The European Sports Card Market is BOOMING: What We Learned in 18 Days

Sports Cards Nonsense

Hobbies, Leisure

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 2 March 2026

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jesse Gibson is back from 18 days abroad and the data he brought back from the London and Dublin card shows is a focus of today's show. While the U.S. hobby is hyper-focused on speculation, we are breaking down the differences in "vibe" and why international shows are attracting a much younger crowd. We also look at the massive organic surge in TCG and sports card interest that feels like the U.S. hobby three years ago. Mike Gioseffi and Jesse also dive into the "Hobby Busts" of the last decade, comparing current hype for current top prospect Konnor Griffin to the massive price drops of guys like Anthony Volpe and Jackson Holliday. We also tackle the "cringe" factor of Kevin O'Leary's latest marketing stunts and debate whether "mega-influencers" are actually helping or hurting the long-term health of the hobby. Finally, we look at the February Gem Rate numbers to see which grading companies—Beckett, PSA, or SGC—are actually gaining ground in 2026. If you want to know where the global market is headed and how to avoid the next prospect trap, you can't miss this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	When I saw Kevin O'Leary wearing the necklace style for his...
0:04.0	It was such a cringe thing to me.
0:07.6	There is nothing worse than old white people trying to beat him.
0:12.0	All right, guys, we are back in the same city, in the same state, in the same country.
0:17.5	Not in the same building because Jesse's laptop vomited on him.
0:21.4	To be fair, you weren't going to be there either way.
0:24.5	That's right.
0:24.8	I was not coming in.
0:25.9	No matter what I wasn't going today.
0:27.0	There was not a chance of us being together today, but I will say coming back to a dead
0:32.1	laptop did not.
0:33.7	It was not my favorite welcome back gift, but it's okay.
0:37.3	It's one of those things where it's like I've been holding out that I knew it would die at some point soon. So here we are. I'm not going to focus on the negative. I'm going to focus on the laptop. So we are brought to here. Here's the good news. eBay Live. Plenty of people selling laptops on eBay. I literally was going out to eBay to look for a laptop, actually. There you go. Now you get to buy one over there. So email live, your sponsor. What did I miss on eBay Live? How did the card show go? Well, you know what? I don't want to take over. I'm going to let you direct. You tell me where you want to go. I want to talk hobby busts.
1:10.8	I have a list of people I want to get your reaction to, some of whom you heard about. A little trout griffy comparison. Bus. Okay. Okay. Bust. Kevin O'Leary, wearing a necklace like a fool. Oh, I've got comments on that. But I think we have to start with your plane did not crash and you are back. I'm back.
1:27.9	Two and a half weeks abroad.
1:30.0	Which is weird to say that. But I think we have to start with your plane did not crash and you are back. I'm back.
1:27.9	Two and a half weeks abroad.
1:30.0	Which is weird to say that because we didn't actually do the math on how long we were
1:34.1	gone until the day we came back.
1:36.0	And being gone 18 days.
1:37.3	18 days is a weird thing for me.
1:40.4	I've never been on a trip that long for anything.
	...

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