Crank It Up Sports Card Podcast

Crank It Up Sports Card Podcast Ep.1

• Matthew Epperson and Parker Johnson • Season 1 • Episode 1

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0:00 | 39:04

Parker (Shop Manager) and Matthew (Assistant Shop Manager) sit down to break down the current state of the sports card hobby, dive into the latest sports news, and share their takes on what’s happening in the game. Hang out with us as we talk shop, have some laughs, and play a fun sports-themed game along the way. Whether you’re a collector or just a sports fan, there’s something here for you.

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SPEAKER_01

Crank It Up Podcast with host Parker and co-host Matthew.

SPEAKER_00

What's up, guys? Thank y'all for tuning in to the crank it up podcast. This is this is fun. I'm I'm ready for it. I'm ready too. Uh I'm Parker, shop manager. That's Matthew, the assistant to yours truly the shop manager. Uh you want to say anything?

SPEAKER_01

I don't think that's exactly how it goes.

SPEAKER_00

Is that not what the titles are?

SPEAKER_01

No.

SPEAKER_00

Well, um, that's what we're gonna say the titles are today.

SPEAKER_01

I'm just happy to be here.

SPEAKER_00

Just happy to be here. That's good. Um we got a few segments uh that we're gonna be doing talking talking through today. The first thing though is gonna be sports cards, because I mean we're that's what we do. Yes, that's what we do. That's what we do.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, all the time.

SPEAKER_00

That's what we do.

SPEAKER_01

I mean you're a shop manager to what?

SPEAKER_00

Uh let's get into it. Um the first question I have for you, and I want to I want to get your take on this. I've got I've got three questions for you. Okay. Okay. Answer answer honestly. Okay. Whatever your gut reaction is.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

And you just tell me, okay. I'll tell you. Are wax prices sustainable on the secondary market or will it crash?

SPEAKER_01

Honestly, I think it is.

SPEAKER_00

You think it's sustainable?

SPEAKER_01

I think it's sustainable because of breakers. Yep. Uh they're always going to want to.

SPEAKER_00

They're propping that market up a lot.

SPEAKER_01

Um, you know, as a sh being in the shop, I don't think uh it's sustainable in the shop. I think there has to be a uh a point where um it's affordable for people coming in. Yes, 100%. I don't see as many people buying um hobby boxes right now. A lot of people are doing um the hangers, the blasters. That's just what they can afford. And um, quite honestly, um it's the only thing I would be able to afford.

SPEAKER_00

It's the same. Uh well, no, I'm just playing, I get the shop manager money, so um I have this is the first time I've seen, usually it's always flipped from the whole time that I've worked here. Way more retail being bought than hobby. It used to be that blasters you almost couldn't give them away because we'd get, you know, two, three, four cases of them. Um, and that's you know, 80 to 120 uh blasters, and that's a lot of blasters. And you only have 12 hobbies in a box, like eight um, you know, eight jumbos in a case, depending on the product, and uh those would always go way quicker because we'd have less of them. Now we are selling through hundreds of blasters, and hobbies just sit there because it's so expensive.

SPEAKER_01

I think one thing as well that's that's affecting it as far as tops. Um I mean you can hit a big card in and you can also hit it in panini products as well, but people are chasing case hits. Yes. I mean you can hit the the big kaiju and the uh ultraviolets in a blaster or a hanger. People brought brought them in the shop and like I I got this out of a hanger. Yep. And I think that's uh decided to gravitate towards.

SPEAKER_00

I think I think you're I think you're right about that. It uh it is crazy though when hangers are fifty and blasters are eighty to a hundred bucks. I mean, that's just it feels it feels crazy. But I do agree that I mean they they are putting a good amount of stuff in there for you can hit, you know. You don't always hit, but you can, you know.

SPEAKER_01

And honestly, if you if you open a hobby box or a jumbo and get autos that you can't even recognize, you know, who they if if you just read out the names, yeah, sometimes I wouldn't be able to know who they play. There's a lot of people I'm like, who is that? And uh I I collect baseball more than anything, and uh I'm not picking on any any particular brand or something, but uh there was a brand that came out last year and I I chased the Braves. I like the Braves, and they had a guy that pitched, you know, maybe half an inning or uh a third of an inning. Yeah. I'm like, he does he really deserve an auto in this product? But uh I would hate to open my you know four or five hundred dollar hobby box, and that's probably what those were at the time. Yeah, four or five hundred dollar hobby box, and get uh this guy's auto. Yeah, that I I didn't even recognize him as a as a Atlanta brave.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I know, and you're a Braves fan. Um second question I have. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Do you have two questions?

SPEAKER_00

I've got I've got three total. Three? I have three, and then you can ask me questions. Okay. I mean, I know that there's a lot of people tuning in for the shop manager's take on things, and I do want to give the people what they came for. Um, but we'll we'll get your stuff out of the way first.

SPEAKER_01

We'll get the menial stuff out of the way. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Best for last. I mean, that's what people say. They do say that. Who says that? So they do. Um should non-true colors, so like your gold wave, your gold ray wave, your geometric, like all those, you know, should non-true colors be more valuable than they are? And if not, or if so, then why?

SPEAKER_01

Are are you asking if they should be more valuable than they currently are?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, like so. I feel like a lot of times when you you're looking stuff up and there's like a true gold, right? Right. Uh numbered to 50 out of Topps Crow. It's like double some of the other ones that are gold, still numbered to 50. And I'm just I'm wondering if that is too big of a gap. Um, do you think that the gold wave or do you think that it's properly uh rated in the hobby? Like, do you think that the gold wave should be half of the true gold?

SPEAKER_01

I think honestly, people are gravitating towards the true color, but the odds to pull those are probably about the same. I think they should be closer to the true color value. Yeah. Um, but that's just not how the hobby is responding to what each particular one is. Um now you if if I had one, I would want it to be closer to that true color value. True. But if I'm buying them uh just like anybody else, I would want to get them get them cheaper.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Um I think it's a good way to keep like the pricing people out type of thing that we're talking about with the wax. I think it is good because you can get your favorite player at a discount and you still have something cool that's numbered, right? Um but also keep it like not making it like the junk wax era to where there was nothing like they just made so much of it. So I it's cool because it it does have a little bit of rarity to it to where it will go up in value, but then you can also still collect something that's cool that has rarity but isn't so expensive to where it's just pricing everybody out.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So I know it's not my turn for for questions. Ask ask me a question. I mean, but just imagine if the 1989 Upper Deck Griffey rookie, what if it had a true black true red? Yeah. No, it would be worth man.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, if PSA 10s, what are they around two?

SPEAKER_01

Two, no, they're like four.

SPEAKER_00

Have they really gone up that much?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Shop managers should know stuff.

SPEAKER_00

That's like recent that they've gone up that much.

SPEAKER_01

I've always wanted one, and and uh as a matter of fact, our boss gifted me one, just a raw one.

SPEAKER_00

And he gave you something?

SPEAKER_01

Yes, yes. He's he's very generous. Wow. We we gotta pump him up. I wonder what he's gonna give the shop manager. He's allowing us to do this.

SPEAKER_00

If you got a griffe, I mean just wait until I get something, you know, uh, with you being, you know, the assistant.

SPEAKER_01

He's very generous, too.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I mean very so um appreciate George.

SPEAKER_01

But I mean, g imagine, what if there was a red to five Griffey?

SPEAKER_00

It'd be ridiculous.

SPEAKER_01

It would be crazy.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, if you think that base, like if if we're comparing a base PSA 10 to something who is the best in baseball right now, Shohei Otani, it's about a thousand dollars, right? If I'm remembering right, his base. And there's less, I would say there's less tops paper Otanis than there are Ken Griffey Jr.

SPEAKER_01

I mean I don't know It's the number one graded card.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, there's not been any there's less, right? So that means that if if if we were to potentially compare apples to apples and there was the exact same amount of like pop, the pop report, right? If we were to do that, the Griffey would be even more. And if it's about four times more, and you look at some of the Otani numbered cards, then it would be crazy. Because Otani numbered cards are just ridiculous right now, like well over a hundred grand for some of his numbered rookies that are low numbered. So I mean I think that the Griffey could easily surpass a million dollars. Like easily. If it if there was some golds and reds and oranges numbered to, you know, I I think that it really could at a PSA 10.

SPEAKER_01

You'd uh definitely need an abacus or something to calculate.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. Okay. Do you know what an abacus is? Uh is it the one that's like that you slide the stuff? That's yeah. Yeah, yeah. Man, how old are you? Um number three, the third question I have uh for you is will and this one's an interesting one, okay? The other ones were kind of just, you know, talking points, but this one's like, I want to get your take. Um gut reaction. Will Bowman basketball, the Bowman firsts, eventually be prominent in the hobby like Bowman baseball? Or do you think basketball collectors will never uh you know, they they just don't like that. The Bowman baseball firsts are like king for baseball. But it's very different for basketball. They're not used to that.

SPEAKER_01

I think the reason why it's different is because um let's just take a Duke player, uh, for instance, uh Cooper Flagg. Yeah. He's in his Duke uniform. Yeah. Whereas uh even if a a baseball player gets traded to another team, I mean he's still in a major league baseball celebration. So we've talked about that many a times in the show in the shop. People want that particular player in their professional uniform. In that regard, I don't anticipate Bowman you basketball being as big as like Bowman collectors uh uh for baseball. Sure. Um and and the same goes with Bowman football. I believe that will be the same way. Though those have been out uh a little bit. I mean, we have had Bowman first. You can kind of calculate that now. Like, you know, the last few years we've had Bowman U. Yeah, we have. And they've had first cards.

SPEAKER_00

They they didn't have the the NFL was not licensed, and I'm so I'm wondering if tops now having that will bring up that a little bit, will prop it up. I mean, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

I I think those collectors um it will interest them more. Uh they'll they'll want to get those first cards. Yeah. Um and it it'll bring more uh traction to those cards, but I don't think that the value is gonna be the same like uh first.

SPEAKER_00

It probably won't be. I I just think though Panini had the licensing for how long? I mean, a long time.

SPEAKER_01

Over ten years, I guess.

SPEAKER_00

And I feel like that's enough time to where you get conditioned into what you like and what you want. And so and so downtowns and kabooms and stuff, like that's what people chase. Uh the the RPAs and stuff out of like national treasures and stuff like that. That's what people wanted because that that's what the standard was. And I'm just wondering, since they don't have it anymore, and Topps does, I'm wondering if five, ten years down the line, um, if they will be conditioned to, hey, now this is the standard, and everyone gravitates more. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

I think it's just an interesting We don't have a crystal ball, we can't really tell. Uh we don't you can always guess in this hobby, yeah. And uh you can be wrong probably more times than you're right.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I uh believe it or not, have been. You've been wrong? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I haven't today.

SPEAKER_00

That's good. Okay. That's uh that's the questions I had for you for the the sports cards. Sports cards. You got anything for me?

SPEAKER_01

I think mine's kind of broad. Okay. My questions are kind of broad. Um my first question is what is your hot take on the hobby right now? Something that that people maybe, you know, they they take it as the gospel of the hobby right now, but you think that it it'll either change or something like that. What's your hot take?

SPEAKER_00

We talked about it a little bit, but I d I think that the prices of sealed wax Excuse me. I don't know if it will sustain that that price. My hot take, I guess, would be that I think that they're printing a lot of it more than people realize, and it probably will crash eventually. Not not in the near future, not even really in like a few years. Because I mean you look at like I mean, the Griffey card or like the big the big chases in the junk wax era, no one really knew how much was being made, you know. I mean, those cards were expensive a lot of those cards were more expensive back then than they were today, which does I mean, doesn't make sense until you realize, oh wow, you can still buy this sealed wax for like twenty dollars because of how much is out there, you know?

SPEAKER_01

It does surprise me at the shop there's still people that bring in junk wax and sealed wax. All the time. Like all the time. How in the world? I mean, I can't let a box sit there for you know an evening if I took it home. I know, I know. But how how in the world is it all the time?

SPEAKER_00

There's so much. And so that would probably be my hot take is yes, it's crazy right now. The market's booming, it's probably better than it's ever been. Um but uh I think that I think that falls eventually. Because if there's still top scrum football, for instance, out there in 10 years, I do think that goes down. Unless, of course, like a huge rookie explodes, but it's like it's like, man, how much are they how much are they making, you know?

SPEAKER_01

I I tend to think that they are making a ton of it. I think so too. Yeah, uh what does separate it from the junk wax era, I believe, is the rarity of the parallels, the serial numbered cards, the case hits, yeah. Um and how how many case hits are there? Yeah. Uh there Topps put on their website that one of the uh the animes of Cooper Flag, there was only like 10 of those. So I think those could be like really expensive, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Really, really exactly. But they're gonna be tough to hit. It's like those like what product is it? There's a couple probably actually in the in the junk wax era where you can hit like a Mickey Mantle autograph and stuff.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Upper deck had you know, and but those are like almost impossible to hit though.

SPEAKER_00

So it could end up being like that where it's like I don't know. But I do think they're doing a good job at putting enough rare things in there to prop the product up and make it still fun and enjoyable, and also putting enough base in there to where they have kids and yeah, to where kids or just collectors who aren't, you know, wanting to spend hundreds of dollars can still buy their favorite player. So I think I do think they're doing a good job at um combating what the junk wax era was.

SPEAKER_01

So I I can agree with you on that. If you had it's it's uh it's April when we're doing this. Um, you know, m somebody might be looking at this down the road, but if you had a hundred dollars to invest right now, what would you do?

SPEAKER_00

Specific player or player.

SPEAKER_01

Uh I mean you could uh buy a box. Well, you probably couldn't buy that much wax.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I could probably get a uh a hanger pack. Two hangers. Yeah, I'll get a hanger pack for a hundred bucks. Um man, I think that if there was a box that was a hundred dollars, I think with how much I know we've talked about wax a lot, but man, I feel like wax is just exploding right now. Like you can buy it in six months down the line, as long as it's a good enough class, like the basketball class with flag and con, people are chasing that like crazy, you know? And actually, that's a good one to to look at. The uh blasters were like 40 bucks retail. Uh, even when they first came out in like hobby shops, even the secondary market was only like 50 bucks. Now they're like they're like a hundred bucks. I mean, that's a easy double. And so, and that's safer. And I kind of like I'm not as risk tolerant as some people probably would be. I want to hopefully guarantee or as close to a guarantee as I can, make sure that I don't lose a bunch of money. So I think ripping would be bad.

SPEAKER_01

I think that's shop manager money.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. Uh I think that ripping it would be scary because you don't know what you're gonna get. I think that if you picked a specific player that's like a rookie that you're betting on, anything could happen.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_00

Um, I think that you either could buy a hot product and sit on it, or I think that you buy a uh all-time great and sit on it. Because greats are only going up. I mean, they're they're they're I mean vintage stuff goes up five to ten percent every year, it seems like, you know. Um I'm talking about when I say your greats, I'm talking about like your Mannels, your Michael Jordans, your greats, right? I think those would be always good investments.

SPEAKER_01

I was waiting on you to say you would invest in Mike Trout.

SPEAKER_00

Uh I have a lot of Mike Trout already, so I'm kind of already there, you know.

SPEAKER_01

You might have invested too soon.

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. I don't know. I think I I think I got some I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

I did t I did tell you that I thought that he would have a good year.

SPEAKER_00

And he's doing well if he can stay healthy. I mean that's the only thing. I mean, if he can stay healthy, he's doing really good. He's like eighth in OPS right now, he's like third in Homer's. He's doing good.

SPEAKER_01

I honestly think that baseball is better if Mike Trout is healthy.

SPEAKER_00

I do, I agree.

SPEAKER_01

Eve even him being on the Angels. I mean, and I'm not picking on the Angels, but I think that that team could be better than they are.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I know. I think it feels like well, did you hear the the uh owner? He came out and said it was like a big thing. He was like, Yeah, we don't, you know, winning isn't on the top of our priority list.

unknown

Ouch.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's like well, if you I mean, if that's how you want to operate, okay, but don't say it. Oh my goodness, go out and say it to people. Yeah, we just I mean, it's not at the top of our priority list.

SPEAKER_01

Imagine if we come in the shop uh tomorrow and say, George, um making money's not top priority.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, like it's like take the most obvious thing that any company would be wanting to do and just say it's not that card company, and we just don't feel like selling baseball cards, you know.

SPEAKER_01

That would be that'd be bad. That'd be that would be real bad, I think.

SPEAKER_00

That'd be bad. All right. Um what do you have any other questions for me? I think we can move on. Okay. Um we're gonna be doing uh a little game, little game, a little segment right here. This should be fun. Um I think it's called wavelength. I'm calling it wavelength, even if we're playing it wrong. We're gonna maybe do a little twist on it. Or maybe this is how everybody plays, I don't know. But we're gonna think of a number.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

One to ten. Okay. One to ten. Think of a number one to ten. And then um the other person will be asking three questions and you answer how you want to. So, like, uh, for instance, if I think of um a number 10, like the best of the best, uh, and then you ask me, like, for instance, hey, uh, give me a baseball player. I'm gonna say Mike Trout because he's like the best player ever, right? Of course. And so then you would automatically think he must be thinking 10 because Mike Trout is the best player ever. Um no mistake there. And you get three questions, and then you gotta try to guess the number I'm thinking of. So, do you want to go first? Do you want me to go first? You can go first. I go meaning I pick the number?

SPEAKER_01

Um, sure.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. I've got it.

SPEAKER_01

You got it?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I think I've got it.

SPEAKER_01

All right. Um, so is it a scale of one to ten? One to ten. Um let's say uh in the 2026 MLB season, uh, what team would you equate to this number right now? Like either one they're doing bad, ten they're doing good. Phillies. Phillies. Ooh. They lost a lot of games in a row. We're I'm thinking low number. Okay. So so player. Uh player in the MLB. I hope this is not just uh a a bunch of MLB stuff, but we're we're baseball guys.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, we're baseball guys.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

There's a cunning, there's Whitey Ford right there hanging on the wall. And there's our cranks guy, and he's actually holding a bat. It's uh it is a lot of baseball.

SPEAKER_01

Um And he's a t he's definitely a 10, right?

SPEAKER_00

Oh yeah. He is like if you asked me signage, I would say the cranks sign, because it is a 10. Um a player. Trying to think. Francisco Lindore.

unknown

Oh.

SPEAKER_01

Well, that he's currently.

SPEAKER_00

You said didn't you say 2026?

SPEAKER_01

2026. He's injured. Gosh, this this is a low number. It's like a negative thing.

SPEAKER_00

It wasn't very good when he was playing. A lot of errors.

SPEAKER_01

All right. And uh let's see. Um let's see if I can find another question.

SPEAKER_00

Sorry, I gave I gave it to you. I gave it to you the cough.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Um let's say we'll relate it to the card industry as well. Okay. Okay. Um one well, we don't want to say like brands.

SPEAKER_00

You want to do parallel?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, parallel. I guess you asked your own question, but uh let's see.

SPEAKER_00

Man, what's uh topp's gold card? You know the the Donriss cards that are red, and so they're numbered to the year that they are? Oh yeah. Um so 2026 Donriss, which actually looks like it's gonna be a pretty good product. Yeah. They have like Caitlin Clark signing. It's like a lot of it's not all baseball, but they have like really high-end autos you can get out of it.

SPEAKER_01

Honestly, I think I know we we talked about sports cards earlier, and now we're in our trivia, but I have looked at a lot of their unlicensed stuff, and it looks like it's really good. It doesn't look bad basketball.

SPEAKER_00

They hide it well, they hide it really well. Um, I would say the red Donriss baseball numbered two 2026.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. You gotta be thinking the number one.

SPEAKER_00

No, I'm not thinking one. I was thinking three. Three. Yeah. But it was it was close. It was close. Philly's lost like are they the worst team in baseball, though?

SPEAKER_01

No, maybe not. I mean, because they got Schwerber, Harper. They're getting healthy too. Yeah. They did take one from the Braves in the last series. Okay.

SPEAKER_00

All right. All right.

SPEAKER_01

All right, you get I'm picking a number. Yeah. I got it in my head.

SPEAKER_00

All right.

SPEAKER_01

Um let me make sure I don't change numbers while you're okay.

SPEAKER_00

Old guy forgets like a lot of stuff.

SPEAKER_01

Uh we do pick on each other a lot. Parker uh picks on me for being old, and I pick on him for being short.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, but none of it's true, it's all jokes. Yeah, all of it. Yeah. Not really short, and you're not really old. Um, let's see. Uh I'll try to go out of the MLB just a little bit. Okay. And then I'm gonna go right back to it because I can't think of anything else. But uh the draft. The draft. The football draft that just happened.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Give me a name on that draft.

unknown

Let's see.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, Ty Simpson.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

I can't tell you, like, that's uh it's not the number that he was picked at, but yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I I uh I wish I knew. I don't even know what number he was picked at.

SPEAKER_01

Well he's okay.

SPEAKER_00

So I'm not gonna uh so that might be I might have shot myself in the foot with that. So I'm gonna ask some very obvious ones now because I I uh I that's not it that was not a good one for me. Um uh just uh just a player. Just a player? Yeah, M L B.

SPEAKER_01

MLB.

SPEAKER_00

All time. Let's do all time. All time, let's do all time, not just 2026.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Um Ted Williams.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, that helps. That's a pretty good number. That's a pretty good that's gotta be really good. Um let's see. But it's not 10. I'll tell you that question. You'll tell me the question?

SPEAKER_01

Well, uh yeah, I'll tell you the question. In relation to where he was picked, where I thought he picked, he did pretty good.

SPEAKER_00

I'm just it can't be ten, because I feel like you would have said Mendoza, right?

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_00

And then it's a high number, but Ted Williams is not the greatest of all of them. Not the greatest. But he's really good. Really good. Really good. Um last question, I'm feeling like in the eight range though. That's where I'm feeling. Um last question. Give me a team in the MLB. Um but not just any team like 2026. Let's go like let's go all time. So like notoriously good and notoriously bad.

SPEAKER_01

Notoriously good. Uh let's see. I would say well that that is kind of tough. I would go Phillies. Phillies? Yeah. They've won some championships. Yep. Yep. But they don't always win the division because you know you have the Braves. They're pretty solid. And this is coming from a Braves fan. Did I throw you off?

SPEAKER_00

I think I'm going to go with seven.

SPEAKER_01

Close. What was it? You should have gone with your initial review. Was it eight?

SPEAKER_00

Ah, one off. All right. Well, that was a fun game. That was. That was like probably the most fun I've had in a minute. Fun all the time. Yeah, I know. Like it, like that's why I said minute. Yeah. Because like a few minutes ago I had a pretty good time.

SPEAKER_01

Two minutes ago was more fun than that.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. So we're going to end with this segment. Okay. Maybe not end with it, but because I've got a few questions. But it this is gonna be more sports related. So we got okay, we did cards like the hobby. Yeah. Because we're a hobby shop, you know. And then we had fun because you know, work hard, play hard, you know. We're gonna go back to sports. Um, how do you like the new ABS system?

SPEAKER_01

I like it. You like it? Yeah. I think because it's so quick, uh, it's it's accurate. Yep. Um, it does create a little bit of um excitement because there's that split second or moment there that you're wondering, did the guy make a good challenge? Or um and it especially in a tight game and you you need, you know, the count to go in your favor, if it can be a very like useful tool for but I'll tell you what what's really surprised me, it surprised me that the the umpires are so accurate. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I mean Yeah, there's some really I mean it's making it's making good umps look really good and it's making bad umps look really bad.

SPEAKER_01

If you were an inch off, yeah, and I mean that's that's close.

SPEAKER_00

That is that's close, and then yeah, it is it is kind of crazy. Follow-up to that. Okay, do you think it should be only that? Like, should we get rid of umps altogether?

SPEAKER_01

I still like the human element of it. I do too. I think maybe so because I'm I'm old, I'm a purist.

SPEAKER_00

I I like I like the human element to it as well.

SPEAKER_01

Um and there's there's a little bit of excit excitement to see an umpire like punch somebody out.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And I even like, you know, I I'm again, I'm a Braze fan. I I like to see there's less arguments between the manager and the umpire now. But I'd love to see Bobby Cox waddle out there and like argue with the with the umpire. I thought that was great.

SPEAKER_00

But uh one of the best ones, uh it was either last year or the year before, I think, but was Aaron Boone. Did you see that with that crash out before ABS? He like writes it in the and then he goes, you know, he like mocks the oops. Uh that that one was hilarious. That that was a good crash out.

SPEAKER_01

There was there was one that you can look up on YouTube, and I think this manager has passed away. It was a minor league game, and it was here in Chattanooga. Really? It was the Braves manager, I think they were Mississippi Braves at the time, and he just absolutely like it's a show. You should watch it. It's it's funny.

SPEAKER_00

Pull it up on show show me after this.

SPEAKER_01

But I like I like the human element.

SPEAKER_00

I do too. Um, I think it's a very good mix at the moment. Um last question I have for you. Um that everybody wants to know. Okay. Everybody's everybody's been asking me. I've been getting text, phone calls, they're like, what is Matthews' predictions for the playoffs? Like, who's who who are we seeing right now that's not doing that great, but maybe bounces back, and who's who's a little too hot that you're like not confident that they're making it? Who who do you think's going?

SPEAKER_01

Um I think the Spurs have a really good team. And uh, I guess Wimby's coming back, he had a concussion or whatever. I think they're very solid. Yeah. Somebody that surprised me is from here kind of locally, we're about two hours from Atlanta, uh, did not anticipate Atlanta being as good as they are. Uh I don't know that they can make the the finals, but uh they also have a pretty high pick coming up in the draft.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Um so that's that's really uh you think Wimbinama's gonna carry him? I think he's probably one of the most dominant players in and basketball.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, if he I mean if he can stay healthy. Yeah if he can stay healthy. I mean he he really is. He's he's huge.

SPEAKER_01

And what what would uh what would his like a championship mean to his card market?

SPEAKER_00

I think it would I I think that there are is huge upside when it happens. I think you see that when when it's like ongoing happening in the moment because everybody wants that person's card. I think it might dip a little bit afterwards, but I think that if you're if you're already holding his cards, I think they go up a lot. And then um because ever everybody wants one.

SPEAKER_01

Could could you foresee like uh if he like wins the finals MVP, they of course win the NBA championship. Could you see like Otani reaction? Level. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I don't think so because I think that you see I think you see a big a big boost in this card market. But Otani has not just like the United States, like he is worldwide at this point, where Well NBA is such a like a international game now, too. It is, but like man, like people love China and Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I guess but I just prove the shop manager wrong. I just think that Shohe's a different level.

SPEAKER_00

He's a different level. It baseball is so huge in in Japan. I mean, like, it's crazy how big it is over there. And so I think that if you didn't have the Japan market, then I think that that maybe. But I think I think Otani's just untouchable, like with his cards at this point.

SPEAKER_01

So I think there's only a few things that would hurt Otani long term, and I I don't think that will happen. I mean, how many interpreters does he have?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. I don't know that dad gum interpreter. Um okay, that's all I had. Did you have anything else?

SPEAKER_01

I do have uh, you know, we've we've talked about basketball, we talked about baseball. Um let's talk about the NFL draft just happened.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01

Um who do you think are gonna be the big chases from the NFL draft?

SPEAKER_00

Well, we kind of already mentioned a couple of them, but for sure Mendoza, like I mean, he everybody is already chasing him, I feel like. Um we have the Bowman Chrome. Um is it 24 or 25? It's 25 in shop.

SPEAKER_01

24, 25.

SPEAKER_00

Is it is that when it is?

SPEAKER_01

No, wait a minute. Bow Bowman Chrome or Tops Chrome? Bowman for his first show.

SPEAKER_00

Bowman, that's is it 2025 that he has his first Bowman? Yes, 25. We have that in shop, and there's been multiple people already asking for that because like I mean, you can just get some really nice first Bowman's out of there. So I don't know. Definitely Mendoza. Who I mean, who do you who's who do you think? Who's like a good second?

SPEAKER_01

Well, um Jeremiah Love, I think I what I think he went number three overall, three. Who's uh but he's uh he was drafted by Arizona.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, the other guy. Um Tate.

SPEAKER_01

Cornell Tate. Yeah. Here locally, I think. Locally, locally, I think a lot of people. Uh because people just it seemed like nobody was asking for Cam Ward there for a little bit. Yeah, and now everybody wants him. And now everybody here wants him. And I don't know that we have a big, huge following for Titans. Uh we're here in Utah, Tennessee. Yeah. And uh Nashville is probably two hours from us, two and a half hours. Yeah. And uh they're building a new stadium up there. So there's a lot of excitement about uh the Titans, but I don't think before we really had a lot of people coming in, like, hey, do you have any Titans?

SPEAKER_00

Not a lot, yeah, but I I do think that there's some things helping that. Um I think that there's a lot going for for that market at the moment, because like you said, Cam Ward did he kind of came out of nowhere, it seems like as far as like card market, kind of came out of nowhere. Every all of a sudden it was like the next day, hey, where's all your Cam Ward stuff?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Do you think this year's class is better than uh this past class 25?

SPEAKER_00

That's a good question.

SPEAKER_01

I think everybody got injured from last year's class. I'm wondering if they did. I'm wondering if you know this next year everybody's healthy and then everybody's like, well, it's a better class than I thought it was.

SPEAKER_00

It it could go that way because it's hard to tell with so many injuries. Like, yeah, what have they done? You know, they haven't done as much. So I think if yeah, I think I think it we'll be able to tell more once people have some healthier seasons. So but wanted to end it with what do we got going on in the shop? What uh we got any new products coming out?

SPEAKER_01

We do have a lot of new products coming out. Uh I'm excited for Topps Chrome Black Baseball. Yep. That's coming out.

SPEAKER_00

Yep, I got some of the dates here too.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Um I don't even know. I think that's towards the end of this week.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's the Chrome Black is the 29th. 29th. So this might be we might be sold out of it by the time people are watching some of this.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, maybe. Uh basketball cosmic cosmic?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, cosmic basketball. That's gonna be huge. That's gonna be crazy.

SPEAKER_01

Just imagine if if regular Chrome's go in for like 700 a hobby box or even more.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, I have to I think they're like a thousand, like I think they're around 1200 right now retail.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I'm off.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You are, but that's okay. Shop manager knows that stuff. That's all right. You knew something I didn't. Yeah. So that Griffey card surprised me that's that high. But yeah, if if if Chrome, like Cosmic, I would feel like is it's gonna end up settling around 1500 easily.

SPEAKER_01

We have the mega versions of the the stuff that just came out, the Bowman basketball. Yep.

SPEAKER_00

The that comes out the seventh.

SPEAKER_01

That'll be big.

SPEAKER_00

And the Chrome Megas.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

The first.

SPEAKER_01

That that'll be big for the shop. Yep. Um we'll have plenty of that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, when's our next trade night?

SPEAKER_01

Our next trade night is May the 15th. 15th? Okay, that'll be fun. We're giving away a jumbo uh Bowman basketball. A jumbo.

SPEAKER_00

A jumbo with the four autographs? Four autographs. That's a pretty good one.

SPEAKER_01

Two of the NCAA and two of the EMBA.

SPEAKER_00

That's nice. Um, well, I'm excited for trade night. I'm excited to do do this podcast. We got a lot of cool things coming up. Um, I enjoyed doing this with you guys. Guys, should we continue to do this? Should we continue?

SPEAKER_01

I well maybe people can comment. Just comment, maybe have some suggestions, maybe, and we'll maybe do a mailbox um, you know, so people can ask us questions as well.

SPEAKER_00

I think I think we should. If if the people would rather hear, like if if you don't want Matthew on the podcast, and you'd rather me just kind of be sitting here talking to maybe to just y'all.

SPEAKER_01

I don't think the internet can handle just you.

SPEAKER_00

It's a lot. It is a lot, but uh, we'll see. But uh guys, thank y'all so much for tuning in to our uh Crank It Up Podcast. Is that even what we're calling ourselves? Yes. Crank It Up Podcast. Thank y'all for tuning in uh hearing uh myself and Matthew.

SPEAKER_01

Thanks thanks to your dad helping us out, Mr. Johnson.

SPEAKER_00

Shout out to him, shout out to uh George, shout out to Brett, shout out to I mean, shout out to us, really. We I mean we're talking. We're here in the trenches trenches every day.

SPEAKER_01

I hope y'all enjoyed it. Uh hope y'all get our our humor. Uh sometimes it's uh I don't know, it might take a couple of brain cells to figure out what we're talking about.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, probably. Or no brain cells. So all right. Well, thank y'all for tuning in, and we'll see you on the next one.

SPEAKER_01

See you next time. Thank you for listening to the Crank It Up Podcast. See you next time.