When does a PSA 10 justify paying more than a PSA 9? Dan McCabe and Erik Sjolie debate the premium from two different collecting approaches: buying for eye appeal in a personal collection, and using population reports and gem rates to judge high-grade examples.

Erik explains why he’s buying more PSA 9s, while Dan shares how relative condition and scarcity shape his decisions, including his Yogi Berra collection.

The conversation also covers football card swings, Beckett’s technology update, September grading volume, and unconfirmed CGC sale rumors. Dan and Erik dig into counterfeit cards, fake slabs, authentication-only holders, older slabs, reholdering, and condition-sensitive 1990s inserts. Fair or Foul covers hobby affordability, PSA 10 premiums, and the limits of pop reports.

Dan also shares Collectors Club AI development updates.

Rumors and predictions discussed in this episode are the hosts’ opinions, not confirmed announcements.

Explore Collectors Club AI: https://collectorsclubai.com

Should baseball collectors submit cards for grading when a possible MLB lockout could disrupt the season they are preparing for?

In Episode 16 of the Collectors Club AI Podcast, Dan McCabe and Erik Sjolie discuss grading costs, turnaround times, and how uncertain timing affects submission decisions. Dan shares his Lamine Yamal Manga card’s CGC 9 result, leading to a comparison of PSA and CGC and the importance of evaluating different grade outcomes.

The conversation moves into Bowman prospects, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bryce Eldridge, and a hypothetical Paul Skenes card-price decline. Dan and Erik question whether a work stoppage would trigger a broader baseball card downturn or move buying activity toward other sports, vintage cards, and established players.

They also discuss Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., rare 1990s inserts, collector FOMO, and the difference between maintaining a personal collection and holding cards for resale. Historical comparisons with 1994 and 2022 provide context, with the hosts acknowledging the difficulty of separating labor uncertainty from wider hobby conditions.

The episode closes with youth card shows, community building, and tracking inventory and cost basis through Collectors Club AI. Market forecasts and player concerns discussed in the episode reflect the hosts’ opinions.

Organize your collection, track what you own, and gain valuable insight:

https://collectorsclubai.com

Watch the full episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/QvUncI7KHYQ

Cooper Flagg’s one-of-one NBA Rookie Debut Patch Autograph sold for $8.04 million, and that sale raises a much bigger question about the modern sports card market: how much future greatness is already being priced into today’s biggest rookie cards?

In Episode 15, Dan McCabe and Erik Sjolie break down the Cooper Flagg sale and debate whether a price that high can ever make sense this early in a player’s career. They also look at what today’s younger collectors may eventually become nostalgic for, and whether cards like Downtowns, Kabooms, and other modern inserts could become the next generation’s iconic collectibles.

The episode also covers:

• The unusual story of the fire-damaged Shohei Ohtani 1/1

• Pokémon’s 30th anniversary release

• Whether parts of the sports card market are starting to cool

• How repackers are changing the card-show buying and selling experience

• Coinbase getting into physical-card-backed pack ripping

• Panini’s new Minor League Baseball agreement

• New Collectors Club AI features for inventory, storefronts, customer data, and automated communication

• What an MLB labor stoppage could mean for baseball cards

• Whether modern products now have too many parallels

• Whether sports cards should really be considered an investment class

• How AI can help collectors research print runs, pack odds, and card history

Dan and Erik also bring back Fair or Foul for three of the biggest debates in the hobby right now.

Organize your collection, track what you own, and get valuable insight into your cards with Collectors Club AI:

https://collectorsclubai.com

Watch the full episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/UV2X86S_sD0