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Russell sits down with Shane Penrose, founder of the Melbourne Card Fair, to discuss building a community-driven event, managing logistics and security, chasing rare AFL autographs, and what Select losing the AFL license means for Australian collectors.

• Quick-Hit Q&A: Shane reflects on Collingwood's iconic 1990 AFL Grand Final premiership, picks the Melbourne Town Hall as his favorite venue, compares Plugger Lockett to Buddy Franklin, and reveals that Collingwood legend Tony Shaw has visited his house for coffee.
• Shoemaker Origins & Bread Cards: Shane shares how his grandmother handmade football boots for icons like Lee Matthews and Phil Carman at Adidas, bringing home wads of 1970s Sunblest and Sunny Crust bread cards from the canteen.
• Vintage Cigarette & Petrol Autographs: Shane showcases century-old signed cigarette cards (including 1927 Brownlow medalist Sid Coventry), 1958 Atlantic petrol cards, and a 1909 card hand-signed by 4-time Collingwood premiership coach Jock McHale.
• Launching the Melbourne Card Fair: The story behind starting the fair in August 2020 amid strict health protocols, and maintaining an affordable $10 entry and low table fees to prioritize buying and selling over expensive corporate spectacles.
• Card Show Security & Theft Mitigation: Shane discusses handling vendor theft, catching bad actors, using roaming security guards, and how unnumbered TCG/Pokémon cards create bigger security risks than numbered sports cards.
• Select AFL License Loss: Analyzing the major industry news of Select losing its 30-year AFL card license, speculating on Topps/Fanatics stepping in, and warning against over-saturated checklists or sticker autographs alienating mature collectors.
• Preserving Playground Nostalgia: Shane and Russell urge collectors and vendors to pass base cards down to kids at shows and basketball games, emphasizing that grassroots trading builds the future of the hobby.

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Host Russell Gibson sits down with Brayden from Cooper's Cards & Collectables fresh off the SA Card Show to dive deep into table vending logistics, maintaining collecting passion while running a business, the Select AFL licensing shakeup, and high-stakes market trends.

• SA Card Show Recap & Vending Tips: Brayden details his trip to Adelaide, highlighting the friendly, collector-focused environment, and shares key advice for vendors—including setting accurate prices, bringing plenty of $5 notes, presenting cards neatly, and using Scratch X to polish scuffed one-touch holders and slabs.
• The Essence of Collecting: Brayden reflects on balancing profit-driven vending with personal collecting, sharing how collecting affordable Jermaine O'Neal cards keeps the hobby fun while protecting his mortgage and PC budget.
• Nostalgic Roots & Genetic Collecting: Memories of opening Team Coach AFL packs with his grandfather, ripping a 2007 Topps Chrome box sent by his aunt in Kevin Durant's rookie year, and bonding with his dad over sports cards after knee injuries ended his baseball playing days.
• Select AFL Licensing Shakeup: Discussion on Select losing its long-held AFL card license after 30 years and speculation around Topps/Fanatics positioning themselves to enter the Australian market.
• Japanese Baseball & Shohei Ohtani: Exploring the rise of Japanese MLB stars, the culture around Ohtani in Japan, and conspiracy theories surrounding sports gambling scandals.
• PSA Security Threats & Carrier Theft: Analyzing targeted thefts on PSA shipments—including a $100,000 submission stolen from a FedEx truck—and emphasizing discreet shipping packaging over branded box tape.
• Kevin O'Leary's Fractional Asset Fund: Addressing "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary's plan to tokenize high-end card grails (like the Kobe/LeBron dual 1-of-1), debating fractional ownership versus holding physical cards.
• NBA Rookie Watch & Grails: Evaluating Oklahoma City Thunder big man Aday Mara's hobby upside, the enduring value of Tim Duncan refractors, and record-breaking grail sales including the $6.5M 2007 Exquisite Kobe/LeBron dual Logoman and Cooper Flagg's $8M Debut Patch.

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Check Out My Cards Australia and US Sports Cards Australia

Sponsor: Neon Trading Cards: NBA, Soccer, Breaks on Whatnot

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Host Russell Gibson is joined by long-time podcast supporter Ross Taunton, co-founder of US Sports Cards Australia and creator of COMCA (Check Out My Cards Australia), to discuss managing bulk card collections, Fanatics' industry disruption, and the rapid rise of local Australian card shows.

• Quick-Hit Q&A: Ross shares his childhood nostalgia for Hot Rod Transformers and Lego, picks his dream 90s car (Honda NSX), backs Connor McDavid in hockey, and reminisces about trading his first big pull—an Australian NBL card—for a stack of Shawn Kemp NBA cards.
• Fanatics Distribution & Market Pressure: A candid conversation on how Fanatics' takeover of Topps and sports licensing has restricted wholesale access for smaller regional breakers while driving up factory-direct product pricing.
• The COMCA Platform: Ross details the launch of COMCA (comca.com.au), an Australian consignment platform that allows collectors to consolidate shipping, buy and relist instantly, and list cards for a fraction of traditional overseas consignment fees.
• The PSA Grading Backlog & Market Liquidity: A breakdown of PSA's 8.2 million card grading backlog, exploring how delayed turnarounds trap millions in card value, freeze liquidity, and impact player card valuations.
• Fractional Card Ownership & Market Trends: Discussing high-profile moves like Kevin O'Leary's foray into high-end card fractionalization, comparing managed card funds to traditional investments, and emphasizing the importance of sensible collecting budgets.
• Growth of the Australian Hobby: Ross highlights the explosive growth of Australian card shows, increasing global demand from Asian markets, and community-driven initiatives to rehome bulk cards with younger collectors.

Support the show

Thank You to our Primary sponsor:
Check Out My Cards Australia and US Sports Cards Australia

Sponsor: Neon Trading Cards: NBA, Soccer, Breaks on Whatnot

Buy YCCT A Coffee: Click Here To Support The Show!

Reach out to us on socials and tell us what we got right or wrong!
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