We’ve only been ripping Topps Allen & Ginter since 2015 when we returned to #TheHobby after a fairly long hiatus (2005-06). However, each year we seem to pull a nice hit out of the 2-3 hobby boxes we may purchase in a season. We’re not big spenders on hobby boxes, but the uniqueness of A&G with all the subjects, variations and minis makes it an enjoyable rip and a fun set to tear into with your kids as well! In 2015, we pulled a Juan Gonzalez (Texas Rangers) dual relic (bat/jersey) autographed booklet card numbered to /10 or /25. We sold this on eBay before posting a pic on our Instagram page. Of course we went out and purchased 2 more hobby boxes from our LCS and hit nothing better than maybe a base relic card of super sports agent, Leigh Steinberg, of “Show Me The Money” fame!

In 2016, we pulled a few winners including a mini famed auto of World Champion boxer, Canelo Alvarez (which subsequently graded a BGS 9.5/10 by Beckett Grading).

We also pulled a 10/10 Topps Employee super short print mini framed auto of Southern Hobby Supply President/CEO Chris Austin. The fun behind this pull was that we eventually got to meet Chris at the 2018 Industry Summit and shared with him his card that was encased GEM MINT by BGS. It has since sold via our eBay store as well!

In 2017, we only bought 2 hobby boxes of 2017 A&G at The National in Chicago! We ripped a box with the kids on Father’s Day last year and pulled a Ty Cobb RIP card … our 1st RIP card in A&G!

This is the video of that hobby box rip: Father’s Day A&G Rip! We then shot an exclusive Ty Cobb RIP card unveiling in a separate YouTube video: Ty Cobb RIP card ripped!

Last year at the 2018 National in Cleveland, we bought 1 box of 2018 Topps A&G and another 2 boxes of 2017 A&G chasing another Topps Employee SSP auto /10: Susan Lulgjuraj. We’ve met Sooz a couple of times at the last 2 Nationals & the Industry Summit so pulling her card would be fun! We plan to rip into those boxes this weekend LIVE via our Facebook page SpartyHawk Cache LLC and Periscope since YouTube recently changed the subscriber requirements to use their LIVE feature.

One thing we will definitely look forward to next year is getting into the Crackin’ Wax Annual Charity Topps A&G Case Break to help them raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America! It will be another fun day of watching Chris and LQ tear into A&G while supporting a great cause!

In closing, our 2018 A&G box was definitely less than exhilarating, but moving into 2019 it looks like entrepreneur extraordinaire, Gary Vaynerchuk, has taken the hobby community by storm over the last several months culminating with Gary Vee actually setting up as a vendor at this year’s 2019 National (40th Anniversary) in Chicago, IL! Let’s see what kind of hype he generates next week in Chicago. In conclusion, retirement from the Feds is a possibility in 15-16 months so advice from this social media guru might pay some dividends down the road or at least we may get a uniquely inked collectible for our PC! (Comment below if bronze, gold or green ink would look best!)

And oh yeah … we will definitely pick up a hobby box or two of 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter at The National to take home and tear into with the kiddos at later date! #NSCC19

TCB-

Marlin

(SpartyHawk Cache)

July 24, 2019

There is a lot of negative activity going on in #TheHobby right now that is unsavory and unscrupulous.  Unfortunately, the more you read in forums and blogs or the more you listen to podcasts, it appears that an increasingly amount of blatant disregard for any code of ethics continues to rise to the surface.  With the daily discovery of more trimmed/altered modern day and vintage cards, it appears that further manipulation of the sale of these (mostly) graded cards, through the use of 3rd party online consignors and auction houses, are beginning to saturate the market.  Where there is copious amounts of money involved, fraud and fabrication will always follow as greed is a powerful drug.  Sometimes money is even more powerful than crack cocaine, methamphetamine or even heroin.  Money can represent power and success.  I work directly with a population which requires me to address these specific issues often so I see this type of behavior on a daily basis.  In my experience, people will continue to get away with as much as they can until they are caught and held accountable for their actions.  Even then, the truly lost souls will continue to perpetrate criminal acts until they are literally unable to do so because of incarceration/treatment, an epiphany to change or death.

I do not consider myself an expert in the hobby, but instead a student who continues to absorb information and expand my knowledge through self-education, networking with fellow collectors and meeting those directly involved in the industry at events such as The National, the Industry Summit or even local/regional card shows.  Over the last 4 years since I have returned to the hobby as a collector and a very small online eBay seller, I have been able to meet and get to know many individuals throughout the industry including:  breakers, card manufacturers, card graders and autograph authenticators, bloggers, podcasters, distributors, brick and motor owners, online entrepreneurs and most importantly fellow collectors.  This current state of the hobby involving the graded card scandal has many victims beyond the consumers who are purchasing these fraudulently represented cards at auction or through other online/in-person sales.  Reputations of companies, involved in some capacity, are being affected as well as the individuals within those businesses.  I’m not hear to judge or expose these companies as many other more knowledgeable and informed media have taken the forefront in that arena.  I just want to express that this fallout in the hobby will have a lot of casualties and repercussions … including some collateral damage to those associated or affiliated with any of the businesses implicated in this current scandal. There are a lot of good people in the hobby, but accountability has to be accepted and changes have to be at the forefront!

To sum this up, this new level of scrutiny in the hobby should make you think twice now before buying or bidding on high dollar graded cards online.  In person sales, such as at The National or elsewhere, will at least allow the consumer the opportunity to visually inspect the card(s) first for alterations or modifications before making a purchase. Unfortunately, the industry will probably see a dip in prices realized after auctions conclude until confidence and integrity is restored again with the system.  How long will it take for some semblance of trust to return?  As for us, we just started a PC on a recently called up second baseman for the Kansas City Royals, Nicky Lopez.  We have invested in some graded cards on eBay since all this questionable activity has surfaced.  We wonder if the “card doctors” are really worried about a mid to low-range MLB prospect and doctoring up his card to attain the perfect grade and possibly a small profit?

We are hoping not, but never assume anything … right?  Obviously, the higher the potential sale and value garnered from a card, the more opportunity that a card could be considered for altering and modifications inadvertently missed by a grading company during submission.  However, we do have to remember that the amount of cards (so far) being brought to the public’s attention right now is only a very small fraction in the totality of graded cards that have been slabbed and entered into the population over the last 30 years or so.  Here lies the question … how many more are there?

Again, use good judgment and exercise caution when going after high-end graded cards for now.  We all know prices have soared to outrageous levels over the last couple of years and the hobby is still probably trying to figure out where all of this “new” money is actually coming from.  Another topic for another day.

TCB-

Marlin

(SpartyHawk Cache)

May 31, 2019