Coom & Currie Sports cards

6 months in

• Ben Coom • Season 1 • Episode 1

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Remember that rush of excitement when you found a special card in a pack as a kid? That nostalgic thrill has evolved into something much more powerful for today's collectors. 

What begins as an innocuous purchase—a Tyler Lockett card from Pike Market in Seattle—quickly transforms into a full-fledged obsession that consumes both time and finances. Our hosts share their remarkably similar journeys into the trading card world, despite focusing on different sports: one drawn to NFL cards (particularly the Seattle Seahawks), the other to football/soccer (especially Liverpool).

The conversation candidly explores the psychological elements that make card collecting so addictive. From the adrenaline rush of opening packs to the thrill of scoring a rare find online, both hosts acknowledge their struggles with "throttling back" their spending while maintaining their passion for the hobby. This honest discussion about the potential financial pitfalls provides valuable perspective for anyone considering diving into serious collecting.

Beyond the cards themselves, the community aspect emerges as perhaps the most rewarding element of modern collecting. Whether it's visiting the Fanatics store in London (complete with smoke-filled reveals of custom one-of-one cards), connecting with fellow collectors online, or anticipating "mail days" when new acquisitions arrive, these social connections transform collecting from a solitary activity into a shared experience.

The hosts reveal their recent acquisitions with palpable enthusiasm—PSA-graded treasures, serial-numbered rarities, and personal collection centerpieces that showcase the diversity of modern card collecting. Their excitement is infectious, capturing why so many adults are rediscovering this childhood passion.

Join us on Instagram and TikTok to see our latest pulls and acquisitions, and subscribe to our monthly playlists featuring music from our social media posts. Have your own collecting story? Reach out—we'd love to feature you on an upcoming episode!

Social Media: 

https://www.instagram.com/ccsportscards11?igsh=YjMxenpvNGZkODlx&utm_source=qr

@coomandcurriesportscards TikTok 

Speaker 1:

Welcome to. Coombe Curry Trading Cards, episode 1. There we go, six months in. Is that alright? Does that sound good?

Speaker 2:

Let's carry on. Let's go with it. Let's carry on. That's good, good intro. Yeah, good start. I like that.

Speaker 1:

Alright. So yeah, I'm Curry and this is Coombe. Let's get straight into it. How long have you been collecting cards and how did you get into it? How long have you been, how long have you been collecting cards and how did you get into it?

Speaker 2:

well, that's uh, as that is the title of the podcast um, six months ish. Um, yeah, it's a weird one, because I have probably watched she hawks now, for I think I'm in eighth year, ninth year. Absolute dream of mine was to go to Lumenfield and I went with Lemmers in November and one of our friends and we went to Pike Market, amongst other things, and I was. I don't know what triggered it, that's the, that's the weird thing. But on on the heading to the trip, one of the things I wanted to do was find a card shop, and that's that's the bit that at the minute still eludes me from the memory of it. Like I don't know what triggered that or why it was, but we went to Pike Market and there was.

Speaker 2:

You go down the incredible place but you go down one level and there was this old card shop at the back. I go in there, I'm looking at the cards and I just thought I'll get a seahawks card. Um, more for uh, just just something from the trip. You know, like a memory thing or uh, and I see this one of, uh, tyler lock, tyler lockett had a look at it for 85 it was. But what's funny is being six months in now and, uh, you know, having done trades buying cards and stuff like that, it's probably didn't take the right approach. But I didn't actually buy it on that first day and I thought, if it's still there the next day, I'll buy it. So we go back in and I picked it up and I thought, right, I'm going to go for it. Took it to counter, the guy said $85 and didn't bother to negotiate or anything like that.

Speaker 2:

Now in hindsight, six months in with the, I guess the knowledge that I've got and stuff like that. Yeah, definitely overpaid for it, but said card is here, we've got a beauty. Yeah, nice, tyler lockett. It's a tops chrome one rookie card and it is 203 out of 250, 80 oh 85 dollars I paid but yeah, but I think that's definitely a card that I will never. That'll always be in the PC.

Speaker 1:

Never sell that that'll always be your first card that you bought.

Speaker 2:

Yeah exactly yeah. But the funny thing of this story is that took it home, put it so this was last November or November yeah, november 24. Took it home, put it in, so this was last November or November yeah, november 24. Took it home, liked it, put it in a drawer. I didn't pick it up till mid-Jan and I was at home one day. Get it out of the drawer. I'm having a look at it and I thought to myself because I'm a massive Jackson Smith and Jigba fan, so I thought I'll jump on eBay and see if I can get a nice JSN card. And the rest is history, as they say. But I didn't just purchase the one. That was it non-stop. So I would say my hardcore card collecting has been, yeah, since I picked that up in January and I think every bit of money I've had since has gone on cards, absolutely addicted.

Speaker 1:

I've got a couple of questions going back to your Pike Market experience. Did you, how much would? If you were back in that experience with what you know now, how much would have you tried to barter down to? What do you think would have been a reasonable amount of money? Because not only is that it's a numbered card right, it's also graded as well. Did you buy it graded?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no, I bought it graded. Yeah, it's not one of the mainstream graders five-star grading. I've Googled them since it seems like a fairly small outfit. But yeah, it's, um, it's. It's funny that question, because you, I wouldn't actually change that, because it's kind of a funny story as well and it's kind of, uh, where I've overpaid. It makes it sort of mildly amusing when you look back now. Um, but, but the only way, if you think about it, the only way that I would have negotiated a price or gone down is if I was already an experienced collector, which would take away from the story. So I think I think that's another thing. Um, I think everyone's like that. I don't think that's unique to us, but you know, you get your first card. I'm sure everyone's got hold of it and got it in their collection, but I feel like the overpaying of it actually makes it more of an interesting or funny story. Yeah, 100%.

Speaker 2:

I mean it's a banger of a card, to be fair. Yeah it's beautiful yeah it's a nice card, the top frame collection's really nice.

Speaker 2:

That's, I think, a nice transaction into what you're collecting at the minute and how you got into it, because you're more on the I hate to say this, but you're more on the soccer side, football as it should be called. Yeah, it's quite big for the tops, isn't it? Because you've obviously got your match attacks and stuff like that. You've got your Panini side side, your adrenaline and things like that. But, yeah, let's, let's, um, let's tell the hopefully millions of listeners, uh, what's triggered it for you and and what you're collecting at the minute yeah, so I mean originally going back to when I was a kid.

Speaker 1:

I was probably. Yeah, as I spoke to you the other day about the World Cup 94 cards. Found them in a garage the other day which were up a deck.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, lovely cards as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, growing up I loved Premier League sticker albums. I had them since I was, I don't know, six or seven.

Speaker 2:

Premier League 95.

Speaker 1:

The first football tournament I remember wow was welcome 94. So, having that experience as a kid, I was what? Seven years old? Um, I've got the cards from them, I've got a sticker album in the garage. And then that's when the premier league album started coming through and then I started collecting pro match, in which I found out was from 1996.

Speaker 2:

So they were like caricature pictures of just um british footballers yeah, this is what you were telling me the other day, wasn't it about? Yeah, it didn't ring a bell with me, yeah no, I'll, um, I'll fish them out.

Speaker 1:

I've definitely. I saw them the other day, but they're, um, they're quite funny. They're like caricature drawings on the front. You turn it over and it's got like an actual picture of the player and like their, their details and who they pay for etc and all that. So I used to collect them. I used to trade them at school, um, and yeah, for years I was collecting stickers, mainly as a kid obviously grew up, other things came into play and then always had my eye on cards but never really got, never really bought any, just sort of like. I saw them online or saw them in shops. And then we started talking earlier this year and you were telling me about all these cards that you got or you were going to buy. And then you sent me a package from New Zealand to us here in the south coast of England and I got this. I remember coming home from work and the wife said there's a parcel on the table for you. I went, oh yeah, as soon as I picked it up I knew it was your handwriting.

Speaker 1:

I went here you go.

Speaker 2:

I needed to bring someone down with me. That's what it was. I knew the addiction was real. I thought I need to bring someone down with me. I'm going to hook him in hook line and sinker.

Speaker 1:

I was in as soon as I opened that pack. I remember opening it literally over here to the right of me Hannah was probably shaking her head behind me, my wife and I was yeah, you sent me a mix of well, mainly nfl cards nice packers in there.

Speaker 2:

I think wasn't there yeah and obviously yeah.

Speaker 1:

So for me nfl wise green bay is my team. He sent me a um a kit relic card yeah, that's it. I can't remember the name and that card was. As soon as I picked that one up, I was like that's what I'm in the market for, and you posted that on our Instagram as well, didn't you?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. I remember seeing that come up as a post.

Speaker 1:

That was the first card I'd seen in the flesh of something that was unique to a card. Yeah, you know, you look back at. I look back at the cards I got when I was a kid. Don't want no signature cards. If they were signatures they were actually physically signed by. You know the person yeah, yeah, it was. They never had that. They never had parts of kits, parts of, you know, the football, whatever it is yeah, there's parts of balls.

Speaker 2:

these days it's got everything. I see a Jamie Vardy one today with the top part of his boot integrated into the card.

Speaker 1:

And I think that's why that's elevated the trading game so much, because of that proper limited edition, proper collector's items, whereas the only collector's items, if you look back at all the Jordan cards and all that, it's probably rookie cards mainly, or maybe a signed one, um, that someone met him, now like going for silly money. So that card, that relic, card relic is that the right term.

Speaker 2:

I've started with a bit yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, um, yeah, it was um obviously you get with them uh, the more rare ones, like the player worn stuff, but they tend to be now like not from. I mean on the back they'll say like not from a specific game or event, but there's a lot of good videos on youtube where people take them apart and then on the back you can see that like there might be a tag of what player it's come from. It's not usually the player that's on the card, but it's. It's still cool that it's still a part of their kit. You know it's something that they've added to the card.

Speaker 1:

Um, right, yeah, and then obviously then from that, um, I think you sent me some like match attacks, like base cards football ones, soccer ones, if you will Swear word Um and I from there, um, and I from there, um. I started collecting, yeah, collecting match attacks um, yeah, buying the packs, um, the tins, um, from my local morrisons actually, um, cleared them out and uh. Then then I went to, uh, went to ebay and opened up a whole new world uh, yeah I think the first car I bought was a alexander arnold and the relic one.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think I first car I bought was a Trent Alexander Arnold, the Relic one. I think I only got it for a couple of quid. We don't speak too much about him these days Divisive character, isn't he? From there, it was for me, being a Liverpool fan at Liverpool Football. That's my main. My personal collection is collecting Liverpool cards, but I'm also collecting match attacks for this season and I will do probably next season as well.

Speaker 2:

That's the interesting thing, isn't it? When we talk about how we've approached it and the level, as a kid I did all the stickers and stuff like that. When we talk about, uh, how we've approached it and and kind of the electric level, you've, as a kid I I did all the stickers and stuff like that, but I never had a card so literally that tyler lockett card for me, um, and again, I can't, I don't know where it came from, what triggered it, but that literally was my first card, whereas with you you've got this. As a kid you had cards and stuff like that, but where we've kind of now started, you're kind of more steady, you're more into, uh, the football, slash, soccer side of things, whereas I'm.

Speaker 2:

I'm more nfl and um, yeah, I've gone hard.

Speaker 1:

I have gone hard I think the difference is. I think the the difference currently with both our collections is I think I have a bit of OCD with collecting going back as a kid for sticker albums and cards. I feel like I always feel unfulfilled that I haven't collected the whole collection.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but I think that's a common thing, isn't it? Haven't collected the whole collection, yeah, but I think that's a common thing, isn't it? And, uh, that I mean that's something that I think as, as um time goes on with these podcasts, that's something we can explore. Because it's interesting that you say about the ocd side of it, because I've got a weird habit of uh, um, over analyzing, overthinking and stuff like that, and I think what drives, what initially drove the need to go hard for me was I absolutely loved it. From that moment, I re-picked up the Tyler Lockett slab and decided to go for the JSN cards and more Seahawks. That ignited something in me and I think for me it was a race to get a really good baseline collection, um, and that's something that probably needs to be toned down, dialed down a little bit.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I don't really know how to control that, but you, but I think now although I say that my wife wouldn't agree um, some interesting conversations, but I feel like I'm toning it down, but maybe, maybe I'm not. But now I've got that base collection and you've got a couple of like, um, you know some almost grail cards, you know stuff that you really proud to have in your collection. Now I feel like, um, that's something that we'll discuss. Is you start then looking at your collection and throttling it back? So you go what do I really want to collect what you know? What do I want in my collection? And that's been an interesting phase of my collecting. So, but I think, even having said all this, I'm probably lying in the fact that I've not throttled it back. I think that's probably a lie.

Speaker 1:

I'm telling myself I mean, it's difficult, like you. Like you know the buzz of getting these grail cards and um, relic cards and autograph cards these are all, like majority of them will go into your personal collection and securing them cards or buying them or getting them in the live break which I've still get to touch um, it's a buzz, isn't it? It's an adrenaline rush. Um, yeah, a hundred percent going back some more.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think I think we could probably do a whole episode, though, on um, as you touched on there again, what's going to be interesting as time goes on is how we collect.

Speaker 2:

you know how you come, how you get your cards and what, and, uh, what experiences you've had with that, because for me it has changed. You know, like that initial start was buying boxes of cards but then you know, I've spoke to a lot of. What's been really good for me here is the card community in New Zealand is pretty small, but when you're in it it feels huge. So the people that you're dealing with and then you're going into breaks and stuff like that, I've started um, some friendships now through uh the card community but admittedly some at some.

Speaker 2:

I've been to the the new zealand card show in wellington and it was a trade night before, so it's nice to actually put some faces to names. But I've made some friends that actually I've still not met in in the flesh. But we talk a lot, um, and it's. What's funny is how many people have the same story, um, and it's saying, and it seems to be at the same time a lot of, a lot of new people, uh, in the collecting world, um, but yeah, the stories are so similar and I think that that's going to be an interesting topic is is how you turn something that you're passionate about and enjoy into something that's got longevity and is affordable. And I think, if I go on at the rate I'm going.

Speaker 1:

I could be in a lot of trouble.

Speaker 2:

Devort could be solicitors on the horizon. So I know that it's got to be throttled back and it's got to be under control, and I think that's going to be part of the journey, isn't it yeah?

Speaker 1:

It's funny you should say that about the community that you've got in Wellington, new Zealand. Where is it so? Obviously you're, you're, you're mainly, you know, posting a lot on instagram and I sort of take the tiktok side in terms of, yeah, yeah, video breaks of boxes and tins and whatnot, um, so that's where I've sort of spoke to people, um, in the social media side. But in terms of, like, I haven't been to an event yet, but I'm really looking forward to going to, yeah, like a card con or whatever you call them, like a showcase or whatever it is, to go down and, um, I've not really been to like a market like you have, where it's specifically cards just to buy.

Speaker 2:

Um, I've sort of that's happening in december, isn't it?

Speaker 1:

yeah, so uh, for all the listeners out there, we will be uh brought together uh in in england um over the christmas period, um, and we will be going to numerous different ones. I think we've got one planned for edenbridge in kent. Um, a potential, um a potential one in germany yeah, so yeah lots of prizes and obviously, and obviously, I went to the Fanatic store in Central London.

Speaker 2:

I was going to say tell us about that, tell us about how that was, because I was certainly when I saw about, you'd mentioned it to me, but I've seen a lot of posts about it. But when you told me some of the things that was going on there, and tell us about the card, because that's something you can't get away with going on there. And and tell us about the card because that's that's something you can't get away with not being there, and yeah, tell us, tell us about that.

Speaker 1:

I think, um, I think it might have been like the week before. Um, we went to a car boot fair and I found I found a stand of cards, this. This guy was selling these cards and they were like tempia cards and he had like I don't know, game of thrones and star wars and pokemon. And then to the left he had some, some sport cards and they were all quite yep, just base cards and going through them and I found some old liverpool players from the 90s.

Speaker 1:

Um, yeah I had, like robbie fowler, david james philbabb no, philbabb unfortunately gutted, he wasn't there um, john scales, um, but they were just like, yeah, I think they were just like base cards, but they look really good, they look really nice. I don't think I've shown you them yet, but, um, they were like, yeah, I got, oh, and I got like a jotter adrenaline, yeah, like um refractor or something, I don't know anyway. So I got, oh, and I got like a jotter adrenaline, yeah, like um refractor or something, I don't know anyway. So I got them. And then, like a week later, we went to london and, um, we went, went to a spa, a spa morning, lovely, nice and relaxed, and then we booked really nice, actually proper, um, proper nice, in mayfair as well, in London so it was a posh part, and then we booked lunch in.

Speaker 1:

It was the other side of Trafalgar Square, no other side of Piccadilly Circus, sorry. So I looked at the map and the spa was here, the restaurant was here and Fanatics was here. The restaurant- was here so, and Fanatics was here meant to be it was meant to be. I said I said to her. I said, look, as we're walking this way, don't mind if I pop into this Fanatics store. Do you collect?

Speaker 2:

them. Yeah, let's have a just a little look down here. I think there's some shops. Oh, is it Fanatics?

Speaker 1:

yeah, oh look at where we are. It just opened the weekend before coincidence?

Speaker 2:

the timing wise, it worked out really well for me, not for her it worked out really well for me did you know you were going to Fanatics or did you play it as a?

Speaker 1:

I did mention it to her before. If we've got time, we'll pop in. If we've got time. If we've got time, we'll pop in If we've got time. Yeah, if we've got time. And funnily enough, actually the spa overran, they actually gave us longer. So we went to the spa.

Speaker 2:

We had to walk past the natto.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we thought it was a half-hour treatment. They went. Oh, you've got an hour. I went. You're joking? That's going to limit my time in fanatics now. Um, so we got to the time and then we, we, we had to go from the spa to the restaurant, to the bookend for lunch, and after lunch we then came back and went to fanatics and it was it's at the bottom of regent street. Um, I used to work on regent street years ago when I, uh and I lived in London and it was an unbelievable store.

Speaker 2:

Um, it looks good, it does look good.

Speaker 1:

I saw the videos of the opening and photos and stuff and I spoke to you and I said, look, if I'm up there next week I'll try and pop in. And it was unreal. Like loads of staff, loads of different sections, loads of different sections, loads of different sports. And some of the cars are unreal. They've got some old WWF cars which we're both really interested in, like some HBK yeah, hbk cars, hulk Hogan cars, ultimate Warrior, all these graded old cars from the 90s, memorabilia. So they had this old heavyweight belt, um, and that was just like. So you walk in and there's like bestsellers on the left, you walk in till to the right and then there's got like formula one wrestling football, like um, nfl baseball, just like basic like you know, they've got it yeah, packets and boxes really.

Speaker 1:

Then you move into the next room and it's um, uh, like specific individual cards, like graded by, so there's like a circular, um, I guess till point, if you will. There's somebody on there and they're telling you like, oh yeah, this is so. The first thing I walked in I saw a lindowski signed by munich card and it was, I think, a grand or just under a grand. Yeah, one one, um, yeah. And then there's just an array of different cars, um, in all these booths around and he's got like all these sections of different sports. And then you move into the next room and it's a live break area and you know people can go in and see all the room yourself.

Speaker 2:

Were there any breaks going on while you were there?

Speaker 1:

There wasn't there was. I did see a couple of guys with two like big storage cases, oh yeah, so they were obviously, like you know, serious, serious business and it was just like further slaps and they were talking to somebody that worked there. I think they were. I don't know if they can do like trades or they can like value it. I'm not too sure, but I was walking through.

Speaker 2:

I was going to say tell us about this card. I want to tell the listeners about this card because this is something I'm hoping they still do when I come, because well, yeah, they most certainly will be doing it because it's part of the store.

Speaker 1:

So I walked through to the back and there was. It was like a what can I say Like sports, like dugout seats, and there was a big screen, nice, and you can watch like Well it was, race car style seats. Yeah, exactly, but they were the fold down ones.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Um, and then there was like this little room, but obviously, me being me, I just walked around. I went yeah, I'll walk in this room. There was a football on the floor, like a an American football or a soccer ball. Um, and I walked in and someone clocked me. One of the workers clocked me going and they were like, oh, how's it going? How can I help? I was like, oh, what's?

Speaker 2:

this little place.

Speaker 1:

And he was like you can get your own card done, your own personalised one-on-one card.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

I looked at the wife. I said you better take a seat. You better take a seat.

Speaker 2:

Sit down, gave her all the shopping bags you better take a seat.

Speaker 1:

Um, they didn't even ask the cost, just get it done. And they got all of the staff in. There were proper sound like. I bought um a match tax madness box which was um specific to the store. Um, you could only buy it there, you can't buy them online. And they it was packs and boxes. I bought a box for like 30 pound and I went back and bought the um, the one-on-one card.

Speaker 1:

So I went in. The guy said what, what ball do you want to hold? And I was like, obviously a football. So I put football under my arm. They take a photo. Um, they ask if you're happy with the photo. Um, I think they ask you, take it again. Took it again. I was like that's the one yeah that is yeah.

Speaker 1:

He went go around to the till point, speak to my colleague and they'll sort it out for you. I was speaking to this gentleman and he was really. It was really funny. He kept cracking jokes and kept knocking on the wall next to me. He went look, I'm going to knock on this wall and if they knock back back, it's ready. It was like a secret room and I was like, oh right, that's it. It was like a small like um, almost like a like a little post box coming out the out the wall with a little lever to open. He kept knocking on. They weren't knocking back and I was like what's going on here? Then, taking a bit of time, eventually got a knock back and he went open, open the drawer that was in the wall. I opened the drawer and what can only be described is smoke came out. Really Smoke came out. I put my hand in it, picked it out. It was in a box and it was smoking. There was smoke coming out of it.

Speaker 1:

I didn't know if it was dry ice or I don't know. I think it might have been where.

Speaker 2:

You think something's gone wrong? Yeah, box of smoke and basically the um.

Speaker 1:

I think it went where they glued the slab together. Oh yeah, um, it was still like I don't know calling off or whatever. It looked well good and I'm gutted I didn't get a video of it, but. But I walked past these two guys and they were like whoa, what's going on there? That sort of thing Walked over to my wife and I was like look at this. And she was probably like what's he just bought? So yeah, it was a one-of-one fanatics card in a slab.

Speaker 2:

And yeah, it looks class, I've actually got it, here.

Speaker 1:

Oh yes, I was going to ask yeah, it comes in a decent little London collectibles.

Speaker 2:

Oh, nice, so this was smoking.

Speaker 1:

It was smoking, and there it is. Oh yeah, one of one.

Speaker 2:

No, I love that yeah.

Speaker 1:

Congratulations on your very own, one of a kind.

Speaker 2:

There you go, one of one A one of one, martin Curry.

Speaker 1:

Well spent. Stick that on eBay. I'll probably go for a couple of grand, I reckon.

Speaker 2:

Is it gold? What is it?

Speaker 1:

I'll sign it if you want, it'll go up in value.

Speaker 2:

It's a nice piece that.

Speaker 1:

Yes, obviously Fanatics. They've got to deal with tops right. I think, yeah, they own tops now, don't they? Yeah, so it's like a proper legit tops card, yeah they're getting the.

Speaker 2:

um, I'm sure uh people listening will correct me if I'm wrong, but they're getting the license I think 2026 for NFL oh okay.

Speaker 2:

Which is going to be interesting because, again, being new, you know, all six months in, I feel like already I've got a real good understanding of the products and stuff like that in the NFL range. Yeah, but a lot of people have been collecting for years and years. They know, you know, like this, for example, is Topps and it's licensed, so that's when they they would have last had the license. Yeah, so this year um, personally, I've opted not to go into breaks and stuff for the top stuff because they still do nfl um, but it's like unlicensed so they take off the logos and the kit manufacturer and stuff like that. Right, right, yeah, I've seen some of that, yeah, yeah, and that's something that we've yourself and I have chatted about. Is that we want to discuss?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, what's been fascinating for me is the link to value, rarity of the cards and why people collect, because there's a lot of. You know, you go on post and you see comments where someone else might be slacking someone else off because they're asking how much something's valued um, and then you get these sort of kind of old school or long-term collectors who go, oh, you should only collect for this reason. And I think it's a strange point of view because to me there's a link. You know, even with your numbered cards there's a link to the cards being serial numbered or low. You know low numbered and super short print cards, because everything's everything's linked. You know your rarity, your serial number side of it and it is linked to the value.

Speaker 2:

And I think, for me, generally you want, I want the cards that look nice, Um, and I want low numbered cards and a certain there's certain cards's, certain cards that that you kind of want as part of your collection, and I'm not fully sure what drives that yet, but it's definitely fascinating to see um, or it has been fascinating to see. You know the reasons why and people's attitudes to it, but I think that's um, definitely a topic for a another podcast. We could talk for a long time about that um what about, like it's definitely fascinating topic.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, what in terms of, like, what you should collect or why, like there's no real rules, is there?

Speaker 2:

but, um, yeah, exactly exactly and everyone's reasons are different, and I personally don't think it's unfair or unreasonable for some people to collect. You know, almost like this, because you know different things make people tick and that's kind of again. Something else we talk about when it comes to discussion around breaking is that there is an addiction there and that's linked to the gambling side of it. You're paying money, you're buying a team, and I find it hard for myself. Strangely, when I win, I get a big hit that makes me want to go again At the same amount as when I don't get nothing. I want to go again.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's the trouble, yeah, and part of my journey so far has been dealing with that, because I've got an addictive personality, so there's this whole other element to it and I think that's why you know yourself and I chatting about how you collect and and stuff like that is important because to, to main, to maintain this long term and be able to collect something that I really like, having a nice collection, you have to look through them, I feel like I have to myself.

Speaker 2:

I need to get that under control and you know, like, the mere fact that me and you are sitting here now, we've we've done our tiktok, we've done our instagram and now we're doing a podcast and, and something we haven't talked about yet is the, is the playlist we I think we should mention that shortly, but the fact that that we're doing this is that, you know, at the age we are now 38, uh, getting on a bit, um, but to have the passion already in something that's fairly new for us, but to want to be, to want to be, um, in that community, doing the podcast, having the chats, doing the instagram, it, you know, we it shows how much we love it already. Yeah, but for me to maintain that, I need me personally. I need to get my uh, I need to get my shit in order for much of another word.

Speaker 2:

Yeah yeah, because I am, I am, uh, absolutely addicted, you're on the boy I love it. I love, yeah, exactly man. I love mail days, I love breaking, uh, I just love it yeah, well, on the on the uh.

Speaker 1:

On the topic of mail day, before we speak about the playlist, um, what have you had this week in the mail in terms of orders or buys.

Speaker 2:

Yep, good question. I had a good week. Actually I've had a um, a psa 10, uh, russell wilson white sparkle lovely which was yeah, like when, when I get off e eBay or from the States, I try and get stuff that's already graded, because in my head, yeah, the shipping to New Zealand is fairly expensive, but that is probably cheaper than actually if you were in the States to pay and get it graded with PSA.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, works out.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I tend to go graded. I got a Steve Largent signed Hall of Fame card but that was a PSA, but it was just to say that the signature was authentic because the guy who bought it off had got it done at a card show in the States. But what's really cool about that is under his signature he's signed, he's got HOF Hall of Fame and he's got 95. I love that. So I feel like it's quite a unique technically speaking. It's signed, he's put HOF the Hall of Fame and he's put 95.

Speaker 2:

I love that. So I feel like it's quite a unique and technically speaking, it's a one-of-one, isn't it? You know it's been done, he's signed it, it's been authenticated, so that was nice. And then a guy one of the guys I've become quite friendly with here is a guy called Nick Blinko who is funny friendly with. Here is a guy called Nick Blinko who it's funny because our stories are so similar.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we, some of the conversations we have are funny, like we all, we, we were joking the other day saying about being each other's sponsor, but when we go into breaks you know I'm thinking of going into a break don't do it, don't do it, um, but he, um, I tend to go for seahawks, um, but this year they're quite, you know. Or for 2024 there's they're not one of the most expensive teams, uh, because of the rookies and stuff and um. So you know, to get my, to get some nice cars in my collection and kind of a base for trading, um, I'll go for a few other teams, but on a particular break, he, he, uh, we'd done I think it was random teams and he'd got seahawks and I think an hour before the break he um asked to switch, which was perfect. I took seahawks and I can't remember who he who I gave him, but on that break it was for a product called Phoenix, and out came an AJ Barna one of ten gold card.

Speaker 2:

And what's funny is I instantly felt guilty, even though we'd done the trade, because if I was watching I'd be like fuck's sake, I'm doing the piss. That should have been my card. But he was great. He messaged me and said I'm pleased you got a good card. And he said he would have done a deal with me anyway. But that's triggered. I'd gone on eBay and I actually found the number 3 of 10. All right.

Speaker 2:

Purchased that, so that came. So I've now got the 1 of 10, the 3 of 10. And they're in the international gold. And then I've bought the gold. There's just like a solid gold one as well. So I've got three gold number to 10, aj Barners. They came this week. What else did I have?

Speaker 1:

I had a the personal collection.

Speaker 2:

Oh, 100%, mate. Yeah, 100%. But obviously I would have collected the AJ Barners anyway. But the fascination with the gold came from that trade with Nick, which was really good. I'm currently watching a. I didn't know it existed. I'm going to have a look. Actually, as we're speaking, there was a card on this watch list. It was number to four. You're going to have to bear with me. Yeah, no problem, it was another AJ Barner and it was called. I'll find it. I'm struggling to find it now. Ah, here we go. Yeah, a Dreamweaver, a Phoenix, and I thought I knew the Phoenix find it now.

Speaker 1:

Ah, here we go. Yeah, a Dreamweaver, a Phoenix.

Speaker 2:

And I thought I knew the Phoenix product quite well. But yeah, this is number to four. It's a super short print. Aj Barner Dreamweaver it's a lovely looking card.

Speaker 2:

It's on for seven days though, so it could be a while before I find out about that. But the other card I got in the mail was a I don't know if you could describe it as an error card, but it was a I'll just find it here a Tarry Woolen optic contenders card, and I think they call it a neon something, a marble neon or neon marble, but that was also numbered to four.

Speaker 1:

But it's actually got him listed down as a running back on the front and I noticed that straight away.

Speaker 2:

But he's not. He's a cornerback. So it's a bit of a funny one that. But the card is absolutely stunning, beautiful, it's a lovely card. So yeah, it's been quite a bit. And then I had a couple of packages turn up from Card Crazy, which is a card company over here in New Zealand they do a lot of breaks and I go with them quite a bit and KCC, kiwi Card Collective, nice, a guy called Nick. That was my first experience of breaking. That's something we'll go into at some stage. But they're the two I use, because if I go with more, that's my 18 year marriage, done, done the train.

Speaker 2:

I've been two's too many already, but they're the guys I use. But yeah, it's been quite in terms of my old day. It's been a busy one yourself.

Speaker 1:

Nice. Well, yeah, I've had a couple. I guess the last fortnight I had a couple of busy ones. It was my birthday, so I've got a Liverpool team set and a chrome box. Treated myself for my birthday. Two big cards out of that. I've got a Liverpool team set and a Chrome box. Treat myself for my birthday. Two big cards out of that. I've got the Virgil Relic number to 99.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that was nice, I saw that, yeah, that was real nice.

Speaker 1:

And then I've got an Alphonso Davies number to 299 from the Chrome set. But the whole set of the chrome cards is beautiful, tends to get in a box or maybe a hanger box, just to see if I can pull something nice, um. And then I bought from ebay florian burts. Uh, pink refractor number to 290, 250 um I bought him because obviously he was moving to liverpool and I thought try and get a card from by Leverkusen before he moved, got it for a couple of quid potentially straight into the personal collection.

Speaker 1:

See how he gets on.

Speaker 2:

He's going to be huge as well, isn't he? He's going to be huge.

Speaker 1:

He's a wonder kid. Yeah, he's going to be big. I've also just bought three tins of the Match Tax ballers. So the invincible, the box office ballers and the giants of the game. So that'll be coming this week and yes that's where I'm at nice.

Speaker 2:

So it's been, uh, it's been a good week for you as well, then, in terms of mail day.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, absolutely Looking forward to next week.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think we should. For the first episode. It's been good. I think people appreciate for us getting off to a nice start to know what we're about, why we're doing it. It's been good and I think we've covered quite a bit actually probably more than we had initially planned and I think that I think it's gone well. I think it's a good start. Yeah, absolutely, and I'm hoping that yeah.

Speaker 2:

I'm hoping in time that we can. Some of the topics we spoke about tonight we'll go into more detail. You know, like the breaking side of it and the addiction side of it and stuff like that. What, what we I think we're both keen to do is get people on at some stage as well to talk about their, their collections, the pc, uh, talk about their experience as well, because you know, like I was saying to you tonight, talk the people I've spoke to. It's funny how many people's stories are the same.

Speaker 1:

We've got a lot of to cover, haven't we? And hopefully we'll get some fellow community card collectors on to talk about their journey as well.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and have a good laugh as well, and I think hopefully people will watch this, maybe resonate with some of the things. That's the word at the minute, isn't?

Speaker 2:

it resonate everything's about resonating but, you know, hopefully it resonates with someone and we can get some people, um, from everywhere you know, like people who we might not even know now, to come and to come and say their stories, and I think that's what we want to achieve. We want to just, you know, have those conversations and stuff like that, because it's um, it's such a cool hobby, isn't it? It's, it's um, it's fun. Um, yeah, definitely, yeah, yeah, but I think the, the pot, the the playlist, so we are a pro. What's the date? Are we approaching the end of the month, aren't we? So I've been looking for themes, so something you um, something we're getting to down the line. But you, you're into some other stuff as well, and it's something that, as I said to you the other day, the idea was driven from, from something you do in, from your fashion and your music side um where I really like the idea of that.

Speaker 2:

so I did started the monthly playlist obviously June, and I think the theme was Seattle-based for me, for obvious reasons, seahawks fan so we put out our first playlist in June. I've been working on July's and I think the theme, as discussed with yourself, is going to be the last 12 posts. So I think we're going to keep our playlist now to 12 songs and, uh, july's playlist is going to be the the music that we've used from the last 12 posts and I think you know, for me it's not random. You know, when you go on instagram you look at the players and you look at the songs.

Speaker 2:

you know try and get the right music to make the post different, because there's a lot of accounts on there that are trying to do similar things and it's cool, you know, looking through people's stuff and things like that. But I think we wanted to make ours stand out a little bit. So we're using colours, we're using backgrounds and stuff like that and carefully selecting the music to make the page interesting and we want people to look at what we're collecting what we're pulling um and stuff like that, so a lot of thought goes into that.

Speaker 2:

So july's playlist will be uh, the last 12 posts, the music that's been selected, um and that will be coming out soon. So I'm looking forward to um putting it out there for people to listen to yeah, absolutely, and that's uh available on apple music and spotify.

Speaker 1:

So whichever favorite vendors of music, uh, it'll be available on both as will this podcast as for the podcast, yeah, I can little plugs for you there, all available on the social it's like what they used to say, yeah, with books.

Speaker 2:

Isn't it available in all good bookstores?

Speaker 1:

yeah, available in all good streaming sites, I guess social media sites, I don't know. Podcast vendors is that what they call us?

Speaker 2:

yeah, bus wankers. I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it going out and hopefully I know it'll take time, but hopefully people listen and don't think we're a bunch of dickheads, got something interesting to say and the stories and stuff like that. But I think in time, covering topics that we spoke about and just hearing people's stories would be really cool some ongoing themes for us as well. Like people's mail days, our mail days. Everyone loves to know what people are getting in the post, don't they?

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, and we'll. Um yeah, we're looking forward to, uh, the journey continuing and getting people involved.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, all right, well, mc, mc it's been a pleasure BC. The pleasure's all mine and as our mate Peter Crouch would say regards to your family until next time.

Speaker 1:

All the best to the family. I'll see you soon.

People on this episode

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Ben Coom

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Martin Currie

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