✍ The Collector’s Crossroads

by Brews & Breaks

Why are dealers pricing 10–20% over eBay comps while only offering (at times) 60-65% on buys? The math doesn’t add up, and it’s slowly choking the life out of card shows.

Sticker Shock at the Hobby Table

Ever walk into a show, see a card priced at $120, check eBay, and realize it last sold for $90? Then the same dealer offers you $55 on your slab and tells you it’s “fair.” If card shows feel like pawn shops with better lighting, you’re not alone.

The Dealer Math Nobody Talks About

Dealers defend this model with overhead: table fees, travel, grading, inventory risk. Fair points. But the problem is when every table runs the same 20% markup/40% haircut formula, collectors walk out empty-handed. And if you can buy cheaper on eBay with free shipping… why even attend?

"It's not our fault a dealer doesn't know how to source cards properly!"

Why This Hurts the Hobby

1. Kids Get Priced Out – A $10 PC card becomes $20 because “that’s my price.”

2. Dead Show Floors – Buyers lose interest, sellers blame “the market,” and the room feels like a flea market with attitude.

3. Collector Fatigue – If every deal feels like a loss, collectors stop showing up.

How We Fix It

• Transparent Pricing: Price near comps, explain the wiggle room, and trust volume.

• Buy Fairly: Paying 70–75% on liquid cards builds trust and repeat business.

• Reward Kids/PC Hunters: Cut them deals, they’re the future of your customer base.
  

Final Sip:

A dealer table should be a place of opportunity, not a math test where the only correct answer is “you lose.” If shows keep running on pawn shop pricing, don’t be surprised when the only buyers left are ghosts.

Until next time, keep sippin and rippin. ☕🍻💥

#SportsCards #CardShows #SportsCardInvesting #SportsCardHobby #SportsCardCollector #DealerMarkup #SportsCardMarket #BrewsAndBreaks #TheCollectorsCrossroads

Love me some football...favorite sport by far but I had to trade up for THIS! GG's ceiling is TOO HIGH!

Hunter Renfrow was just named the starting slot receiver on a high powered air attack Panthers offense. Snagged this bad boy up yesterday for peanuts!

The other day I decided to pick up some cards. It’s been a while since I’ve opened anything, so I grabbed a few boxes of modern product and, on a whim, stopped at a local spot to grab some good old junk wax packs.

Right away, I noticed something. The feeling I got opening those modern boxes was very different from the feeling I had with the old wax packs.

With modern cards, I often feel a little overwhelmed. There are so many parallels, inserts, variations, and short prints that it almost takes the joy out of simply appreciating the cards themselves. The experience feels less about enjoying the hobby and more about chasing value—searching for the card that’s worth the most or the one I can flip for profit.

But with junk wax? It’s a whole different vibe. There’s something calming about opening packs from the ’80s and ’90s. They bring a kind of relaxation that’s hard to find in today’s products. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe it’s the simpler design, or maybe it’s just the reminder of why I started collecting in the first place.

I cracked open a 1992 Upper Deck pack and pulled a Cecil Fielder card—just him sitting in a lawn chair. Back then, it was just a regular card. If that same photo were released in a modern set, it would probably be a short print variation with five different parallels, hyped as a tough pull. But in that moment, it was just a card. And that simplicity made me smile.

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy opening modern packs. There’s excitement and potential there. But more often than not, I’m left with a sense of unsatisfaction when the packs are empty. Meanwhile, junk wax—even with all its overproduction—offers a little piece of joy that keeps me grounded in the hobby.

Sometimes, it’s not about chasing the next big hit. It’s about remembering why we fell in love with collecting in the first place.

How about you? Do you feel the same difference when opening modern versus junk wax packs? I’d love to hear your take.

✍ The Collector’s Crossroads

by Brews & Breaks

Some of the rarest, most chased cards aren’t from the 50s or 60s, they’re from the 90s. Here’s why PMGs, Crusades, and Gold Refractors might be the “vintage” your future self wishes you bought today.

The Weird Thing About Nostalgia

If you grew up in the 90s, you remember the inserts, not just the base cards. PMG Reds, Star Rubies, Jambalayas… These were the “boss level” pulls before parallels took over everything.

The kicker? We’re now 25–30 years removed from their release. Which means they’re quietly crossing into “vintage” territory whether you like it or not.

Why 90s Inserts Feel Different

• Actual Scarcity – Most had super low print runs before serial numbering was even standard.

• Design Edge – They looked wild then… and they still hold up now.

• Player Era Sweet Spot – Jordan, Griffey, Kobe, Jeter, all at or near their peak.

Why They Could Be the Next Vintage

1. Low Pops Stay Low – These aren’t getting reprinted or rediscovered in a warehouse.

2. Cross-Collector Appeal – Basketball, baseball, football, even hockey inserts are pulling attention.

3. The Nostalgia Clock – 90s kids are hitting their prime earning years… and they’re coming for their childhood grails.
   

The Big Difference from Today’s Inserts

90s inserts didn’t need 12 color variations to be exciting. They had one version — maybe two — and everyone knew exactly what it was. No rainbow spreadsheet required.

What to Watch For

• PMG Reds & Greens – The Jordan, Kobe, and iconic baseball PMGs are already grail-tier.

• 1998–99 Skybox Star Rubies – Insanely low pops, legendary designs.

• Topps Gold Refractors (Late 90s) – The designs aged beautifully, and scarcity is real.

• Fleer/Skybox Jambalayas – The insert that made everyone double-take.
  

Final Sip:

In 10 years, the 90s insert boom might be talked about the same way we talk about the 50s Topps era today. The only question is, will you have one in your collection when that happens?

Until next time, keep sippin and rippin. ☕🍻💥

— Will @ Brews & Breaks 🍻

#SportsCards #90sInserts #SportsCardHobby #BrewsAndBreaks #SportsCardCollector #SportsCardInvesting #HobbyTalk #VintageCards #TheCollectorsCrossroads