https://youtu.be/wyM1yT4t0mA?si=bJY1lnxATUYZMyZk

On this episode, that debuted on TV networks in September of 2025, The Card Life travels to another stratosphere!

This month we are talking sports cards in space.

We'll tell you how Matt Strahm's 2024 Card Belt Topps Now card from the All-Star Game became the first baseball card in space, thanks to another collector who won the trip of a lifetime.

We'll explain how artist Terry Smith showed Michael Jordan in space on a basketball card several years before Space Jam.

Former MLB infielder and accomplished artist Micah Johnson talks about the baseball cards from his career and how he answered a young boys question about being an astronaut.

Strahmy rips Topps Cosmic Chrome and we tell you about the first trading card that showed a baseball card in space.

Michael Jordan

1995-96 Upper Deck #137 

The Rookie Years 

The card photo was taken during Jordan's rookie season in a game at Atlanta on 1/2/85. It's not possible to see from this angle, but Jordan wore mismatched Air Jordan 1s in the game,  with one shoe having a black collar and one a white collar. 

The two Atlanta Hawks on the card had complete opposite lives after their NBA careers. 

Guarding Jordan is #3 Eddie Johnson, who fought addiction until it ended his basketball career. Johnson was sentenced to life in prison in 2008, passing away in 2020.

On the right side is #34 Mike Glenn, who has won multiple awards for community service during his life, and has run the The Mike Glenn Basketball Camp for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for over 40 years. Glenn's camp was the first major summer basketball camp for deaf athletes and is offered free of charge to hundreds of players across the U.S.

Random goofy card we stumbled across when going through a collection this morning.

Oscar Munoz

1994 Upper Deck Minor League Baseball

#217

The Fireworks Die-Cuts in 1997 Pacific Crown Collection were the first firework themed insert set in sports card history. The 20 card set was inserted in 1 of every 73 packs. 

The 20 players featured included nine future Hall of Famers, and four more players that will likely be in the Hall some day.

The '97 Pacific set was also notable for being bilingual, having notes written in spanish and english on the back.

Last weekend, we were lucky enough to be reminded what is truly awesome about the hobby in Springfield, MO & Sparkman, AR!

We met Ethan Bryan, who uses a game of catch & baseball cards to teach character values and leadership skills.

We also learned how Jeremy Dunson used his cards to transform a part of his home that he hated spending time in after his parents had passed away, into a remarkable space that reminds him of a childhood collecting cards.

These inspiring stories and more coming on our July episode from Arkansas and Missouri.