Hobby Nonsense

Hobby Nonsense

Hobby Nonsense is your weekly dive into the weird, wonderful world of non-sport trading cards and pop culture collectibles. Hosted by Jesse Gibson and Ray Solorio, the podcast covers everything from Pokémon, Marvel, and Star Wars to Garbage Pail Kids, sketch cards, and vintage oddities from the junk wax era. Each episode features news, market trends, release breakdowns, and interviews with collectors, creators, and industry insiders. Whether you're chasing Charizards, ripping retro wax, or exploring obscure inserts, Hobby Nonsense delivers insight, nostalgia, and a lot of hobby fun.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Batman Animated Series Cards Already Sold Out?! Whatnot’s Lawsuit Response & $31K Kobe Auto Shock

    This week on Hobby Nonsense, Jesse and Ray start the show by discussing the Whatnot lawsuit currently making waves across the hobby, including Whatnot’s response to the allegations and what it could mean for collectors and sellers going forward. They then follow up on last week’s Topps Disney Neon story with updates on newly revealed IP and signers. The set will feature characters from Gargoyles and Phineas and Ferb, along with exciting new autograph signers — including Owen Wilson signing as Lightning McQueen. Next, Jesse shares a tip on how collectors have been managing to secure Topps presale products early and how others might be able to take advantage of the same strategy. The guys also revisit Leaf Photographic, after a Kobe Bryant autograph unexpectedly sold for $31,000, despite earlier skepticism about the product. The second half of the show features an interview with Grant Sandground of Upper Deck, who walks through everything collectors should know about the new Batman: The Animated Series trading card set. With extremely low print numbers and many retailers already sold out, collectors are starting to feel the FOMO. To close the show: Ray highlights new celebrity interest in Pokémon cards, including Kim Kardashian entering the market And shares valuable tips on what collectors should avoid buying when hunting for Pokémon cards. A packed episode covering controversy, nostalgia, market surprises, and practical collecting advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 40m
  2. 11 MAR

    Is the Pokémon Market Being Manipulated? Company Targets 25% of Felt Hat Pikachu, Disney Neon & Batman the Animated Series

    This week on Hobby Nonsense, Jesse and Ray dive into one of the busiest weeks in the non-sport hobby. They kick things off by recapping their 12-hour break of WWE Universe, sharing their thoughts on the product and some of the highlights from the marathon rip. They also preview the upcoming Topps Chrome WWE First Day Release arriving this Friday and explain how collectors can get access. Next up are several upcoming releases and hobby updates: Topps Disney Neon, a lower-cost Disney product aimed at fans of classic animated characters Upper Deck Batman: The Animated Series, featuring some unique inserts including a full collectible playing card deck with major characters and Wild Jokers A new tool collectors can use to track which non-sport 1/1 cards have already been pulled from modern products The conversation then shifts to the broader market with insights from Funcle Cards, including why Disney 100 may already be the GOAT of modern non-sport sets and why a vintage Batman product is starting to gain momentum. Things take a wild turn when Jesse and Ray discuss the Hong Kong-based company MemeStrategy, which announced plans to acquire 25% of the PSA 10 Felt Hat Pikachu population—a move that has pushed the card’s market cap higher than the Michael Jordan rookie card. They wrap up the show with a look at where Pokémon 151 prices may be headed and why 151 Charizard and Felt Hat Pikachu are starting to show some surprising similarities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 18m
  3. 4 MAR

    WWE Is About to Explode! $100K TCG Purse, Topps Chrome Deadpool & Record Non-Sport Sales

    This week on Hobby Nonsense, Jesse is back from Europe 🇮🇪🇬🇧 — and there’s a lot to unpack. They kick things off with insights from the Dublin and London card shows, breaking down what the European hobby scene is doing well, where it still needs improvement, and what Jesse bought overseas — and why. Next up is the rise of TCG Rush of Ikorr, including an upcoming Championship featuring a $100,000 prize purse 💰, signaling that competitive TCG is heating up. Then they’re joined by Adam Gellman to talk WWE cards and why WWE Universe is hitting on the right buttons for collectors. They preview upcoming releases including: WWE Royalty WWE Exalted Topps Chrome WWE Adam also shares which undervalued up-and-comers 📈 collectors may be sleeping on. After the interview, Jesse and Ray react to several major record-breaking non-sport sales — including the highest-selling Pixar, Iron Man, Simpsons, and Labubu cards ever recorded — and what those results mean for the broader market 🔥 They close with a breakdown of three upcoming Marvel releases from Topps: Topps Chrome Deadpool (comics + movie focus) Topps Brooklyn Collection – Captain America Topps Finest Fantastic Four And before signing off, Jesse and Ray debate the big question: 👉 Is the hobby healthy right now — and how should collectors be navigating it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 39m
  4. 4 FEB

    $2M One Piece Heist?! WWE Relics Go Crazy, Marvel’s Most Premium Set & Pokémon Rumors

    This week on Hobby Nonsense, Jesse and Ray come out firing with one of the wildest episodes yet. They kick things off in the WWE universe, breaking down upcoming releases including Topps WWE Royalty, featuring a Jelly Roll debut patch and some of the most insane relics we’ve ever seen—yes, including pieces of The Undertaker’s casket. From there, the conversation takes a sharp turn into the competitive world of professional darts, where one player is demanding prices far above his peers as he cements himself as the GOAT of the sport. Next up: Upper Deck’s DC x NHL crossover: Fortress of Solitude, placing NHL stars inside Superman’s iconic hideout Marvel “The Collector”, Topps’ most premium Marvel product ever with only 3 cards per box, ultra-high-end sketches, an Infinity Gauntlet chase, and elite autograph talent The surprisingly strong demand for 2025 Topps Disneyland 70th Anniversary Things escalate quickly when Jesse and Ray revisit the One Piece college promo story, as news breaks that roughly $2 million worth of cards were stolen from Rutgers University with no signs of forced entry—leading many to believe it was an inside job. The episode wraps with Pokémon talk, including: A rumored 30th Anniversary Pokémon card featuring a fan-favorite character Ray’s breakdown of the top chase cards in Pokémon Ascended Heroes and their pull rates A must-listen episode covering spectacle, scandal, and some of the biggest releases shaping the hobby right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 20m
  5. 28 JAN

    Banned from Grading?? Card Restoration Exposed, Panini Marvel Cards & $500K Trump Card

    This week on Hobby Nonsense, Jesse and Ray dig out from an ice storm that rocked Middle Tennessee, but still deliver a packed episode for non-sport collectors. They kick things off with Logan Paul’s latest Pokémon break, where packs sold for an astonishing $1.4 million—far exceeding his previous break of the same product. Jesse and Ray discuss what made this break different and whether this signals a new trend where celebrity involvement encourages overpaying. Next, they explore whether Panini may have found a loophole around Topps’ exclusive Marvel license, and what that could mean for future non-sport releases. Then they’re joined by Josh Copeland of Poke Master Center for an in-depth conversation on card restoration—one of the most polarizing topics in the hobby. Josh explains what restoration actually involves, how it can impact grading outcomes, why some collectors embrace it, others reject it, and why the topic has sparked extreme reactions. Along the way, they even take a nostalgic detour into their favorite childhood video game systems. After the interview, Jesse and Ray react to the record-setting $500,000 sale of the Leaf Pop Century Donald Trump 1/1, and close the episode with a look at Target being sued over an alleged bait-and-switch involving Prismatic and Pokémon 151 ETBs. A wide-ranging episode covering money, ethics, legality, and the evolving future of the hobby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 38m

About

Hobby Nonsense is your weekly dive into the weird, wonderful world of non-sport trading cards and pop culture collectibles. Hosted by Jesse Gibson and Ray Solorio, the podcast covers everything from Pokémon, Marvel, and Star Wars to Garbage Pail Kids, sketch cards, and vintage oddities from the junk wax era. Each episode features news, market trends, release breakdowns, and interviews with collectors, creators, and industry insiders. Whether you're chasing Charizards, ripping retro wax, or exploring obscure inserts, Hobby Nonsense delivers insight, nostalgia, and a lot of hobby fun.

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