What to be Thankful for as a Collector with Joe Wood Collector

Um yeah, like well I appreciate you joining me and I I know it's a topic that we talked about a little bit and you know uh about you know what are we thankful for as collectors because I think uh you know as we talk about the hobby a lot of negativity a lot of things that people um you know talk about a lot on YouTube is you negative things, but you know, what's to be thankful about as being a collector? What are you thankful for for this year? You know, like cards that you've been able to get uh people you're able to meet, uh situations, you know, that made you feel thankful as a collector. So, um yeah. So, Doug, like I know you've got some things you wanted to go through and I definitely have things I want to go through. So, I'll let you kind of lead it off here. >> Okay. Well, uh, you know, we talked about this idea a few days ago, and it's been, uh, weighing heavy on me, and I at first I was just going to do a couple small light-hearted things. And then I got thinking about it, you know, in in midst of uh all the stuff that's been going on in our hobby lately. Um you know, like shilling, how comps are affected by shilling, uh grading companies, inconsistent grading, um high prices of cards. It's, you know, it's just a lot of negative u negativity on on YouTube in the YouTube community that's I thought was really important and I didn't want to mess it up. So, I'm going to just be reading it off my paper here. Um, none of these that we just talked about, you know, the shilling, the comps, um, grading inconsistencies, none of this is is new problems and they've all been around in our hobby for a long time. Um, but I hate to see issues um that will detour or put us a sour mouth in our collection as they will always be an issue as long as we are um looking at the monetary value of our cards. Um, we need to take a look at how our hobby, how we hobby and get back to how we started collecting. For me, it's about the joy of the hunt, uh, the players and their history and finding beautiful and unique cards for scare sets. And this is uh my modern day of way of of making myself happy as a collector. Uh when faced with these ongoing issues in our hobby, I prefer not to concentrate on the negative parts of our hobby, but be very thankful for the positives that we have, which brings us to, you know, what we came on air for, and that's to uh air out what we're thankful for. Um, one of the things I'm really uh thankful for is the time that I grow up grew up in the hobby. Uh I started collecting in uh the late 60s and uh you know the first probably 15 years of collecting um you know we didn't have price guides. We didn't have uh we didn't concentrate on value of cards and it was all about um getting the cards that we wanted by uh collecting the players that we liked or the teams that we liked. And um you know there was trading there was no really any value attached uh to the card uh which was you know really nice. The big card shows that we attend uh we have programs like BCP and card ladder that help us um determine you know how much of it we feel that we should pay for a card. Um you know so you know both ways you know you look at it as a advantage of not having these things but in the future uh over the last 15 20 years I think the advancement of all these have helped us as as a collector also um I I just think that we just need not look at it as u always look at your cards as you know monetary value. You know, it's all it's a hobby and it's supposed to be enjoyed and you just got to find your niche in the hobby and make sure that uh you know, you're not looking at all the negatives out there because you know these negatives that are in the hobby aren't anything new. They've been around forever. They're going to continue to be around. um you know, we just can't um we can't um get out of our routine of how we like to collect. Um and I just thought it was real important right now to, you know, state that and um because I see a lot of negativity on uh on YouTube right now concerning those things. >> Well, I agree, Doug. I mean I think that is um the number one thing for me is you know um collecting right to actually do something uh that's deeply personal to a lot of you know you mentioned the things that you collect for not always about money and I think if it is about money I don't think it's I think the idea of like um if it's all financial then it's not really collecting I think it's you call it something else >> but it's not truly collecting I think Um, so I think you have to look at it in those those those um, you know, terms of a lot of what's people are really worried about in the hobby uh, isn't around collecting. It's around the monetary value and how uh, we either increase the value or decrease the value depending on the issue. Like there's no wrong way to do it, but there is probably one way or something that you you know you can collect a certain way that makes you happiest and sometimes that's not uh always tied to the to the monetary gains of your collection. Um >> you know because you can collect a lot of things that don't really have a lot of tremendous value but they can make you very happy. I don't think those two things are mutually exclusive. I think you can be very happy collecting uh things that have very little monetary value or extreme monetary value. Um but to me the joy part uh could be the exact same like there is no cap on how much fun you can have collecting something uh based on its monetary value. >> Right. I I totally agree. >> Yeah. Um so like this year um for me the thing I've kind of pushed on and sort of why I started a YouTube channel sort of what you know has driven me is uh the idea of connecting you know with collectors. Um I'm I'm normally not very uh um let's say outgoing as a person. So, it's like, you know, this allows me to kind of connect with people and have an outlet to communicate and be part of a community. Um, outside of that, you know, I'm very insular, [laughter] you know, um, I don't really, you know, I'd rather stay at home. I don't I'm not I'm not a person that goes out and uh, and hangs around with a lot of people um, very easily. So, I think it helps with my um, that part of my personality. So I think collecting helps me become uh out of my shell a little bit and also gives me excuse or gives me a reason to to be uh social with people uh that otherwise I I could you know I wouldn't have probably engaged in things like YouTube or created things that I've done um without uh collecting. I think I would have had uh you know no real outlet or reason to do it. So it's it is a there's other things to it uh than just uh the objects that you're collecting. There's that community. There is the mental health aspect of you know being in a community having people you can talk to. Uh creating friendships you know I think you know we've all met people like you know Doug you know we've met you know other people we've met along the way and those friendships are sometimes more important than than you know what you collect. I mean, there's a lot of times we go to card shows where you may not even find a card you like, but you can still have a lot of fun by just hanging out with friends, you know, seeing what they're picking up. It's like you can live through them a little bit, too. And it's like a community thing. And I think that part's underrated. >> Telling you beforehand that I went to the Chicago Sports Spectacular and met some other YouTubers up there and uh I I just had a great time. I didn't buy but one card [snorts] and um but I showed bunch of guys some cards that I thought were really good deals and talked them into you know making sure that they got it in their collection. Um, you know, we we spent um Jason, everyday card collector, uh Brad's Vintage, and then I I u Mitchell White Socks Collector, we met him up there. Um there was a few a few others, and then uh we went to a local bar afterwards and had a couple drinks and talked and geeked out on on baseball cards. So, >> yeah, that stuff drives a hobby, not, you know, just all monetary. Right. I totally agree. Um, another one that I had had written down was I just wanted to say that uh, you know, I've been married for 40 plus years and I've had a really supportive wife. There's been times, you know, uh, I've, like I said, I've collected since I was eight years old. Um, I've stopped momentarily for uh a few months, maybe a year at a time over the that period, but for the last, you know, 50s something years, you know, I've been collected and um I've just had a really supportive wife. Now, don't get me wrong, she could care less about the cards. [laughter] She likes that I'm excited about the cards. Um, and uh, that's why, you know, for so long I was in my own little bubble and, you know, I en enjoyed it and it was [snorts] my personal hobby. You, you know, we really didn't have, you know, the social media aspect of it and and able to share with other people. Um, you know, like I said, the first 15 years that I collected, well, you know, I never really went into any card shows. There was hardly any card shows here in Indianapolis, so you really couldn't meet people that way. Um, I remember writing a letter to um I don't remember the gentleman's name, but and we talked a little bit like a pen pal to Trader Speaks back in the 70s. >> Uh that but that's about as close as I got to, you know, socializing. So, uh the uh like I said, you know, I was really grateful for, you know, card shops, um social media, eBay, the all the nice auction houses. Uh although you do have to put up with um with some shenanigans that go on, but you know, as long as you're willing to stuff is shield and there's no way that you can get around it. And you know uh I think I heard somewhere I think it was Jeremy Lee said on his program that you know every price has a little shill in it which is probably you know really accurate. Um but as long as you're comfortable and you set a limit for yourself on what you want to pay for a card. Um because you know really comps are really out the door on the kind of stuff that I collect anyway. Uh, I like I like scare stuff that you don't see very often. Um, and it doesn't sell very often. So, you know, like I said, comps just pretty much go right out the door anyway. So, I I just, you know, I have some disposable income and I just have to decide for myself what I'm willing to pay for a card. And then, you know, you just can't get caught up in in these fierce bidding wars because you don't really know who you're bidding against. you don't know if you're bidding against a corporation or uh or a collector. So, you know, you just got to set your limits and and and let it roll. >> Well, I Yeah, I think I mean I think that's the one thing that's hard as a collector, right? I think right now [snorts] for me I I would say there's a blackout period when I collect like you know between November through let's say February I don't really um make big purchases. It's kind of a blackout period for me. You know it's it's the time where I'm paying like college tuition and taxes and all this stuff happens all this you know one time. So it's like to me it's like okay well you know you Christmas time it's like that collecting takes a backseat other things take a priority and then but it's hard right you you're seeing all these items come up for bid uh Christmas time like a lot of times things go cheaper you know during the holiday season uh it's a very well-known phenomenon on eBay where things go cheaper people are trying to generate some extra cash so maybe some things pop up more often that you were unexpected that, oh my gosh, this thing's now on eBay. I really want it. But, you know, and and I think that's hard. I think, you know, the hardest thing in collecting, I think, is having patience and also sticking with your budget, sticking with your goals, like not creeping. So, you know, I think this year one of the things I am thankful for is I stuck to my collecting goals a lot harder than normal and I made a lot of really tough choices like, you know, selling cards that I really loved, but needed to to generate the income to invest in other areas I wanted to to grow my collection in. Organizing, you know, I've spent an agonizing amount of time organizing my collection. um you know which a lot of people don't you know my comic book site is you know half of what I collect is comic books I don't talk about them that much on my channel but it's like they take a lot of space and you have to organize them and just all the organization piece you know so I've been I've been you know trying to be more um you know uh you know less open or I say crazy with going out and just buying something because I think it looks cool you know I'm again I think the thing that's really fun for me this year was, you know, being in some of the [snorts] communities online, Facebook, whatever, has allowed me to to get opportunities to be part of deals I never would have been part of ever before. And um yeah, like I felt like there was just opportunity uh to buy or be part of um transactions um that two or three years ago I never would have even been a part or even thought of in terms of hey maybe this guy would want to be here to buy this card, you know. And the National was a good example of that. You know, it was a lot of those cards I bought were from dealer or from collectors walking around, not dealers. And >> you know, you do have to have some level of connections in the hobby sometimes to make certain deals happen. I think um if you really look at I think you you know you'd agree is that majority of the big collections that people have that are really cool collections a lot of that is was done through connections with other collectors and and dealers like it wasn't done through auction houses and like you know yeah I'm sure a lot of some of it was done through normal transactions and normal you know areas of of transaction, but you know, a lot of the stuff that people buy and sell, that's this really hard to get stuff that you're like, "Where'd you get that?" A lot of that comes from just other collectors and other people on the hobby that just reach out and say, "Hey, I know you collect this person." You know, I know you're a wood collector. You know, would you be interested in buying this item? >> That's the part of the hobby. And the and that's the cool part of the hobby that people don't really take into account is like oh yeah like having uh people who like you [laughter] think of you uh in in terms >> I'm very grateful for that. Yes. >> Yeah. I mean in the end I think um you know we're all better off like if we have strong community connections and and treat each other the way we want to be treated. Um >> yeah, >> but to you mentioned earlier that the it's not perfect. There are people out there looking to take advantage and they warm themselves into some of these communities as well and and it's like you know that's the hard part about being in society today is someone always ruins it for the for everyone and >> you know someone always tries to you know take advantage of people and I I'm not very thankful for that. But I do feel like um when things like that happen though, these communities, you see them all rally around like if someone gets ripped off, if someone loses their cards, like someone gets their card stolen, that community really bands together and helps that person. I think that uh shows just how cool this this hobby is and it it makes it uh fun to be around. Um >> right, there's strength in numbers. Definitely >> there is. And and how many times have we all reached out to to other collectors and say, "Hey, what do you think about this card?" or do you think this is a good deal? Do you think this car is trimmed? I mean, how many questions we we ask each other? And that's awesome. That makes it so much. And you feel safer, right? You feel like, okay, I've got some good opinions here from from some really seasoned guys and so I'm not going to get ripped off. >> Involved with the YouTube community. Uh I my my friends list has exponentially grown. Um, I'm in text messages and chat groups and um discourses and um you know I like the community because um you know like you said uh I have people text or email me all the time and say hey look I'm getting ready to um to bid on this card. I just want to make sure that you know I'm not stepping on on your toes. It's a it it's Joe Wood it's it's a Joe Wood car >> now most of the time and I I find that awesome you know that somebody would uh know that my passion for Joe Wood and you know they know that uh u their passion for what they collect is the same and they don't want to step on my toes. they want to give somebody uh you know first dibs at at a card that they might not have the most unfortunately at this point in my collecting most of the time I already have >> right >> the Joe card but I just think it's awesome that you know somebody won't even try to bid on it until you know they they get a hold of me and ask me hey do you have this do you mind if I bid on this [laughter] >> so I've community that we have. >> Yeah. No, I that is also what um it also shows too just how small the community really is, right? that, you know, we all kind of like know who the players are uh in certain cards, certain sets to where um you this idea that this hobby is this massive like millions of people hobby and really and sometimes it boils down to like 10 or 15 people who drive a whole set register or who drive, you know, a certain part of this hobby. Um, and I do feel like it's a lot smaller. Uh, once you get to know who these people are, you find out, oh, a lot of them are really nice, fun to be around, >> um, cool people, and, um, they actually like to talk to. And, you know, I've only met a few collectors that I would view as being uh, ultra difficult, you know, or arrogant or whatever you want to call it. Um, because very a lot of them want to talk about the collection. They want to talk about the cards. They want to talk about why they collect and and who they who and and cards they bought and you know so it's like it's very rare for me to run into someone who's like a a collector who doesn't want to share or or talk about what they what they've done >> their natural passion just automatically comes out you know. >> Oh yeah about cards. Yeah. Uh so what cards that you I know that this year that you've been really thankful for uh trying to for getting off your list, you know, or getting into your collection this year? Like what's your top ones this year you want to kind of show like these are the ones I'm really thankful for getting? >> Well, you know, I I always revert back to the video that we did earlier in the season. I think it was in January or February, >> and we kind of set our goals for the year, what we thought we could accomplish. Um, and one of my big goals was to uh I had a couple key cards from the T207 Boston Red Sox uh team set. >> I think I had the Joe Wood and a few other um lesser players >> and I thought it would just be a neat uh project to work on. And um I sent you over a photo. I've been working on that real hard this year. And of the 18 card team set, I'm at sitting on 16 right now. >> And yes, so I only have two more cards for the to complete the team set. Um, so I'm really happy about that project and thankful. I've had a lot of help from from the community on that one, too. Um, there was one auction this year that u somebody split up their T207 uh set and I was really fortunate to get like 10 No, I think it was nine cards all in one auction. So, >> Oh, I remember that. I remember like uh we were at the um uh we were in Strongsville and wasn't there a preview for those cards in that in that uh >> Yeah, truly excited. Yeah. you know, for for me it's like when I look at your cards like you know, when I see like um you know um Oops. You know, cards like this that you pick up, you know, you're always um buying really nice I appeal cards. Um >> I, >> you know, and you're really good at picking out um you know, just some of these cards here that I I've looked at. It's like, you know, you're, you know, I know people would say you're picky, uh, but I think you have a good eye. Uh, I remember when you picked up this h this Honest Wagner. Um, >> hey, got that at Strongsville. >> Got it at Strongsville. And you traded like a bunch of cards that I had I had zero I thought there's zero chance this guy is going to take Marvel cards from the what 70s or 60s. >> Yeah, it was from the 1966 uh Marvel superheroes. Donorous Marble Superheroes [laughter] >> and he and he took him and I was like, "Wow, >> Doug's like, you know, he he found a Honus Wagner card or pin, whatever you want to call it, but you know, a card that's really cool and and he traded a card, bunch of stuff that I would say very few dealers would be as interested in that as a horn of Swagner, but you did a great job and you get were able to to swing a deal and it's just great." Um, >> I was very pleased about that one, >> you know. >> Yeah, this one here, um, I picked up this year also. Um, this is a a very tough back. It's probably one of the tougher. This is the block and cool back. I think the pop on them is only there's only two of them. And um, so I when it came up, I pretty much had to jump on it right away. Uh, I also got >> Yeah, there's a block to go back. Yeah. >> And so, you know, when the opportunity rises, you have you have to jump on it. Um, I was fortunate enough to sell um a card that I would have liked to have kept um for my collection, but uh it just got to the value point where uh I could do um a lot of damage in my own collection and uh so I used those funds to to support my Joe Wood habit this [laughter] year. >> Well, I I think there's a lot of um Yeah. I mean, the thing is is like I love like, you know, like the depth of your collection too, you know. I know this uh um Addy Jos card. I think you picked this up in Strongsville as well, right? >> I did. Yes. Yeah. >> And couple YouTubers uh helped uh help push me to to go ahead and get it. They knew that I was very interested in it and uh so I was glad that they were there to help help me give me the push to do it. >> Now um so this card here um this Hans Lobbar card is it from the same set? >> Yes, it's the M101-2. Okay. >> It's the sporting life supplemental set >> which I I really really like. And then Hans Lobert, u I kind of kind of side collect him. I have a a collection of um Glory Other Times players that's featured in the book that I've been working on and he's one of the really interesting stories of the book and uh um it was a really really decent player and uh he was the captain of the 1919 Cincinnati Reds that won the World Series against the Black Socks. the uh >> really good player. >> And again, going back, I know you love the uh um >> Y >> um the Yeah, I was able to pick this one up. Another new color to my Joe Wood rainbow. And that's another one of my u uh big projects for the year was to add a couple more. Um, I just sent one off a new color that I just sent off to SGC to have submitted and have. >> So, how many colors do you have now? >> I have five. >> Wow. How many colors are there? >> Well, I'm working on that. I'm thinking in the range of uh around eight different colors. >> Wow. >> I just there's no way to pinpoint which players have which different colors. I've been trying to um catalog it. Uh I've went through back through auction houses and looked through and I know that there's still about three more colors that I have physically seen or I've seen pictures of that have sold uh in auction houses uh that I still need. So [snorts] >> that is Yeah. And I think it's >> Yeah. If I figure if I pick up one or two a year, I'm good. >> Um, yeah, I know. I'm going through some of your um I remember when you got this card um the grow. >> Yeah, I think I surprised you on that one, didn't I? >> Yeah. Yeah, that was um like a stealth purchase, you know. I'm like, what? You turn around for one second, you got a Cracker Jack card. whatever's going on. >> And you know, it's like and you I'm so used to you taking like a long time to make a purchase and kind of like really, you know, uh living through the purchase and it's like, oh, like boom, you got this one like right away. >> It was like it was like a threeminute deal. [snorts] >> Yeah. Well, that was actually a card that that uh I was looking for and u I was really surprised to see it especially in in [snorts] the condition, you know, that it's in and I appeal that I that I prefer. So, yeah, there was uh not much thinking about that one. >> Well, yeah. I mean, it's it's really cool though. like um again I I really enjoy the diversity that your collection has and also like you know like just um you know going back to like how you used to collect um you know very similar items like me um you know in terms of like the 50s and 60s and 70s cards you know and you've gotten into these really um focused collections but you know just how um they all really you know I feel like when you show them all together. They really It It creates a great picture, you know, like a a lot of cool paint brushes and colors coming together. >> Yeah, [snorts] this is uh the only T3 that I have uh in my collection, >> which I think is kind of crazy. I I would think uh >> you'd have more, but I also think too like if Joe Wood had um >> Oh, yeah. >> these cars, you would already have them. [laughter] >> Oh, yeah. Definitely. Definitely. >> Yeah. What's your number one card that you're sad that Joa doesn't have? [snorts] >> Um I'm I'm really sad that he's not in the uh T205 or T206 set >> because that would be a an early card of him >> and um >> I'm just Yeah, I'm saddened about that. Do you think >> there's a lot of sets like when you collect Chief Bender um you know he's in a just a ton of early 199 198 n 10 sets that Joe Wood is not in. >> I mean that would >> kind of weird too because >> he was such a good player. It wasn't like he was uh a player who had a let's say a a marginal career to where being in a set would you know make sense for him not or to exclude him would make sense >> right yeah it just yeah it baffles me >> cards I you know this year for me like um you know I was able to buy and get cards that I felt like were um really part of collections you know I collect a certain amount of players like Frank Thomas and King Griffy Jr. and you know um so getting some of the really harder to get cards. Um and I'm very focused with Griffy on the refractor. So going through some of these cards here um you know these are some of the harder more expensive you know Griffy refrators that are out there. You know all number to 100 or lower. Um, and again, most of these came all pretty much at the same time. And so, um, you know, getting these were kind of like the last barriers for me to kind of feel like I can actually complete the set. There's, I believe, 200 I 229 unique King Griffy Junior refractors from the 90s, and I'm down to nine. I need nine Griffy refrators to to get all every refrator from the 90s of Ken Griffy Jr. Um, this card, the man card for, you know, example is one of the cards that is incredibly hard. It's numbered out of it's going to focus maybe not um out of 75. Kind of see it there. Um, this was a major pickup for me in the national. This card itself is turn kind of turned into a big holy grail in the Griffy community. Um, and so one of the cards I need for next year that's kind of the next uh holy grail for me is is the uh 98 Bowman's Best Atomic Refractor. And um, you know, it's pretty much in the same category as this card in terms of holy grails. Um, so you know, it's it's like you're so close but so far away, you know. Um, there are certain cards that I'm going to take probably almost a lifetime to get. Um, this is probably one of my favorite cards of all time of Griffy. This established that rainbow color pattern. Um, so for the Griffy side of it, you know, I really was able to fill a lot of tough holes. like never thought I was able to get near the amount of Griffy cards this year. I was able to get on a good year for me. It's I get maybe one to two of those kind of cards. You know, a refractor number to you know, you know, below to 100 or less. You know, couple years ago, those were like $1,200, $2,000 cards. They've gone to four to $5,000 each. Um, the man refractor is probably going to be eventually a five figure card. The 98 Bulman speest is already a five figure card. So again, these cards are starting to really go up in value to the point where it's just so hard to get one, you know, and for me to get I think four of them in one year is pretty >> pretty cool. But I did sell a collection or two to to be able to to have the money to do it. So, it kind of all hit at the same time. Like, I had the opportunity plus the cards I was willing to sell to to to make it happen. But, um, yeah, I don't feel like next year I'm going to be like able to to top what I did this year in terms of Griffy cards. But I do feel like if I get one or two more cars um in that same vein of the the final nine I need um if I get one or two next year I feel I'll be very happy, you know, because they're so hard to pick up and and get that, you know, just getting one or two of them a year now is is is an accomplishment. >> Jason, I got a question for you. >> Yeah. >> So, do you think we were, you know, we were talking about uh how how good the card community was. Do you think you would have been able to pick up these big cards at the nationals if it hadn't been for the card community? >> No, I the only card I would have been able to pick up would have been the Centurion card. Everything else was um cards that were walking around the show uh in dealer in in collector's hands. In fact, uh two of those cards were graded at the show. >> Yeah. So, they were brought in by a collector, graded at the show, offered up to the community, and uh because I'm uh not a grade snob, I was able to buy the cards because if they had graded higher, uh they were already spoken for amongst the community. And so I lucked out by them actually grading lower u to have the ability to buy them because in the in the modern community there's guys who only collect cards in certain grades still. Um so I was able to get those cards because they graded an eight. Um which I'm on these kind of rare cards now I I don't care what grade they get really. I mean I used to really bother me if it was like a modern card below a nine. No, I don't care. I I feel like >> it, you know, they're rare, they're hard to get, they're expensive. If it saves me a couple thousand dollars, I'm all for it. If it's an eight versus a nine. I think I'm at the point now um where I don't really care. Um if I get a 98 Bowman's Best Griffy and it's a PSA 4 and it looks nice, I probably will be very happy with it if it's in my collection because that's one less card I'll need to get. Um but you know I I do feel like um the community itself without I way other rephrase it is without the community's help I would never ever get the cards. I think they would have sold privately >> with me ever knowing about them. And uh so yeah, like um and the thing is is like when those cards do appear on eBay, you're competing against the world, right? You you know, versus like maybe two or three other collectors in a room. So it does kind of help keep it in focus is like it's it is a very special thing to be offered cards in a private setting versus having to compete against >> Yeah. cuts down their competition >> 100%. Now, you may still pay um and the joke was I overpay for those cards comparatively to what they were selling for at the time, but that's that's the option, right? You either, you know, one of these things we talk about is, you know, comps and shilling. You know, if you're willing to overpay a little bit, you get the chance to to buy the card without someone else because who knows, there could have been another person who said, "Hey guy, I'll give you more than he's willing to give you." You don't know what someone else is willing to do to get a rare card. Um, you can say you overpaid, but some guy could be willing to pay even more because they know like they may not come up for sale very often. Uh, so again, I think you have to take that opportunity and if it's a reasonable deal, um, looking at what the last one sold for may not be the best solution to your if you really want to get the card, >> right? >> Always looking at that last sold is sometimes not going to get you the card. >> And I've seen people hold out for years looking for the card because they want it to be at a certain price point or grade. And I'm like, you know, I think at some point you kind of have to give up on one or the other. Like maybe you can't get the grade you want or you may not be able to get it at last comp. >> Yeah. >> Um but on my but the thing is is like I picked up some you know I had really kind of given up on Bender for a little bit. even sold a few bender cards and now this year I got back into it and um I'm not I'm not blaming Doug but I do feel like you know his passion did kind of rub off you know um he's able to get a Bruner's bread vendor which I love the I love the card it's one of those those sets that you know the Sai Young and the um what the Tai Cobb and that set are just really cool the homeless wagon show the back of that card because the back of the cards as nice as the front. Yeah, >> I just love the back of those. >> Yeah, it's a it's a such a cool card. Uh here's a card I picked up. It's not a great condition card, but you know, I had bid on these one of these cards in a previous auction and a love of the game in the auction and lost it. So, I felt like it was good enough. It still has good eye appeal. Uh it's not cut, you know, uh perfectly, but um still presents really well. So, I like that. Uh the uh baseball bats. I think they're a cool. Um and then this one, I picked this up, the E103. Again, not a high grade, but these cards are incredibly hard to find. You know, they don't come up for sale very often. Uh >> now, you got the Eddie Collins this year also, right? The E103 Eddie Collins. >> Yeah, that's actually uh getting graded, uh I think. >> Yeah. [laughter] Uh here's one I picked up just recently, the uh E104, the Naja Caramel Blank. Um I definitely want the world champion version of this card. Um you don't see that you don't see those cards come up for auction very often. Um I'd like to have both the Eddie Collins and the and the Bender. Um >> again, this is the blank back. Um, I think it's one of the prettiest, um, you know, caramel cards ever made, honestly. Like, they are tremendous eye appeal, um, on these cards. And, um, I like I also like there's different colors, too, for different teams. Like, they they they really mix in the colors. Um, I was able to get my 14 Cracker Jack um, Bender this year, >> and I think it's a great two. I I really do. Um, you know, it's hard to see with the camera, but there you go. Uh, it it really presents well. >> It does. >> Um, I, you know, it it I'm not sure. I don't even think it has a mark on the back. It doesn't have a pinhole. Um, it's got creases there, but I mean, honestly, like for two, that's about what you would hope for a >> car. >> Really good eye pill. Um, I did get my T227 back. Uh, this is one of the cards I did sell. Um, but this card's a much nicer version of my T227 than I had originally. So, I I think I upgraded. It's a very nice, too. It's well centered. Um, you know, it does have a kind of a sloped angle cut there, uh, which PSA hates nowadays. Uh, this is the, uh, miner's back as well. >> Yeah. So that's a little bit tougher um than the I forget what the other back is. I picked up a few of the um yeah the melament. This was a big pickup. Of course, same front, but it's got the amazing mellow back. One of the cooler I love I love when there's colored backs like you know these don't happen that often. you know, the colored ink backs. >> You know, they are they are nice. And here's a very similar card with the nausea caramel back. Again, a very different back. Uh, so it's like again, but a very cool, but you can see the just the difference in those two cards. Um, and the thing I always thought was cool about them is they're the same car, but they're different orientations for the back. I just think that's really cool that this the development they did a horizontal back. >> These are the type of that I was hoping that Joe Wood would have been in, >> right? Yeah, I understand. I mean that I And for me with Chief Bender, it's like the it's almost you're penalized because he's in all these sets. It's like to get every Chief Bender card is almost impossible, >> right? >> I was able to complete my um my Moses Yellow Horse set. So, here is the the 23 Zen that I picked up at the national and got graded kind of focus in maybe. But, um, really tough card again. Blank backs on the Xenuts. Here's the Zena you kind of tipp me off on and I got it and I got it greater than National. So, this is the 24. >> Nice. >> Much I just love that card. And then, you know, obviously the the one for me as a pirate fan, you know, the exhibit here, um, showing him in the in the full pirate uniform. Uh, just a really cool card. >> That's from Is that from the 22 exhibit? >> Yes, 22 exhibit. >> Yeah, that's a that's a tough card. You find a lot of 21 exhibits, but the 22s are a lot tougher. >> Yeah. And I I actually picked this up in I want to say REA U one one of the big auction houses. I was able to pick that up. Um now here's the card that I know you like that I picked up the Pinkerton exhibit. >> And man, I had to go to town on this card. This card I almost gave up on. The only reason I got it because Doug's like, "Man, you gotta get the pinker. Like, get the pinker. That's the card you need to get." And so, like, I I had to go hit I had to go toe-to-toe in in auction. Like, this was one. There was some really determined biders wanting to get this card. >> Like, it's a it's a five, but it's a great card. I love the card, too. I mean, it's a great pose. It's a blank back, which I kind of like on the postcard set, but I kind of like the blank backs, honestly. Um, >> well, Peterton's tough by itself, but when you get a five grade, that's >> Well, I was getting the Bruner's Bread at the same auction, so I was like, you know, at one point I'm like, I'm just going to have to give up on one because they're both going up so much. Um, but I stayed with it because you're like, man, you can't don't lose the Pinkerton. Like, [laughter] so like I I I stuck with it. I'm glad I did. Uh then here's my only uh Ferguson Bakery uh card I have. Um I don't know what color you would call this, but uh it's either yellow or orange. I can't really, you know, it's hard to tell um what is a little faded. >> Yep. I'm really partial to those. But that is uh but I definitely would like to get my my uh um my rainbow going on the on the bender. And the bender actually doesn't come up very often for sale. >> No, it does not. It's uh you know I've seen a few I've seen maybe three colors since I've started looking at him but um it's just odd like because he's so popular you just think that there'll be a lot of benders you know because you sometimes see that they come up for auction sometimes you're like oh you know this player this player this player and Bender doesn't seem to be one of the players that is very common and then this is a card that I picked up that I think is my personal favorite of the year like wild cards to pick up. I said I didn't pick up verina wild cards. >> Beautiful. >> Uh T214 Fatima. Um Rubar card. And uh yeah, I I love this set. This is probably um you know, one of the few cards when I saw the at the national, I just could not uh walk away. I was just like, this card is exceptionally cool. >> Yeah, that's an exceptional high grade for that for that card. Usually they're uh really brittle and they chip and crack and it has a real glossy finish that likes to crinkle. >> Yeah, it really um stands out. And the thing about it too and again they got this beautiful back that Fatima cigarette back is just you know it makes it you know where when you get these cards like um yeah it just m it adds to the that front you know just it's cool on the front cool on the back and it's probably the card when I picked up the national I had the most comments on in terms of like that's a cool card like just it's not like super expensive. just that's a cool card like that, you know, >> a three is a high grade in in those cards. >> Now, my most recent pickup is is from Mr. Doug here talking about rumor card. I did get this in the mail last week. Uh so, or this week, I guess. So, I was happy to pick up this T207 uh from my my buddy Doug. So, that goes into my big pile. And again, last but not least, I mean, I did pick up a couple of T5s. I I have a little more T5s than Doug, and these are hard to display, but here is my Walter Johnson, and it's a 1.5. I picked this up before the National. And then my other big uh one. This is my big national. It's like, it's weird to say this is the big national pickup because I picked up so many cars, but the Scion Nice. >> It's a really nice sang. >> It's hard to be like um you know to say you had like a a bad national when you get to go home with a card like this that um and then you know I still have the I'm still at PSA I have the Eddie Collins Um, so I I'll have the T3 Eddie Collins uh coming in and then um you know on the Eddie Collins front I picked up both the uh book cover and the notebook cover and the T3. [snorts] Uh so both of those are um you know at PSA hopefully getting graded right now. Um >> I think PSA has been hold for ransom. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, I'm not sure uh when those are going to be back, but um when I get them back, I definitely will show them off. But I do feel like, you know, I was able to really uh you know, pick up some cards that, you know, to me just make more sense to me as a collector. And I think that makes it makes me happier to to look at cards in my collection and be like, "Oh, that card makes sense to have just, you know, in the collection versus I call like the rand uh the random, you know, like Frank Robinson card, right?" or just the random, you know, um, you know, uh, Brooks Robinson card, which, you know, I think, and I always feel like people get really defensive about collecting when you say, "I don't collect this something anymore. I sold off that collection." But you do the same thing. [laughter] You sold it off. Uh, and I do feel like that is it's okay to sell things off and buy other things. And it doesn't mean that the the things that you bought before were bad. It's just you move on. But again, this is a good example like this kind of collection. I look at this card. I believe there's a Grover Alexander in this set too, right? >> One just sold in Love the Game auction last night. >> And they are incredibly expensive. >> They can be. Yes. And the Walter Johnson is probably the big boy in the set. >> So yeah, like you know, again, I get this card, I'm like, "Oh, I'll do the set." Then then then Doug's like, "Well, there's a Walter Johnson and a Grover Alexander in that set that are all five figure cards." So, you know, those are big cards. And um but you know, like on the T on the T3 set, I mean, I do have the Johnson, the Sai Young. I mean, I I could I could definitely look at getting uh I definitely want the Matthew. And after that, >> it's what Cobb, you know, and then >> Yeah. >> And then you're pretty much on the downhill, but there's so many Hall of Famers in that set. So, it's like you can't be like, "Well, I'm done. I got the COB." It's like now you got another 35 Hall of Famers [laughter] after that. >> But, um, no, and I'm I'm I'm excited to to, you know, and the cool thing about these, you know, again, I show off the back on the T3s, like the turkey red back is really cool. >> Yeah. >> Um much cooler than the checklist back. Um, which I believe the Sai Young is the checklist back. Yeah. So, yeah, 76 players. And, uh, could you imagine what the Honus Wagner would bring in that set? Oh my god. >> Oh my goodness. [laughter] >> That's another guy, too. I mean, he Honus Wagner, I mean, he was in a lot of sets, but he could have been in some of these other sets and they would just h like, could you imagine a T214 Honus Wagner or something like that? >> No. Awesome. That'd be awesome. it would, you know, and that's what I'm saying like Joe Woods and Missing Law sets, you know, and again, I'm thankful that um Chief Benders and all these sets, that's a double-edged sword, but I do feel for you as a collector like you're missing out on all these cool cards, >> right? >> But so I think, you know, overall, you know, Doug, I think we've we both had really fun years. Um, and I know like um when we go back and look at how we did u filling in our top 10 of the year, I think we'll we'll both did pretty well. >> I sneaky suspicion that you did better than me, though. >> I think I think I think you you you may have checked a few more off than I did, but I think it'd be fun to see uh who did better at the end of the year. >> Yeah, I think I think we did both did great. >> Well, I appreciate the conversation. Very thankful. Very thankful. >> Me, too. I think this is collecting wise, this has been a fun year. I mean, it's hard to beat, honestly. I mean, the high of getting my 68 3D Kente. I think it's like when you have a I hate to call it god card, just a card that has ruled your life for years where you never thought you were going to get it, then you finally get it. It's hard to like be like, well, that's [snorts] a repeatable every year kind of event. Uh, I'm not gonna compare this year to that. I would just say that from a just a breath of collecting like that was a one card pickup. This is this year has been much more focused on >> a lot of different cards and sets. And I think this year from that side of it, it was been one of the most fun years I've ever had collecting. Uh, and you've been a big part of it. So, I thank you, Doug, uh, for really helping >> fun with the journey, too. So, um, and you know, but you know, I feel like next year is going to be even more fun. And, um, you know, I think the good thing about it, too, is you can't predict what's going to happen. And I think that's the fun part of the hobby is you go with the plan and all of a sudden whatever opportunities and cards come up. Um, and then it kind of makes your year. Um, but like this card wasn't on my list. Uh, but I have it. Um, and you know, the National I wasn't looking for this card. I was looking for the Matthew. >> Yeah. Not one single Matthew at the at the Nationals. >> Just kind of odd. Don't you feel like that's a just so weird that that card is so hard to get? Um because I don't think it's a short print. It's just people love it. >> Popular. Just very popular. >> Just super popular. Um, >> but it's like that uh Sai Young card I picked up the uh uh was it E9 E90-1? >> Yes. >> It's like not rare, but people love it and so right >> they just hoard it and sell it. >> Um such a great card. So, >> um but I appreciate the conversation, Doug, and um hopefully you have, you know, for the remainder of the holidays if we don't do another video. I know we're gonna do one at the beginning of the year, but uh hope you and your family are safe and really enjoyed having a good year with you. >> Yes, I've had extreme joy over the whole season. Um and I think we did we both did very well with our goals and I'm very pleased and very thankful. >> Well, me too. All right, man. Well, I'll talk to you later and have a great uh remainder of the year. If I don't see you on this video, I know we'll talk. We're always on social media, so we'll be talking there at least. >> All right, take care. >> Take care. Bye.

@Doug-JoeWoodCollector