PSA Magazine: 2023 February #014

Contributing Writer

BEN MAGALANER Director of Advertising REBECCA TRAN Designer JACQUELINE FLOYD

Photo Editor LUIS DE ALBA

Editor's Note

We are constantly working to bring new benefits to PSA customers and I am proud of the many features we have introduced in my two years as CEO. One of our recent advancements is among the most exciting of my tenure. As of December 15, 2022, all cards submitted to PSA receive complimentary post-grade images (pregrade “raw” images will be implemented soon as well), regardless of the submission level. We have already been imaging the higher tiers for some time, but by applying this benefit to all tiers we are increasing our daily imaging totals by more than 1,567% compared to February 2022.

Our ability to image every card submitted for grading is thanks to the efforts of our Hardware Engineering, Operations, Tech and Product teams.

There are many ways that these resulting card images will benefit PSA in the research and grading steps, but our customers will see immediate advantages from having their cards imaged as well. Not only will countless hours be saved by no longer having to scan and crop their own cards, but these images can be used for selling and trading purposes, social media, and to build out Set Registry and My Collection inventories. They will be added to Cert Verification pages for those

collectors trying to verify a card they want to purchase, and as documentation for insurance purposes. For anyone who wants to take advantage of the new Goldin Marketplace, these images will seamlessly connect to sales listings.

There are numerous benefits to having high-resolution images of the cards we grade and I'm sure I’ve overlooked some of them, but the truth is that taking front and back images of cards both raw as they arrive and after they're finished being graded/sealed is a massive "unlock" of value for our customers on many fronts. I am thrilled that we are able to bring this new benefit to our customers. It is the first big advancement in what I think will be a fantastic year ahead for our customers, our company and the hobby in general.

Best, Nat Turner CEO, Collectors

It’s the one game in professional sports that never fails to live up to the hype, if only for the commercials.

Baseball greats have the World Series spread over at least four games and at most seven, getting ample opportunities to etch their names in the annals.

Hardwood and hockey heroes, much the same; anywhere from four to seven games to reach sports nirvana.

But football players are measured by one game and one game only, the Super Bowl. It's a game that can produce GOATs or create goats. Just ask Tom Brady, or if you’re feeling particularly cruel, Scott “Wide Right” Norwood.

It can also put an exclamation mark on a career. Who would you rather be, Dan Marino or Trent Dilfer? Marino may have the numbers and the fame and the hair, but at least Dilfer doesn't have to wonder what if?

The great AFC/NFC matchup, which first originated as a battle pitting the NFL against the AFL, remains the single most-watched television event of the year. Sponsors pay more for airtime than billionaires flying into space.

The Super Bowl is the greatest show of them all, and it deserves to be honored as such.

And in the sports card hobby, it has been.

From Terry Bradshaw to Tom Brady, Joe Montana to John Elway, the greats of the game have been cemented by their play on the grandest stage. They hand out Super Bowl rings but what they really award are legacies. If only those could fit around a finger. Or in Brady’s case, seven.

First played in 1967 as a showdown between rival leagues and their representatives, the NFL’s Green Bay Packers and the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, the original Super Bowl took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Already popular, the game took on new meaning two years later, when “Broadway Joe” Namath famously guaranteed victory for the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.

Soon enough, the game started creating dynasties, like Bradshaw's Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s, Montana's 49ers of the '80s and Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith's Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s. Then Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots came along to rewrite the record books, one Lombardi Trophy at a time.

In recent years, the game has served as the coronation for a new crop of kings, led by the Chiefs’ new version of Len Dawson, Patrick Mahomes. It’s also served as an appetizer for great things to come by such stars-in-the-making as Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.

But one thing is certain: all along the way, they’ve been captured on cardboard. Well, almost all along the way.

Five years after the inaugural Super Bowl was played, the Big Game was finally commemorated.

The Super Bowl was first immortalized in 1972 with Topps #139, featuring a young Roger Staubach evading a would-be Dolphins tackler, with the Dallas Cowboys' 24-3 victory highlighted on a yellow football. That began a run of solo Super Bowl cards that would end 20 years later, appropriately enough with card No. 1 of the 1991 Topps Football set.

The first company to give the game its just due was Fleer and its Team in Action sets from the late ‘70s, which celebrated past Super Bowls across multiple cards.

It wasn’t until the early 1990s that the Super Bowl started garnering major attention in the card industry, thanks to Pro Set, which inserted a hologram insert featuring the Vince Lombardi Trophy and limited the print run to 10,000. That created a frenzy in the industry rarely seen before.

More than three decades later, the Super Bowl generates some of the most innovative, exciting and expensive cards in the hobby.

Only four PSA 10 copies exist of the very first Topps card to commemorate the Super Bowl. One of the four sold via eBay for $672 in 2019. Collectors might instead target PSA 9 versions, of which one sold for $147 in 2021.

JOE MONTANA

COMING SOON

Two versions of this awesome early gold foil sticker exist: one with “COMING SOON!” on the back, and one without. Neither are particularly expensive, but the ones without seem to be more rare. On a list of ultimate Super Bowl cards, how could you not include a Montana?

Simply put, this is the ultimate insert from a time before inserts.

For collectors of a certain age, there was no greater chase card.

Limited to 10,000 copies — with just 168 graded by PSA, and zero PSA 10s — this was, for a time, the best card in the hobby. In some ways, it still is.

Speaking of Packer legends, this Stadium Club release inserted into clear cello packs and handed out at the Super Bowl in 1992 is one of Brett Favre’s rarest rookie cards. Adding to the mystique, Topps misspelled the Green Bay gunslinger's last name: Farve, rather than Favre. Just 68 PSA 10s exist, with one selling for more than $6,000 in March 2021 and more recent versions selling in the $3,000 range.

The most improbable of all Super Bowl MVPs, this beautiful card features Warner hoisting the Lombardi Trophy high into the air during a post-game interview.

Limited to just 100 copies (although numbered to 1,000, just the first 100 were autographed), only four have been graded by PSA including three PSA 9s.

Versions of this card have crept into the $30,000 range as it stands as one of the GOAT’s first autographed relic cards. And get this; it includes a swatch of an actual Super Bowl-used relic. To think, three decades after the first Super Bowl card, we've got an on-card auto Super Bowl football. Unreal.

RELIC AUTOGRAPH

This one, slightly rarer than its predecessor at just 99 copies, is horizontal and features a slightly larger football swatch. Arguably a better design and still unbelievably cool.

Panini's Impeccable series has gone down as the home of the best combinations of stunning design and on-card autographs, and the Super Bowl Champions series is a big reason why. The whole series is great — though most of the legends, like Brady, Montana and Elway are limited to just five copies — but Mahomes really stands out.

The cross-brand, multi-year Super Bowl Signatures set has become one of the most popular staples in the Panini lineup. Introduced in 2015 over a variety of sets, the on-card autograph set features the Who’s Who of living Super Bowl legends.

By Ryan Porter

If you’re a trading card collector and have been on Instagram during the past two years, chances are you’ve come across an energetic collector and TCG aficionado who goes by the handle @dondiegotrading. Her actual name is Laura Don Diego and her passion for Pokémon cards, in particular, runs deep.

A native of New Jersey, her interest in trading cards started at an early age when she attended local card shows in and around New Jersey with her father and brother. She initially hated the trips but grew to love the journey.

“My dad and brother would drag me to sports card shows and I absolutely dreaded it,” she recalled. “However, those moments became the building blocks for learning the business and without them, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”

Where she is today is in the driver’s seat when it comes to making big deals about small pieces of cardboard, preferably ones featuring Pokémon characters like Charizard, Pikachu and her favorite, Persian. She currently has more than 32,000 followers on Instagram and her account is barely two years old. She’s become a major player in the TCG space by virtue of being omnipresent at shows, sharing her knowledge of the TCGs and cards, and the captivating way she presents content — in person as well as on social media.

Let’s go back to stranger times, when GameStop posts were percolating in Reddit forums and happy hour Zoom hangs felt novel amongst friend groups. It’s 2020 and the world is locked down, from Madison Square Garden to the beaches of Koh Samui.

“Pokémon was something I gravitated toward as a kid,” she said. “I grew up in a household of collectors so it was inevitable that I would begin my own collecting journey. I started collecting Pokémon when I was young and would play with my friends after school all the time.

“I loved organizing my cards in binders and there was a social aspect to it as well. I think collecting and our passions stem from what we do naturally and what we feel nostalgic about as we get older. Pokémon is a deep collecting space with a rich history in not only cards, but video games, merchandise, stickers, etc.”

That’s where collector John Hedges (better known as @hedges.cards on Instagram) could be found marooned with a ring in his pocket and a soon-to-be fiancé. Far from their Manila residence, further flung from their U.S. hometowns and his Utah Jazz allegiance. Exotic islands aside, his 2020 hobby adventure rode a perfect storm mirrored by many: rooted in youthful nostalgia, enabled by an abundance of free time, battened and bolstered by live breaks. Come November amidst the tremors of a hobby boom, those breakers had a new hit on their hands.

Interestingly, despite her following of fans, she doesn't consider herself a social influencer. Rather, she qualifies her pursuit as a media business that goes well beyond buying and selling.

The release of 2019 Panini One and One Basketball wasn’t just novel to watch, it was pure decadence. It was a spectacle to which surging scores of break-room spectators had courtside

“I now run Don Diego Trading on a full-time basis,” she continued. “Before I took up the hobby full time, I had just completed online schooling to become a software engineer. I did that while working

full-time. But I quickly realized my passion was in making educational content and learning more about rare and unique cards in Pokémon.”

A collector and businesswoman, Don Diego has entrenched herself in all aspects of the hobby. Her company, Don Diego Trading, is a trading cardobsessed business focused on Pokémon, sports cards, MTG, Weiss Schwarz and other TCGs. She travels across the country to attend shows, small and large. A cosplayer as well, she’ll often dress for the occasion by sporting costumes of her favorite characters including Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Skull Ranger from Fortnight, and Spider-Gwen from Marvel lore, the latter which she appeared as at the recent New York Comic Con. She even emerged as a killer vampiress in October for the Crimson Anniversary at MTG 30 in Las Vegas.

She does not compete in any TCG tournaments. Instead, her goal of attending the shows is to make in-person deals and find big collections to purchase. “And, of course, I like to connect with the community and meet other people on similar journeys,” she said. “I love to give my followers a window into a day in the life at a card show. The cherry on top is when I can make a deal happen as well.

“I absolutely love The National. I want to bring more TCG and Pokémon influence to the event. This past year in Atlantic City, I hosted the first-ever TCG Trade Night, which I plan on repeating in Chicago in 2023.”

season tickets — and perhaps a bit shocking to those getting back in the game. Two cards to a box? For how much?! And yet that price had room to grow and the product’s appeal was undeniable. With base cards numbered to 99, scarcity was everywhere. The elegant design and in-game photography infringed upon fine art. Its dramatic two-hit offering schooled breakers in the art of the slow play.

Her rise in the Pokémon realm has happened quickly. It’s not something she necessarily anticipated but is certainly a development she welcomes with open arms.

And with Zion Williamson and Ja Morant fronting that year's rookie class in the wake of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, the deck was stacked. Back in Thailand and up until release day, Hedges had been impervious to the Zion hype; he was a Donovan Mitchell guy collecting from afar. “Didn’t buy in, wasn’t even tempted! But when I saw his One and One, I thought that’s the Zion card.” Light on his feet after unloading the engagement ring she said yes, he re-upped on precious metal and jumped at the first Zion Gold parallel, numbered to 10, to hit eBay. A sign of the times, he comped the price with — get this — a 2019 Panini Prizm Zion Williamson #248 Silver Prizm PSA 10.

“Over the past two years. I’ve honed in on my own goals of building one of the biggest Pokémon businesses in the space,” she said. “I spend countless hours analyzing how to improve my content and connect with my viewers on a daily basis. It definitely wasn’t easy at times betting on myself, but having the support of my friends and family and even a simple ‘thanks for this info, didn’t know that’ comment, gives me the motivation to keep going.

“I am inspired by the Pokémon collectors who came before me and created great content and established the foundation for this hobby. I just hope to one day make a fraction of the impact they have through my own content.”

As One and One delivered Zion to non-believers, it also sent players Downtown. Throughout the product's three-peat, the animated scenes of Panini's roaming insert have proved a perfect foil to the base design’s right angles — and the rookies hit hardest. A Mardi Gras masquerade trumpets the arrival of Zion in New Orleans. Minnesota’s rugged wild finds Anthony Edwards howling at the moon. A stampede of classic cars and mustangs kick up dust for Cade Cunningham in Detroit. In Houston, Jalen Green has blasted off into a spacey dreamscape. These are their cities now!

Not to be usurped, the vets hit back with autographed snapshots of Timeless Moments. Where were you when Curry broke the 3-point record at Madison Square Garden? When Dirk put one over on the Heat in Miami? When Kawhi sent the Sixers packing with that impossible baseline bouncing buzzer-beater?

But after landing the Zion, John’s journey was purely galvanized in One and One Gold. Why not go for the whole set?, he thought. Hedges stuck the LeBron. He built a speculative spreadsheet. The hobby boomed. He inflated his spreadsheet. Halfway around the world, without ever touching

a One and One card (he shipped to vaults or family members to avoid shipping miscues), Hedges became the One and One guy. Sellers came to him and breakers brokered deals. When he balked at buying the Luka Doncic Gold, she made the purchase as she headed into labor with their first baby. Then on the day they left the hospital, he landed the 2019 Stephen Curry Black 1/1. Collect what you love with who you love, right?

Three releases, a few friendly rivalries and one pandemic later, his focus has evolved to include jersey-numbered matches and one-of-ones. “I’m going after the cards I’d have one chance to own. If I think I’m gonna see this card one time, I’m making a move. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. That’s the lure and the reality of One and One.”

The borders relented, and almost a year after scoring the Zion Gold from Thailand, he finally had it in hand. Three years into his quest, only one card stands between him and the full 2019 set. With the featured player measuring seven feet, six inches, the omission is impossible to overlook — and neither is the irony of a hunt beginning and ending in East Asia. Will the PC with the Yao Ming Gold please stand up?

Hot Corner

A Quickfire Q&A With PSA President Ryan Hoge

He prefers his one-of-ones as Superfractors, wants his ‘51 Mantle back, and has been a PSA Collectors Club member since Julio Rodríguez was in grade school. With a passion for the hobby and a new business card that reads President of PSA, Ryan Hoge is here for the collector.

You can have one card from (Collectors CEO) Nat Turner’s personal collection. What is it?

Ryan Hoge:

I’m taking his 1954 Topps Hank Aaron #128 PSA 10.

Topps Chrome Superfractor or Prizm Black 1-of-1?

RH: Superfractor. I’m a baseball guy.

1st Bowman or true rookie?

RH: 1st Bowman.

Best Topps design of all time?

RH: ‘75 Baseball.

Iconic photo you need in a PSA Type I holder?

RH: I would love to find the original from the Griffey ‘89 Upper Deck shoot.

1984 Star Michael Jordan #101 or 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57?

Best Topps flagship parallel?

RH: This is a tough one; I have both of these. I’m going with the Star. It’s the original. It’s older.

RH: I like the SSPs. I pulled a Jeter SSP out of Topps Update recently. Celebratory postgame, championship t-shirt on. Unbelievably cool.

RH: I happen to be the lucky recipient of the variant cover for the World Cup [Dec. 2022] issue with Christian Pulisic on it, so that was awesome. Especially as I got so into the World Cup this year.

Who has the GOAT signature: Mariano Rivera, Ken Griffey Jr. or Derek Jeter?

RH: Mariano Rivera’s signature always stands out to me. Rivera’s reminds me of Harmon Killebrew’s signature from back in the day. If you look at the two of them, sideby-side, real tight, there’s a lot of precision. You can almost make out every letter in there. But ultimately, I love a sweet Griffey signature.

What’s the one card you regret selling or trading?

RH: I had a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle #253. It was a PSA 4.5. I bought it at The National; I think it was in 2015. I had it for four or five years and then for some reason I decided to sell it to fund some other purchase and I don’t even remember what the other purchase was, but I miss that card. So, I don’t have a ‘51 Bowman Mantle in my collection anymore. That’s

RH: I actually just sent one off today, fully loaded with 2022 Bowman Chrome prospects. I’ve been ripping like crazy.

PSA is making things easier for collectors.

In 2023, we are celebrating our focus on customers and our commitment to hobbyists by rolling out simplified service levels with faster turnaround times and higher declared values. We have shortened most turnaround times; decreased card minimums; and eliminated the Economy level ($50 per card) and replaced it with Value service ($25 per card), which is now available to all collectors.

Value Plus Service arrives.

PSA wants to give collectors the option to pay for faster turnaround times. With Value Plus, people have the ability to move to the front of the line for a fee ($15 more per card). This essentially cuts their turnaround times by more than half, from 65 business days at Value level to 20 business days for Value Plus. A maximum declared value of $499 per card remains intact.

Every single card submission is getting imaged, front and back.

As of Dec. 2022, every service level for any card submitted is imaged after encapsulation, front and back. This post-grade imaging service was previously available to submission tiers beginning with Economy, but with the lens wide open, we’re looking at a 1567% daily imaging increase from February of 2022.

Introducing Premium Imaging for Super Express levels and above.

PSA has developed new Premium Imaging technology for crystal clear, high-resolution, best-inclass imaging. To start, PSA is adding the benefit to our highest service levels: Super Express, Walkthrough and Premium+. See you on the ‘gram.

Written by Dustin Porras Photography by Nick Estrada

Since 2020, Pokémon prodigy Max Lee has been putting the pedal to the metal in the vintage Japanese collecting space. Also known by his online handle @MAXMAXCITY, he is an impassioned voice on Instagram as well as an award-winning member of the PSA Set Registry. Like many ‘90s kids, the impetus for Lee’s collecting is his nostalgia for Pokémon’s U.S. debut, which included video games, a TV show and, of course, trading cards. But as Lee can tell you, Pokémon’s actual genesis took place in Japan a few years prior, with sets like 1995 Topsun and 1996 Bandai Carddass. These nonplayable sets contain Pokémon’s earliest trading cards, which effectively serve as “rookie cards” or “XRCs” for the original 151 Pokémon that kicked off the franchise.

After joining the Set Registry three years ago, Lee has made quick work of completing both the 1995 Topsun Holofoils set and the 1996 Bandai Carddass Vending Prism set, the latter of which he achieved twice: once with the green parallel and once with the red parallel. To commemorate his Carddass achievements, he worked with a vendor to create two custom UFC-inspired championship belts, which proudly display his set names, completion dates, and images of Charizard (for the red set) and Venusaur (for the green set). As a collector, it’s clear that Lee has no shortage of gusto. Outside of PSA-graded cards, he has even taken his love for Carddass to the next level by purchasing and restoring an authentic Carddass vending machine, which was used to dispense cards in Japan during the set’s initial release.

Although Lee takes great pride in his achievements, he also has deep appreciation for the collectors with whom he coordinated to reach his goals. According to Lee, he communicated with collectors from a total of 11 different countries, from the Netherlands to Greece to Japan to Australia. When buying internationally, Lee’s strategy is to break out of the typical marketplaces and browse sites popular in other regions. With the help of Google Translate, he relied heavily on Buyee, a Japanese online marketplace that served as a goldmine for many Carddass grails on his wish list.

Last year, the PSA Set Registry held its first-ever My Top 10 Contest, which challenged members to assemble their best 10-card showcase on the platform. Each showcase was assessed by a panel of judges and the winners selected for each category received a Set Registry award pin and a grading credit. Lee threw his hat in the ring with a showcase entitled “Vintage Pokémon Nostalgia — A Deep-Dive Into the Roots of Pokémon History.” As the title suggests, Lee’s intention was to lead the viewer through a “museum of Pokémon history,” offering thorough descriptions for each item, akin to wall-mounted plaques one might find in an art gallery. The theming and attention to detail in his showcase earned Lee the top prize in the TCG category.

1996 Pokémon Japanese Bandai

Although there is some debate around whether Topsun or Carddass was the earliest Pokémon set — mainly due to Topsun’s curious 1995 legal line — Lee cites compelling evidence that points to Carddass being the first, which would make the set’s Charizard card the official “rookie” for the fire-breathing Pokémon we know and love. Sharing the first spot in Lee’s showcase are two PSA 10 examples of Charizard in both red and green parallels. These parallels were created by Bandai to reference the inaugural Pokémon Red and Green video games. This card hails from the prism subset of the ‘96 Carddass release, which comprises 12 cards and features other AllStars like Blastoise, Venusaur, and Mewtwo. The dazzling prism treatment — now phased out of modern Pokémon sets — is a blast from the past, making this the perfect jumping-off point for Lee’s journey through Pokémon’s history.

Lee’s custom Pokémon card chain.

Bandai Carddass continued to release sets through the end of the ‘90s, but the 1997 set had some true standout illustrations that were never reused on any other releases. One of these cards is this Pikachu, which also happens to be autographed by Veronica Taylor, the English voice actor for Pokémon TV series lead character Ash Ketchum. Since Ash’s most faithful companion has always been Pikachu, this card/signature pairing is pitchperfect. The card is also the first of many in Lee’s showcase to pay tribute to the Pokémon TV series as a crucial component of the franchise’s identity.

With the previous card referencing the TV series, it was only fitting that Lee also showed love to video games. This card is from the third Japanese Vending Series and features a whimsical illustration of Dr. Ooyama, a character based on an original Pokémon video game designer, Kouichi Ooyama. Fans may recognize this character from other playfully hand-drawn cards such as the Ooyama’s Exeggutor Tropical Mega Battle promo. Not only does this connect to the video games via Ooyama, it also connects by way of Yukinori Torii, a fellow video game designer who autographed this card. The cherry on top of this unusual piece is the artwork, which features a hand-drawn illustration of Pokémon cards being printed.

1998 Pokémon Japanese Gym Trainer Misty’s Tears PSA 10

This controversial piece was the stuff of legend on playgrounds in the late ‘90s as it was perhaps the most popular example of Japanese artwork that was censored in its U.S. release. Known by some as simply the “naked Misty” card, this card represents a critical moment in Pokémon’s history: the culture clash that resulted from adapting a Japanese I.P. for Western audiences. Concerned parents cited images like these in their crusade against what they considered an undesirable influence on their children. In hindsight, it could be argued that the backlash only served to increase the popularity and value of such disputed items in the long run.

What can be said about this card that hasn’t already been said by every Pokémon collector? The 1999 Base Set Charizard is the reigning champ of the Pokémon world, and only becomes more iconic with every passing year. Lee’s example of this card has an extra special touch: it’s signed by the card’s artist, the immortal Mitsuhiro Arita. Sometimes a card just speaks for itself.

Once again paying tribute to the TV series, this card sports ink from two English Pokémon voice actors: Veronica Taylor (the voice of Ash Ketchum) and Rachael Lillis (the voice of Misty). The card itself reads “Satoshi” and “Kasumi,” the Japanese names for both characters, and even features Pikachu as an added bonus. The embossing on this card is seldom seen on other Pokémon cards, making the ‘99 Meiji promos truly unique.

This secret rare card comes from one of the later Carddass sets, which was released during the second season of the TV series, entitled “Adventures in the Orange Islands.” It could only be found by peeling off the card’s top non-holo layer, adding a literal meaning to the phrase “secret rare.” The newly introduced character Tracey Sketchit appears on the card, signifying the next era for Ash and his friends and bridging the gap into the new millennium.

To commemorate the completion of his Carddass prisms set, Lee commissioned a custom UFC-inspired championship belt through a fantasy sports website.

Limited-time products based on Mario Pikachu were available in Pokémon Centers across Japan in 2016. These Nintendo crossover products included promos, a deck of poker cards, and special Hanafuda playing cards as seen with this low-Pop Charizard. The dimensions and artwork of these cards are reminiscent of other Hanafuda cards, which is no doubt an intentional nod to Nintendo’s humble roots as a playing card manufacturer. Lee’s inclusion of this rare card references the lesser-known Pokémon items that have popped up over the years, and often fly under the radar.

Pokémon TV series villains

Jessie and James appear on this highly popular Supporter card from Hidden Fates, which just so happens to be signed by Eric Stuart and Rachael Lillis, the Team Rocket voice actors themselves. This card represents a huge leap forward in time, landing us in the modern age of Pokémon cards, which is arguably bigger than any that came before. With influencers like Logan Paul pushing the hobby back into the mainstream, the Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield eras shaped the standard for what modern collectors looked for in Pokémon cards.

Lee reserved the final slot of his showcase for a poetic return to Pokémon’s beginnings. This 25th Anniversary Charizard card features the exact same iconic artwork as the 1999 Base Set, and was also used in the English Celebrations set the same year. Seeing this image of Charizard come full circle right as Pokémon was turning a quarter of a century old was a powerful moment. It proved that certain artwork and certain Pokémon will never go out of style. We will most likely see this artwork remerge sometime in the future, and just like the 25th Anniversary set, we will probably continue chasing it. There is an unwavering nostalgia in Pokémon fans like Lee that only strengthens as the franchise evolves.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE COME IN THREES. THREES.

jAmerica's founders knew it, guaranteeing its citizens life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. America's discoverer knew it, too, or else Christopher Columbus would have just taken the Santa Maria, but not the Niña and Pinta.

There were the Three Wise Men and the Three Little Pigs, the Three Stooges and the Three Musketeers.

What would Peter and Paul have been without Mary? Who are Huey and Dewey without Louie?

Most importantly, what would Julius Erving and Larry Bird have meant without Magic Johnson?

It was right there, on the front of the pack. Instructions, almost. Just by the wrapper, it's clear what Topps was trying to encourage back in 1980.

The release of 1980 Topps Basketball was a curious call, the company doing something new by offering three perforated mini cards combined into one standard cardsized piece. There were 264 of the "minis" in the set. The employment of multiple mini-card combinations resulted in 176 full cards to collect.

But just one stands the test of time. Could Topps have known back in 1980 that Magic and Bird would go down as two of the top 10 players in basketball history? Could they have forecasted that pairing the two greats with yet another of basketball's era-defining players would be yet another stroke of genius? After all, just imagine Magic, Bird and … World B. Free?

Upon release, the innovative set was not well received. But year by year, as the legend of Bird and Magic grew, the set gained in prominence.

Raw copies are not exactly rare — heck, graded versions aren't all that rare with a total pop of more than 11,000 as of mid-December — but the cleanest of the clean can garner small fortunes. PSA 10 examples, of which just 23 exist, have commanded more than $850,000 at auction.

But the 1980 Topps Basketball set was not the first time the company would feature a terrific trio on cardboard. The company featured multiple players on cards for decades.

And in recent years, thrilling threesomes have been found throughout the sports card industry. Triple Logoman cards have become arguably the most sought-after in basketball, with versions including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, and Jordan, Magic and Bird commanding a fortune.

Baseball cards in the 1950s did not tend to feature a lot of personality or even emotion. This classic trio features three Yankee greats, with Berra and Bauer flashing wide smiles and Mantle looking like he had something on his mind or in his shoe. Either way, this is a great look into the iconic Yankees of the ‘50s.

1953 BOWMAN COLOR YOGI BERRA HANK BAUER MICKEY MANTLE #44

1973 TOPPS ROOKIE THIRD BASEMEN #615 RON CEY JOHN HILTON

MIKE SCHMIDT

John Hilton — better known as Dave — managed just a .213 batting average and six home runs in a rather uninspiring threeyear major league career. Lucky for him, he was surrounded by a couple of stars on his first Topps card. Getting two of the game's greatest third basemen of all time is not bad, as Schmidt and Cey helped define the decade for the Phillies and Dodgers, respectively.

1980 TOPPS SCORING LEADERS MAGIC JOHNSON LARRY BIRD JULIUS ERVING

Given Johnson and Bird's lofty expectations and early returns, maybe it wasn't such a genius move by Topps to put them together — sandwiching the highflying Julius Erving — on their 1980 Topps rookie card. Some would call it prophetic. But it wasn't a huge leap. Sometimes, though, even the smallest of gambles pays off.

Billy Ripken's second-best card, albeit much less vulgar, this one celebrates one of baseball's foremost families. It can be found, even in graded condition, for drastically cheap, but handsigned triple autographs can command a pretty penny.

1992 SCORE THE FRANCHISE STAN MUSIAL MICKEY MANTLE CARL YASTRZEMSKI #4

Just picture opening cards in 1992, thrilled over a Topps Black Gold redemption card. Next, downright blown away by a Donruss Elite sequentially numbered insert. Then you crack a pack of 1992 Score and pull a triple on-card autograph card numbered to just 500 and featuring three of the iconic sluggers of all time. That had to be mind-numbing. An iconic triple auto before they were even a thing.

GRETZKY GORDIE HOWE BOBBY ORR

One of the great early multiplayer autographs, Upper Deck snagged arguably the game's three best players on one piece of cardboard. A PSA 9/AUTO 10 copy sold for nearly $13,000 via Goldin in 2022.

Not to be outdone by its on-ice counterpart, this triple on-card autographed version of one of the early SOTT triples features three iconic players who helped popularize the game of basketball. A PSA 9 version sold at auction for more than $3,000 in August of 2020.

NBA

TRIPLE LOGOMAN

Well, they don't get much better than this. Arguably the three most influential and collected players in the history of basketball cards. Thick logoman swatches. Upper Deck Exquisite. Is it so surprising the PSA AUTH super-card sold for nearly $1.7 million in August of 2022?

— SEPIA

They are the three winningest quarterbacks in Super Bowl history: Brady, who's won seven rings, and Montana and Bradshaw, who each won four. Linking them together was an inspired choice by Topps, even if they are already linked by history.

Ohtani's triple autos with Los Angeles Angels teammates Mike Trout and whoever else are always great. But there's something about this card featuring three of Japan's great baseball exports that really stands out.

Fast Five

TEAM MEMBER DAVE STEINBERGER

WHAT IS YOUR TITLE AND WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO AT COLLECTORS?

My title is VP of Customer Insights and Experience. My primary role is to understand, and advocate for, the varied wants, expectations and perceptions of collectors and customers. Since I've been a collector my whole life, and a PSA customer for more than 20 years, in a way, my job is to advocate for myself and other customers. It's why I love my job so much. I conduct research — quantitative and qualitative — to discover actionable insights that will help PSA advance the hobby and the collecting experience for people like you and me.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING AT COLLECTORS?

I spent about 30 years having a very successful career working for companies to which I didn't have a personal connection. Now that I'm with Collectors and PSA [since July 2020], for the first time in my life, I'm working for a company where I am also a passionate customer. I spend my day thinking about and talking about trading cards and collectibles, and I love it. I feel very fortunate. I literally wake up differently than I used to.

WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND AS A COLLECTOR?

I bought my first packs of baseball cards in 1973 when I was in first grade. I remember flipping the cards with my friends; if you matched the colored circle on the 1973 topps cards, you would scoop up the pile. Growing up, I was a big baseball fan and an even bigger stats nerd. So collecting cards fit me on many levels. Like many others, I stepped away

from collecting in college and my twenties, but rediscovered it again in my early 30s. In the late 1990s, I started buying lots of raw cards on eBay and Yahoo Auctions (remember them?) and sending them to PSA to get graded. I began amassing (a.k.a. hoarding) a closet full of PSA slabs. It was frankly overwhelming. My hobby experience was saved by the PSA Set Registry. The Set Registry helped me to focus on what I loved collecting the most — post-war Hall of Fame rookie cards in all four major sports. Once I narrowed my attention to a specific checklist, albeit a 700+ card checklist, I was able to focus on what I wanted. I found my hobby joy.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ITEM IN YOUR ENTIRE PERSONAL COLLECTION?

I grew up in the shadows of Shea Stadium with a Tom Seaver poster on my wall. As I mentioned, I started collecting in 1973 — the Mets went to the World Series in ‘73. So I was hooked (LGM!). I would say my favorite item is my Tom Seaver rookie card. But, it doesn't necessarily have to be my current Tom Seaver rookie card. I currently have a beautiful PSA 6 Seaver rookie. I hope to upgrade to a PSA 7, and ultimately a PSA 8. Whichever one I own, it'll be my favorite item in my PC.

WHAT WOULD BE THE "GRAIL" COLLECTIBLE THAT YOU HOPE TO OWN ONE DAY?

Well, by this point, you can probably guess my grail card is a post-war Hall of Fame rookie card. And I have a Top 10 wish list. At the top would be a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle #253, simply because it's the furthest out of reach. Honorable mention goes to 1948 Bowman George Mikan #69 and 1951 Parkhurst Gordie Howe #66.

Wheeling and Dealing

DAVE’S

FIVE FAVORITE TRADES

TRADED: 1962 Topps Gaylord Perry #199 PSA 8

RECEIVED: 1962 Topps Gaylord Perry #199 PSA 7 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella #84 PSA 7 ———————————————————————————————

TRADED: 114 Miscellaneous PSA-Graded Cards

RECEIVED: 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57 PSA 8 ——————————————————————————————–

TRADED: 1968 Topps Tom Seaver #45 PSA 8 1969 Topps Johnny Bench #95 PSA 8 (+ five more baseball cards)

RECEIVED: 1965 Topps Joe Namath #122 PSA 4 ——————————————————————————————–

TRADED: 1997 SPx Kobe Bryant #22 PSA 10

RECEIVED: 2019 Upper Deck Cale Makar Young Guns #493 PSA 10 ——————————————————————————————–

TRADED: 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan #177 PSA 8.5

RECEIVED: 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan #177 PSA 8 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente #164 PSA 5 1957 Topps Brooks Robinson #328 PSA 7 1949 Bowman Larry Doby #233 PSA 6

Trading cards have changed a great deal over the years. In these days of premium releases and low-numbered parallels, extraneous items such as team cards are relegated to flagship issues if they are produced at all. But the passage of time can often change our perspectives and so team cards have earned a bit more respect over the years. Through the lens of yesteryear, these cards can be viewed for the glimpses into the past that they have become.

Truthfully, team cards are an economic way for collectors to add vintage cards of all-time legends to their collections. Do you want to add a 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135 to your collection? It’ll set you back $6,500 in PSA 7 condition. But the Yankees Team #251 PSA 7 is valued at $700. Bobby Bell and Buck Buchanan are two Pro Football Hall of Fame members whose rookie cards are in the 1964 Topps set. The Bell card most recently sold for more than $1,300 in PSA 9, while Buchanan went for $667. However, both players are pictured on the 1964 Topps Chiefs Team Card, which currently sells for around $85 in the same grade.

These days team cards could be ranked among the most underrated of all trading card types. They are affordable, career-contemporary issues that frequently feature the greatest players of the generation, and occasionally the most storied teams in sports history. They can be aesthetically pleasing, historically significant, are a wonderful medium for autograph collectors, and in some cases offer players’ first trading card appearances that predate dedicated rookie cards by several years.

1913 T200 FATIMA NEW YORK NATIONALS

More than 100 years old, this is a beautiful tobacco era issue that pictures one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, Jim Thorpe. Perhaps better known for his exploits in football and at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Thorpe also spent six seasons in Major League Baseball. His trading card issues are very limited and highly sought, making the T200 Fatima particularly desirable.

1925 DOMINION CHOCOLATE NORTH TORONTO TEAM #28

From a Canadian multi-sport set that includes several hockey cards, both teams and individual players, this card features the North Toronto Athletic Association team, a top amateur squad at the time. The card is extremely small, measuring 3” x 1-¼” as it was issued. However, finding these cards intact is a bit of a challenge as the bottom portion featured a coupon. Once a complete set of 120 cards was collected, the coupons could be clipped and redeemed to the chocolatier for a “valuable prize.”

1956 TOPPS BROOKLYN DODGERS #166

On a list of classic team cards, this is one of the best. As vintage cards feature photos from years past, the 1956 Dodgers card pictures the fabled 1955 version of Dem Bums. Six Hall of Fame players — Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges and Sandy Koufax — and their HOF coach, Billy Herman, and manager, Walter Alston, are portrayed on this card. And as these cards have slightly larger pre-1957 formats, the individuals are a bit easier to see.

1956 TOPPS NEW YORK GIANTS #113

Vince Lombardi might be the most celebrated football coach of all time. In nine seasons in Green Bay, he led the Packers to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls. Lombardi never had a true rookie card, but collectors typically fill that slot in their collections with the 1964 Philadelphia Green Bay Packers Play card, on which he is pictured. However, along with eventual Cowboys head coach Tom Landry, Lombardi can be found as a young assistant on the 1956 Giants team card.

1958 TOPPS PITTSBURGH STEELERS #116

As quarterback for the Dallas Texans/ Kansas City Chiefs, Len Dawson led his team to three American Football League championships, an appearance in Super Bowl I and victory in Super Bowl IV. As a result, his rookie card, 1963 Fleer #47, is a must-have for any vintage football collectors. However, Dawson was actually selected by Pittsburgh in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft and made his inaugural trading card appearance on the 1958 Topps Steelers team card. In fact, Dawson spent his first five seasons in professional football as a backup and it wasn’t until he signed with the Dallas Texans and put in a full season as a starter that Fleer granted Dawson his own card.

1964 TOPPS OAKLAND RAIDERS #153

Love him or hate him, there is no arguing that Al Davis is one of the most influential figures in pro football history. The man was a masterful recruiter, head coach, team owner and league commissioner who turned a miserable Raiders team into one of the most storied franchises in professional sports. It wasn’t until the 1990 Pro Set #786 issue that Davis got what collectors consider to be his own rookie card. However, he is pictured in the back row, far left, in his first year as Raiders head coach on the 1964 Topps team card.

1968 TOPPS TEST TEAMS NEW YORK JETS #3

This card is part of a reasonably challenging Topps test issue. The 1968 Topps Test Teams set consists of 25 black and white team cards, each measuring 2 ½” x 4 11/16”. The thing making this Jets card particularly special is the fact that it was issued the same season Joe Namath made his famous guarantee and led the New York Jets to victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

Autograph collectors have long appreciated team cards for their flexibility as a medium for acquiring signatures. They are a perfect item to have autographed by team owners, managers or players who did not have cards of their own.

1975 TOPPS CINCINNATI REDS #531

Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine is one of the most dominant squads in baseball history. Loaded with future Hall of Famers and guided by HOF manager Sparky Anderson, the Reds averaged more than 95 wins every season in the 1970s. The 1975 Topps base set and accompanying minis are hobby favorites for their design, color, player selection and the challenge they offer in finding nice examples. This Reds team card is a classic card in a beloved set. Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, George Foster, Dave Concepcion, Dan Driessen, Cesar Geronimo and Ken Griffey Sr. are all here on one fantastic card.

1975 TOPPS SEATTLE SUPERSONICS #219

Most team cards feature a standard group shot with the squad standing on a field or sitting in bleachers. Not so with the ‘75 Supersonics. The team is posed on a set of stairs, descending from an airplane onto the tarmac. Head coach Bill Russell is standing in front of the stairway, arms crossed and appearing ready to either coach the squad to victory or enjoy a night on the town. This card is beautifully representative of the era.

1975 TOPPS NEW YORK NETS #325

This is the second beauty we’ve selected from the 1975-76 Topps issue. The team pictured on the card won the ‘74-’75 ABA Eastern Division title, but the card’s greatness lies in the image more than the players themselves. With the famous red, white and blue ABA ball, fantastic hairstyles and groovy outfits on the coaching staff, this card just screams 1970s. Of course picturing a young Dr. J doesn’t hurt either.

1975 TOPPS PHILADELPHIA FLYERS #95

Similar to other sports, team cards were only sporadically issued as part of major hockey sets. Card #95 features the Stanley Cup Champion Philadelphia Flyers and is one of the most regal of 1970s hockey cards. The image on the front is a simple but stately presentation of the team and hockey staff. Crisp orange uniforms and business suits are in abundance, future Hall of Famers Bill Barber, Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent are all present, and the Stanley Cup sits front and center in the place of honor.

This entry falls outside of the general heyday of team cards, but it is so exceptional that it deserves a mention. There have been many great basketball teams over the years, but perhaps none so dominant as the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Team. Featuring Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and more, this squad was dubbed the “Dream Team” and boasted many of the game’s greatest players ever. They steamrolled their way through the Summer Games in Barcelona, finishing the tournament with an 8-0 record and defeating all opponents by a minimum of 32 points. This three-card mini subset features a single panoramic image of the fabled Dream Team spread over cards #544, #546 and #546.

PSA Grading Standards

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

NUMERICAL GRADES FOR TRADING CARDS

GEM-MT 10: GEM MINT

A PSA Gem Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card. Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doesn’t impair the overall appeal of the card. The image must be centered on the card within a tolerance not to exceed approximately 55/45 to 60/40 percent on the front, and 75/25 percent on the reverse.

MINT 9: MINT

A PSA Mint 9 is a superb condition card that exhibits only one of the following minor flaws: a very slight wax stain on reverse, a minor printing imperfection or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 60/40 to 65/35 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

NM-MT 8: NEAR MINT-MINT

A PSA NM-MT 8 is a super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the card can exhibit the following: a very slight wax stain on reverse, slightest fraying at one or two corners, a minor printing imperfection, and/or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

NM 7: NEAR MINT

A PSA NM 7 is a card with just a slight surface wear visible upon close inspection. There may be slight fraying on some corners. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. A minor printing blemish is acceptable. Slight wax staining is acceptable on the back of the card only. Most of the original gloss is retained. Centering must be approximately 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

EX-MT 6: EXCELLENT-MINT

A PSA EX-MT 6 card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect which does not detract from its overall appeal. A very light scratch may be detected only upon close inspection. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may show some loss of original gloss, may have minor wax stain on reverse, may exhibit very slight notching on edges and may also show some offwhiteness on borders. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

EX 5: EXCELLENT

On PSA EX-5 cards, very minor rounding of the corners is becoming evident. Surface wear or printing defects are more visible. There may be minor chipping on edges. Loss of original gloss will be more apparent. Focus of picture may be slightly out-of-register. Several light scratches may be visible

upon close inspection, but do not detract from the appeal of the card. Card may show some off-whiteness of borders. Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

VG-EX 4: VERY GOOD-EXCELLENT

A PSA VG-EX 4 card’s corners may be slightly rounded. Surface wear is noticeable but modest. The card may have light scuffing or light scratches. Some original gloss will be retained. Borders may be slightly off-white. A light crease may be visible. Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

VG 3: VERY GOOD

A PSA VG 3 card reveals some rounding of the corners, though not extreme. Some surface wear will be apparent, along with possible light scuffing or light scratches. Focus may be somewhat off-register and edges may exhibit noticeable wear. Much, but not all, of the card’s original gloss will be lost. Borders may be somewhat yellowed and/or discolored. A crease may be visible. Printing defects are possible. Slight stain may show on obverse and wax staining on reverse may be more prominent. Centering must be 90/10 or better on the front and back.

GOOD 2: GOOD

A PSA Good 2 card’s corners show accelerated rounding and surface wear is starting to become obvious. A good card may have scratching, scuffing, light staining, or chipping of enamel on obverse. There may be several creases. Original gloss may be completely absent. Card may show considerable discoloration. Centering must be 90/10 or better on the front and back.

FR 1.5: FAIR

A PSA Fair 1.5 card’s corners will show extreme wear, possibly affecting framing of the picture. The surface of the card will show advanced stages of wear, including scuffing, scratching, pitting, chipping and staining. The picture will possibly be quite out-of-register and the borders may have become brown and dirty. The card may have one or more heavy creases. In order to achieve a Fair grade, a card must be fully intact. Even though the card may be heavily worn, it cannot achieve this grade if it is missing solid pieces of the card as a result of a major tear, etc. This would include damage such as the removal of the back layer of the card or an entire corner. The centering must be approximately 90/10 or better on the front and back.

PR 1: POOR

A PSA Poor 1 will exhibit many of the same qualities of a PSA Fair 1.5 but the defects may have advanced to such a serious stage that the eye appeal of the card has nearly vanished in its entirety. A Poor card may be missing one or two small pieces, exhibit major creasing that nearly breaks through all the layers of cardboard or it may contain extreme discoloration or dirtiness throughout that may make it difficult to identify the issue or content of the card on either the front or back. A card of this nature may also show noticeable warping or another type of destructive defect.

HALF POINT GRADES

Cards that exhibit high-end qualities within each particular grade, between PSA Good 2 and PSA Mint 9, may achieve a half-point increase. While PSA graders will evaluate all of the attributes possessed by a card in order to determine if the card may be eligible, there will be a clear focus on centering.

Generally speaking, a card must exhibit centering that is 5-10% better, at minimum, than the lowest % allowed within a particular grade. It is important to note that there may be cases where the overall strength of the card, such as the quality of the corners and print, will give the card the edge it needs despite the fact that it may exhibit only marginal centering for

the grade. This is especially true for cards that find themselves within the bottom half of the PSA 1-10 scale.

Finally, keep in mind that qualifiers will not apply to grades that achieve the half-point increase since, by definition, these cards have to exhibit high-end qualities within the grade in order to warrant consideration. For example, there will not be cards graded PSA NM-MT-Plus 8.5 OC or PSA EX-MT-Plus 6.5 PD since the half-point is reserved for high-end cards within each grade.

At this time, only cards qualify for half-point grades. Coins, pins, tickets and packs will not receive half-point grades.

QUALIFIERS

PSA will grade nearly every card submitted. Cards having significant flaws will receive “qualified” grades as follows:

OC (OFF CENTER):

When the centering of the card falls below the minimum standard for that grade will be designated “OC.” PSA determines centering by comparing the measurements of the borders from left to right and top to bottom. The centering is designated as the percent of difference at the most off-center part of the card. A 5% leeway is given to the front centering minimum standards for cards which grade NM 7 or better. For example, a card that meets all of the other requirements for PSA MINT 9 and measures 60/40 off-center on the front automatically meets the PSA front centering standards for MINT 9. If a card meets all of the other requirements for PSA MINT 9 and measures 65/35 off-center on the front, it may be deemed to meet the PSA front centering standards for MINT 9 if the eye appeal of the card is good.

ST (STAINING):

Cards with staining below the minimum standards for the grade will be designated “ST.”

PD (PRINT DEFECT):

Cards with significant printing defects will be designated “PD.”

OF (OUT OF FOCUS):

Cards with focus below the minimum standards for the grade will be designated “OF.”

MK (MARKS):

Cards with writing, ink marks, pencil marks, etc. or evidence of the impression left from the act of writing will be designated “MK.”

MC (MISCUT):

Cards that exhibit an atypical cut for the issue or ones that contain partial portions of more than one card will be designated “MC.”

UNGRADEABLE CARDS:

PSA will not grade cards that bear evidence of trimming, recoloring, restoration, or any other forms of tampering, or are of questionable authenticity. In addition, PSA does not grade autographed cards dated earlier than 1998.

THE GRADING OF HAND CUT CARDS

PSA will grade virtually any card that has been hand-cut off of a panel, box, etc. (Post Cereal, Hostess, Bazooka, Strip cards, etc.) keeping the following information in mind. This service does not include traditional sheet-cut cards. PSA will not grade cards cut from sheets that can be obtained in a normal fashion. For example, PSA will not grade a 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky card cut from a sheet because that card was issued in non-sheet form. On the other hand, PSA will grade a 1959 Bazooka or 1961 Post Cereal Mickey Mantle because those cards could only be obtained in one fashion - removed by hand from a box or panel.

In order for PSA to actually assign a grade to any of the cards that possess visible/defined borders on all four sides, evidence of that border must be present. If the cut exceeds the visible

border for the card in question, PSA will encapsulate the card as “Authentic” only. If the card is severely undersized and suffers in overall eye appeal, the graders may deem the card not suitable for authentication or reject the card as minimumsized altogether.

Keep in mind that, for cards that do not possess visible/ defined borders, the cards must still fall within a certain size requirement for that particular issue in order to qualify for an actual grade. In other words, the borders must be virtually full in order for a grade to be rendered. Otherwise, as stated above, a label of “Authentic” will be assigned or, in some cases, the cards may fall short of the size requirement altogether. This is not an exact science. PSA will do its best to provide consistent guidelines for these types of cards.

In addition, PSA will allow cards that have had a coupon or tab removed from the original card to be submitted under this service. For example, if a 1952 Red Man Tobacco card is cut at or outside of the established tab line, the card would be eligible to receive a numerical grade. On the other hand, if the 1952 Red Man Tobacco card is cut inside of the line (the line where the tab meets the interior of the card), then the PSA graders will be precluded from entering a numerical grade. Cards that are cut within the limits established for a particular issue will be encapsulated and designated as “authentic” by PSA. All of the cards eligible for this service will be designated as “Hand-Cut” on the PSA label to distinguish them from the intact, “with tab” or “with coupon” examples.

PSA suggests that, in order to achieve the highest grades, the cuts of the cards should be relatively close to the visible borders without exceeding the limit. Cards that exhibit a clean, accurate and properly shaped cut have the best chance at achieving the highest grades. Eye appeal is very important. When it comes to excess paper or cardboard around the edges of the visible borders, the graders will place significant importance on overall eye appeal. Keep in mind that all cards of this type will be designated as “Hand-Cut” on the PSA label for accuracy. In addition, if the customer chooses, PSA will grade and encapsulate entire panels if those panels will fit in any of our current PSA holders. With the exception of the aforementioned items, normal grading criteria will apply.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EYE APPEAL AND SUBJECTIVITY IN GRADING

Over the years, more and more collectors have come to understand the basic guidelines behind PSA grading. After grading for well over a decade, PSA grading standards have truly become the official standard for the most valuable cards in the hobby. That being said, there are a host of grading questions that arise and the one basic question that comes up the most has to do with eye appeal and centering.

While it’s true that a large part of grading is objective (locating print defects, staining, surface wrinkles, measuring centering, etc.), the other component of grading is somewhat subjective. The best way to define the subjective element is to do so by posing a question: What will the market accept for this particular issue?

Again, the vast majority of grading is applied with a basic, objective standard but no one can ignore the small (yet sometimes significant) subjective element. This issue will usually arise when centering and/or eye appeal are in question. For example, while most cards fall clearly within the centering guidelines for a particular grade, some cards fall either just within or just outside the printed centering standards. The key point to remember is that the graders reserve the right, based on the strength or weakness of the eye appeal, to make a judgment call on the grade of a particular card.

What does this mean exactly?

Well, take this example. Let’s say you have a 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax rookie card that is right on the edge of the acceptable guidelines for centering in a particular grade. The 1955 Koufax

card has a yellow background that tends to blend with the border of the card. In other words, the contrast isn’t great, so poor centering may not be much of an eyesore – the borders are not clearly defined. In this case, if the card exhibits extremely strong characteristics in other areas (color, corners, etc.), an exception may be made to allow an otherwise slightly off-center card to fall within an unqualified grade (no OC qualifier). This is a rare occurrence but it does happen.

On the other hand, there are cards that technically fall within the printed PSA Grading Standards that may be prevented from reaching a particular unqualified grade because the eye appeal becomes an issue. For example, a 1957 Topps Sandy Koufax card has great contrast between the white borders and the picture because the background is very dark. It is possible that a 1957 Topps Sandy Koufax, one that technically measures for a particular grade – let’s say 70/30, may be prevented from reaching that unqualified grade because the market would view that card as off-center – based on eye appeal issues. Again, this is a rare occurrence but it does happen from time to time when a judgment call has to be made on a card that pushes the limits for centering.

In conclusion, the issues discussed do not apply to the vast majority of cards that filter through the PSA grading process each day but this is an issue that needed some clarification in the marketplace. The bottom line is that there are times when a PSA grader must make a call on a card that falls on the line between two grades and that final determination is made based on experience, eye appeal and market acceptability.

134 Warren Spahn 110 180 525 3250

Ted Kluszewski 60 100 175 1900 151 Larry Doby 65 100 235 1650 165 Ted Williams 930 1400 4600 34400 181 Casey Stengel 65 115 300 1650 183 Hank Bauer 65 85 150 1250 186 Richie Ashburn 75 150 290 3000 198 Monte Irvin 800 925 1400 19750 232 Nellie Fox 275 475 1075 3700 233 Leo Durocher 60 85 165 850 253 Mickey Mantle 42300+ 73800- 406100- 3122000+

254 Jackie Jensen 65 120 325 2500

258 Luke Easter 60 80 185 2200

260 Carl Erskine 70 125 325 1750

275 Bucky Harris 60 75 300 2000

282 Frankie Frisch 60 90 350 2300

290 Bill Dickey 75 125 310 2200

295 Al Lopez 70 85 120 1200

305 Willie Mays 24300+ 41600- 154200- 951500306 Jim Piersall 80 130 265 3500

314 Johnny Sain 60 75 125 1150

317 Smoky Burgess 75 105 185 3500

319 Red Rolfe 60 75 195 1150

322 Luke Sewell 60 75 105 1150

323 Joe Adcock 60 100 275 2500

324 Johnny Pramesa 60 100 350 4500

1952 TOPPS

1 Andy Pafko 2400 10000 57500

2 James E. Runnels 400 1100 4750 18000

3 Hank Thompson 125 300 2500 7500

7 Wayne Terwilliger 110 250 1500 10000

9 Bobby Hogue 110 375 2300 10000

10 Al Rosen 135 250 1250 6500

11 Phil Rizzuto 350 700 4500 10000

12 Monty Basgall 80 185 1450 3000

15 Johnny Pesky 90 200 550 3000

17 Jim Hegan 85 225 700 3500

19 Johnny Bucha 120 250 1350 3500

20 Billy Loes 185 750 3250 8500

22 Dom DiMaggio 210 465 2000 5500

26 Monte Irvin 120 250 775 4500 29 Ted Kluszewski 135 350 2000 5500

30 Mel Parnell 100 275 1000 3250

31 Gus Zernial 85 200 600 2200

32 Eddie Robinson 110 500 2200 5500 33 Warren Spahn 190 425 2000 8000 35 Hank Sauer 100 200 1000 3250 36 Gil Hodges 275 425 2880 9000 37 Duke Snider 225 450 2000 20000

41 Bob Wellman 90 200 950 3500 42 Lou Kretlow 90 225 1350 4250 43 Ray Scarborough 90 200 1200 3750 45 Eddie Joost 90 210 750 2800

46 Gordon Goldsberry 90 220 1900 5000 47 Willie Jones 90 200 600 4500 48 Joe Page (correct bio) 110 300 1150 4250 48 Joe Page (error) 1150 3000 8000 20000 49 Johnny Sain (correct bio) 125 400 3000 6500

BOWMAN

Buyer's Guide

Buyer's Guide

Welcome back to the PSA Buyer’s Guide. This represents our second effort in as many months at producing a catalog-inspired, standalone supplement to PSA Magazine. This print destination will continue to showcase an incredible assortment of trading cards and other sought-after collectibles from several PSA Dealer Partners to whet your collecting appetites.

In this particular edition we’re excited to unveil a bevy of top-notch items headed to auction over the next few months. For example, from Goldin, you’ll find five coveted items including a 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady #236 rookie card in PSA 9 — with a starting bid of just $5! Other highlighted items include a pair of rare Pokémon cards from Heritage (a 1999 Charizard Holo - 1st Edition in PSA 10 and a 1997 Japanese Promo Trophy Pikachu in PSA 8), both of which might break the bank with sales that could top $250,000 each; and two pre war baseball cards from Love of the Game (a 1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb - Bat on Shoulder and a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #181, both in PSA 4) that will surely ignite bidding wars.

Once again, hobby supply companies are featured in earnest inside our “Supply Chest” section offering the best array of items geared at preserving and protecting your personal collection. All the usual suspects can be found, from Cardboard Gold (Card Savers) and Card Shells (Hero Diamond Shell cases) to Graded Guard (protective single-card cases) and Zion Cases (colorful carrying cases that hold up to 110 PSA-encapsulated cards).

As promised, we’re including a timely show schedule starting with this issue that pinpoints important industry events taking place over the next six months. Did you know that Collect-a-Con Orlando (Feb. 25-26) and the Chicago Sports Spectacular (Mar. 17 to 19) are right around the corner? And that the National Sports Collectors Convention is heading back to Chicago (July 26 to 30) for the third time in five years? Of course you did, but we want to keep you in the know with everything that’s happening in our beloved hobby.

We hope you'll enjoy this catalog and find some special items to add to your collecting pursuits.

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30 18-20 19, 21 Inside Back Cover 17 31 14, 27 Cover, 7, 8 15, 20 Inside Front Cover, 1-2, 8-9 32

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Robert Edward Auctions Rockhurst Auctions Sirius Sports Cards University Archives Zion Cases

22 9, 11 9, 23 4-5, 10 12-13 10, 15 6, 10, Back Cover 23 31 26 20

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1996

2012

1999

1997

TCG

Super Mario Bros. 2

[Oval SOQ TM, Mid-Production]

NES Nintendo 1988 USA WATA 9.2/A SEALED

Nintendo 8 to 64-Bit Showcase 1.12 - 2.9 No Minimum Starting Bid HA.com/videogames

Donkey Kong 3

[Rev-A, Round SOQ, Last Production] (The Hawaii Collection)

NES Nintendo 1986 USA WATA 9.4/A SEALED

Nintendo 8 to 64-Bit Showcase

1.12 - 2.9

No Minimum Starting Bid HA.com/videogames

1909-11 T206

Ty Cobb (Bat On Shoulder)

PSA 4

February Internet Auction 1.26 - 2.11

Minimum Bid: $500 LoveoftheGameAuctions.com

1933 Goudey

Babe Ruth #181

PSA 4

February Internet Auction

1.26 - 2.11

Minimum Bid: $2,000 LoveoftheGameAuctions.com

Bill Russell

1956 Boston Celtics

Rookie Season Type 1 Photo

PSA AUTH Price: $8,500

Charlie Barokas

eBay: ManOnTheRock

Satchel Paige

1948 Cleveland Indians

Rookie Season Type 1 Photo

PSA AUTH Price: $7,500

Charlie Barokas eBay: ManOnTheRock

1952 Topps

Jackie Robinson #312

PSA 8

Spring 2023 Auction

Minimum Bid: $50,000 MemoryLaneInc.com

1969 Topps

Mickey Mantle #500 (Last Name in White) PSA 8

Spring 2023 Auction

Minimum Bid: $15,000 MemoryLaneInc.com

2017 Bowman Chrome Prospects

Ronald Acuna Jr.

Gold Refractor Autograph /50 PSA 10 Price: $49,999 eBay: pc_sportscards

2020 Panini Flawless

Justin Herbert #SLSJHE

RPA Nike Swoosh 1/1

PSA 9

Price: $49,999

eBay: pc_sportscards

1932 U. S. Caramel (R328)

Babe Ruth #32

PSA 8

February Encore Auction

2.9 - 2.19

Minimum Bid: $25,000

RobertEdwardAuctions.com

1953 Topps

Jackie Robinson #1

PSA 9

February Encore Auction

2.9 - 2.19

Minimum Bid: $50,000

RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Up to $9.99 $3.00 Flat

$10 - $49.99 83% - $1

$50 - $99.99 85%

$100 - $499.99 86%

$500 - $999.99 87%

$1,000 - $2,499.99 88%

$2,500 - $4,999.99 90%

$5,000 - $9,999.99 92%

$10,000 - $24,999.99 93%

Schedule 2023 Show Schedule 2023

�� DATE �� NAME

1.20 - 1.22

2.2 - 2.4

2.3 - 2.5

2.9 - 2.12

2.25 - 2.26

3.17 - 3.19

3.30 - 4.2

3.31 - 4.2

5.18 - 5.21

5.20 - 5.21

6.22 - 6.24

6.23 - 6.25

7.15 - 7.16

7.20 - 7.23

7.26 - 7.30

NTWRK x PSA Event

Long Beach Expo

Tri-Star Houston Collectors Show

Burbank Card Show

Collect-A-Con Orlando Chicago Sports Spectacular

The Mint Collective Midwest Gaming Classic

The Dallas Card Show

Boston - The Fenway Card Show

Long Beach Expo

Too Many Games Expo

Collect-a-Con Kansas City

Comic Con San Diego

The National

�� LOCATION �� ON-SITE �� CATEGORY

Los Angeles, CA Long Beach, CA Houston, TX Ontario, CA Orlando, FL Chicago, IL Las Vegas, NV Milwaukee, WI Dallas, TX Boston, MA Long Beach, CA Oaks, PA Kansas City, MO San Diego, CA Chicago, IL

PSA PSA, Wata, PCGS PSA PSA PSA, Wata PSA PSA Wata PSA PSA PSA, Wata, PCGS Wata PSA, WATA PSA, WATA PSA, WATA

Cards

Cards, Video Games, Coins Cards, Autographs Sports Cards Pop Culture Sports Cards Sports Cards Video Games Cards, Autographs Cards, Autographs Cards, Video Games, Coins Video Games Pop Culture Pop Culture Cards, Autographs

Show schedule is subject to change. Please visit www.PSAcard.com/shows for updates.

2023 Show Schedule

Supply Chest Supply Chest Supply

Cardboard Gold

CardboardGold.com cardboardgold@gmail.com

Card Saver I (Case/2,000): $149

For more than 35 years, Cardboard Gold has been one of the industry's most popular sources for the highest quality supplies at the lowest, factory direct prices. Its popular Card Saver 1 is slightly oversized for easy insertion and removal of sports trading cards. This product is recommended by PSA and most PSA dealers for card submissions. There’s a reason 400 million Card Savers have been sold since Cardboard Gold introduced the product at the 1987 National Sports Collectors Convention.

Card Shellz

CardShellz.com support@cardshellz.com

HERO Diamond Shell: $10

HERO Diamond Shell cases are made from lightweight ultra-strong polycarbonate and offer additional protection for your standardsized PSA graded cards. HERO Diamond Shells are 30 times stronger than acrylic and scratch resistant, while also providing UV protection so your cards will not be damaged by destructive lighting. The snap shut latch perfectly blends ease of use with the comfort of security.

Registry Set Registry Set Registry

THE WATCHLIST

THE FOLLOWING

Q&A

WITH

POKÉMON

PRODIGY MAX LEE (AKA @MAXMAXCITY) IS A COMPANION PIECE TO A MUCH LARGER FEATURE ARTICLE (“MAD MAX: VICTORY ROAD”) THAT CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEB. 2022 ISSUE OF PSA MAGAZINE .

PSA BUYER’S GUIDE: What was your latest hobby acquisition and why was it important?

MAX LEE: “A 1996 Bandai Carddass Charizard Prism [Green] in PSA 10. This is Charizard’s ‘rookie card’ from the very first Pokémon card set released in Japan. I am officially the first person in the world to ever collect all 24 rare prisms in PSA 10 grade from the very first Pokémon card set ever released to the public, and this was the very last piece I needed. This historic set was designed with different features that connected to the original Pokémon Game Boy games that were released in Japan [Pokémon Green & Pokémon Red] with the biggest connection being that each Pokémon card was printed with two different background color variants to them — green and red. Therefore, the set that I completed was a total of 24 different rare prism cards that featured 12 different Pokémon [12 green prisms & 12 red prisms] in PSA 10 grade. The official name of the Japanese Pokémon card ‘rookie set’ is the ‘1996 Bandai Carddass Vending’ set. Bandai is the company that produced the cards, and Carddass is the term for the machines where these cards were dispensed. This set was first released to the public on Sept. 21, 1996, and predates the release of the original Japanese TCG Pokémon Base Set by roughly four weeks.”

PSA BG: What is the next card you hope to acquire (and why)?

ML: “The next grail card that I am chasing is a Ken

Sugimori autographed Pokémon card. Sugimori is one of the most important figures behind the creation of Pokémon, and is responsible for the original artwork for the first 151 Pokémon. Sugimori has not attended a public signing event in over 15 years, and it is believed by many collectors that he won’t ever sign again, making his autograph one of the most valuable and heavily desired signatures in the entire hobby. The autograph market for illustrators in the Pokémon card-collecting market has truly been one of the most exciting sides of the hobby to track. A lot of illustrators rarely make appearances for signings, and The Pokémon Company has a lot of rules that they ensure their illustrators abide by when signing autographs.

“The most notable new rule is for the illustrators to ‘personalize’ each new autograph that they sign [e.g.; “To Max”]. It is believed that this was mandated to protect the illustrators and to also discourage individuals who were attending signing events with the sole purpose of getting as many cards signed as they could and reselling them for the maximum amount of profit. This made the value of any autograph that was not personalized skyrocket. Interestingly, the demand for Pokémon autographs has not seen any drop-off with the new personalization rules that The Pokémon Company has mandated. Demand is still insane and signing events with Pokémon artists Kouki Saitou and Mitsuhiro Arita that happened earlier this year had some collectors waiting up to 12 hours in line solely to acquire an autograph.”

PSA BG: What’s the one card that constantly eludes you?

ML: “That’s the Bandai Starters #000 secret checklist card from the iconic 1997 Pocket Monsters Carddass Pokémon card set in PSA 10 grade [PSA 10 population is only 21 at this time]. If I had to choose one Pokémon card to represent the entirety of the Pokémon hobby, I would undoubtedly choose this card. This piece is truly mesmerizing and is able to magically capture the raw emotion and deep nostalgia that is deeply packed within the Pokémon community. This is my personal favorite Pokémon card artwork of all time, and I fell in love with the piece the second I laid my eyes on it. This set is truly Ken Sugimori art at his best, as he designed every single card art for the entirety of

Registry Set Registry Set Registry

this set [151 cards plus two secret cards] with most of the artwork featured being exclusive to the set. This card in PSA 10 grade rarely ever shows up for sale or auction and tends to only pop its head when I am least expecting it. One of these days this legendary card in PSA 10 will have to be part of my collection.”

PSA BG: What is the "grail" item you hope to own one day?

ML: “The 1996 Corocoro Glossy Ivy Pikachu in PSA 10 grade. This is the very first example of Pikachu on any Pokémon TCG and predates the Japanese ‘No Rarity’ base set Pikachu by a total of five days. Only two PSA 10s have ever been graded. I love the historical vintage significance of this Pikachu. The Japanese Pokémon TCG [Base Set] was first released on Oct. 20, 1996, and prior to the release of the TCG Base Set, there was a two-card special Pokémon TCG promo that was released five days prior on October 15, 1996. The two-card TCG promo was distributed through the release of a Corocoro monthly magazine/comic subscription and was found within an attachable appendix inside the comic/magazine near the back of the book. The cards were then meant to be peeled out from the appendix.

“The two Pokémon that were featured in this small Pokémon TCG promo were Pikachu and Jigglypuff. The cards in this set are most notably recognized for the unique glossy surface on the card fronts which makes them prone to damage. These promo cards are also known to regularly have poor centering and are commonly damaged on the edges from when they were originally peeled from the appendix; sometimes the glue from the appendix stuck to the card and damaged it. All of those contributing factors play into why this Pikachu is so extremely challenging to find in PSA 10. The artwork featured on the glossy Ivy Pikachu was reprinted a number of times in later card sets and many of them are difficult to tell apart from one another. The secret to being able to correctly identify this particular Ivy Pikachu card is by looking at the illustrator listed on the card. On this first release, the card was mistakenly printed with Ken Sugimori as the illustrator instead of the card’s true artist, Keiji Kinebuchi.”

the midas touch

Going once, going twice, going three times with

By Ben Magalaner

One of the baseball collecting hobby's most popular error cards set a monumental new record with a $170,400 sale of Frank Thomas' coveted "No Name on Front" error rookie card. This card — the sole copy with the unsurpassable PSA 10 grade — eclipsed the previous record sale by nearly $150,000 per Card Ladder's data and potentially redefined the market for error cards. This completely unique Panini Immaculate Collection Logoman Autograph collectible broke new ground as a record sale for a card featuring John Stockton as the sole subject, per Card Ladder, at a final sale price of $26,400. Stockton — the NBA's all-time assists and steals leader — is accompanied on the card by a stellar gameworn NBA Logoman patch and vibrant blue-ink signature. NBA superstars from the 1990s remain one of the hobby's favorite subjects, and Panini's high-end Immaculate Collection never fails to present the legends in artistic form.

Trevor Lawrence has been one of football's most heralded quarterback prospects, and his rookie cards continue to command unparalleled interest. With 48 bids, this eyepopping Panini Donruss Optic Downtown White Sparkle piece was the most-bid-on item in Goldin's 2022 December Elite Auction. And with a final sale price of $42,000, this one-of-a-kind card is the most expensive non-auto, non-patch Lawrence card ever recorded by Card Ladder.

Drysdale

Mazeroski

Jim Rivera YL 55 175 750

Billy Hoeft YL 40 100 515 19 New York Giants 30 55 325 1800 20 Gil McDougald 20 38 125 500 20 Gil McDougald YL 60 125 475 2000 23 Bill Tuttle 10 18 135 650 24 Hobie Landrith YL 40 90 450 1850 25 Don Drysdale 50 125 600 3000 30 Hank Aaron 225 400 2800 24000 30 Hank Aaron YL 575 1000 4000 19000 33 Cal Neeman YL 40 100 275 1150 35 Don Mossi YL 40 80 200 1400 37 Mike McCormick 10 20 135 2500 40 George Kell 35 40 150 750 42 Johnny Roseboro 25 60 315 1400

44 Senator’s Team 20 35 315 900

46 Lou Sleater 10 18 85 900

46 Lou Sleater YL 40 90 550

47 Roger Maris 510 970 4600 24200

50 Billy Pierce YL 45 90 235 900

52 Roberto Clemente 500 950 3400 45000

52 Roberto Clemente YL 350 1000 4000 60000

53 Morrie Martin YL 40 90 265 1750

57 Tim Thompson YL 40 90 265 850

60 Del Ennis YL 40 85 230

61 Darrell Johnson YL 50 100 475

65 Von McDaniel YL 45 95 750 3500

70 Al Kaline 55 110 350 1400

70 Al Kaline YL 165 275 1100 4000

71 Dodgers Team 45 90 425 2200

77 Don Zimmer YL 60 120 450 2500

78 Ernie Johnson 15 75 550 1450

78 Ernie Johnson YL 50 165 1000 3000

79 Dick Williams YL 50 100 325 2500

85 Luis Aparicio 25 55 165 1150

85 Luis Aparicio YL 65 150 2000 4500

88 Duke Snider 55 110 450 4250

90 Robin Roberts 25 45 135 950

92 Clint Courtney YL 40 90 250 1500

97 Larry Jackson YL 40 90 350 1500

98 Billy Hunter YL 40 90 400 1750

100 Early Wynn YL 55 110 235 750 101 Bobby Richardson 20 40 140 1000 101 Bobby Richardson YL 55 115 375 2500 142 Enos Slaughter 22 36 110 300 150 Mickey Mantle 1400- 2300- 10900- 85800162 Gil Hodges 30 50 110 600 187 Sandy Koufax 150 300 1200 6500 230 Richie Ashburn 20 40 100 525 238 Bill Mazeroski 25 45 285 1850 240 Moose Skowron 22 35 95 450 246 Yankees Team 65 150 900 4500 256 White Sox Team 15 35 250 2750 270 Warren ahn 55 95 350 1200 271 Billy Martin 24 38 75 475 275 Elston Howard 24 40 135 1000 285 Frank Robinson 75 110 350 3750 288 Harmon Killebrew 60 110 300 1400 289 Series Hurling Rivals (Burdette/Shantz) 15 30 275 1100 296 Ryne Duren 10 22 300 800 304 Tigers Big Bats (Kaline, etc.) 30 55 140 475 307 Brooks Robinson 70 150 525 2200 310 Ernie Banks 75 150 350 2500 312 Boston Red Sox 22 40 200 3000 314 Dodgers’ Boss & Power (Snider,Alston) 30 55 140 500 320 Whitey Ford 80 120 275 1500 321 Sluggers Supreme (Williams/Klu) 60 125 300 900

1959 TOPPS

Nellie Fox 20 32 80 425

2014 BOWMAN DRAFT

2015 BOWMAN

2016 BOWMAN

2016 BOWMAN CHROME

2019 BOWMAN

JRO

JRO

JRO

BP-100

JRO

JRO Julio Rodriguez Chrome Prospect Autographs 910+ 1600-

JRO Julio Rodriguez Chrome Prospect Autographs

Purple Refractor /250 1700 4500

JRO Julio Rodriguez Chrome Prospect Autographs Gold Shimmer Refractor /50 6200 9700

WF Wander Franco Chrome Prospect Autographs 550 1600+

BOWMAN DRAFT

Refractor

CDAST Spencer Torkelson Chrome Draft

Autographs Gold Wave Refractor /50

CDAST Spencer Torkelson Chrome Draft Picks Autographs Refractor /499

CDAST Spencer Torkelson Chrome Draft Picks Autographs Blue Wave Refractor /150

Refractor /150

Torkelson Chrome Draft Picks Autographs Black Refractor /75

1987 FLEER

PSA 9 PSA 10

1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) 100+ 560 2 Michael Jordan Sticker 890 20000 2 Alvan Adams 720 2100 3 Mark Aguirre 410 2600 4 Danny Ainge 310 1100 5 John Bagley 120+ 1800 6 Thurl Bailey 120- 3200 7 Greg Ballard 650 1600 8 Gene Banks 250 2600 9 Charles Barkley 170+ 2300 10 Benoit Benjamin 70- 1800 11 Larry Bird 190- 2600 12 Rolando Blackman 180- 460 13 Manute Bol 70 5500 14 Tony Brown 90 1700 15 Michael Cage 130 1000 16 Joe Barry Carroll 60 2900 17 Bill Cartwright 60 1300 18 Terry Catledge 140 2600 19 Tom Chambers 60 250 20 Maurice Cheeks 70 240 22 Dave Corzine 130- 1200 23 Terry Cummings 100 1100 24 Adrian Dantley 40 430 25 Brad Daugherty 50- 900+ 26 Walter Davis 40 430 27 Johnny Dawkins 90 320 28 James Donaldson 40 340 29 Larry Drew 100 180 30 Clyde Drexler 40- 1600 31 Joe Dumars 30 180 32 Mark Eaton 30 240 33 Dale Ellis 310 3900 34 Alex English 20- 240 35 Julius Erving 50- 1200 36 Mike Evans 20 260 37 Patrick Ewing 30- 1400 38 Vern Fleming 50 370 39 Eric Floyd 40 70 40 Artis Gilmore 40 340 41 Mike Gminski 40 150 42 AC Green 20 210 43 Rickey Green 70 190 44 Sidney Green 140 5700 45 Dave Greenwood 30 90 46 Darrell Griffith 70 230 47 Bill Hanzlik 30 130 48 Derek Harper 50 160 49 Ron Harper 70+ 230 50 Gerald Henderson 20 290 51 Roy Hinson 10 120 52 Craig Hodges 20- 110 53 Phil Hubbard 100 390 54 Dennis Johnson 40 100 55 Eddie Johnson 20 60 56 Magic Johnson 70- 1700 57 Steve Johnson 30 200 58 Vinnie Johnson 30 190 59 Michael Jordan 1200 14500 60 Jerome Kersey 20- 130 61 Bill Laimbeer 20 220 62 Lafayette Lever 40 1200 63 Cliff Levingston 20 290 64 Alton Lister 210 19200 65 John Long 20+ 610 66 John Lucas 610 4400 67 Jeff Malone 20- 60

FLAIR SHOWCASE

Doncic Purple 200- 750

Luka Doncic Premium Box /249 520 1200

Luka Doncic Pink /25 2000 4300

Luka Doncic Rated Rookie Signatures Autograph 1900 2500

Luka Doncic Choice 360+ 1800

Luka Doncic Shock 160+ 470-

Luka Doncic 70+ 190

Luka Doncic Holo 360 1300+

Luka Doncic Pink Velocity /79 2000 3600

Luka Doncic Blue Velocity 230+ 750

Luka Doncic Blue /49 5100 12300

Luka Doncic Orange /199 880 2100+

2018 PANINI

2018 PRIZM

Phenoms Silver 50- 10078 Trae Young Red /299 830 1200 78 Trae Young Green 40 11078 Trae Young Red Ice 90+ 290184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 20- 60184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Blue /199 1000 1600+ 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Red /299 230 980 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Silver 70- 470 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Purple Wave 90- 690 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Pink Ice 70+ 160184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Mojo /25 4200 8800 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Choice Red /88 410 2000 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Red White Blue 30- 130184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Hyper 50- 580 280 Luka Doncic Orange /49 12700 23900 280 Luka Doncic 110- 340+ 280 Luka Doncic Silver 580 1900 3 Luka Doncic Luck of the Lottery - Silver 150 30015 Kobe Bryant Silver 30- 10023 Luka Doncic Freshman Phenoms 20- 7032 Michael Porter Jr. Pink Pulsar /42 60 250 32 Michael Porter Jr. Silver 30- 9078 Trae Young Purple Wave 90- 450 78 Trae Young White Sparkle 890 7200 78 Trae Young 20- 6078 Trae Young Silver 60- 320184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Blue Yellow Green 150 220280 Luka Doncic Purple /75 5500 8600 SSMPJ Michael Porter Jr. Sensational Signatures 10 40184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Purple /75 780 2200 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Pink Pulsar /42 870 1400 280 Luka Doncic Green 400+ 810 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Green 30- 200+ 280 Luka Doncic Purple Pulsar /35 5200 9300 32 Michael Porter Jr. Red /299 70 160 68 Kevin Huerter Silver 10+ 30 78 Trae Young Choice Red /88 1300 1700 78 Trae Young Hyper 50 33078 Trae Young Purple /75 560 1900 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Purple Ice /149 330- 1600 184 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Tiger Stripe 1100 3100+ 280 Luka Doncic Blue Yellow Green 1700 2700 280 Luka Doncic

Blue /199 260 670-

288 Darius Garland Blue Ice /99 500 1500

288 Darius Garland Tiger Stripe 730 2200+

288 Darius Garland Purple Wave 30- 130

8

ZWL Zion Williamson Sensational Swatches 30+ 50

8 Kobe Bryant 20- 50+

Kobe Bryant Green 10 50

75 Luka Doncic Silver 10- 60-

98 Stephen Curry Silver 40+ 70-

129 LeBron James Silver 20+ 90-

248

248

Zion Williamson Red Ice 160+ 730

Zion Williamson Blue Ice /99 3400+ 8700

248 Zion Williamson Ball In One Hand 70+ 210+

248 Zion Williamson Blue Shimmer 1100 3200 248 Zion Williamson Red /299 790+ 1700 248 Zion Williamson Green 100+ 290+ 249 Ja Morant Tiger Stripe 2200 6900 249 Ja Morant Pink Ice 120 750+ 249 Ja Morant Orange Ice 120- 600+ 249 Ja Morant Blue /199 1600 7000+ 259 Tyler Herro Red Ice 30 80 259 Tyler Herro Red/White/Blue 20+ 30+ 267 Grant Williams Silver 10 20267 Grant Williams 20 20 272 Jordan Poole Orange Ice 30- 90272 Jordan Poole Purple /75 420 500 272 Jordan Poole Pink Pulsar /42 250 740 272 Jordan

2020 PRIZM

Ionescu Silver 40 680

Tyrese Maxey Silver 30- 280256 Tyrese Maxey 20+ 40-

258

Anthony Edwards Red/White/Blue 30- 170+

258 Anthony Edwards Blue Ice /125 860 6200

258

Anthony Edwards Orange /49 4400 15200

258 Anthony Edwards Mojo /25 3900 11900

258

258

258

Anthony Edwards Orange Wave /60 1800 2400

Anthony Edwards Green Ice 490 510-

Anthony Edwards Gold Shimmer /10 9300 9500

258 Anthony Edwards Blue Yellow Green 370+ 530

258

258

Anthony Edwards Gold Wave 450 1600

Anthony Edwards 20- 60-

258 Anthony Edwards Hyper 80+ 580+

258

Anthony Edwards Purple Pulsar /35 1200 1900

258 Anthony Edwards Purple Ice /175 740 2100

258

Anthony Edwards Blue Wave 80- 330-

258 Anthony Edwards Pink Ice 50- 160-

258 Anthony Edwards Red Ice 50- 220-

258 Anthony Edwards Blue /199 830 4400

258

258

258

258

258

258

258

Anthony Edwards Green Pulsar /25 1700 2400

Anthony Edwards Tiger Stripe 3000 5700

Anthony Edwards Choice Blue /49 940 2000

Anthony Edwards Green 30- 170-

Anthony Edwards Purple /99 530- 2000-

Anthony Edwards Silver 90- 610-

Anthony Edwards Blue Shimmer /35 1500 3700

258 Anthony Edwards Red /299 340 1100

258 Anthony Edwards Purple Wave 170 420

258

Anthony Edwards Orange Ice 90+ 170-

278 LaMelo Ball Purple Ice /175 450 1900 278 LaMelo Ball Silver 140 880 278 LaMelo Ball 20+ 50278 LaMelo Ball Blue /199 340 3000 278 LaMelo Ball Orange Wave /60 960 2300 278 LaMelo Ball Hyper 60- 390 278 LaMelo Ball Red /299 360 870-

LaMelo Ball Orange /49 1000 7500

LaMelo Ball Purple /99 710- 1100

Desmond Bane Blue Ice /125 270 980

Desmond Bane Silver 30- 210+

Desmond Bane Blue /199 180 740

Allen Gold /10 72700 164200 205 Josh Allen Light Blue Die-Cut /199 600 1200207 DJ Moore 20 30 209 Calvin Ridley Silver 30 180 212 Lamar Jackson Red White Blue 140 250 212 Lamar Jackson 30- 150213 Nick Chubb 20- 40213 Nick Chubb Silver 80 260 215 Courtland Sutton 20 70 226 Michael Gallup 20 20 243 Minkah Fitzpatrick 10 30 JA Josh Allen Rookie Autographs Pink 1800 4100 102 Patrick Mahomes II Gold /10 11000 36200 102 Patrick Mahomes II Green 70 140 201 Baker Mayfield 10+ 30+

DONRUSS ROAD TO QATAR

1999 YU-GI-OH! JAPANESE VOLUME 1

PSA 9 PSA 10

Commons 50+ 200+

Rares 75+ 400+

Archfiend Marmot of Nefariousness 75+ 300+

Archfiend Mirror 75+ 300+

Beast Fangs 75+ 400+

Book of Secret Arts 75+ 400+

Candle of Fate 75+ 300+

Curtain of the Dark Ones 75+ 300+

Dark Gray 50+ 200+

Dark Hole 100+ 500+

Dark Magician 500- 2500+

Eyearmor 75+ 300+

Fiend’s Hand 75+ 300+

Fire Reaper 75+ 300+

Firegrass 50+ 200+

Fissure 100+ 500+

Gaia the Fierce Knight 200+ 800+

Haniwa 75+ 300+

Hitodenchak 75+ 300+

Hitotsu-Me Giant 50+ 200+

Hourglass of Life 75+ 300+

Kagemusha of the Blue Flame 50+ 200+

Kurama 50+ 200+

LaLa Li-oon 75+ 300+

Legendary Sword 75+ 400+

Mammoth Graveyard 50+ 200+

Meotoko 75+ 300+

Nemuriko 50+ 200+

Petit Angel 50+ 200+

Petit Dragon 50+ 200+

Power of Kaishin 75+ 400+

Red Medicine 50+ 200+

Sectarian of Secrets 75+ 300+

Silver Fang 50+ 200+

Sparks 50+ 200+

The Drdek 75+ 300+

The Furious Sea King 50+ 200+

Thunder Kid 75+ 300+

Tomozaurus 75+ 300+

Trap Hole 100+ 500+

Violet Crystal 75+ 400+

Winged Cleaver 75+ 300+

PSA 9 PSA 10

Kanan the Swordmistress 10000- 220001999 YU-GI-OH! JAPANESE PROMO PSA 9 PSA 10

Blue-Eyes White Dragon (V JUMP Festa 1999) 50000 125000

Blue-Eyes White Dragon (V JUMP Magazine) 14000+ 35000+

Celtic Guardian (V JUMP Special Present Set B) 12000 24000

Dark King of the Abyss (V JUMP Special Present Set B) 8500 13000

Dark Magician (Weekly Shonen JUMP) 7500+ 15000+

Duelist Kingdom (Tokyo Dome Tournament) 350 1000

Gate Guardian (Tokyo Dome Tournament) 175 500

Glory of the King’s Hand (Tokyo Dome Tournament) 350 1000

Kanan the Swordmistress (V JUMP Special Present Set A) 14000 35000

Magician of Black Chaos (Tokyo Dome Tournament) 175 500

Sengenjin (Tokyo Dome Tournament) 8000 16000

Serpent Night Dragon (Tokyo Dome Tournament) 20000 35000

Set Sail for the Kingdom (Tokyo Dome Tournament) 350 1000

The 13th Grave (V JUMP Special Present Set A) 8500 13000

Tri-Horned Dragon (Tokyo Dome Tournament) 750 2500

Trial of Nightmare (V JUMP Special Present Set A) 8500 13000

Turtle Tiger (V JUMP Special Present Set B) 8500 13000

1999 YU-GI-OH! JAPANESE STARTER BOX

PSA 9 PSA 10

Commons 60+ 150+

Ancient Tree of Englightenment

Blue-Eyes

Change

Charubin the Fire Knight 60+ 150+

Dark Prisoner 75+ 200+

Darkfire Dragon 60+ 150+

Dragon Capture Jar 60+ 150+

Fiend Reflection #2 60+ 150+

Flame Ghost 60+ 150+

Flame Manipulator 60+ 150+

Flame Swordsman 175+ 1250+

Fusionist 60+ 150+

Genin 75+ 200+

Green Phantom King 60+ 150+

Hinotama 60+ 150+

Hinotama Soul 60+ 150+

Kageningen 75+ 150+

Key Mace 75+ 200+

King Fog 60+ 150+

Lunar Queen Elzaim 150+ 300+

Madjinn Gunn 75+ 200+

Masaki the Legendary Swordsman 60+ 150+

Masked Clown 60+ 150+

Monster Egg 60+ 150+

Monsturtle 75+ 200+

Mooyan Curry 60+ 150+

Mountain 140+ 500+

Mountain Warrior 75+ 200+

Mystery Hand 75+ 200+

Mystical Sheep #2 60+ 150+

Necrolancer the Time-Lord 75+ 200+

Polymerization 85+ 350+

Raigeki 85+ 350+

Ray & Temperature 60+ 150+

Remove

Serpent Marauder 75+ 200+

Two-Mouth

CREDITS

Jayson Tatum Cover

Copyright 2022 NBAE Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Joel Embiid Cover Tim Nwachukwu/Staff/Getty Images

LeBron James Cover Photo

Copyright 2022 NBAE Atiba Jefferson/NBAE via Getty Images

Lombardi Party Photo Paul Spinelli via AP

Copyright 2022 by Collectors Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any kind without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. PSA Magazine is published monthly and nothing contained herein is a solicitation to buy or sell the listed cards by the publisher, editor, or staff.

Advertisements, articles and the price guide section of this magazine may occasionally contain inadvertent typographical errors, and market values that fluctuate. The publisher is not responsible for actions taken by any person as a result of such errors.

1999 YU-GI-OH! JAPANESE DUEL MONSTERS NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Jayson Tatum (Base)

Embiid SP (#/1000)

LeBron James (Base)

LeBron James SSP (#/100)