The Year, 2001. Jason Giambi signs a whopping $120M Contract with The New York Yankees pulling him away from the A’s. Fast forward to 2005, Giambi partners with then Yankees hitting coach Don Mattingly to work on his swing. Mattingly actually gifts Giambi one of his custom company bats with “V swing technology”. Giambi knocks 12 HRs with it and keeps it in rotation for the season. A rare “Mattingly logo” bat (only one I’m aware of used in MLB play). Uncracked and hangs in my office. Signed and added “Game Used”. Full PSA letter GU10

I think at the risk of becoming “hobby instagram” we have to get the level of engagement up. Eventually, people run out of pictures to post. The hobby engagement is what will sustain platforms. Contributions from everyone in the community forum will greatly enhance the overall experience and connections made. Just my two cents.

We should probably give some recognition to @RiichardRips for all the hard work he’s putting into promoting this site. I’m here (as countless others are) because of his recruiting and belief in the platform. Erich is super passionate about this app. From promoting it on live TV to nonstop marketing on X, he’s about as solid of a @MantelHQ ambassador as you’ll ever find. Enjoy the day, all.

Just some advice to new hobbyists. Don’t continually chase grails. Four and Five figure pieces are tough to move and even tougher to profit from if it’s not for your PC. $200-$500 cards are much more liquid and easy to move than a $5,000 piece which has a much more limited buying audience. Yes, the monster pieces are great. The thrill wears off eventually. If you are approaching the hobby from an investment standpoint, stay in the stuff that moves quickly and make sure you diversify with some HOF “Blue Chippers” to balance risk. I’ve been at this game for over 40 years now. Be smart and enjoy.

PC