World of podcasts for sports card collectors
Collectors have a multitude of ways to get information about the cards they collect. There are magazines (print and digital like SCD) that provide interviews, event recaps and set information. There are websites that can give everything from pricing to checklists to collecting tips. There are channels on YouTube to watch box/case breaks, take a collection tour or see a recap of the latest card show you could not attend. But one of the fastest growing mediums for collectors to get their information fix is the podcasting world.
Current estimates state that there are over 700,000 active podcasts with over 30 million episodes available to listen to. One allure of podcasts is the simple method of consumption. You can listen while working, while exercising, while sorting cards. And the topics are endless. So, it only makes sense that there are a host of sports card podcasts available to collectors as another method to get entertainment and information about the hobby we all love.
Another beauty of the podcast format is the control the host(s) has as to content. Some like Go GTS Live and About the Cards are live and have a video complement their information and discussion. Fat Packs and That Sports Card Show are primarily interview based. Sports Card Nation and Lemme Get That Podagraph are a combination of information, opinion and interviews. If box breaking is your thing, listen to Breaker Culture and Mojo Break The Hype. If you want to reminisce about packs from a previous time, then Wax Ecstatic is for you. There are podcasts about investing in sports cards like Sports Card Investor. If you want hot takes about all things in the hobby, then the current longest running hobby podcast, The Sports Card Show from the guys at Sports Card Radio, is your show. If you want a podcast about only a specific sport you collect, listen to Nascard Radio or Wax Museum: A Basketball Card Podcast. Even hobby icon, Dr. James Beckett, has his own podcast entitled Sports Card Insights with his long list of hobby experiences.
The vast selection of shows and access to information has caused the shows and more importantly, their hosts, to have a great influence on the hobby. At this year’s National in Chicago, many of the podcasters were on hand to host their shows live from The National and participated in the on-stage presentations throughout the week. In fact, Rob Bertrand and Ivan Lovegren of Go GTS Live anchored the stage for the event. Eric Norton of the Fat Packs, and Tim Shepler and Stephan Loeffler, two of the hosts of About the Cards, were part of a round table on the main stage about creating content. Drew Herndon of Lemme Get That Podagraph and John Newman of Sports Card Nation were joined by Stu Stone to discuss his film “Jack of All Trades” and break some packs. In addition, many of the podcasts hosted live episodes and interviewed each other. That is one of the many indications of the camaraderie and community among the sports card podcasters.
I had the pleasure of interviewing many of the top sports card podcast hosts. Some were in-person interviews at The National and include Rob Bertrand and Ivan Lovegren of Go GTS Live, Tim Shepler and Stephan Loeffler of About the Cards, Drew Herndon of Lemme Get That Podagraph, John Newman Of Sports Card Nation, Ty Wilson of Breaker Culture,
