The Big Deal 🤝

March 05, 2024

Rise and shine, card enthusiasts! This is Penny Sleeve, where every issue is like finding that rare rookie card you’ve been searching for.

Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

  • Trading card titans unite: PSA’s parent scoops up SGC 💰

  • $1m on the line for a golden hockey card 🏒

  • People to follow in the hobby 👥

  • Meme of the day 🃏

TRADING CARD TITANS UNITE: PSA’S PARENT SCOOPS UP SGC

Big news in the trading card world, folks. Collectors Holdings, the heavyweight behind PSA, is making moves and shaking up the scene by snapping up SGC. Yeah, you heard that right. Two of the hobby’s MVPs in card grading are teaming up under one mega roof.

What's the game plan? Well, they’re sticking to their own playbooks for now. SGC is gonna keep doing its thing, marching to the beat of its own drum with the same squad calling the shots. But here’s where it gets juicy: joining forces with Collectors is like injecting SGC with some super serum. We’re talking major upgrades and innovations on the horizon.

PSA’s been the big cheese, grading some 291,000 cards last week alone, while SGC’s been holding its own with a cool 32,000. And it’s not just about numbers. SGC is a go-to for vintage cards, while PSA dominates the deck across the board.

Collectors CEO, Nat Turner, is all about bringing value to the table for every kind of collector out there. And with this powerhouse partnership, they’re looking to spice up SGC’s offerings even more.

This isn’t Collectors Holdings' first rodeo, either. They’ve been on a shopping spree, scooping up everything from auction houses to analytics platforms. This move is a clear step towards dominating the grading and authentication space.

So, what’s the bottom line? The merger raises questions about market dynamics, including service improvements and potential pricing strategies. As Collectors Holdings potentially prepares for a future public offering, we’re watching closely to see how this union will shape the industry's future.

$1M ON THE LINE FOR A GOLDEN HOCKEY CARD

Imagine opening a pack of hockey cards and flipping past the usual suspects to find... the golden ticket of hockey collectibles. That's right, folks, Upper Deck is about to drop its Series Two product and card collectors are buzzing like bees around a soda can on a hot summer day.

Why? One word: Bedard. Connor Bedard, hockey's latest prodigy, has a rookie card in this series that's basically the Holy Grail. We're talking about the 1-of-1 Outburst Gold Young Guns variant. This isn't just any rookie card. Dave and Adam's Card World, the big kahuna of collectibles, has slapped a cool $1M bounty on it. The catch? It's gotta be mint. Think pristine. A PSA 9 grade, baby.

With the set dropping March 6th and hobby boxes going for $329 CAD (up by a whopping 106% from Series One, mind you), collectors are in a frenzy. Is it part card hunt, part lottery ticket? You bet. But with a million bucks on the line for a single card, you can bet your bottom dollar collectors are ready to dive in.

So, will you join the hunt for what might just be the most coveted hockey card of the decade? Dust off those card sleeves and get ready. The chase is on.

PEOPLE TO FOLLOW IN THE HOBBY

  • @goatcollect: The Yoda of sports memorabilia, doling out wisdom on rare finds like it's nothing.

  • @WillStern_: The man has a way with collectibles talk that'll lighten up your feed and beef up your knowledge.

  • @sportscardsliv1: Sports card guru who has the intel, the pulse, and everything in between.

MEME OF THE DAY