the Most?
16:50 ‘90s Cards
19:36 Early Panini & Fanatics Era Grails
20:41 Game-Dated Memorabilia Cards
22:09 Most Popular Recent Players
25:52 Who’s Next Up?
27:52 Weekly Alley-Oop: Nostalgia

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Max @PutnamCards breaks down three big reasons why he's becoming increasingly cautious in the basketball card market right now—and how he's approaching collecting in today's rapidly rising sports card market.

He discusses the market's explosive growth, the PSA Value Service pause and its potential ripple effects, as well as some notable trends and behaviors he's observed at recent card shows.

He also discusses the NBA Playoffs, Victor Wembanyama cards, Topps case hits, and introduces his new $1,000 LeBron James PC Challenge.

Chapters

00:00 Episode Introduction
01:00 NBA Finals Talk
01:54 What Does Being Cautious Mean?
03:24 The Sports Card Market is Going Parabolic
08:35 Crazy Recent Sales

11:16 PSA Value Tier Pause

16:15 Card Show Behavior
18:43 The $1,000 LeBron PC Challenge
22:34 Weekly Alley-Oop

Leave a rating if you enjoyed listening — and thanks for tuning in!

Social links
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
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Max @PutnamCards is joined by Brett McGrath @StackingSlabs to answer one of the biggest questions in the hobby: what actually drives value in sports card collecting? What do we value most? Is it rarity? Player greatness? Brand power? Nostalgia? Status? Investment Potential?
We break down the record-setting $5.11M sale of Victor Wembanyama’s 2023-24 Panini Prizm Black 1/1 PSA 10 and discuss what this historic sale says about the modern sports card market and the Panini Prizm era.
We also discuss the current state of 1/1s, finding opportunities as collectors, and Brett’s Indiana Pacers collection and collecting philosophy.
Chapters

00:00 Episode Introduction
03:46 $5.11M Wemby Prizm Sale Analysis
15:00 NBA Talk (Knicks, Pacers, Zubac Trade)
22:03 What Do We Value Most in Sports Cards?
40:12 Rapid Fire Questions

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Social links
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
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Max @PutnamCards breaks down 5 areas of the hobby that present interesting opportunities for collectors right now — spanning multiple eras of basketball cards, from ‘90s inserts to the newest 2025-26 Topps releases.
We’re talking legendary players, overlooked cards, shifting market trends, and a few things that could surprise a lot of collectors. Featuring cards of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Stephen Curry — some of the greatest NBA players and biggest hobby icons of all time.
If you enjoy basketball card market analysis, hobby deep dives, underrated cards, and sports card conversations focused on the long-term landscape of the hobby, this one’s for you.
Chapters

00:00 Episode Introduction
00:52 NBA Playoffs Talk
02:44 Opportunity #1
08:51 Opportunity #2
14:51 Opportunity #3
19:07 Opportunity #4
21:28 Opportunity #5
26:24 The Weekly Alley-Oop

Leave a rating if you enjoyed listening — and thanks for tuning in!

Social links
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors
Twitter/X:https://x.com/hoopscollectors