The Weekly Rip 3.16.25 [shows]
We explore the benefit of pre-work before heading to the card show and what that can mean for your collection.
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The Weekly Rip
Your Stacking Slabs Sunday Update
March 16, 2025
We’re in March, and I’m already thinking about The National.
It’s months away, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this hobby, it’s that preparation always beats impulse. Whether it’s for my business or my collection, I don’t just show up and hope for the best. I do the work in advance to make sure my time and money are spent wisely.
And this isn’t just about The National. The same mindset applies to any show, big or small.
You ever walk into a card show and feel overwhelmed? Tables stacked with slabs, glass cases packed with grails, vendors moving fast, and buyers making deals left and right. It’s a rush. But if you’re just showing up to see what happens, you’re already behind.
Pre-work is the difference between hoping to find something and making sure you leave with what you actually want.
I’ve spent years refining my approach to collecting. I don’t go to shows every weekend. I don’t spend hours digging through dollar boxes. But when I do go, I make sure I’m in the best position to make meaningful acquisitions. And that starts long before I step on the show floor.
Most collectors walk in and browse. They might have a general idea of what they’re looking for, but they rely on chance. And chance isn’t a great strategy when you’re dealing with limited time, money, and opportunities.
Impulse buys lead to regrets. Walking in without a plan means you’re more likely to overpay or settle for something that wasn’t really on your list.
Missed opportunities. The best deals don’t always happen at the show. They happen in conversations before the show even starts.
Dealer prices aren’t always firm. If you know who will be there, you can see what they have online first. Many dealers are more flexible in person, especially when cash is involved.
When I go to a show, I’m on offense. I don’t want to waste time wandering from table to table, hoping to stumble across a key card. I want to walk in already knowing where my best opportunities are.
Here’s how I approach it:
Know who will be there. Many dealers post inventory on Instagram or eBay. If you see a card you like, reach out before the show. It’s easier to negotiate when you have time to think.
Identify collectors in your network. Some of the best deals happen between collectors, not at dealer tables. If you know someone who has a card you want and they’ll be at the show, start the conversation early.
Set meetings, not just hopes. Whether it’s a dealer, a collector, or someone you’ve interacted with online, setting a plan to meet at the show gives you structure and purpose.
The best collectors aren’t scrambling to find something at the last minute. They’re executing a plan they’ve already built.
The National? That’s a closing event. The Dallas Card Show? Closing event. Even a smaller local show? Same mindset. If you do the work now, you’ll walk in with confidence and leave with cards that truly matter to your collection.
I’ll be diving into this in the flagship episode of Stacking Slabs this week. But for now, I’d love to hear from you.
How do you approach shows? Do you go in with a plan, or do you prefer to see what happens?
SSP Exclusive Offers For You
I’m working with the PSA team to extend more offers to my audience. We’re kicking off the promotion by giving any first time PSA submitters a $25 discount on your first order. Take advantage of the promotion by using promo code SSP25 on your first submission today.
Joining the Stacking Slabs Patreon is The Best Way to Show Your Support
Collectors are joining Stacking Slabs Patreon to consume exclusive content, connect with other collectors, and promote their cards. I’m putting out new collector focused content in the group on a daily basis and it’s the hub for all of SSP’s video content. If you’re enjoying what I’m putting out on the main feeds check out what the group has to offer. I appreciate your attention and commitment to helping grow the damn brand. Join Today
The Stacking Slabs Patreon group is very much my test kitchen for new concepts and ideas. There’s always topics that I want to explore, but don’t get to on the main feed. I treat these as opportunities to share more with a smaller group of collectors. This week I explored the game used patch of it all. It’s not my primary lane of collecting, however, I think there’s a lot of important lessons we can learn from understanding what’s happening in the market.
Auctions to Follow
One of the benefits of joining the Patreon community is access to auction coverage through SSP channels. The best part about this on my side is that I get to see so many amazing cards right as they’re hitting the open market. This week is no different. There’s a heavy emphasis on 90s baseball in this week’s selections. It’s always a blast to see amazing cards hit the auction block.
First, let’s start with a FOTL hobby box of Contenders Football. Who doesn’t want a shot at pulling a Patrick Mahomes rookie auto? The feedback from the Mahomes community is that the rookie autos just hit differently in comparison to how Mahomes is signing today.
2017 Panini Contenders Football FOTL Sealed Hobby Box, 24 Packs, Mahomes ROOKIE?
Check out the 2017 Contenders Football FOTL Hobby Box
Topps Dynasty is a product that continues to gain traction in the baseball card community. There’s no more defining year in modern baseball for rookies than 2018. Whether it’s to rip or hold as a long term investment there’s plenty of rookies named Ohtani, Acuna, and Soto to keep you entertained.
2018 Topps Dynasty Sealed Hobby Box, Ohtani Acuna Soto ROOKIE?
Check out the 2018 Topps Dynasty Hobby Box
The final hobby box that we need to talk about is the 2000 Leaf Certified. This is a product with excellent parallels and there’s game worn jersey cards. Also, let’s not forget about the Tom Brady rookie of it all!
2000 Leaf Certified Football Sealed Hobby Box, 18ct Packs, Brady ROOKIE?
Check out the 2000 Leaf Certified Hobby Box
We’ve got a few selections from the Ken Griffey Jr. catalog this week. The first card is from arguably the best one and done set of all time Fleer Brilliants. A product with a simple parallel structure. The Golds /99 are excellent cards that can serve as an amazing entry point into Fleer Brilliants Griffey offerings.
1999 Fleer Brilliants Gold Ken Griffey Jr. /99 #24G PSA 9 MINT
Check out the 1999 Fleer Brilliants Gold Ken Griffey Jr. PSA 9
…MORE GRIFFEY! This time his 1999 Bowman’s Best Atomic Refractor. There’s something simple about this card that transports me instantly to a moment in time. Also, not one that you see pop up too often even though there’s 100 copies.
1999 Bowman's Best Atomic Refractor Ken Griffey Jr. /100 #80 BGS 9.5 GEM MINT
Check out the 1999 Bowman’s Best Atomic Refractor Ken Griffey Jr.
We discussed the 1999 Upper Deck Choice Starquest Gold Griffey on this week’s episode of Auction Talk. A highly coveted card from the Griffey catalog that just doesn’t pop up every day!
1999 Upper Deck Choice Starquest Gold Ken Griffey Jr. /100 #SQ1 PSA 6 EXMT
Check out the 1999 Upper Deck Choice Starquest Gold Ken Griffey Jr.
How about another selection from Fleer Brilliants? This time The Captain in the sets most coveted parallel. We’ve seen 24kt Golds take on a life of their own over the last few months. They’re not only appreciated because of their scarcity. The aesthetics behind the 24kt Golds are simply stunning.
1999 Fleer Brilliants 24kt Gold Derek Jeter /24 #2TG PSA 9 MINT
Check out the 1999 Fleer Brilliants 24kt Derek Jeter
There’s not much more you can say about the final selection. You can consider this one a unicorn. A super duper coveted Griffey card with the peel on to hit a BGS 10? Yes, this is real life.
1997 Pinnacle Totally Certified Platinum Gold Ken Griffey Jr. /30 #53 BGS 10
Check out the 1997 Pinnacle Totally Certified Platinum Ken Griffey Jr.
A Collector to Follow
There’s few things that I appreciate more than a passionate team collector. If you’re looking for another team collector to follow to turn to for inspiration then look no further than @lions.sportscards23. He amassed a stunning collection of rare and scarce Lions cards from the Panini era.
I appreciate your support for Stacking Slabs. Tell a damn friend.
Take care,
Brett