PSA Magazine: 2023 April #016

Senior Writer TODD TOBIAS

Contributing Writer RYAN PORTER

Contributing Writer JON GOLD

Contributing Writer DUSTIN PORRAS

Contributing Writer BEN MAGALANER Director of Advertising REBECCA TRAN Designer JACQUELINE FLOYD Photo Editor LUIS DE ALBA

Editor's Note

There is something undeniably optimistic about the beginning of the baseball season. Maybe it’s because it comes shortly after the new year, or that it’s a sign of spring and the days are getting longer. I remember being a kid and enjoying this time of year because my Houston Astros were back in the news and new baseball card releases were starting to show up at our local card shops.

Things are a bit different these days. The proliferation of online sports news outlets means that nearly all sports are discussed year-round, and new card sets seem to drop frequently. Still, it’s exciting to see baseball players in Arizona and Florida knocking the cover off the ball in spring training camps.

At PSA we don’t have the luxury of an off-season to relax, but this spring is still an exciting time for the company. We are moving forward at full speed to open our new grading facilities in New Jersey and Tokyo. The Goldin Marketplace is now open and is a fantastic opportunity for collectors to buy and sell their cards. We have improved the PSA app and added a new $30 service level to our ticket authentication and grading program. We recently expanded our imaging program to include all grading levels, meaning that we are now imaging every card (front and back) that is submitted

for grading and making those images available publicly. And we implemented yet another feature with imaging at the center: front and back images of every raw card submitted. Provided after the Research & ID stage, these images allow collectors to review their raw cards for consistency and report any identification errors to the proposed labels (flips) prior to grading.

The truth is we are bursting at the seams with plans to continue improving our current services and grow to serve the hobby in new and exciting ways. I am thrilled about all that is happening at PSA and how our team is able to adapt to the needs of the hobby and offer new services to streamline our customers’ hobby experiences.

It’s an exciting time to be a member of the hobby and a part of PSA.

Best,

Nat Turner CEO, Collectors

They had done a handful of trades in the previous several months, so when Mike Kadoch reached out to Grant Slayton one mid-January night and said, “Got any Jordans I want?” Slayton was not about to dismiss the inquiry. Slayton ran down his inventory in his head. SPx Grand Finale? Nah. Topps Finest Test Refractor? Mike had it.

“I said I didn’t, other than the Championship PMG, which is my favorite card,” Slayton said. “I sent him a picture and wrote, LOL.”

This was a 1997 SkyBox Metal Championship Precious Metal Gems of card No. 23, Michael Jordan, one of the iconic parallel cards in the legendary lore of His Airness, limited to just 50 copies, in a PSA 8 grade, one of only six, with only three PSA 9 versions grading higher.

Kadoch went silent.

Then the message came over.

There was no LOL in this message. Kadoch was dead serious. Slayton was intrigued.

And thus began the trade of the year, even if it’s only April: 301 of the most epic ‘90s parallels, modern Gold Prizms and defining rookie cards you could imagine for one of the best parallel cards of all time.

“I’LL TRADE YOU $400,000 FOR IT.”

THERE’S GETTING IN AT THE RIGHT TIME AND THEN THERE’S GETTING IN AT THE RIGHT TIME . ASK BITCOIN OWNERS THE DIFFERENCE.

As a child of the ‘90s, Slayton remembered growing up with just enough money to scrounge around a pack or two. He was enamored with the classic inserts of the day, but those might have been holy grails to him. Untouchable.

By the late-’90s, he’d move on to other things, always keeping one toe in the hobby.

Finally, in 2012, he dove back in.

In 1997, one of his neighbors pulled a Kobe Bryant 1997 Fleer Ultra Platinum Medallion, and every so often, even as he aged out of the hobby and onto other pursuits, Slayton thought about the card. Fifteen years later, Slayton looked up the old neighbor and asked if he still had the vaunted second-year Kobe. He did. Slayton hadn't looked up the value in years, but quickly found out that one had recently sold for $1,500. He was shocked. He was ready to fork over a small fortune, but the neighbor sold him that card and four others for $1,000. He sold the other four cards for $1,000 quickly and kept the Kobe. He still has it, with house money to buy more.

“The Kobe Platinum was my re-entry into the hobby and it just gripped me so hard,” he said. “Look, this was a tough scrape but I knew it was worth it. Money was not good, life was tough. I graduated and ran into a worldwide recession a year later. Got my real estate license two days after I turned 18 and jumped right into that game at the wrong time. Putting that money together was not easy at all.”

But it did prove to him that there were values to be had if he just looked hard enough, and boy did he look.

Craigslist, sports cards forums and eventually Facebook and more. He’d scour local Craigslist pages and pretend to be from those cities before saying, “By the way, I’m in Wisconsin.” He’d search Charlotte for Hornets greats and Milwaukee for the big Bucks. He’d pretend to be from Portland if he spotted a Clyde The Glide and Charlotte if he found a Grandmama. He found Reggies in Indy and The Admiral in San Antonio.

Little by little, he started building an absolute hoard of the best inserts and parallels of the ‘90’s most relevant — and very many irrelevant — players. He quickly learned that for every passionate Jordan and

Kobe collector there existed the world’s foremost Vinny Del Negro obsessive. He was able to open a bar and restaurant in 2015, which helped fund his hobby. He’d hop on eBay with a “couple thousand bucks” and feel like a king. When he’d walk into local card shows with thick stacks, he practically floated on air. But he’d quickly find himself deflated.

“I kept going to small regional shows and card shops, and I could never find a PMG or a Ruby, and the Craigslist searches were very hard, and it clicked: These cards are truly hard to find, and because so many people left the hobby in the late ‘90s and things were affordable, they had largely been forgotten about,” Slayton said. “There was so much power in that. It was an undervalued asset. It’s rare, it’s scarce, it’s desired. That became my vice. I needed to find them on a daily basis.”

Soon enough, at all the local shows and on all of the message boards and all the local Craigslist pages, these iconic cards had dried up. The ones that were unearthed had largely found their forever homes. In 2015, Slayton and a cousin went to every table of the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago and asked about rare ‘90s cards. He thought he’d find one card every few tables, but halfway through the showroom, he’d found none. Two-and-a-half hours in, someone in the crowd heard him and beckoned him over. What he showed Slayton bowled him over: A 1997 SkyBox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Kobe, numbered to 73.

One had sold a month earlier for $1,000. The Kobe collector wanted $1,100.

“I had only brought 3K with me, so I didn’t do it,” he said. “I met up with him later in the day, I didn’t buy it on the spot, but I said I’m really interested in it, and if I’m not finding anything else, I’ll buy it for $975. He then showed me one of the Green PMG Kobes, and I fell over. I’m a Kobe fan. This is my grail, and it just got pulled out of some guy’s fanny pack. I couldn’t believe it.”

Slayton soon realized these grails were actually becoming more readily available and a few months later, he snagged his first one.

“Three months later, the bar is doing great, and I get a call, ‘I’m swinging through your area tomorrow,’” Slayton said. It was the Kobe collector. He was traveling from Minnesota to Chicago and he had a 1997 Metal Championship PMG Kobe out of 50. He offered it to Slayton for $3,000. “But I’m building a business here, and this was my big shot in life. This bar is my life, and I’ve got $20K to my name. I stop for five seconds and I said yup, bring it. I’ll figure it out.”

Around that same time, Michael Kadoch was reentering the hobby. His origin story was like Slayton’s and so many others: Products of the ‘90s, now grown and flush with money, looking to snag some of the impossible cards of their childhood.

He’d grown up in Brooklyn and started collecting cards in the early ‘90s when there were card stores on every other corner in New York City, but by the dawn of the new millennium, he was wrapped up in his studies. It paid off: For a decade, he was studying to become a radiologist, and when he finished his residency in 2016 and moved to California for a fellowship at Stanford, he finally had some money in his pockets.

“My first paycheck, I wanted to buy something special,” he said. “I went on eBay, and Jordan had always been my hero, and one popped up, so I bought it: The ‘86 Fleer rookie card. I got the card in hand and I was hooked right away. It started me on a path.”

He started collecting rookie cards of all the NBA greats — Magic, Bird, Wilt, Russell — and then some ‘90s inserts caught his eye, and he was enthralled. Like Slayton, he put some thought and research into it and determined that because of their true rarity — many of the top inserts and parallels of the decade came in mass-produced sets that relegated them to pipe dreams — and because of their relative attainability at the time, that segment of the hobby presented a real value proposition.

“I never really had the budget to go buy six-figure cards regularly, so I had to look for things that were overlooked that I could afford,” Kadoch said.

He broadened his collection to other sports and eventually non-sports, Marvel, oddball and obscure cards that had low overall population numbers. He began acquiring sets like Panini Prizm Gold parallels, numbered to 10, of all the top players, not just the top rookies.

“That is the crux of my collecting success, the ability to identify sets and cards that haven’t seen the mass explosion yet,” he said.

As time went on, his collection grew and grew. He never really had a goal or an end in sight. Just, if there was value there, grab it.

The biggest value he saw was with classic ’90s inserts. “Enormously high pack odds, really hard to pull, and I love it if it comes from a pack that used to cost one dollar,” he said. “I’ll tell you one that’s running right now that I love: the black 1/1 Lionel Messi sticker from this year’s Panini Sticker set. That is a one-of-one sticker that is one-in-a-billion. If I was a soccer guy with a big budget, I’d want that card. It’s not the shiniest card — no auto, no jersey — but it’s like pulling a golden ticket.”

There are golden tickets and then there are holy grails, and Kadoch had an eye on one in particular.

All Slayton promised Kadoch was an open mind. Months earlier, they’d done a deal for another one of Kadoch’s dream cards: the 1997 SkyBox Metal Football Green PMG of Brett Favre, numbered to 15, with the beautiful green-on-green color match. That one took some wheeling and dealing, too. But this was Jordan and PMG, and that combination is maybe the most enticing in the hobby. Kadoch knew it was going to take a whopper to even pique Slayton’s interest. He initially sent over a list of around 200-plus cards, all highly coveted but at relatively low price points compared to the Jordan, which had then recently sold for around $280,000.

Slayton took a look and wasn’t bowled over. Kadoch added another 50 cards. They were closer. Then another 50. They were just about there. And then one more: A Stephen Curry 2014 Panini Totally Certified Platinum Gold, numbered to 10. They had a deal.

Kadoch packed up a travel carry-on worth the price of a nice house in the Midwest, sweated his way through the TSA line and flew to Chicago to meet with Slayton, who’d rented out the back room of a restaurant to solidify the deal and celebrate.

There, spread out on a dining table, was a collection of 301 mini-grails themselves, including some of the best and rarest cards of the last three decades. Enough to make your head spin.

In a way, neither of them can really believe it. Kadoch estimates that he put maybe $100,000–$150,000 into his well-curated side of the deal. Slayton acquired the Jordan PMG for $45,000 back in 2017. “This is all possible,” Slayton stresses. “If you are savvy, if you have some knowledge and some patience, these things are possible for people who don’t need a

master’s degree in something. The sky's the limit in this hobby. You don’t have to be a billionaire to jump in.”

This hobby has also changed his life. In 2022, he sold a 1997 Kobe Green PMG for $1.75 million, enough, he said, “to buy the house I’m standing in with cash.

“I always said to myself when I was buying these cards, ‘Yeah, you can buy it, you’ve got the bar,’” he continued. “The pandemic hit, [my bar] got shut down, and all of a sudden, cards exploded, and it flipped. Now I’m secure because I have cards, the bar is secure because I have the cards. I chuckle at that.”

It’s not all about the money, though. The value of these cards blows both of them away, even if both have faith in the long-term projection for rare inserts and parallels.

But as cliché as it is to say, what made this trade work and so many more like it for Slayton, are the friends he’s made along the way. The only reason he felt comfortable trading down one grail into 301 cards is because, for many of the cards he acquired, they represent a grail card to the collector who acquired them.

“There’s nothing that gets me more excited than meeting a collector who says I’m collecting a Glen Rice, a Muggsy Bogues, an Eddie Jones, guys who were great but not superstars,” Slayton said. “There is a true desire of ownership for those cards. It’s not about what this card could do in a few months or a few years. It’s, ‘I want to look at it every so often.’ There’s so much power in that nostalgia.”

When all is said and done, Slayton believes he can churn those 301 cards into more than $600,000 worth of value, all because of the network of fellow collectors he’s set up.

“IF I CAN TRADE AND CHURN THIS INTO THE $600,000 RANGE, I REALLY MADE THE RIGHT MOVE,” HE SAID. “IT FEELS LIKE LEVELING UP IN A VIDEO GAME. I MEAN, I CREATED AN LLC FOR THIS. FOR THIS ONE TRADE. IT’S CALLED, PMG PRODUCTIONS .”

1955 Bowman

1958 Topps

1965 Topps

1986

1969 Topps

1993 Upper Deck

1960 Topps

BasKETbAll

Justin Herbert #104

Rookie Ticket Auto. (Team Helmet) PSA 10

2000

2020

1957 Topps

Select

2020 Contenders

Hold up.

Pause.

What was that?

A rerun?

Because it sure looked like a Seattle kid ran away with the Home Run Derby ratings again.

The stars assembled and midsummer storylines ran rampant but the spotlight couldn’t dodge that 21-yearold Mariners outfielder with the requisite smile and swagger to properly channel the primetime energy of Ken Griffey Jr. deep into the bleachers.

A spin-off, perhaps. But this ain’t a rerun.

Things got interesting at the 2022 Home Run Derby. A celebrity-packed venue in Dodger Stadium. Pujols crushing a final few on his way to the Hall. Elephanton-the-field-sized Juan Soto trade drama. And though the latter would go on to win the exhibition, it was Julio Rodriguez who stole the scene with 81 reasons to tune in next year.

Yes, the reviews are in: Seattle has another smash hit in the lineup, and while The J-Rod Show has been coined and greenlit for 14 seasons, it’s the all-important sophomore effort that finds collectors musing, dreaming and ultimately buying. After all, when it comes to prestige entertainment, Season 2 can be a make-or-break moment. For every universe-expanding Breaking Bad arc, there’s a jump-the-shark True Detective debacle.

Concerning a stellar rookie class that premiered in 2022, this is when all the good questions swirl. Is golden-locked Adley Ruschman the next great backstop? Could mustachioed Spencer Strider snag the Cy Young? Will Bobby Witt Jr. join the 30-30 club? Are fans and hobbyists of the Griffey era just nostalgic for the next Mariners great or is Julio Rodriguez the next true MLB star? Most importantly, what card do I hunt?

“It’s been a long wait for that first flagship SSP,” said collector Chris Parsons, better known on Instagram as @baseballcardaddict. Consider him and Jeff Boehm, aka @myfavoritecardboard, part of J-Rod’s captive audience, as well as co-hosts of their own weekly baseball card-obsessed show on Instagram Live. The collectors share more than screen time and a zip code; they also go in on cards together. When the cast of Topps Series 2 was announced, the hunt was on.

“There’s an absolute ocean of 2022 Julio Rodriguez rookies, so we wanted something that hits with historical precedence, rarity, and recognition — either the Topps flagship image or an attentiongrabbing variation, think Juan Soto’s Gatorade Bath [#US300] or Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s with Ball [#US1] from 2019 Topps Update.”

Perceiving a dilution dilemma in Topps Chrome and quality control issues in Chrome Update — “we’ve landed a rover on Mars but we can’t center a Topps Chrome baseball card?” — the duo landed on Topps’ flagship product and decided to chase the Update SSP featuring a guest appearance from Ichiro. “A Mariners legend is tossing the first pitch to the franchise's future. What’s not to love?”

But everyone has a plan until they get rocked by a sudden listing. An hour after a Topps flagship Black parallel appeared on eBay, the card was theirs. “It’s a perfect storm of history, rarity, image recognition and condition sensitivity. It’s everything a collector could want in a rookie card,” added Parsons.

“And it just looks cool.”

Yeah, it’d better look cool. And it’d better call out The J-Rod Show in all its baseball-clubbing, customshades-reflecting, Mariners-torch-bearing glory. Card that energy, capture that charisma, and queue Season 2.

It’s too easy to typecast coveted baseball rookie cards as flagship base and Bowman 1sts, so save those amateur headshots for another episode. Instead, give us the cards that go off-script with showrunning stars who play into hard-hitting archetypes. Character development, after all, is everything. And every leading man — Julio Rodriquez, in this case — needs a strong supporting cast.

THE EVERYMAN

From the Dallas-Fort Worth region of Texas to the Missouri side of Kansas City, Bobby is here to play ball. He was born to play ball. To hit dingers and to swipe bags. Inject some salt-of-the-earth energy into your PC and toss one back to the sandlot with this Throwback Thursday design from 2001 Bowman ... then toss in the variation for good measure. He’ll earn his keep.

Bobby Witt Jr.

THE OUTLAW

Oneil Cruz

There’s a bit of Batman to Cruz. His lure exists outside conventional back-of-the-card stats and leans on a knack for ripping balls out of PNC Park. He’s not the OBP savant that Pittsburgh needs … he’s the slugger they want. Loot your marketplace listings for a Pirateappropriate 2022 Topps Chrome Gilded card and turn your showcase into a treasure chest.

THE LEADER

Adley Rutschman

Why? Because America loves a good backstop boy-wonder. Rutschman is a player of goldenlocked pedigree; a young heartthrob playing for the underdog Orioles. Pin him up with a color-match made in hobby heaven.

THE MAGICIAN

Strider, you 2022 fantasy baseball waiver wire wizard. One can only speculate where he draws his power from, but until proven otherwise, it’s the ‘stache. Conjure the mystique with a card that doubles down on the source.

THE HERO

Peña played the part in the postseason and has the hardware — and this card — to prove it. Throw it back to the biggest stage in the game with this World Series MVP celebration.

Spencer Strider

Jeremy Peña

THE CREATOR

Kick up the shutter speed for Carroll; the kid can flatout run. For his own team, he plates scoring situations. For opposing infields, pure chaos. When he lays down a bunt — that bunt — all hell breaks loose.

THE DOPPELGANGER

J-Rod’s Rookie of the Year counterpart in the National League had a storybook season in his own right. Can he mirror his inaugural campaign and continue to square off for ratings with Seattle’s new star? Keep it dialed.

Corbin Carroll

Michael Harris II

Since its inception, the PSA grading room has seen it all. Amongst others: 319,043 cards from the 1975 Topps Baseball set and another 365,393 cards from the 1986 Fleer Basketball release — with 24,615 Michael Jordan #57 rookies in the mix. In the TCG realm, PSA grades, on average, as many as 8,500 Pokémon cards every day. But when four obscure (albeit ultra rare) baseball cards were submitted together at the start of the new year, the grading room stopped, just for a moment, to take stock. Whispers filled the air. Top graders huddled. Something special had arrived.

During the past five years, certain “test” trading cards stemming from an experimental set designed by Topps in the early ‘60s have started to surface. The buzz they are creating is unparalleled.

In 2018, Robert Edward Auctions (REA) sold an unnumbered card featuring New York Yankees icon Mickey Mantle from the mysterious, never publicly released “Topps Dice Game” set. Graded PSA 1, the card sold for an astounding $144,000 following 43 bids online. Despite its harsh assessment from the PSA grading team, the card reached six figures because of its incredible scarcity. The REA sale, it turned out, was just the beginning of bigger auction prices to come.

“These cards are extremely limited,” said Clay Hill, former longtime trading card expert at SCP Auctions in Laguna Niguel, California. “There are just a few known examples.”

Literally, of each card.

“These are the rarest of the rare,” he added.

According to Hill, industry insiders were definitely aware of the cards’ existence, but the trouble was in finding them. He recalled the cards being mentioned a couple of times in articles that appeared in The Trader Speaks, a monthly hobby publication that ran from 1968 to 1983.

As it turned out, the card that REA sold featuring The Mick (PSA cert #70248789) was one of 18 different player cards created for the set. Topps selected nine All-Stars (one at each position) from both the American and National leagues, but its basic black-and-white presentation on 3-½” by 2-½” white cardstock never made it into the Brooklyn-based company’s regular production cycle. For reasons still unclear, the Topps Dice Game idea translated to just three sample sets (54 cards total) ever being printed, all of which remained at Topps headquarters for decades. None of the cards even sport a Topps logo.

According to Hill, the three test sets produced by Topps were each handled differently by the company. He believes there was one collection of 18 single cards kept separately, while another

set was used for recordkeeping purposes with each card stapled to its own piece of paper in the office files. The third set was saved as an uncut sheet. The majority of cards that have been graded PSA 1 show two small pin holes in their top left corners, thus lending credence to Hill’s account.

To put the set’s extraordinary rarity into perspective, let’s measure it against the prized 1952 Topps Baseball set. To date, PSA has graded 281,306 cards from the manufacturer’s first major baseball release including 1,879 copies of Mickey Mantle’s coveted #311, his most famous card of all time. By comparison, PSA has only graded 19 cards from the ‘61 Topps Dice Game. Well, until January, when the PSA Pop Report rose by 21%, bringing the PSA-graded total to 23. The fact that four previously undiscovered cards from 62 years ago were found is remarkable, but the circuitous route longtime collector Fred McKie took to secure the cards is one for the record books.

“I didn't discover them,” said McKie. “A friend of mine, who’s a huge Willie Mays collector, saw them on eBay and told me about them.”

As the story goes, a man from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, traveled to New York to clean out his mother’s house in Brooklyn. During the purge, he unearthed the four cards — Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Stan Musial and Bobby Richardson — that were housed inside a pencil case in a drawer. He had no idea

NL

Del Crandall, Catcher

Jim Davenport, Third Base

THE CHECKLIST

Dick Groat, Shortstop

Bill Mazeroski, Second Base

Bill White, First Base

Frank Robinson, Left Field

Willie Mays, Center Field

Stan Musial, Right Field

Don Drysdale, Pitcher

AL

Earl Battey, Catcher

Brooks Robinson, Third Base

Tony Kubek, Shortstop

Bobby Richardson, Second Base

Norm Siebern, First Base

Leon Wagner, Left Field

Mickey Mantle, Center Field

Al Kaline, Right Field

Camilo Pascual, Pitcher

what he had. He listed the cards on eBay for $4.99 apiece. Within minutes he was getting bombarded with inquiries. Soon thereafter he realized he had something worth something. One of those inquiries came from McKie.

“I was kind of the point man [for my friend] and contacted the guy through eBay,” he said. “The initial appeal came because of the Mays card. My friend had one years earlier and that’s the one he wanted.”

Conversations between McKie and the seller (who shall remain nameless) started in September and lasted for months. “He was getting hit with all kinds of offers and I’m actually not sure why he stayed with me. But when we met on the turnpike and he showed me the cards, I knew we were getting close. My main concern was whether the cards were real. I had to see them in person.”

A leap of faith? A roll of the dice? Any way you shake it, their eventual meeting was on the horizon. After several more weeks, the two men finally met at a Starbucks off Exit 4 of the New Jersey Turnpike. The gettogether, however, was just for show and tell.

“He had them in regular card savers, but they were real,” said McKie.”I held them and then he took them back. I told him I wanted all four, but wouldn't pay for them until they were graded.”

They agreed to have an escrow account set up, which would be funded once the cards were graded by PSA. When you’re talking about six figures, the deal required due diligence on both sides.

As part of the agreement, McKie would fly from Philadelphia to Myrtle Beach to retrieve the cards and submit them to PSA. Following their examination in Santa Ana, California, they came back with the following grades: Mantle, PSA 2.5; Mays, PSA 2; Musial, PSA 2.5; and Richardson, PSA 3.5. The unnamed seller got his money and McKie and his buddy got the cards.

Asked when the cards might be going up for auction, McKie responded: “They’ve already been sold. It was a private transaction. Done.

“My friend was just looking for the Willie Mays card but we wound up selling all of them because he agreed the deal we were offered [afterwards] was just too good to pass up.”

The final sale price was not disclosed. A roll of the dice indeed.

RULES OF THE GAME

“I think the Topps Dice Game concept was a good one — playing a baseball game with your baseball cards,” said Hill, who was nine when the set was conceived. “But I think it was almost too sophisticated for the eightto-ten-year-old crowd.”

Here’s why … and you may need to take some notes.

Listed on each card back are 11 different dice roll possibilities (2 through 12) connected to four randomly selected outcomes for each roll of the dice representing both players’ at-bats during the course of a nine-inning game. In theory, one challenger might sport the NL lineup, with Dodgers great Don Drysdale on the mound, while his opponent would have the AL All-Stars with Twins right-hander Camilo Pascual toeing the rubber.

Both hurlers have four different pitches in their repertoire: fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. Once the dueling player in the field calls out his pitch selection (“fastball”), whatever his opponent rolls with the dice dictates the outcome of the at-bat. With 44 scenarios offered, the results could range from a home run, triple, double, single, walk or hit by pitch to a pop out, line out, fly out, ground out, bunt out or strikeout.

Suffice it to say, to complete a nine-inning game by rolling the dice and scanning the cards every time would prove to be a laborious task for both competitors. And most eight-year-olds don’t have a scorekeeper on speed dial.

Few athletes throughout history have captured the public’s attention like Vincent Edward “Bo” Jackson. As a dual-sport phenom out of Auburn University, people stopped whatever they were doing to watch whenever he dug in at the plate or stepped onto a football field. At any moment he might launch a moonshot home run or bulldoze over a linebacker or cut around the end and streak 90 yards into the end zone.

In an age of multiple two-sport athletes (think Deion Sanders, Brian Jordan and Charlie Ward), none was more popular than Bo Jackson. But like Johnny, the subject of Bad Company’s “Shooting Star,” Bo Jackson’s star shined brightly, but burned out quickly. He suffered a devastating hip injury as a Raiders running back in an AFC divisional playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 13, 1991. No one realized it at the time, but that proved to be the final game of his NFL career. Though he played sparingly over the course of three more MLB seasons, Jackson never fully returned to his former level of play on the baseball diamond.

Bo Jackson’s baseball career lasted eight seasons, half of which he only played infrequently. His football career spanned just 38 games played over four seasons. In either sport, he did not play long enough to be eligible for Hall of Fame consideration.

But it didn’t matter then.

And it doesn’t matter now.

Because when it comes to the hobby, collectability plays by its own rules.

Andy Grimmer — who grew up as a Bo Jackson fan and collected his cards from a young age — knows that better than anybody. Today his collection of Jackson cards is impressive; he holds #1 rankings in the Bo Jackson Rookie (baseball & football) and Basic Topps (baseball & football) sets. But what is a bit more interesting and far more unique are his unopened pack listings. He is the uncontested leader in three PSA Registry sets consisting of unopened packs with Bo Jackson cards showing on either the top or bottom: baseball, football and combined. He sat down recently and shared his thoughts about Bo’s influence on his collection.

PSA MAGAZINE - HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN COLLECTING CARDS? WHAT WAS YOUR INTRODUCTION TO THE HOBBY?

ANDY GRIMMER - It was 1989 or 1990 when I first

began buying Topps packs as a kid. I just used my allowance money to buy packs back when they were around 50 cents each. That was my initial introduction into the hobby. In later years I was in and out of the hobby, before getting back into it for good in 2014. I was collecting pretty much anything at that point because I could finally afford to buy some of the cards I had wanted as a kid; a Nolan Ryan rookie card, a Michael Jordan rookie card, and things like that.

I soon realized that I was collecting way too many cards. So then I decided to focus on just a couple of players and settled on Nolan Ryan and Bo Jackson. Being from Texas, Nolan Ryan is a legend, and growing up in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Bo was just amazing. So those are the two players I picked to be the focal points of my collection. I eventually got very interested in unopened packs with stars showing on top — wax packs, cello packs, rack packs. They just intrigued me.

PSA had been grading packs for a while by that point; I think I sent my first packs to be

graded in 2015. The first pack that I got graded was a 1993 Topps with Derek Jeter showing on the back. I thought it was a unique item, and so I made the decision to expand my Bo Jackson collection to include unopened packs.

I found and submitted most of the packs in my collection myself. I enjoy buying boxes, going through them and finding all of the star packs. I’ll either keep the Bo Jackson ones and sell the rest or just rip them for fun.

PSA - THAT BRINGS UP AN INTERESTING QUESTION. WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR BUILDING A COLLECTION LIKE THIS? IT IS TABOO TO SEARCH UNOPENED BOXES AT STORES, SO HOW DO YOU ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION WITHOUT SIMPLY LOOKING FOR LISTINGS OF BO JACKSON PACKS ON EBAY?

AG - First of all, it takes a little bit of insanity. This is niche within a niche. First, I wanted to select a player where I could collect packs from his playing days relatively inexpensively. Bo Jackson’s

career ran in line with the junk wax era, so there is still plenty of unopened material available and it is relatively inexpensive. I began by going to Jackson’s Basic Registry sets just to see what cards were included. Then I had to figure out which cards were issued in packs rather than in sets. For example, his 1986 Topps Traded card came in a 132-card boxed set, so there is no pack associated with that card.

I made a spreadsheet with that information and then began looking at card shops and on eBay, and today a lot of it is on Facebook groups. I would buy a box of 1991 Topps baseball, for example, and then search for a Bo Jackson pack. If I got one, then great. If not, then I would just rip the packs and enjoy the nostalgia. Most of the time the packs weren’t worth anything, so it wasn’t worth trying to resell them. So I would rip the packs with my son and tell him about the players we found and make sure he didn’t try to chew the 30-year-old bubble gum.

PSA - WHAT ARE THE DIFFICULTIES IN BUILDING THIS COLLECTION? WITH CARDS, YOU GET INTO CONDITION ISSUES. WHAT ARE THE

COMPARABLE ISSUES WITH PACKS?

AG - There are several issues you can run into. The biggest one is probably finding which sets actually have the potential to have Bo Jackson showing on the top or bottom of a pack. Sometimes, based on the sequencing, he can’t ever show up on the front or back of a pack. The 1988 Score set is one such example. Even though the collation is typically very poor for that set, he cannot show up on the front or back because of the way the cards were cut, sorted and packaged.

PSA - THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE TO HAVE IN BUILDING THIS COLLECTION. WHERE DO YOU FIND THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION?

AG - The Facebook groups and the legacy Collectors Universe Forum are full of people who have all kinds of random knowledge and I’ve picked a lot of their brains. Some of them, for example, know the collation of 1973 Topps packs and can tell you which players cannot show up on the front or back of a pack. There are also people who know the junk wax era extremely well and seem to have encyclopedic knowledge of, for example, 1988 Score. So I have absorbed some of that knowledge and applied it to my collection.

There are other issues that might have stickers or contest cards in the back of their packs and so you lose the opportunity to see specific players in those instances. When this is the case a 36-pack box only offers 36 opportunities (front only) for a certain player to show instead of 72 (front and back) in packs without those stickers, puzzle pieces or contest cards.

Other pitfalls include the packs that you cannot see into. A good example of that is the 1989 Upper Deck foil packs. People have been able to determine which packs from a fresh box will likely contain the Griffey card. But the packs are made of foil and you cannot see who appears on the top or bottom. There are other sets that because of the wrapper art or the thickness of the wax paper, you cannot make out the top or bottom cards. Sometimes you can only see a fraction of a card back, so you have to try and match up the statistics on the back. It can be a tedious labor of love.

PSA - DO YOU KNOW THE ROUGH PERCENTAGE OF SETS BO JACKSON APPEARS IN WHERE HE CAN HAVE A CARD SHOWING INSIDE AN UNOPENED PACK?

AG - That’s a good question. I have around 100

different packs in my collection that have a Bo Jackson card showing. I might have multiple packs from a certain set such as wax, cello and rack, so I would guess that I have 75 different sets represented overall. But I don’t really have a good answer for that question.

When I started this project there was no Bo Jackson pack registry. I was able to start one for baseball, one for football and a combined one for both sports. I think I had about 15 packs when I started with the Registry. I would send in a submission whenever I collected another five or 10 packs. Once I got them back, I would contact the Set Registry and have them added to the set. Now the baseball set requires 59 different packs, the football set requires 13 packs and the dual-sport set needs 72 packs.

PSA - ARE PACKS MORE DESIRABLE WHEN THE STARS ARE ON THE FRONT AS OPPOSED TO THE BACK?

AG - They typically are, and even more so when it is easy to see inside the PSA holder. For example, the top card in 1987 Fleer cello packs is very visible and it is easy to identify the player. In that case it is much more desirable to find Bo Jackson on the front of the pack. Other issues, maybe a wax pack or a set where the top card isn’t as easily identifiable — like the 1987 Fleer wax pack — wouldn't make as much difference if Jackson is on the front or back.

You had mentioned earlier the print defects on cards. With packs, the condition of the pack trumps everything else in terms of the grade. Of course it first has to be authentic and not tampered with or resealed. If you are buying a raw Bo Jackson pack on eBay, there is a pretty good chance that someone opened that pack, put a Bo card on top and then resealed it. I have rolled the dice a few times with raw packs on eBay and got burned. Once I even got a pack that someone had scotch-taped back together on the back. So you can run into unsavory situations if you’re not careful. You really have to trust the seller if you are buying raw packs. That is what makes pack grading with PSA so valuable.

PSA - CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PEACE OF MIND YOU EXPERIENCE WHEN BUYING PACKS THAT HAVE BEEN AUTHENTICATED AND GRADED BY PSA?

AG - You've got one of the most honest and reliable pack authenticators in the hobby [Steve Hart] working with PSA. It really gives me peace of mind when buying PSA-graded packs. There are plenty of knowledgeable collectors on Facebook groups and

the Collectors Universe forums who are very good at spotting inconsistencies and tampering with packs. I’ve been on the PSA bandwagon for a long time with cards. I like the PSA brand. You mentioned peace of mind and that is a factor in not just making sure what I have is authentic, but also that it will maintain its value. If there ever comes a time when I need to trade or sell part of my collection, I have that peace of mind knowing PSA has deemed my items to be authentic and they will sell easier and likely for more money than if they were reviewed by any other company. Of course it is also fun to put together complete sets on the Registry and flex to your friends. The competitive camaraderie is great.

PSA - ALL THREE OF YOUR BO JACKSON PACK SETS ARE TECHNICALLY COMPLETE RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU ALSO SAID YOU ARE STILL LEARNING WHAT SETS COULD PRODUCE BO JACKSON PACKS. HOW MUCH FURTHER DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GROW THIS ONE COLLECTION?

AG - I have a handful of packs ready to send in that are not currently on the Registry. Once they get graded, I will have them added to the collection requirements. That is another thing that drew me toward collecting these packs, and that is that I can contribute to the growth and understanding of this area of the hobby. I believe that I will continue to grow this collection as long as it remains fun. It is still fun for me to hunt and find packs to add to the listing. Right now I am searching for a 1995 Topps Series II pack. It is the last year that Jackson had cards issued during his [MLB] career. I already found a rack pack, but I want to find a cello or wax pack that I can add to the Registry. But because 1994 was a strike year, Topps produced 1995 CyberStat cards that showed projected stats had the season not ended early. Those cards were issued one per hobby and retail packs and three per jumbo packs. There are a lot of hobby and retail packs for sale, but the design of the packs makes it really hard to see through to identify the top and bottom cards. I need to find a jumbo pack with Bo Jackson showing, but they are much more difficult to find.

PSA - IN ADDITION TO THE PACKS, YOU ALSO COLLECT BO JACKSON CARDS AND ARE RANKED #1 IN MANY OF THOSE REGISTRY SETS.

AG - Yes, sad as it is, his career was relatively short, so there aren’t massive numbers of cards to collect. In addition, he was prolific during the junk wax era, so his cards aren’t very expensive. So tackling those sets wasn’t that difficult and wasn’t a huge monetary investment. I think I share the top ranking with a

bunch of other people as the sets aren’t that hard to complete, but they are fun to put together.

PSA - WHAT KIND OF RESPECT DOES BO JACKSON RECEIVE IN THE HOBBY TODAY?

AG - I think people who are over age 40 grew up with Bo Jackson in the spotlight. He was everywhere, particularly in 1989 and 1990 when he was having All-Star and Pro Bowl seasons and was in the thick of his Nike campaign. He was constantly on television, in magazines and all over. I think what cemented him in the hobby was when Score came out with the black-and-white baseball/ football card in their 1990 baseball set. I remember my grandmother telling me I could get one thing at a baseball card shop back in late 1990. I wanted that card. The dealer was asking $10, and my grandmother couldn’t believe it was that much. But I really wanted it and I still have that card to this day. He was larger than life and his ability to play two professional sports just blew my mind.

Also, the fact that his career ended so early elevates him to the point of “what if” and it has kept his legacy going. I was able to meet Jackson recently. He came to do a mall signing with a bunch of University of Texas players. I took my son and we got a picture with him. I kept trying to explain to my son what he did and why he was so incredible. My son listened, but really he was just hoping we would get ice cream afterwards. But I think that is also why he is still a big part of the hobby because he is out in the community and doing things in the hobby. Everything I have read online portrays him as a great person as well, which is nice to hear. He does a lot with charities and helps the community. It makes him an easy person to want to collect.

PSA - IF THERE COMES A TIME THAT YOU DETERMINE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS COLLECTION, WHAT WILL YOU TACKLE NEXT?

AG - Well, I have taken a shine to collecting autographed baseballs. I try to find PSA-certified autographed baseballs of the guys that I grew up watching like Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Bo Jackson and Mark McGwire. I also look back at Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle. Most of their cards are so expensive, but I bought a PSAauthenticated Mickey Mantle ball for $500 about six years ago. I also think it is really cool that these guys actually held these balls to sign them. So I will likely go stronger into that collection once the Bo Jackson packs slow down.

Sometimes great cards are ignored. Sometimes forgotten. Sometimes their significance is not revealed until years after their release.

But isn’t that the fun of it?

Digging through collections and unearthing gems that we never knew were gems in the first place?

Often, the catalyst for a card’s sudden rise to prominence comes from the strangest places. Who knew that the infamous Menendez brothers were included on Mark Jackson’s 1990 Hoops card before everyone knew they were on the card? Or a 1994 Pinnacle issue of Sylvain Turgeon featured five-year-old Patrick Kane behind the glass? Sometimes a player gets hot, so hot, in fact, that a lesser-brand rookie card shoots up in value on the tails of other popular cards.

And sometimes it just takes a while for a great card to get its just due.

the best late bloomers

2014 PANINI TOTALLY CERTIFIED

The hobby has been waiting on a worthy successor to the iconic 1997 Precious Metal Gems set for nearly a quarter century, but has the answer been right before our eyes for almost a decade? In the blink of an eye, the 2014 Panini Totally Certified parallels have become etched in hobby history, because of — you guessed it — the etching. The card’s design isn’t a complete takeoff of the classic PMG set, but these cards are certainly taking off. Nearly 10 years after the set’s release, limited versions of hobby favorites like LeBron, Giannis, Kobe, Curry, Manning and Brady are skyrocketing in price.

1992 STADIUM CLUB MICHAEL JORDAN #1 BEAM TEAM

Once among the most popular cards in hobby history, the OG Beam Team was lost in the sands of time for years as other Jordan inserts and parallels — particularly numbered inserts and parallels — dominated message boards and social media. People now forget, but upon release, Beam Team cards were some of the hottest cards in the market and one of the first reasonably hard-to-find insert sets. Within a few years, collectors would be introduced to what is now the equivalent of the "case hit," relegating the Beam Team insert to lower-tier status. But one of the defining sets of the '90s has regained its popularity as Jordan collectors look at second- and third-tier price points, without quite so many digits in the dollar figure.

2008 TOPPS CHROME KOBE BRYANT #24

How this card went unnoticed for years is mind-boggling, but the interest in card cameos has only grown in recent years. And as far as cameos go, they don’t get much better than LeBron. PSA 10 versions of numbered parallels including Orange Refractors and XFractors have sold in recent months for more than $7,000.

1989 FLEER RANDY JOHNSON #381

While not quite on par with the vaunted Honus Wagner T206 card, the Big Unit's rookie card also has a unique tobacco tie-in that boosts its popularity. Johnson's Fleer rookie card features a Marlboro sign in the background, though the sign was caught early in production and later obscured in several different variations. PSA has four additional variations listed in addition to the regular version, including just three graded copies of the "Red Tinted Marlboro Ad" version. Lagging far behind the recognition of another early Fleer error card — good ol’ Billy Ripken and his famous bat — many collectors are only now learning about the lore of this Johnson rookie.

2018 PANINI TREBLE

Upon its release in Dec. 2018, Panini Treble was very much under the hobby radar, and only in the last year or so have collectors taken notice. Similarly to the 2014 Totally Certified set, the micro-etched parallels are getting a great deal of attention. In late January, a Purple parallel numbered to 49 of Lionel Messi sold for more than $2,000 in PSA 9 condition. But that’s nothing compared to this: an Mbappe secondyear, also in Purple, sold for more than $4,000 in December of last year.

2005 SPXCITEMENT ALEXANDER OVECHKIN #XR-AO

A lightly collected set when it debuted, these SPs were almost throwaways upon release. With the rise of Ovechkin up the career goals list and Wayne Gretzky’s iconic record actually in sight, these cards have steadily risen in value as sequentially numbered Ovi rookies are becoming harder to find at sub$1,000 price points.

2012 TOPPS HERITAGE MIKE TROUT #207

In the catalog of early Trout cards, his first Heritage offering in Angels threads has had its time in the sun. Does it rank in the rarified air of his 2011 Bowman Draft, 2011 Topps Finest, or — dare we say — his 2011 Topps Update rookie? No, of course not. But PSA 10 versions of the card are entering the atmosphere of $300 to $400. Not bad for a base card from a hobby box that not too long ago sold for $100.

1996 BOWMAN'S BEST KOBE BRYANT #R23 ATOMIC REFRACTOR

As recently as mid-2018, Kobe fans could pick up his rookie Atomic Refractor in PSA 10 condition for under $1,600. Now, even after falling from its absurd peak of $62,730, the card still commands north of $18,000 as a PSA 10. A rising tide lifts all boats, too: Kobe's numbered 1998 Bowman’s Best Atomic Refractor, limited to 100 copies, commands nearly $7,000 after selling in 2016 for just more than $400.

2012 PANINI PRIZM

As a microcosm for the growth of the once-dormant original Panini Prizm set, a Gustavo Ayon Silver Prizm in PSA 10 condition sold on eBay via Buy It Now in December for more than $1,000. A cool G for Gustavo Ayon? What about the rest of a blended rookie crop — including rookie cards of 2011 and 2012 NBA Draft Picks — that included stars such as Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and more? And first-year Prizms of Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Shaq and a host of retired legends? It’s a surprise this product didn’t skyrocket sooner, given its ultra-sleek design.

2003 TOPPS LEBRON JAMES #221 1ST EDITION

Released in 20-pack boxes with 10 cards per pack and no inserts or parallels, the '03 Topps 1st Edition product was much like baseball's modern Opening Day line, almost a novelty for kids and modest collectors. Packs were very cheap and the product had nowhere near the allure of modern Bowman and Topps 1st Edition baseball products. As a result, far fewer LeBron rookies were graded, with half the graded population of his Topps Collection rookie card (616 1st Edition compared to 1,232 Collection, as of mid-February). With a PSA 10 count of just 121, this is one of LeBron's rarest novelty rookie cards.

Fast Five

A BRIEF Q&A WITH

TEAM MEMBER TA’CORA BURGESS

Photography by Nick Estrada

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

I’m the Show & Events Manager for PSA and WATA, overseeing all the planning and execution for trade shows and events at which we’re exhibiting. I make sure we’re set up properly to service our customers, whether we’re just receiving submissions or offering on-site authentication and grading, or doing both.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING AT COLLECTORS?

It’s the people I’ve met through the years. I do enjoy my job and all the responsibilities that come with it, but you really need good teammates around you to make things work. That makes everything click.

WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND AS A COLLECTOR?

Honestly, I really haven’t been a collector for most of my life. I did collect Pokémon cards as a kid and got rid of them just like everyone else did, which is still one of my biggest regrets. I only recently got the collecting itch again after visiting a yard sale in 2020. A neighbor was giving away her recently deceased husband’s items for free and amongst his things, I found a binder full of trading cards. After sorting through them at home, I saw a few cards were worth serious money. I went back to tell her, of course. She said she didn’t care, that she just wanted to get rid of everything. And she wanted me to have them. Long story short, I found two special, coveted Michael Jordan cards in his binder: a 1997 SkyBox Z-Force Rave #190, which I submitted and got a grade of PSA 10, and a 1996 SkyBox Premium Net Set #8, which earned a grade of PSA 9.

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

At this point, it’s got to be the 1996 SkyBox Premium Net Set Michael Jordan #8. It’s the only one I have left from the yard sale score since I sold the Z-Force. I have other cards — mostly UFC — but the Jordan is something I want to hold onto.

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

Without a doubt, it would be the 2006 ArtBox Harry Potter Memorable Moments [factory sealed] hobby box. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and wasn’t even aware, back in the day, of the cards being released. There are a few different Harry Potter-focused sets but this one seems to be the biggest, most important release of them all. All my co-workers would tell me to keep it sealed. But I’d rip!

DAWN OF THE DUEL

YU-GI-OH! GOES BACK TO THE BEGINNING

BY DUSTIN PORRAS

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Japanese manga was first published in Shonen Jump in 1996, and the first iteration of its official card game followed shortly after in 1998. After Pokémon’s sensational English debut in the late ‘90s — and with similar series like Digimon also taking root — it became clear that there was high demand in the U.S. for anime franchises that encompassed TV series, video games and trading cards. The stage was set for Yu-Gi-Oh! to become a primary player in the TCG space.

And indeed it did.

Now over 25 years old, Yu-Gi-Oh! has enjoyed the success of eight TV series, two feature-length movies, and more than two decades’ worth of competitive worldwide play. Over that run, no less than 400,000 Yu-Gi-Oh! cards have hit PSA’s grading room floor, placing it second only to Pokémon in terms of TCG submission volume.

And it’s not mere nostalgia driving the ever-growing popularity. It’s a vibrant, exciting community of fans that’s constantly evolving and growing with each new release. But on April 21, 2023, nostalgia will hit us all like a brick: Konami is set to release the first of several products commemorating the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game’s 25-year history, the Legendary Collection: 25th Anniversary Edition.

Like previous Legendary Collections, this collector’s box includes reprinted booster packs from Yu-Gi-Oh!’s most iconic era, as well as some extra surprises.

Your Cheat Sheet to the Grade-Worthy Treasures

Legend of Blue-Eyes

White Dragon

The first North American set was released in March 2002, which launched the English Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (TCG), a revised version of the Japanese Official Card Game (OCG) that preceded it. Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon (LOB) contains the very first English printings of signature cards used by the primary TV series characters, such as Yugi’s Dark Magician and Exodia the Forbidden One, Joey’s Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and others. Since the English TV series premiered September 2001, U.S. audiences were given six months to become familiar with the characters and game mechanics prior to actually purchasing the cards themselves. This risky but ultimately successful rollout primed viewers to be converted into players as soon as the TCG became available.

LOB created the standards for what collectors came to expect from Yu-Gi-Oh! sets in the classic era. It introduced rarity tiers that are still present in today’s expansions: Rare, Super Rare, Ultra Rare and Secret Rare. Each rarity can be easily identified by their corresponding foil treatments, and typically contain less subjects as the rarity increases. In the case of LOB, the coveted Secret Rares were Tri-Horned Dragon and Gaia the Dragon Champion, each sporting a signature diagonal line foil pattern. LOB also introduced the game’s primary card types: monster, Magic, and Trap. To ease players into this new game, LOB’s cards had rudimentary, uncomplicated effects and most of the monsters had low attack and defense stats. Considering the current age of Link Summons, Pendulum Monsters and other complex mechanics, LOB encapsulates Yu-GiOh!’s humble beginnings.

Along with Secret Rares, the primary chase cards in the set are those that have ties to the series’ main characters, perhaps the most desirable being the eponymous Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Not only was this card a favorite of series antagonist Seto Kaiba, it also happened to be included in the very first starter deck (Starter Deck: Kaiba), making it among the first cards that many players actually used in their decks. For these reasons and more, Blue-Eyes White Dragon remains among the most nostalgic and high-valued cards in YuGi-Oh! history. In 2020, a 1st-Edition LOB PSA 10 copy sold for a record-breaking $85,100.

ONE PACK PER BOX

Metal Raiders

As the second Yu-Gi-Oh! expansion, Metal Raiders (MRD) delivered even more iconic cards, many of which collectors were already familiar with from the TV series. Black Skull Dragon, Summoned Skull, and Time Wizard represent some of the standout monsters. As far as Magic and Trap Cards, this set introduced Change of Heart, Heavy Storm, Magic Jammer, and Mirror Force, incredibly useful cards that allowed for more robust gameplay to emerge. With a whopping 144 cards, MRD is the largest expansion in the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! era, but in spite of this, the attack/defense stats of this set’s monsters were still usually low, and card effects remained short and relatively simplistic.

Following the model of LOB, Metal Raiders included two Secret Rare inserts: Gate Guardian and Thousand Dragon. 1st-Edition PSA-graded examples of these monsters, and those mentioned above, have sold for between $3,000 and $5,000 on the secondary market. While the playability of many of the cards from this era has declined due to their modest mechanics, their collectibility has only strengthened over time.

Spell Ruler

Yu-Gi-Oh!’s next expansion was originally titled Magic Ruler in reference to the abundant Magic Cards found in the set. However, with the release of Magician’s Force in 2003, Magic Cards were renamed to Spell Cards in an effort to avoid confusion — and possible legal issues — with the popular Magic: The Gathering TCG. As a result, Magic Ruler (MRL) was renamed to Spell Ruler (SRL). As the name suggests, this expansion was based heavily around exciting new Magic/Spell Cards, such as Delinquent Duo, Painful Choice, and Snatch Steal, all game-changing cards that have since been moved onto Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Forbidden List for their immense power. This set also introduced the “Toon” archetype, which took pre-existing monsters and gave them a cartoonish makeover, creating new monsters, like Toon Summoned Skull, which had entirely new abilities.

The star of this set in terms of secondary market value is undoubtedly Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, the Toon counterpart to Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and one of the set’s Secret Rares. Another powerhouse was Relinquished, a Ritual Monster that was used in the climactic final battle of Yu-Gi-Oh!’s first season and was also made available in a deck (Starter Deck: Pegasus) dedicated to the series’ main antagonist.

ONE PACK PER BOX

Pharaoh’s Servant

The same way Magic/Spell Ruler specialized in new Magic/Spell Cards, Pharaoh’s Servant (PSV) leaned heavily into Traps. A total of 42 new Trap Cards were introduced in this set including notable favorites like Call of the Haunted, Magical Hats, and Imperial Order, the latter of which turned the game upside down with its oppressive effect of negating all Magic/Spell Cards on the field. When paired with Jinzo — which stops Trap Cards — players now had the ability to control the board in ways they never had before. Although Imperial Order has since been added to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden List, banning it from competitive play, Jinzo remains a staple of decks across the world. Thanks to its status as a Secret Rare, it has also boasted an extremely high value on the secondary market, seeing sales of over $8,000 for 1st-Edition copies. Other Pharaoh’s Servant gems include Ultra Rares such as Buster Blader and ThousandEyes Restrict.

ATTN YU-GI-OH! COLLECTORS:

Join the PSA Set Registry and begin completing countless nostalgic set checklists.

ONE PACK PER BOX Dark Crisis

2003's Dark Crisis delivered even more timeless cards that collectors will be hoping to pull from its 25th Anniversary reissue. Upon this set's release, the card on the top of everyone's list was Exodia Necross, a monster whose epic illustration was rightfully chosen as the set's cover art. This remixed version of Exodia fascinated fans when it debuted, and it still commands secondary market values of over $2,000 to this day. Other soughtafter hits include the Secret Rare Vampire Lord, as well as monsters that were featured in key moments from the Virtual World arc of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TV series, like Mirage Knight and Shinato, King of a Higher Plane.

ONE PACK PER BOX Invasion of Chaos

The final expansion included in the 25th Anniversary Yu-Gi-Oh! products is 2004’s Invasion of Chaos. It’s impossible to discuss this set without bringing up the two “Chaos Monsters” Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning and Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End. Both of these monsters had a commanding presence in the game for their destructive power, which could, in some cases, effectively end the duel in a single turn. For their reputation in the TCG, and the cool factor of their artwork, both cards went on to achieve popularity for those looking to grade the best from Yu-Gi-Oh!’s classic era. In addition to these two titans, Invasion of Chaos also contains Dark Magician of Chaos, a favorite of series' protagonist Yugi.

While the Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary products serve as an effective snapshot of its most iconic era, there are certain expansions from 2002 to 2005 that were curiously omitted. Labyrinth of Nightmare, Legacy of Darkness, Magician's Force and others were not included in these special products. However, it’s not unreasonable to hold out hope that these expansions will be reprinted at some point in the future, especially considering Konami’s willingness to indulge in nostalgia.

Bonus Inserts

Naturally, the stars of the 25th Anniversary products are the classic booster packs, but there are other inserts that collectors will be itching to submit to PSA upon release. Each Legendary Collection will contain Ultra Rares of the three Egyptian God cards, as well as Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Dark Magician, and RedEyes Black Dragon. If that weren’t enough, each box will also contain one mystery “Quarter Century Secret Rare,” which will be one of the six Ultra Rare subjects. With so much packed into this anniversary, it will be a treat walking down memory lane as collectors uncover gradable gems.

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.

Baseball

1970 - 2008

2008 - 2019

2017 - 2021

Buyer's Guide

Buyer's Guide

Practice, practice, practice, Whether you’re shooting free throws, taking slap shots or kicking field goals, practice helps improve your game. The same can be said about collecting. The greater your hobby knowledge, and the more informed you are about buying opportunities and fast-approaching auctions and shows, the better prepared you are to make good decisions when it comes time to buy your grails. The PSA Buyer’s Guide, now in its fourth edition, provides you with industry insight that can help you pursue your passion.

Every month, we showcase timely industry news surrounding the show circuit, key auction dates, and many of the most sought-after sports and non-sports items heading to auction. In this month's issue, we’ve highlighted another 25 key pieces going up for bid including our Cover Star selection from our friends at Mile High Card Company, the 1949 Bowman Satchel Paige #224 in PSA 9. Other stellar items looking for new homes include two beautiful 1955 Topps rookie cards — Roberto Clemente #164 and Sandy Koufax #123, both in PSA 9 — from REA; a 1952 Topps Jackie

Robinson #312 (PSA 8) from Memory Lane; and a treasured 1909-11 T206 White Border Ty Cobb in PSA 3.5 from Goldin

But wait, there’s more than just sports cards! From Man on the Rock, you’ll find two coveted original, black-and-white photos up for sale capturing baseball legends “Shoeless Joe” Jackson (Type 4, circa 1910) and Lou “The Iron Horse” Gehrig (Type 1, 1932) in all their glory. And from Heritage, a rare 2007 Yu-Gi-Oh! Promo French Gold Sarcophagus FR001 Pharaoh's Tour in PSA 9 is up for grabs that’s estimated to go for as much as $15,000.

Our always popular “Supply Chest” page is back with the items you need to keep your cards safe and in tip-top shape. From Cardboard Gold (perfect fit sleeves) to Card Shellz (Hero Diamond Shell cases) and GradedGuard (new acrylic Phantom displays for GradedGuards) to Zion Cases (colorful carrying cases that hold up to 110 PSA-encapsulated cards), we’ve got you covered.

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

Buyer's COVER STAR

Satchel Paige #224 Rookie Card

PSA 9

Estimate: $225,000+ MileHighCardCo.com

3.27.23 - 4.13.23

enigmatic superstar finally got his chance to show off his abilities in the majors after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. Paige was reportedly 41 when he first took the mound for the Indians in 1948 and still posted a 6-1 record with a 2.48 ERA, tossing two shutouts in his seven starts. The featured card, a rare PSA 9 specimen, features perfect centering, immaculate surfaces, and corners that push for PSA 10 quality. In true Bowman form, a light to moderate rough cut lines the vertical edges of the brilliant white borders while the depth of the red-and-blue pigmentation on his Indians cap has retained all the boldness bestowed upon it almost 75 years ago. To date, over 1,000 have been graded by PSA and only nine others have earned PSA 9 with none graded higher.

Roberto Clemente #164

PSA 9

PSA 8

Spring 2023 Catalog Auction

4.6.23 - 4.23.23

Minimum Bid: $250,000 RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Spring 2023 Auction

3.27.23 - 4.13.23

Estimate: $175,000+ MileHighCardCo.com

1925

Lou Gehrig

PSA 4.5

Classic Auction Spring 2023

4.2.23 - 4.22.23

Minimum Bid: $20,000 Lelands.com

PSA 9

TCG Signature Auction

4.21.23 - 4.22.23

Estimate: $15,000

HA.com/TCG

Kyle

Ticket

PSA 10

Price: $4,999

eBay: pc_sportscards

PSA 9

Spring 2023 Catalog Auction

4.6.23 - 4.23.23

Minimum Bid: $100,000

RobertEdwardAuctions.com

1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson #50

1952 Topps

Jackie Robinson #312

1955 Topps

Exhibits

2007 Yu-Gi-Oh! Promo French Gold Sarcophagus FR001 Pharaoh's Tour

2021 Panini Contenders

Trask #121

Cracked Ice Auto 8/21

Willie Mays #261

PSA 7

Classic Auction Spring 2023

4.2.23 - 4.22.23

Minimum Bid: $10,000 Lelands.com

1957

5 Cent Wax Pack PSA 7

Spring 2023 Auction

3.27.23 - 4.13.23

Estimate: $125,000+ MileHighCardCo.com

Wata 9.6 A++ Sealed

Michael

PSA 10

Video Game Signature Auction

4.20.23 - 4.22.23

HA.com/videogames

Price: $9,999

eBay: pc_sportscards

Jackie

#312 PSA 8

Spring Rarities Auction

4.15.23 - 5.6.23

Minimum Bid: $40,000 MemoryLaneInc.com

Sandy

#123 PSA 9

Spring 2023 Catalog Auction

4.6.23 - 4.23.23

Minimum Bid: $100,000 RobertEdwardAuctions.com

1952 Topps

Robinson

1952 Topps Baseball

Topps Basketball

Gyromite [Matte Sticker, First Production]

1997 Fleer Ultra

Jordan #1CM

1955 Topps

Koufax

1986 Fleer

Michael Jordan #57

PSA 4

3.28.23 - 4.6.23

Minimum Bid: $5 Goldin.co

Lou Gehrig

1932 Yankees Batting

Type 1 Original Photo

PSA AUTH

Blaze Jordan

PSA 10

Price: $8,500

Charlie Barokas eBay: ManOnTheRock

Price: $55 Goldin.co

Bill

PSA 7.5

Ty Cobb Green - Background

PSA 3.5

Spring 2023 Catalog Auction

4.6.23 - 4.23.23

Minimum Bid: $25,000

RobertEdwardAuctions.com

4.7.23 - 4.26.23

Minimum Bid: $2,500

Goldin.co

Mets Rookies #581

Bill Denehy/Tom Seaver

PSA 7

Sports, Rock & Roll, Entertainment & Americana

4.27.23

Minimum Bid: $1,000

RockhurstAuctions.com

2021 Bowman Chrome Mega Box

1909-11 T206 White Border

1957 Topps Basketball

Russell #77 Rookie

1967 Topps

Jackie Robinson #1

PSA 9

PSA 10

Shoeless Joe Jackson

Circa 1910 Cleveland Indians

Type 4 Original Photo

PSA AUTH

Spring 2023 Catalog Auction

4.6.23 - 4.23.23

Minimum Bid: $50,000

RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Price: $125

eBay: pc_sportscards

Price: $8,500

Charlie Barokas

eBay: ManOnTheRock

1909-11

Ty Cobb Bat off Shoulder

Sweet Caporal 350/25

PSA 8

Spring Rarities Auction

4.15.23 - 5.6.23

Minimum Bid: $30,000

MemoryLaneInc.com

Mickey

PSA 7

Sports, Rock & Roll, Entertainment & Americana

4.27.23

Minimum Bid: $400

RockhurstAuctions.com

1925

Lou Gehrig PSA 2.5

Spring 2023 Catalog Auction

4.6.23 - 4.23.23

Minimum Bid: $25,000

RobertEdwardAuctions.com

1953 Topps

2019 Bowman Chrome Mega Box Wander Franco

T206

1967 Topps

Mantle #150

Exhibits

Schedule 2023 Auction Schedule 2023

March 25

Closing: Heritage Sports Showcase Auction HA.com/sports

March 27

Opening: Mile High Spring 2023 Auction MileHighCardCo.com

March 29

Closing: Goldin March Elite Sports Auction Goldin.co

March 30

Closing: Collect Auctions Spring Auction CollectAuctions.net

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions SiriusSportsAuctions.com

Closing: Heritage Pokémon Masters Trading Card Games Showcase Auction HA.com/tcg

March 31

Opening: Heritage Sports Showcase Auction HA.com/sports

April 2

Opening: Lelands Spring 2023 Classic Auction Lelands.com

April 6

Opening: REA’s Spring Catalog Auction RobertEdwardAuctions.com

April 7

Opening: Goldin April Elite Sports Auction Goldin.co

April 7-8

Closing: Heritage Trading Card Games Signature Auction HA.com/TCG

April 10

Opening: Love of the Game Auctions LOTGAuctions.com

April 13

Closing: Mile High Spring 2023 Auction MileHighCardCo.com

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions SiriusSportsAuctions.com

April 15

Opening: Memory Lane Spring Rarities Auctions MemoryLaneInc.com

April 21-22

Closing: Heritage Trading Card Games Signature Auction HA.com/tcg

April 22

Closing: Lelands Spring 2023 Classic Auction Lelands.com

April 23

Closing: REA’s Spring Catalog Auction RobertEdwardAuctions.com

April 26

Closing: Goldin April Elite Sports Auction Goldin.co

April 27

Closing: Rockhurst Auctions RockhurstAuctions.com

Opening: Goldin Vintage Elite Auction Goldin.co

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions SiriusSportsAuctions.com

April 29

Closing: Love of the Game Auctions Spring Premier Auction LOTGAuctions.com

Schedule 2023 Show Schedule 2023

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

Collect-A-Con Long Beach

Long Beach Expo*

Collect-A-Con Charlotte

Collect-A-Con Denver

Comic Con New York

Portland Retro Gaming Expo

Collect-A-Con Houston

Chicago Sports Spectacular

Las Vegas, NV

Milwaukee, WI

Dallas, TX

Boston, MA

Long Beach, CA

Oaks, PA Kansas City, MO San Diego, CA

IL Long Beach, CA

Beach, CA

NC

TX

IL

Sports Cards

Video Games

Show Signer Autographs

Cards & Autographs

Coins, Cards, Video Games

Video Games

Sports Cards, Pop Culture

Pop Culture

Sports Cards

Sports Cards, Pop Culture

Coins, Cards, Video Games

Show Signer Autographs

Sports Cards, Pop Culture

Pop Culture

Video Games

Show Signer Autographs

Sports Cards

2023 Show Schedule

Supply

Chest Supply Chest Supply

Perfect Fit Sleeves for PSA-Graded Cards

CardboardGold.com cardboardgold@gmail.com

50 Packages/Case (2,500 Sleeves): $89

CardShellz.com

support@cardshellz.com

HERO Diamond Shell: $10 Use code "SHELLZ_PSA" to receive $10 off your first order of $50 or more.

GradedGuard and Phantom Display

GradedGuard.us/collections/acrylic-cases info@gradedguard.us

Phantom Display: $45

Zion Cases

ZionCases.com help@zioncases.com

Slab Case X Color Rush: $100

Registry Set Registry Set Registry

pack leader

THE FOLLOWING Q&A WITH UNOPENED PACK COLLECTOR ANDY GRIMMER (AKA “GRIMSTER” ON THE PSA SET REGISTRY) IS A COMPANION PIECE TO A FEATURE ARTICLE (“PACK LEADER”) THAT INCLUDES ANDY IN THE APRIL 2023 ISSUE OF PSA MAGAZINE .

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

ANDY GRIMMER: “My latest acquisition was a 1989 Collegiate Collection Auburn Tigers unopened pack with Bo Jackson #132 showing on top. There are three different Bo Jackson cards in that set [#4, #39 and #132]. I now have all three packs with Bo Jackson visible on top, so it completes that set. It will be included in my next pack submission and will add to my ever growing pack registry of Bo Jackson.”

PSA BG: What is the next unopened pack you hope to acquire, or any unopened pack in general?

AG: “Currently I’m on the hunt for a 1991 Topps Football wax or cello pack with Bo Jackson showing. It’s a relatively inexpensive product, but I have to search for that one by buying boxes and going through them myself. When hunting through boxes, I don't resell the non-Bo Jackson packs; instead, it turns into a Saturday afternoon of ripping packs with my son and showing him all of the superstars who are in that set. So he gets a crash course on Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, John Elway, etc., and it’s fun for the whole family. I hope.”

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

AG: “Right now I'd have to say 1995 Topps Series 2 Baseball with Bo Jackson showing. There are many

different variations of packs for that year: ‘1 Spectra Light’ insert per pack; ‘2 Spectra light’ inserts; rack packs; grocery packs; etc. I have found a rack pack with Bo showing — it’s currently sitting next to me in a BBCE wrapped top loader — but it’s more difficult to find one that I can get PSA to grade. Only the ‘2 Spectra Light’ inserts per pack is the correct size to be graded by PSA that can have a player visible through the wrapper, but those boxes are relatively rare in the marketplace. It’s already tough to find the exact player you are searching for being visible, now couple that with the lack of supply and it makes the hunt tough! Obviously I'm in the weeds now in my Bo Jackson registry hunt, but yeah, that pack is out there somewhere. I just have to find it.”

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

AG: “It's tough to narrow it down to just one ‘grail’ item these days. My focus has been narrowed down to Nolan Ryan and Bo Jackson for the most part, but I've always wanted to own a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle. I'll pull the trigger on that one of these days.”

PSA BG: What was your best auction steal?

AG: “It was in 2013 or 2014. I was able to scoop up a 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan PSA 7 rookie for $600. It wasn't a huge steal at the time — still a good deal though — but I'm glad I still have that one in my collection for sure.”

Registry

the midas touch

Going once, going twice, going three times with

By Ben Magalaner

2003-04 UD Exquisite Luke Walton #51 Rookie Patch Auto

PSA 6

SOLD: 02.09.23

PRICE: $8,466 02

1986-87 Fleer Sticker

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #1

PSA 9

SOLD: 02.09.23

PRICE: $3,310 03

2002 Panini

Donruss Elite Brock Purdy #185 Black

1/1

PSA 7

SOLD: 02.09.23

PRICE: $1,920

Upper Deck's inaugural Exquisite Collection release from 2003 remains one of the most sought-after issues in collecting and consider this Rookie Patch Auto of Luke Walton as proof. It received an auction-high 81 bids and commanded a $8,466 hammer price, more than 22 times greater than the previous record for a Luke Walton card, per Card Ladder.

LeBron James' pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record has sparked a resurgence of interest in "Cap's" collectibles. This Fleer Sticker showcasing the six-time NBA MVP winner in skyhook style received 33 bids before selling for an impressive $3,310 final price.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was the surprise of the 2022 NFL season and his collectibles have skyrocketed in desirability and value thanks to his winning style and underdog appeal. This one-of-a-kind Panini Donruss Elite Black, which began bidding at $5, inspired 64 bids and sold at a lofty price of $1,920.

CREDITS

COVER

Darryl Webb/ASSOCIATED PRESS

OPENING SPREAD

Stephen Brashear/ASSOCIATED PRESS

PACK LEADER

Fred Jewell/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Copyright 2023 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.

Cover Variants

A Julio Rodríguez (Base)

B Championship Variant #/100

C Andy Friedman Variant #/1000