As the 2026–27 NBA season tips off, Max @PutnamCards breaks down three big questions for Topps entering the second year of its NBA trading card license.

He explores Topps unique patch program, opportunities for innovation in card design, and how changes to product structure could deliver greater value to collectors of Topps basketball cards.

Plus, Max reflects on his own collection and discusses how his collecting philosophy is evolving.

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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
07:04 Question 1
14:55 Question 2
19:30 George Condo Topps Collab
24:00 New Platinum Portraits Design
25:24 Question 3
30:35 Personal Collecting Shift
40:23 Weekly Alley-Oop

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Max @PutnamCards sits down with Darius @DarsCards35KD to talk about his incredible 1/1 basketball card collection, how he identifies grail sports cards, and what it takes to land the best cards of his favorite players.

From surefire Hall of Famers to former NBA scrubs, Darius collects the ultimate grails across a wide range of players. They break down his collecting philosophy, his love for Kevin Durant, and their thoughts on Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa.

Darius shows off some of his favorite 1/1 basketball cards and shares an insane new mail day towards the end of the episode.

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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:48 Darius' Collection Overview
07:27 The 1/1 Research Process
12:02 Valuing 1/1s
13:59 Acquisition Process
19:23 Collecting Kevin Durant
31:46 Scrub Collecting
40:41 AJ Dybantsa & Darryn Peterson
52:58 2003 Finest Gold X-Fractors
54:16 Insane Mailday Reveal
57:54 Darius' Top 5 Cards (Non-KD)
01:01:15 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links:
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Max @PutnamCards recaps the Miami Courtside Cardshow with show Co-Founder Anthony @Summertime1of1 as they share their current thoughts on the sports card market.

They break down the biggest takeaways and best moments from the show, DJ Khaled’s surprise guest appearance, and what’s next for the Miami Courtside Cardshow.

They then discuss why 1/1 cards are becoming more popular than ever and make their price predictions for Victor Wembanyama’s 2025 Topps Chrome Superfractor.

Finally, Max and Anthony share their overrated and underrated NBA teams and players heading into the 2026-27 NBA season.

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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Miami Courtside Cardshow Recap
13:08 Wembanyama Superfractor
15:49 DJ Khaled's Appearance
24:18 Max Warms Up to 1/1s
28:34 Card Market Thoughts
38:17 2026-27 NBA Talk

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Max breaks down 5 underrated 2025-26 Topps basketball cards from products including Topps Midnight, NBA Hoops, and Topps Pristine.

He also dives into the Topps marketing machine and looks at why finding hidden gems in the basketball card market right now is nearly impossible.

Plus, Max analyzes some insane recent Topps basketball sales, including three million-dollar Topps Chrome Update Debut Patch Auto 1/1s: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Kon Knueppel.

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Chapters:
00:00 Episode Introduction
01:49 Courtside Cardshow
02:32 Debut Patch Auto Sales
07:23 Curry Alter Ego Superfractor Sale
11:49 5 Hidden Gems
29:12 New Pickup
30:51 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links:
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Max @PutnamCards explores why early Panini basketball cards from 2009–2011 might still be undervalued compared to the rest of the sports card market.

He compares recent sales of pre-2012 Prizm Panini cards of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Stephen Curry with newer basketball cards from both the Panini and Topps eras, highlighting the potential opportunity at hand.

Max also reveals his biggest basketball card pickup of 2026 and breaks down the thought process behind the purchase.

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Chapters:
00:00 Episode Introduction
3:00 Market Thoughts
4:50 Early Panini Undervalued?
10:06 Recent Sales Comparison
17:59 Biggest Pickup of 2026
24:02 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
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Max @PutnamCards is joined by Chris McGill @Chris_HOJ, CardLadder Co-Founder and host of the HOJ Cast and The Crossover, to explore the intersection of art and sports cards: how looking at card design through a critical lens can reveal deeper meaning and enhance our appreciation of the cards themselves.

Chris discusses how art movements of the past can influence our understanding of sports cards, why design can shape the way we value and interpret a card, and how collectors can approach their collections with a more thoughtful eye.

They also dive into a few of Chris’s recent Michael Jordan ‘90s 1/1 pickups, including the first-ever Michael Jordan Upper Deck 1/1.

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Max @PutnamCards ranks every year of Prizm Basketball cards from 2012 to 2024, covering all 13 years of Panini’s most iconic sports card brand.

From the 2012 Prizm Basketball debut to 2024's final release, he breaks down every set, ranking each year based on design, rookie class, top sales, key cards, and overall importance to the basketball card hobby.

Players covered include LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama, Jalen Brunson, and other NBA stars who've shaped the Prizm market through the years.

Whether you're actively collecting Panini Prizm basketball cards or looking to get started, there's something in this episode for everyone.

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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:46 Prizm Basketball Rankings
46:36 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
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Max @PutnamCards explains why he's been buying fewer basketball cards lately and why he believes today's basketball card market feels eerily similar to the 2021–22 COVID-era bubble’s peak.

He also shares what he's been collecting instead, including pop culture, entertainment, and vintage historical cards, and why those areas offer a compelling opportunity.

Finally, Max discusses the role of Topps in expanding the pop culture card market by bringing more major entertainment IP to the hobby.

Leave a rating if you enjoyed the episode and thanks for tuning in!

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:24 The National
02:43 Recent NBA Pickups
03:37 Current Market Analysis
07:17 Crazy Sales
12:37 Collecting Opportunity
26:29 Topps Role in Pop Culture Market
28:20 Weekly Alley-Oop

Social links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopscollectors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hoopscollectors
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoopscollectors
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