A Collector’s Guide to the World Cup: Players, Teams, and Market Watch | Dan Jamieson

It's funny, I thought all this was the day, I have a few NFL jerseys laying around and I'm like if that's not signed by them, it's just a rag. Now we have all our bikes put with an NFC attached, you scan them with your phone and it shows the moment the product was signed today, geolocated, motor of the guy doing it. Welcome to the Collector Nation podcast here on the Collector Nation Network. Whether you're chasing trails or call them bluffs. Take you inside the hobby. Here's your host, Ryan Alfer. All right guys, this World Cup season right now, it's in session officially here in the United States. That's why we wanted to go back to our good friend, Dan Jameson. It's one of the biggest moments in sports for collectors and it turns signatures, jerseys, and memorabilia into real pieces of history. Dan with icons.com is back here on Collector Nation and we talked World Cup Collectibles messy authenticity and why the story behind the state intern matters. Dan, what's up man? Welcome back to Collector Nation. What's up brother? Ah, nothing but exciting stuff. Hey man, we had to, I mean, yeah exactly like we had to get our resident expert in all things, World Cup, soccer, and important autograph jerseys. Here, this crucial moment as the World Cup comes to the United States and takes off as we speak. Yeah, I mean, as a football soccer fan, it's the most exciting thing of every four years you could ever imagine for us. It's like Christmas Eve and we're just wrapping the present. Yeah man, I'm sure. Is it, the funny thing is like, it's exciting because I mean, it's right in your field, right in your wheelhouse, you know, with what you guys do at icons.com. But at the same time, I know how it is, like sometimes when you're in the center of it, it's like, it's exciting, but it's also your busiest time. So it's like all work and no play, is it a little bit of that right now? So it is, it's like the, it's the peak moment every four years. It's like, you've got to get it all right for the big show. So it's crazy, it's hectic, there's ups and downs, other things, bad things, but it's all part of fun. It's all, it's all, it's all fifth World Cup, there's the official FIFA licensee. So we started in South Africa in 2010. So we've been around the block and around the world. Yeah, no kidding, but it's, I will say, you say something that's like, you better have the hay already in the barn, I would think, because you're probably not finding it after the fact. If you're a current footballer, as soon as they're playing for their nation, you can't get anywhere near them. So yes, that means you have to do the ball in the last 10 days of this season. Hence, that's got to run around the planet trying to get them before they disappear. Yeah, exactly. Tell that story. I know you had to go, you're 24 hour story. That's a good setup for that. Dan's mission across the pond and everywhere in between to secure the best jerseys. So we were, as Leo messes, he's exclusive worldwide signing partner. We had to be in for a long day, because he gave us a shot getting all our world cup stuff fun. So we're in Florida. We see Leo, he's bringing it to Zebra. We get all the tree on the balls and added our products. Hot kinds of cool things signed. So that's good. Then we flew to New York, where we were walking to the messy experience. So there is a sort of shop, retail, theme park, about out Leo's life. That's in the dream, more next to the worldwide station and net life stadium. So we're working with those guys. That's going to be brilliant. And then the crazy bit was we had to fly overnight to Madrid, because we were doing our first ever signing with England and Melbourne Dreads. It was our two palliants. So we basically started to work with Jude. And it's the exciting thing we could do is English people. But the heat wave in New York cracked. We were stuck on the small Mac to three hours with a lightning strike, which meant we had to be diverted to Milan. Then we arrived late, missed the connection, and we had to find some of Dreads. And I missed the signing by an hour. And my fantastic team did it all. Okay. So the CEO was a needed. They did a brilliant professional job. We just happy. We were happy. I met them in the airport as they had all the Dreads and Dreads and Pools. And then we flew home. So it was four countries in 24 hours and chasing poolers around the world. That's both wonderful and terrible at the same time. It sounds like a great story. I haven't got an Instagram selfie, so it didn't happen. Yeah, exactly. I was here with the bloodshot eyes or whatever. It sounds like there's a lot of non-sleeping involved in some of that. Yes. The, uh, I didn't want to. Let's do this to start, Dan. I got a couple of paths I want to take us. One, I'll let you be thinking about this one. This will be the follow-up. We'll be, I want you to help our US American audience is listening. Maybe give them a cheat sheet on players to be watching and collecting. And maybe you're inside like the, I don't know, the cheat sheet to the world cup. Like who's favored? Who should you be watching? Who should you care about for someone that's just not like an everyday, you know, world cup knowledge, you know, world wide, knower of everything, the sport. I think you'd be a perfect person to do that for our audience. What should we be watching? But let's start with what's new with icons and everything you guys are going to have for the world cup and what you've been up to kind of in their raw collectible space. Yes. So, I think last time we talked, it was about a week before we launched our new triple lock technology. So now we have all our bikes with an NFC attached. You scan them with your phone and it shows the moment the product was signed. So day, day, day allocated. So we photo of the guy doing it and that's all linked to a digital record. So it's kind of locked in three different ways and you're kind of arguing with it. And it's now the best level of authenticity in our sport, I'd say in all sports. Yeah, that's up there. I know I've heard of you talking about doing that but not implementation. That's exactly. Imagine if you scanned your trading card and it had the moment it was signed and all the credentials and exactly where, when, how, what all locked in a digital record, you'd be pretty convinced that that was definitely the right time. Yeah, exactly. You want that. I mean, you got to know, I mean, you know, just a picture of it like happened. Literally this card or this jersey or whatever right at the moment. I mean, that, that's what you want. Yeah, exactly. And we, uh, we now take every signing. So I know someone wants to find out about it. You go back and get a tape. So I'll say, oh, it was the 32nd one we did. That's smart. I love that. You're, I've heard it. So now we have a good response to that. So long, well, a big response to that. Yeah, people love it. It's a like, it's, this whole game is about authenticity and reassurance. If you're going to spend money on something, you've got to know in your hard hearts that it's unreal. And you can sort of shout facts to people. But that's only half the game. You've got to tell stories and reassure them and, uh, take them, tell you the story of how it was, what's the other and how it was played. Yeah, exactly. And I mean, because otherwise, it's funny. I thought about this the day I have liked your, a few NFL jerseys laying around. And I'm like, if that's not signed by them, it's just a rag, you know, like in a lot of ways. I mean, it's like, I'm not going to put it on to go play it. I will wear jerseys occasionally at the store, but I'm not the biggest jersey wearing guy. So like, that really has zero value whatsoever. Unless you know it's real, you trust it's real. And, uh, it happens because I don't remember how told the story or not. But, you know, the funniest thing growing up is my dad had these records on the wall of all the classics clapped in and you name them. Like really classic, you know, uh, and he had one that was autographed. Uh, and I always thought for the longest time, it was autographed. Like it was real. It said, uh, hey, Steve, great good luck with the band. Uh, signed, uh, Tom. And it was Tom Petty. Uh, there was a Tom Petty album, but Tom, written that, my uncle who was in the band with my dad had always handwritten that himself on there and I grew up thinking that Tom Petty had really signed it. It was kind of an inside joke. Uh, and my dad would tell the, my dad would, you know, bring people over and show him off the instruments. We had it like a music room in our house and it was kind of the inside joke. He did, he would tell people like, but he would let it go for a little while because everybody would walk up and see that and go, man, he knew you were in a band and everything. But anyway, but it was, it was worthless because it wasn't often indicated and it was a real, but it, it's a joke, but it's a, yeah, but it's important to know. You put, um, you put your own value on things. If you're, if you're sort of a, as we both are, if you're collectors, it's a story and a story behind it. Yeah, and that would create a story of its own. But the point was nobody had any interest in it once. They thought that was funny, but you got to know it's real and it starts there. And that has always, I mean, in the, in the hobby, you know, there's, I don't, you know, on the story, I haven't seen it yet. I know it's coming, but we talked a lot of the grading companies and all that. They see a ton of counterfeits and everything else. And then the Jersey thing, nothing better than, look, it's, it's not only, and you said it, the story is, yeah, okay, I know it's, I know it's signed by that person. I can trust it. It has value because of that. And, but then the story that goes with where it was signed when it was, I don't know, that, that's a narrative that's, that's an interesting take on it that I hadn't thought about. I think that means the next level, it's also natural. You've got a curiosity. It's like, you get your card. It's the most exciting thing in the world. You want to know more about it where it came from, why, and how, and what, it's a story behind it. Exactly. So we've got that launched. People have been loving that. What else? What's our any good messy stories before we get into like what's, what we need to be paying attention to for the World Cup and how it relates to icon jerseys available? Yeah, it's, it's, it's, he's a legend already. So he's an icon. But what's going to be interesting is I think on Tuesday, he's, he will set for tone of field and then become one of only two. And I think at the time we played in sex World Cup. I believe we're actually in the last signing. We've got all six of his jerseys from all of his tournaments, the six balls, six boots, six kind of photos. It's like the sort of power of six we're going to be doing. So we'll try and launch that through Leo's side when we are, when he finally, when he finally steps on the field and does it. Wow. So that kind of unique twist. You can sell a standard jersey, but what's the story behind it? Why is that exciting? Yeah, that is, that's incredible. How many of you think about longevity and the only two people? Who's the other one? What a comment. Was that a main, I guess? Again, Chris, Cristiano said, well, he'll have to sign regular. Wow. Two legends. The he made more appearances in the world, helping anyone else. Yeah. What, what does our audience need to know about the World Cup? You know, let's, let's, let's open it up to, okay. I'm a listener. I collect. So I was having a chat with the guys that saw the post. We were sort of hanging out in Queens. And what I said is kind of a different mentality. It's not just about the team that wins. That is amazing. I don't want to argue with that. But in American sports, it's about getting to Super Bowl and getting your ring and winning everything. There's 48 teams in this. Only, I don't, only eights can realistically win. But that gives 40 countries who are along for the ride and just love it. They want to take part, they want to experience it. They might lose, but they're going to enjoy the hell out of it when they're still there. So one of the great things is to find neighborhoods where a team is going crazy. Yeah. It's like on a little larger team or where are the, where's the go on a community and where are the, where are all the Scottish people? It's like that's where they're going. Absolutely crazy in cars and clubs and pubs, having a brilliant time. Yes, I love that. I love the interesting thought about the 48 teams. And you know, there's only going to be one winner. And there's only going to be, you know, budget say seven or eight that can legitimately probably win based on just the reality. Probably a talent and budget and everything else. I don't know, maybe you can, but it's like that whole experience. It is a culture. It is in that way. It's kind of the Olympic experience, right? Because we would go to the Olympics, you know, only somebody had gold, silver and bronze, but you got thousands of athletes there that have earned the right to be there. And then it's bigger than just the absolute winner. So that's, that is an interesting aspect. Tell you what was interesting. I went to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. And I think the biggest traveling contingent was Americans supporting the American team. That's cool. And they had the greatest time you've ever seen. They absolutely love it. Well, they're kind of American fervor and their love of sport to this crazy soccer competition. I love it. And I went to the USA versus Garner quarter final in the middle of nowhere. I think there were 35,000 dressed up Yankees going crazy dancing with Garnayans in all the South Africa in like by the side of the road. It was one of the graces for my life. And it's not about the winner. It's not an experience. Yeah, it is. Very few people don't have a party like the soccer people. I don't know. Yeah. It is like tailgating in the States. I think they gal do even the tailgates for college football. It's like that's what I grew up going to. And that's a big party. But it's a similar pageantry. There's a similar pageantry though with college football in and World Cup like the, I don't know, the sights, the sounds, the colors, the, I don't know. Everybody's pulling in one direction and it's about the game, but it feels like it's about more than the game. Yeah, it's about the history and your friends and the family and the stories behind it and how you got there in the first place. All right, Dan, who'd name some players, you know, we obviously, you know, message the guy, you know, we know that everybody, even I know that. And I've learned more about sorry than last year than I've knew my whole life. But I'll say this, who else should we be looking at paying attention to? Who's worth the watch? Well, if you're looking for exciting players, so like I can mention defenders and goalies and so on, but everyone, everyone likes wingers and forwards and people who do amazing things. Who's scoring? Yeah, you can't go, you can't go far past L'Aminia Mall. So spain superstar plays for Barcelona. He's still 18, but he just plays an exciting carefree way. And he should thrive if spain go far. So he's worth the watch just on his own, because he's no talented. He was very like when we came back into the hobby. His name hit my radar a couple of years ago. I guess he was 16 and it was like fire. Like all his stuff, he was kind of crossing all levels. And then I admittedly, even on the card shop, now I don't hear his name as much, but I assumed it wasn't just because he fell off the map. So is he everything that people cracked him out to be like two years ago? Is he panning out? Yeah, he's the real deal. I mean, what I love about the most skillful players is they help make their teams win. So he's played for Barcelona, they won three championships in a row. He plays for Spain, they won the euros. This is his biggest stage now. And he could win a World Cup and retire before his 20 and still be in the record box. Wow. So I need to not trust the panini grade of Le Mans. Like I got these new monopoly soccer, I've been open in soccer cards to kind of get prepared for the World Cup. And like no certain players see there. And they have these monopoly cards that have the rating on the back. And it goes to one to a hundred. And it had Le Mans at 86, which seemed low to me based on the, you know, there's like the guys that were hundreds are 90 and higher at a few of them I had heard of. And but then there were still a few things. I'm like, Le Mans and 86, that didn't, is that right? Well, maybe there's growth in that. Yeah, they're leaving, they're leaving room for growth. They don't want to like, if they give them 98 now, he's got nowhere to go. And the guy on the other, so the other favourites of France. Yeah. So you need to look out for Michael Elysse. Elysse. Who plays for Bayern Munich or to be in England. But it's, it's just a super cool dude. And he can do, he can score, he can pass, he can run, he, but he just haven't ever get a really effortless kind of way. So France, the favourites pretty much a thing. Unless they all fall apart and fight each other, which is when it goes wrong for our French friends. Like they fight each other on the team? Yeah, in fighting. Ah, go, to me, Egos, to me, Egos on the same team. I think they all have opinions about how it should be played. Yeah, I got to. Are the Americans going to make any noise in this? I think because it's such a big tournament. But they can get through the group stage and into the knockouts they can do anything. So I think they're going to have close games, they're going to have the support behind them. And they're going to just get a chance as any kind of mid-level team, that's so. Yeah, they're clearly bad. They can get through and then they can have a short time. I've often wondered, the women's teams bad ass. I mean, but it's like the men's, I don't know enough about how it works. We had a guy on this earlier, actually a couple weeks ago, or last week, talking about you know, you soccer and the US and stuff. And like some of the reasons and challenges we have them maybe had just all-out rock star fighting, you know, because some of the best athletes play different sports. You know, they might have been the best soccer player ever play, but they end up in football or basketball or baseball or whatever. And, but it does seem interesting. I win as the US men's going to really just, are we even close to turning that corner? I think you've got a team that has talent. It's got a very good coach. I think we can pull together and pull off upsets. I can't see a run all the way deep, but I can see who the finals would be prepared. It would be a real achievement. That'd be a win for them. Kind of where they're at. It's fun. Who is the one name that we probably, I've heard of actually the two guys you named. I didn't know exactly where they were today, as far as like a small. Throw me off. But he threw me off that 86. I haven't been able to watch enough of this game to go. I was like, it's even falling off. No big fall. No big fall. We're going to just give them the X. No one of their losing licenses. Just kid. All right, one wild card team, like upset alert from Dan. Like who could sneak up that's maybe not a complete sneaks. I know how it goes with the soccer stuff. You kind of got your eighth that you can win it. But who you got? Yeah, there's kind of, sorry, if you want, if you want a team that now already talks about that could do amazing things, you need to look at Norway. Okay. Firstly, look at their social media. There's a brilliant line up of them all being Vikings, or on a big beach, and they're all dressed up as like, like they're going to terrorise you village. It's an amazing look. I love that. Even this layer on, they do a team shot. And they've got all the lines of their shirts all lined up. So it just looks a really cool way of presenting the team. But they've been hailing Holland, who's a mega store up front. If you can score goals, then you've got a chance anyway. And they haven't been for a while, so they're kind of fresh and up for it. I think they're going to rampage through that bit of the drawer, I think. Interesting. I was looking for a non-American team to pull for. I'm going to go look at that social, but that sounds, I like the sound of that. That sounds a little brash and bold. That's right. Like, The lesson was AI. Yeah, even it was. I still like it. I don't mind the AI creation, if it's creative, you know? And I like that little brash. Like, they're ready to come pillage. So they're ready to come pillage the whole world cup. Was that sort of the take? All right, Norway is. We did it on last signing before the World Cup. He even after we did Jude, was with a guy called Antoine Semenia. So he's big in England because he plays the Manchester City and has been amazing this season, but he plays for Garda. And it's a, for example, of a sort of country wouldn't really be looking at. But basically, they've got this fantastic forward. He plays with a massive smile on his face. He's really exciting and powerful and quick and scores great goals. So you get these superstars who come from smaller countries. If you watch them, you'll see it. People doing amazing things. Yeah. And they're the way they're going out there. They're the shapes they're in. Like, I don't know if people quite grassly. You can kind of see it. The TV's got better, obviously with the wide screen and all that stuff. But they are athletes. Let's just say that. They're some of the world's greatest athletes that probably don't get recognized as the world's greatest athletes. Like, they do, but they don't. You know, there's a certain other feats that maybe signal that athleticism. But these guys are incredible. Yeah, I mean, the top ones are on our world class sprinters plus athletes, plus they're doing it for 90 minutes in a lot of heat. But then you've got, sometimes they go to action crime. You've got another 30 minutes. Then it goes to penalties. You've got to concentrate all the way to the end of the show. Dan, what would make a great tournament and outcome for icons.com? Like, what's good for business? Somebody asked this. It's like, do you want England to win? Because of nature. Yeah. Or do I want Argentina to win because of Leon? Yeah, about the same. Home team versus the business team, right? But I was in the welcome final last time in Qatar. And I'm wearing an English, my colleagues wearing a messy shirt. But we're getting really excited about Argentina winning. So all the people in the stands around us are like, why are you cheering for Argentina? You're English. Didn't you go to war with them? And I'm like, yeah, yeah. But we're playing the French. We had a hundred year war with that. And once we explained about our business basically being like, loads of it being Leo Messi. I think he's going to be amazing. Even the crowd were pulling for us by the end. So everyone apart from the French people want to leave Argentina to win. And they were quite pleased at the end for us. Yes. England, Argentina final. And I'm fine. Then you'll choose one or actually, I mean, you can't lose then, right? I mean, that'd be a can't. Can't you take that one? What happens? Like, if Argentina does that, if Argentina makes that run, it's got to be good for business, right? Yeah. I mean, it's exciting, everyone gets. It's like you're watching the goat play. It's like, it's the last time you'll see him. I'm sorry I did ask social media for the launch of his boots. And I think they called the last tanga. Yeah, that's pretty cool. It is cool. So yeah, it's going to be the last time you'll see him. And Cristiano play in the World Cup. Two legends is what will happen with the market around his, you know, as he sails into the sunset, at least on the on field stuff? How will that impact icons? Well, actually, legends sell almost as well. A legend sells better than a current player. Yeah. Foreign players go up and down. I mean, Leo's a legendary player, so it's tricky. But, um, current players have hits and misses, ups and downs, controversies. I know they can ever to fly. But once your place in history is established, they sell, they'll sell forever. Yeah. So actually legends are maybe two thirds of the things we sign. Yeah, will they, uh, I'm sure you'll be continuing that relationship for as long as possible. So to get, uh, keep the, uh, the signature's fresh. Exactly. I mean, he's going to play for the two years according to his contract within time. So he's, uh, he loves it. He loves America. He's been, um, he's given him a new lease of life and he's enjoying life. How much happy he's happy. So that's brilliant. Happy wife, happy life. Is he, uh, is he, where does he fall in the greatest of all time? Um, uh, I have to say the second greatest, but I wasn't necessarily mentioned that to him. Uh, for me, Diego Maradona is the greatest player of all time. Okay. Yeah. Uh, he also signed exclusively for icons. So we have a long history with Diego. How do you watch, you watch both of them play a lot, right? I never saw, I never saw Diego play, um, in the flash. Not in the flash, yeah, but basically, no, 1986 World Cup, where he basically makes his team win by being astonishingly brilliant and cheating a little. So that was a little bit of that, um, um, yeah, he ain't cheating, he ain't playing. Never, I've never, I'm chewing the ball into the net and then claiming it was the hand of God. Oh, yeah. That's a little, uh, like, we, I'll forgive him for being the greatest player I've ever witnessed. We'll see. Yeah, um, what's the, uh, rest of this year? Like, do we get through the World Cup? What else is on the docket for icons and anything, you know, like, is it just grab, hold and hold on with the demand that gets created from all the excitement around the World Cup and jerseys and all that stuff? Well, two things I can say about one is that it doesn't stop for us. So where the official license is in the Champions League, which we'll start again in on September or we off again, where the license fee for Manchester United and, uh, Chelsea and Spurs and Barcelona. So it kind of carries on. Uh, well, look, we're also the license fee of the, um, Alondole. So whoever basically is the best player of the, uh, Portugal will win that. And it's in London this year, so that's going to be interesting for us. But what's always exciting is, uh, it will throw up new superstars. And that's, that's also keeps the train running because after every World Cup, there's a new name and we, we will then try and jump on them and get excited. There was, uh, uh, uh, uh, 2014, there's a Colombian, uh, Hammond Grigas, who stored him was amazing. And he was an icon within three months and had moved around with it. So our job's to jump on the next guy too. I always scouting a ABS, always be scouting. You gotta be watching for that next star, right? Yeah, they get younger and younger. I'm about to say, I mean, I'm always on a refrigerator. I was like 11 or something. I don't even know. Isn't that telling? Yeah. I don't know. Can we, can the kids be kids? Come on. You know, but Dan will be right there getting trading cards. Not to the first. Thousands of trading cards before we got there. We signed with them and we, uh, he was very busy, let's say. Yeah. Dan, as we close out this episode, what, let's walk through a customer experience with icons and what they can expect, um, that experience from beginning to end. So, uh, I cause a comm is where all our bad biggest best ranges, um, it's best for us because we can serve the world. So we, the whole world comes to us to get our special license signed, uh, product for the only people who can say that. So that's cool. Um, we have, I'd say maybe 40 players playing the tournament and 140, who have played, so you can kind of choose your team, choose your player, choose how it's framed, pay your frame rates. Um, if you order it, we frame it up and we'll dispatch it around the world with a week and you'll, you'll be on your wall by the time your team's qualified or be knocked out. Now's the time, uh, and you'll hold its value. I'm sure because that that's the tries to possessions. Yes, they are. And the work is beautiful. Love what you guys are doing. Love the, literally the, the whole process of the chip with scanning and all that. You're ahead of your time. And that's where everything that's in authentication should already be. And really love what you guys are doing. Really always appreciate your time and your generosity here on the show with us, Dan. Well, we're, we're all coming to the States to show you how soccer's done properly. I love it, man. Well, we'll be pulling for you. You know, uh, England in Argentina. Yeah. What a day. England, England, USA final. That never happened. Oh, yeah, that'd be amazing. I would be one of the greatest upsets of all time just if the US gets there. Like not because they couldn't do it, but it's not totally expected if you're being a rational. Not many rational Americans, but I'm a rational enough to know what's ahead of us. But hey, it's not always about winning. It's about being there. It's about the cultural, you know, bringing the world together. Hey, sport can do it. You know, we got a lot of negativity. A lot of shit happening in the world. Like let's bring the world together with sport. And remember, we're all human after all. Dan, really appreciate your time. We'll go to icons.com, learn more, get your jerseys, man. These things are hot at this time of the year with World Cup going on. Keep your eye out for the, yeah, you get a player. You see some of your looking for good icons.com. Check out the jerseys. And of course, messy, only place to get it, icons.com. There's one in place. We appreciate Dan. We appreciate you. See you next time. Congratulations. Thanks for tuning into the show. Be sure to follow us on your go-to podcast platform and catch the full video episode over on YouTube. Visit us at collectornation.com and follow Ryan on Instagram at RyanAlford. Now get out there and collect yours.