Are Million-Dollar Cards Actually Smart Investments?

1909 Honest Wagner for a mere 5.2 million on a what PSA one. Yeah, what do you think of that? It seems like a lot of money to me Sometimes we throw these numbers around and I think people get skewed like oh Not much that's a lot of damn money for a card. Do you think they make money on that investment? Yeah, I think long term I think so if they don't you and I are doing the wrong things Right because it would mean vintage is going down in the long term like 10 years 15 years And that would mean the whole industry probably isn't doing great. It's always gonna be debate Well, who are the goats who's this but like I look at iconic differently. I kind of like the cards. It's been a test of time Welcome to the Collector Nation podcast here on the Collector Nation Network Whether you're chasing rails or calling bluffs You take you inside the hobby Here are your host Ryan offer and Brian look What's up guys welcome to Collector Nation here on the Collector Nation Network is Friday February 27th, 2026 our Friday edition. It's gonna be a condensed edition today We got a card show this weekend folks Brian his voices teetering in and out But he is but this this is what CEOs do they show up. They show up, but they don't feel good They put in the effort. They rock it and he is Brian Lutton. What's up Brian? Hey, nobody It's always good seeing you and I apologize to be audience for my voice I'll say less than think Ludics is more There you go We appreciate Brian for getting on it. Yeah with the voice a little under the weather I think he's even under the weather, but this is he's powering through so you have to listen to yours truly Maybe a little bit more than you want. Let's just be honest. I know how it is a wife says the same thing But I'll be honest and say this. I'm just happy to be here. We appreciate you for listening We know you have options with your attention and we're proud to be one of them Hope to enjoy Tuesday's episode our guests releases are on Tuesday Brian and Ryan on Friday Guest was just a little guest. I mean, maybe somebody you've heard of Brian. I don't know Ken Ken golden golden was on So the big cards there, right? I know it was the first story of the day anyway, but Topical like we're we're tying this together, you know the topical nature and then it's all working together Yes 1909 Honest Wagner the golden clothes this past weekend for a mere 5.2 million on a what PSA one Yeah, what do you think of that? It seems like a lot of money to me Sometimes we throw these numbers around and I think people get I don't know Excuse like all five million. I don't know. It's not much. That's a lot of damn money for a card Yeah 1, 2, 0. I don't know You have to worry about a scarcity on that one You think they make money on that investment. Yeah, I think long term I think so. I mean, I don't see if they don't you and I are doing the wrong things Right Because it would mean Vintage is going down in the long term like 10 years 15 years and that would mean the whole industry probably isn't doing great And I mean, that's sort of the shiny example of of vintage and scarcity right Yeah I mean, I don't personally have a lot of interest in it other than just the news of it. I mean, I don't know Like I Don't say whether I could or couldn't afford that but whether I could or not It wouldn't be like on my list Yeah, I mean, it's great for the industry. It's you know anytime we get headline news like that Even with the Pokemon that Whatever Paul So like that Industry it just is it's gonna bring more Anyone else cars they're gonna go up Anyone who's vintage it goes up. Anyone with Pokemon it goes up. So I I love the headline riff the headline news This industry needs more of it and it's getting a lot a lot a lot of clickbait for shirt Yeah, Mr. Wonderful's on every other I mean, I flip I don't have time like now, you know, like I have had in the past where maybe I'm catching More of the news or watching me in a new show But when I do flip it on it seems like I randomly catch Mr. Wonderful Talking about a card or a story or something so we're definitely in the mainstream and You know, we had a call earlier. I won't name with who and you know the media media is catching on and I think the brands are catching on and all that And I think that's great for I think the visibility of the hobby overall As well as projects that you and I are working on and so we're we're thankful to be in it Yeah, it's fun. It's fun industry The uh we got these in today these are fun. We ripped these in the story yesterday V friends Superstickers spectacular series hanger packs We have those act collector station just you know, there's those shameless plugs on this this show It's just a plug. Oh, I'm getting it billa are very active very Wonderful producer handing me this so there you have it. You've got three two packs And the V friends super stickers and they're a fun rip they've got some numbered cards. They've got Parallels Gary's doing it right man. It's it's it's I think they're spaning past just kids now. I mean some of the cards are they're coming up with new names different stuff It's all it's fun though Yeah, he does it right and we've talked about that. Yeah, he's a yes Only behind only behind my buddy Ryan Yes Yeah, world-class marketers Gary and Ryan Um, it's newest agency Ryan and Gary I need to I mean I'm gonna tell them I'm gonna go first Ryan and Gary R&G, but uh I like them because they have positive messages. They're fun to open and they they lean at everything This kind of fun about the new like modern cards parallels Numbers like they grab your attention. Um, we've got them sitting on the shelf and I'll say this We'll put some of this footage in if you're watching get to see it That's why you get a tune into the YouTube They look good sitting on the shelf like I they were sitting over there. We had them kind of as You know merchandising for the packs. I was like that's really sharp in the shelf I think our wonderful executive producer Bella is coming back in to actually have them in hand And you see the colors and the variations lighting hopefully doing them justice Um, I mean this shrewd shark reminded me of you Brian I Look at that thing The shrewd shark guest CEO I'm Brian. I'm eating up all the competition Oh, and then oh, I forgot we had this. That's just my you know, Gary signing my children chill a card from you know the original series No big deal You know what I'll tell you like about the V friends is We're when you ask like a you know, there's like there's cramudge in people in every industry. Oh, yeah Off my grass. It's like yes Well, the blog forum if you want to like see a bunch of old guys with opinions like Million opinions like go to blog forum and then just put like V friends in there and you'll get They'll be wrapping on and I'm sure that's not collecting that socks like that's terrible And I'm like don't be so offended by like what are you offended by that? Why does that offend? That's Steph Curry on on a V friend sticker. Yeah, you ever heard of him. I maybe you don't like Steph Curry too, but you know like come on They don't like anything. Yeah, no, but that's that is the cramudge and crowd and Well, it's so funny you bring that up. We're at the national and walking around And my buddy geo who does one of the best shows in the hobby, you know sports card nonsense. We love geo Jeremy all those guys so Walk around with geo and I noticed this too Gary is on the floor early walking around doing deals dudes real dudes into hobby he you can hate him because he's a great self-provoder and he's a great marketer But the dudes real he's in it. He knows the culture. He know he's he's studied it He's been collecting a lot longer than most people that are busting on him And sure enough like what you're talking about We were doing a little promo with Gary and Little Lee guy behind me with a camera my camera guy was there. We're filming Gary and one of our guys This guy like he's probably like a 25 year old And he's like live blogging or something and all he's doing is rooting Gary And I he's nobody know he know where'sville, you know like never heard of never seen him He's going. Yeah, Gary's slipping on these stickers still Uh, let's see where else like he's like live reporting like just trash talking and I'm like Did you not have anything better to do like what is the problem People are the worst Like I just don't get it like Is he's had to have something you have to have a foil you have to have something to hate That's how it is. I mean, that's how you know, that's the way this there's always a a hero And then not in the end of the year whatever they Um, I know yeah, I Gary I've done Gary a while and Even before you know, I knew him you know following and learning of him through social of course like 10 years ago But now personally knowing him I don't know many people that are more real than Gary like you know like it's it's Or is smart Yeah, man, a matter of fact, I mean Like he just he does it like he does it. He says it. He does what you say it says like matter of fact for him I know But I love what you guys are I think y'all are cooking things up together too with Blood X and different things here in their projects. I've heard you drop in names Yeah, we got some things spinning up Yeah, um I know you were in Toronto So uh that right or not or canada where were you you were somewhere for something important Well, lot X went international went to the Toronto show um, I did not go up there because I was sick What you I mean, but I mean Ryan Luttex. Yeah, the community was there community Dr. collectible shout out to him he gave us some tons of love Um, my boy Tristan was up there running the booth Um steve menzy does an awesome job at the Toronto show if you guys have not been there Uh end of April uh the expo in Toronto. That's their national um, and if it's anything like what I what they showed me it's probably I mean six 70% hockey 20% Pokemon and 10% everything else Hmm So it's a go. I mean, it's like it is an untapped market out there for yeah opportunities But steve does a great job. He's up to 10 shows um all through the country So I love it. Yeah, so now we're yeah, we went international Canada Canada. Oh, hey Well, yeah, I'm sorry. We had to be chin hockey, but we do love you. You're a good ally. I mean Do we have no right to beat them? That was no No, right? Are you kidding me? It's like the Hall of Fame All-Star team in their prime or close to it versus Some decent American guys out who I love and respect the hell out of but let's just be calling what it is, right They got outplayed like in like an every aspect of the game the US And it was just the hot goalie. I guess you run into Same thing run into hot pitcher in the world series like I guess I don't know hockey that well, but like I get I don't know I didn't know that that could change the game that much Like that's what they happened and they got a little nervous But we had no right to win that but gang was it exciting? Yeah, it was exciting. I mean and proud of you in America one hot women women's admins So the first time since 80 right? I mean It in some ways and I know the odds and didn't seem there were nowhere near as the miracle and ice But in some ways or is that Canadian team it feels like another miracle on ice Yeah, I mean I thought the odds were even too close when when they came out and They played that way is like that it was like the ice was tilted wherever. Yeah, I mean the odds were I don't know on paper again, and you I'm like you and I are casual hockey guys like we're not I'm not a I'm learning and getting more into it on in the store and looking cards, but I am I'm a lifelong basketball football baseball guy Growing on the hockey side so I'm speaking from you know lack of knowledge on every part of the game But on paper that looked like a bigger mismatch than maybe the odds were but Yeah But who was the jerseys Like I know I'll protect hockey, but who is an Olympic Contract who is in like I know they had Nike on there. Yeah, who has that? I don't know. I would imagine I thought upper deck head was you know had hockey pretty much cornered on every front We ripped some Olympic stuff Yeah, like during the Olympics it was tops But like man what an opportunity that's insane It'll be interesting to watch What's the halo effect from this right? So is it last Past like this little buzz here you've got upper deck actually releasing hockey blasters this week Um, so there's short prints around it. So smart Jackie Hughes is doing a tops now thing You know, he scored the last point in the in the game So they're only available actually through today So there's a one-on-one auto I'm sorry. They should put pieces of his teeth in there Yeah Like a like the bat relic it's the teeth relic tooth relic That's a interesting like a horror movie the tooth relic I got the one-on-one Coming now from tops now we've got the tooth relic of jack Hughes But I think it I think it plays out very similar to World Cup Like it gets people excited for a moment And it will get people excited the next time it happens And then baseball kicks opening day starts Yeah, I mean is it good for the industry? Yeah probably yeah But I don't think it's like gonna I mean we saw hockey scans pick up and there's no question Um over the weekend And after that game, but it's still significantly lower than you know and the other It's it's it's right below magic for us I need we need some audience interaction here. We've been get hey if you're listening and you've been dropping comments We love you keep doing it. I replied to as many as I get to that is me Ryan replying to those almost every one of them me or Bella And So keep asking keep asking questions. It shows us that you're listening. We those who've been picking up every week um Hit someone Brian ask hey He's trying to talk his parents into getting into the national and if he gets in he brought up the luggage I said look he's in a lot of slowns. We'll who at least for one night if he makes it there and mentions the show We'll get him in right Um and then uh, but I want to get some feedback hockey are we into it? Are we buying more hockey cars? Are we getting into it? Love your feedback You know in in form must entertain us do we have a hockey listening uh crowd or excuse me hockey collecting crowd out there and uh We'll take that feedback because you can also get feedback on this. I've got access to a gordy how Jersey signed This is where I was going Ryan to get your opinion um, I think he's University kind of like that you got Gretzky and then I think he's in that second tier Uh, but close. I mean he's one of the biggest names hallfamer I have access that it's unauthenticated, but supposedly would pass authentication with flying colors um So it's discounted But I have access to buy it What do you think? Who's it from? Yeah Yeah, where did you where did you get it from? Yeah, like robinants and all that Yeah, and the big thing is like you know the studies show Technology can help there's some companies out there to definitely help Honestly 40% of all of memorabilia is forged And it's always going to be that way There's some companies out there trying to you know stop that but I don't I personally don't buy any You know whatever on our on Authorized yeah, yeah, because it just doesn't work. We had a Michael Jordan Jersey come in and the March to our store our office, which we're not even shy as they hate Can I bring this in it's from one of Michael's games and blah blah blah And so we took it You know, we give it to you know Mike Baker and his you know his own partner Damien And they're like this is crazy They're like the company matched the jersey due to game But it's a fake autograph Huh, so the guy basically Whoever he had gayboard a real gayboard jersey And then diluted it diluted the value By putting by Jennifer Garo Crazy that's what an idiot Like You not think out I guess maybe thinking I got half of it so it'll get it'll fly it'll fly man Yeah, I wouldn't buy it. I wouldn't buy it Yeah, all right, what do you guys think out there? Yeah, no, let me know what you think and what you'd pay or not pay That was quoted to I was quoted 200 bucks and I and I looked it up and it looked like just and I don't again If I find out the jersey itself works from all that and I can and that has value like the upside there But like just a basic one was like give one for like $5.50 authenticated. So I don't know But I think where you have to ask yourself are you will just wear it? Are you willing like that's pretty cheap for a jersey Yeah, no Autograph Walking autograph. I guess I'm I mean maybe visit double XL Bake you get a hockey 200 bucks. Yeah True one way to think about it I mean, I guess the on authenticated doesn't matter if you're gonna throw it up on your wall And it looks like it's real and you're a big fan of them to get it into you know Have it as a memorabilia knowing it's probably not getting increasing value necessarily because it's not authenticated But it means something to use a fan is a bad way to do it That's a piece of that point the jersey about the jersey at that point But you have to get it like I would never sell it without can authenticate it You know, yeah, yeah, no, I would I would buy it to authenticate it to resell it But anyway, I wear it up on hockey Yeah I'll wear it on trade nights or something, you know, I'll just get everybody that comes to sign it next to him be like That's where they are They are it was pretty cool. Yeah, but um Top's ripped release 75 iconic baseball cards and people are not happy basically Look You know the answer Brian when you put out a list Of the greatest the best the most interesting There you get way more flow back on Well, why'd you leave out that or who'd you do then you do oh yeah, that's definitely right So the complaints are always louder than the praise Uh, if you haven't figured that out, but They here's here's what they were unhappy with Paul skeins rookie one of one being number five as one of the most iconic baseball cards Hmm, interesting would you Would you have beef with that Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't mind I want to pull it, but yeah, you love to have it. So sell it about Do I have my list no way that's marketing, you know, they know it did Exactly Otani rookie Again being number 10 and it was like a random rookie card It wasn't like what most people consider Is better rookie cards And Mike trout was nowhere to be found on this 75 iconic baseball card list So they were happy with those they were unhappy with those three things the most Well, I mean, what's their definition of iconic? I guess is what were we come down to I know it's like most valuable or most iconic. I mean, most pocket Most popular very popular. Yeah, those are all baby. I mean If you went and did Because modern media The impressions that the Paul skeins rookie one of one and got because of modern media in the time that it happened It probably is like chart busting Because You know, they did a tour and freaking dicks. They had it at the freaking fanatics fest You know at the at the Dicks like lounge area they had it on display So it did a whole me the card itself did like a media round And then you know, once it sold the whole volume and media there's probably so like the value of the impressions of Of the media It's more like what this uh This 75 iconic is Yeah, I mean dicks basically is like I didn't know dicks sold cards I didn't know they were into cards and collecting and now they now you do so a million dollars is nothing to them And so I think it's a smart move But I mean 75 anything you call iconic cards like it's always gonna be debate Well, who are the goats who's this but like I don't know. I look at iconic differently. It's like I kind of like are like the cards that that has said that um have tested time instead to test the time Yeah, I can name I can name like five for me like 52 male rookie um The bow Jackson card for me Solders baseball bat Michael Jordan rookie card Uh Ken Griffey Jr. Upper deck Rookie. I mean, it's just for me. Uh, I'm gonna get hate mailed now too Brian, but that's okay. I can take it um For me like my air rolling up to others um Roger Clemens 1986 rookie card. Don't ask me why I know it's probably wouldn't make many people's but like when I was growing up like that was like Like a badass iconic hard, you know Oh Like greatest picture of the time, right? Yeah, you look like him. I think you that's why you like him Yeah, do I That's not a bad thing. I think Clemens is kind of a striking strong manly iconic figure Yeah, hands I don't think I could throw a hundred mile per hour gas heater though, you know, I mean marm is not bad But I don't think that sees Dude throw some nitro balls um But yeah, I mean those come to mind. There's others list are always uh created to be debated They I like that Brian created to be debated Yeah, it's called clickbait create It's called yeah, that's why every blog ever made it's a little marking lesson for everyone whether you want it or not will blend in Uh every article The five best cards you can see at the national this year we've got the 10 greatest rookie cards of all time We've got the five most Unappreciated pictures from the New York Yankees Every article They get you they hook you in hey yeah, it's like number one hook Did I hear there's a card show in uh South Carolina in Greenville? G Vegas. Yes, baby. Oh, yeah Wilder Mike Wilder puts on is a great show. He does it here is the biggest show in the upstate. That's about every three months He would mall yours truly the collector station collector nation radical team We'll be there Full-of-fact promoting the store collector station as well as this show collector nation will be handing out t-shirts kiss and babies smacking backs, you know all kinds of stuff So fella are you going? Bella is going she Bella is going she is working in the background actually right now on Some of our merchandising for the show So Brian was asking Bella if you would be there Um, yep, it's baby's first card show um we'll see how overwhelmed I get And maybe I'll learn some things probably we'll learn some things. It's pretty smelly About to do oh, I already got the the room spray ready to go. I'll just go up to people, you know Yeah, yeah, yeah, the direction I'm walking just yeah, you'll you'll smell my presence. You might be the only female there Oh, it's not that bad Yeah, it's not a Pokemon people Yeah, Pokemon Bella I'll just gasoline a bunch of a bunch of men and um try to convince them that I know what I'm talking about Oh, how much mansplaining is Bella gonna get See little do they know I Bella's playing I've coined the term yeah, so don't you even worry? Oh Well have fun It will be fun Get some money from Ryan by a card I'll give her an allowance go walk around, you know like one dollar You more than that he like a hundred bucks or something You gotta go like really get something good um and you'll get a better deal so you Yeah, it's not only like how they'll give you like it's my first card I've ever bought and they're gonna give you like a two hundred dollar card for my hundred And I'm gonna sell it and give you the hundred back and pocket the other hundred All right deal I'm gonna try next week and what she bought like what Yes, it was a baseball basketball football. We're gonna do this don't let us forget to do this We're gonna be busy, but we're gonna do this okay, and we're gonna film it Calon's gonna film I give my honor a hundred bucks at the national as she came back with a um see SGC 10 Taylor Swift card yep, yep, I love it Sounds all right. Yeah, I bet you think it's probably gone up in value Probably you know kind of like her bank account You know Yeah swiftly gone up That hey short short Episode today a little tight 26-ish minutes Brian's voice is carried through But probably doesn't have much left he needs to get in bed We've got to get back to work. We got to prepare for this show if you're in the southeast And you want to make the trip to Grimmel's a great place to visit come to the show this weekend We'll be there on Saturday from 10 to four at heywood mall You won't be able to miss us. We're gonna have a 10 by eight huge 10 feet tall or 10 feet wide. I don't know banner We're gonna be the people with the marketing presence at the car show Three tables spread out and we'd love to meet you. So if you are in the area or local listening come say Hello, and you know Tell us what you think of the show we appreciate you for listening any final thoughts Brian No, man have fun. I think in your future. I think you're gonna run Partner with that guy and run the show and make it bigger Yes, those two diamonds Don't give him any ideas Here he has too much going on and for my That's why we we can't talk too much because we just Yeah, yeah, no, oh, I love it. I love it Brian. Appreciate your brother go get get better get that voice healed up All right brother. Love you. Love you, man. Hey guys the collector nation dot com Go check us out the apps out go to the collector nation app in the app store and while you're there Don't forget L U D X the best car scanning app right there. I'm Brian shirt. That's how you spell it Let go just merge my favorite hats that I wear every day on the you desk here I don't want to overpopulate it. That's why I got our collector nation hat on he's got the Ludic shirt on But L U D X go in the app store. Let me tell you collection management I've saw some of the newest features today. Let me just tell you Constant innovation happening Brian his team Helps just sell some cards on e-bag quicker than anyone Integrations with other things coming planned and of course just that digital collection management So you know what you got how much it's worth all of those things L U D E X Lud X Proud to partner with them and for just I'm just on the team baby. I'm just happy to be on the team So we appreciate you for listening check us out on YouTube. We'll see you next week on the collector nation 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 collector nation.com and follow Ryan on Instagram at Ryan Alford Now get out there and collect yours Hey