Slabnomics

Matt
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Finance-Bro turned Card Bird explores the intersection of collecting, investment, and market theory for sports cards.  Think Financial Analyst meets Sports Card Collector. New Episodes drop Tuesdays @ 7 AM CST.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    A Rising Tide Does NOT Lift All Cards

    The market doesn't reward truth, it rewards timing. In this episode of Slabnomics, I break down the concept of DEMAND WINDOWS and why understanding the direction of capital flow is the key to profiting in sports cards in 2026. Key insights from this episode: → Why "a rising tide lifts all boats" is WRONG for card investing → The supply absorption capacity concept explained → Sport-by-sport breakdown: Soccer, Basketball, Football, Baseball, Pokémon → Why vintage Pokémon acts like bonds in your portfolio → The "Studs and Duds" strategy for 2026 → My 4-question checklist before ANY purchase This episode builds on last week's State of the Hobby data analysis—now with actionable strategies you can implement immediately. 📊 THE CHECKLIST (from this episode): 1. What tier is this card in? 2. What direction is demand flowing in this market? 3. Has this tier received capital or is it waiting? 4. Am I positioned ahead of the flow or behind it? 🔗 CONNECT: Instagram: @slabnomics Website: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

    28 min

  2. 30/12/2025

    Why the Billionaires Are Buying Cards Now (And What It Means for You)

    State of the Hobby 2025 Everyone keeps saying this is 2021 again. They're wrong. And if you're positioning like it's 2021, you're going to get hurt.  I spent weeks treating the card market like an equity analyst treats a stock: pulling index data, PSA submission numbers from SEC filings, volume metrics by price tier. What I found changed how I'm positioning for 2026.  In this episode: THE CORE INSIGHT, THE PSA PROOF, THE DEMAND SHIFT, CATEGORY BREAKDOWN (by sport+Pokemon), THE BILLIONAIRE SIGNAL, MY POSITIONING Website: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

    31 min

  3. 16/12/2025

    PSA Buys Beckett/The Importance of Sets and Cycles

    PSA has officially acquired Beckett, and this is more than breaking news. It’s a structural shift in the sports card market. In this episode of Slabnomics, we break down what the PSA–Beckett acquisition actually means for collectors, investors, and flippers. We zoom out to examine where we are in the market cycle, explain why this moment signals consolidation, and then zoom all the way in to the microeconomics of cards and sets...the containers that ultimately determine long-term value. This episode is designed to help you make better financial decisions in sports cards, not chase headlines. 🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode 🔹 PSA Buying Beckett and Why This Matters 🔹 Market Cycles Explained  🔹 Why Consolidation Changes Everything 🔹 Sets as Market Containers (Micro View) 🔹 Who Wins During Consolidation 🔹 What to Avoid   🏆 Key Takeaway Understanding where we are in the cycle helps you position ahead of the market instead of reacting after the fact. Website: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

    16 min

  4. 09/12/2025

    The Future of Sports Cards: Data, AI & Discovery Ft. Tyler ‘TPott’ Nethercott

    In this episode of Slabnomics, I’m joined by Tyler “T-Pott” Nethercott: Senior VP of Product at Sports Card Investor and one of the key minds behind the Market Movers app. Tyler walks through his journey from banking, risk analysis, and SAP data projects into building one of the most important sports card data platforms in the hobby. From there, we dive deep into what actually separates successful investors and collectors from everyone else: critical thinking, probability, and good decision-making frameworks. We talk about: The early days of Market Movers, beta testing, and building a massive card databaseWhy critical thinking & problem solving beat “knowing every checklist”Using floor, ceiling, probability, and opportunity cost to guide card buysHow Market Movers thinks about roadmapping, parity vs differentiation, and user feedbackThe future of AI, exploration, and augmented discovery in sports card appsHow to find mispriced opportunities by understanding why certain cards are expensive and applying that logic to overlooked segmentsThe difference between collecting what you like and investing in what others like and will like laterIf you’re serious about sports card investing, want to get smarter with data and tools, or you’re curious how AI might change the way we search for and value cards, this conversation will give you a ton to think about. This episode is for you if: You want to level up from beginner to intermediate (or beyond) in the hobbyYou care about sports cards as an alternative asset classYou want frameworks, not just “buy this card” callsConnect: Follow Tyler on YouTube: @MarketMoversFollow me and Tyler on Instagram: @Slabnomics, #drummondcardcollectorWatch full episodes on YouTube: SlabnomicsIf you enjoyed this episode, please: Follow the show on Spotify or Apple PodcastsShare it with a friend who loves data, tools, and nerdy hobby talkWhether you’re investing or collecting…  Keep building. Website: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

    1h 2m

  5. 02/12/2025

    Time

    Over the last few episodes, I walked through my first full year of selling sports cards...my wins, my mistakes, and what I learned in buying, selling, and grading. Today is different. This one is slower, more reflective, and honestly one of the most important frameworks I’ve shared:  How time actually works in the sports card market. In this episode I cover: Market cycles & engineered scarcityWhy we’re living in an era of engineered scarcityHow Kabooms became the “reserve currency of flippers”Why bull markets push money into SSPs and inserts… until liquidity tightensRisk-on vs risk-off and the flight to safetyWhat happens when geopolitical risk and macro events flip the switchHow smart money quietly rotates out of hype and into safer stores of valueWhy modern parallels get hit first when the music stopsThe three time taxes on every card you buyNarrative decay – media hype, attention, and the slow fade when storylines dieOpportunity cost – what you can’t buy because your money is stuckLiquidity risk – getting trapped in illiquid players, sets, or parallelsVelocity of money vs “being right”Why I’ll take 20% in two weeks over “maybe 100% in six months”When it makes sense to break your own rules and let winners compoundHow to recognize when an investment thesis is dead and it’s time to take the lossUsing your 1,440 minutes like capitalWhy time is your second balance sheet—right next to your cashHow to audit your strengths/weaknesses and build a trading journalThe system I use to log every purchase and sale, and find patterns in my own behaviorBuying back your time with consignment If you’ve ever: Sat on a cold prospect hoping “it gets back to what I paid”Felt stuck with cards you don’t love, but don’t want to lose onWondered how to balance time, capital, and attention in this hobby…this episode is meant to be a reset button. Website: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

    34 min

  6. 25/11/2025

    1 Year of Selling Sports Cards: Grading (Final Part)

    We wrap the mini-series with grading—the alchemy of the hobby when used correctly. I share the actual ledger: 1,127+ cards graded, $20K+ in fees/shipping, PSA (525 cards; ~$11.7K) and SGC (602 cards; ~$9.5K), and why I’d only re-submit ~21% (PSA) and ~17% (SGC) today. You’ll get a pre-grading checklist, a tier/upcharge strategy that protects cash flow, and post-mortems on failed CGC→PSA and BGS→PSA arbitrage. You’ll learn When a card shouldn’t be graded PSA vs SGC vs BGS vs CGC—where each fits nowHow to choose service tiers Why speed can trump top-end value for flip cycles (compounding ROI)A practical pre-grading system Why most crossovers disappointThe mindset shift: buy raw as if it stays raw; grading is bonus leverage, not a plan Website: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

    28 min

  7. 18/11/2025

    1 Year of Selling Sports Cards: Selling (Part 2)

    Following Part 1 (buying), this episode breaks down the sell-side of my first year—$98K on eBay—and the exact lessons that moved the needle: how to seed early feedback, how to structure PWE vs. bubble mailer shipping (and when to use non-machinable stamps), the true cost of fees & promoted listings, and a negotiation framework so you stop caving under pressure. We also cover budgets to avoid forced sales, when wax/singles make sense (rarely), and why multi-market selling unlocks faster exits. You’ll learn A clean new-store launch checklist (so the algorithm finds you)Shipping by value: PWE under ~$20; bubble + guards over ~$20Fee math and when your target price needs ~20% headroomBoundaries & focus to raise ASP and reduce time drainA negotiation template (anchor, comps, “happy number,” walk-away)Budgeting to keep control of timing (no panic auctions)Wax vs. singles: patience, demand windows, and why most plays underperformProspecting as a portfolio + buy/sell journalingWhich marketplace fits which card (and why)Key Takeaways Feedback first → visibility → sales velocityRight shipping method = higher margins + fewer headachesModel fees before listing; price to a happy number and stick to itBudgets protect you from selling at the wrong timeSell where the buyer already is (channel-card fit) Website: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

    32 min

  8. 11/11/2025

    1 Year of Selling Sports Cards: Buying (Part 1)

    In this opener to my “Year 1” mini-series, I break down everything I learned on the buy-side of the sports-card game—what worked, what wasted money, and how to buy with exits in mind. From the Spain/Messi spark to my first PSA submission (and why it lost), we cover pre-grading, avoiding “rarity for rarity’s sake,” the meaning of liquidity, negotiating bulk discounts, timing buys around seasonal cycles, and using hype as a catalyst—not a crutch. You’ll learn Why pre-grading and note-keeping beat wishful thinkingHow to identify motivated sellers and structure bulk discountsA clean framework for liquidity-first buying (picture the exit)Seasonality: offseason entries → on-season exitsThe “Sleep On It” rule to avoid impulse buysKey Takeaways Liquidity beats rarity: buy what you can actually sellSpend $3 on pre-grade to save $22 bad subsBundle to capture extra 10–15% discountSell into visibility; don’t chase the topTrack predictions vs results—process compounds edgeFollow & Support Instagram: @slabnomicseBay: The_Canary_CardsYouTube: Slabnomics Website: Slabnomics.com 🎥Youtube 📸Instagram

    30 min
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About

Finance-Bro turned Card Bird explores the intersection of collecting, investment, and market theory for sports cards.  Think Financial Analyst meets Sports Card Collector. New Episodes drop Tuesdays @ 7 AM CST.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Slabnomics
  • Show Website
    Slabnomics

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