This week's episode of The Hobby Handbook with  @CleverCubanCards  is a lesson on how to start or grow your hobby business or side hustle. We're joined by Jim AKA THX10SportsCards, who's relatively new to making the sports card hobby his business. Alex walks him through how he'd recommend growing his hobby business from Whatnot to social media and beyond. Have a question for Alex? Leave it in the comments, or consider booking your own consultation. Join Clever Cuban Cards on Whatsnot on Sundays at 2 PM EST and Wednesdays at 7 PM EST! Sign up now for $15 off: https://www.whatnot.com/invite/clevercubancards 0:00 - Card Consultations 3:50 - THX10SportsCards Joins the Show 6:00 - Getting to Know Jim 9:00 - Finding Good Deals 12:45 - Sourcing Cards 15:50 - Registering as a Business 21:00 - Market Places 26:45 - Don't Start Cards at $1 27:50 - Getting Caught Up on Comps 32:15 - Hobby Math 38:50 - Stream Pre-Saves 41:00 - Growing on Social Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did Alex make a mistake in selling his Shohei Ohtani Rookie Auto in 2023? He shares the epic story of making that sale and reflects on whether he regrets it. After nearly two years of hunting for a replacement, Alex finally found a replacement Ohtani that he wanted to buy this weekend at the Nashville Card Show. Not only did he buy that Ohtani auto, he spent the most money he's EVER spent at a card show while buying about 1,700 cards at the show. What's the difference between the BOAT and the GOAT? Clever Cuban Cards shares why he thinks Ohtani is the BOAT right now and likely forever. Chapters: 0:00 - Learn From My Mistakes 11:40 - Ohtani BEST Buy in Cards Right Now 14:30 - Nashville Card Show 16:20 - Setting Up as a Dealer 20:56 - Buying Strategy 33:00 - Mailbag Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the case hit era over? Are there too many case hits? Does the hobby know what THE case hit is? This week's episode covers that and more with JetBreakers' Trent who joined us on his day off from the Air Force. Trent also share his hobby history, how he got into breaking, and who he collects, with Pete Alonso top of the list. "This is a hobby, it shouldn't be stressful," is Trent's take on making the hobby a business for him, albeit not his full time job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn from my mistakes! Clever Cuban Cards talks about holding onto a Shohei Ohtani card that he kept putting off selling and then made a massive profit on in 24 hours. How can you learn from this? Then, Adam Palmer who creates the Daily Nonsense videos on the SCN channel joins the show to talk all about creating hobby content. Adam went from being a graphic designer to creating daily hobby content. Adam also shares what he collects from Call of Duty to McDonald's toys. The guys also commiserate on the end of the Boston Red Sox's season. Where does Adam find his hobby news to be able to create daily content on all things sports cards and collectibles? How do Adam and Alex avoid hobby burnout as full-time content creators in the sports card hobby? 0:00 - Intro 1:20 - Learn From My Mistakes 2:49 - Meet Adam Palmer 12:40 - Gary Vee Inspiration 14:33 - Bowling As a Card Alternative 17:15 - Avoiding Hobby Burnout 21:00 - Hard Work in Content 25:30 - Adam's Secret Sauce 29:30 - Goal Setting 33:20 - Alex's Tips For Avoiding Burnout 36:00 - Social Media is Not Reality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Hobby Handbook, Alex AKA Clever Cuban Cards dives into the MLB playoffs with predictions and insights, sharing his thoughts on the Tigers, Guardians, Red Sox, and more. He also tackles the controversial topic of PSA's price hikes and grading turnaround times, offering a candid look at the impact on the sports card hobby. From personal grading mistakes to a comprehensive grading guide, this episode provides valuable tips for collectors looking to maximize their card investments. Clever Cuban Cards details everything from understanding the nuances of grading and choosing the right grading company to grade with, to evaluating the financial and condition aspects of your cards. As always, he adds his personal experiences and insights to help you learn. This guide to card grading also covers the common pitfalls to avoid, the tools you need, and how to prepare your cards for grading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brendan Willis joins the show to talk all things football, from the Titans being in trouble, to the Colts looking like a complete team, and what Joe Burrow's injury means for sports card collectors. They also discuss whether setting up at cards shows is worth it, the better QB class: 2020 or 2024, thoughts on Fanatics taking over the NFL license and Brendan's rapid fire sports card takes. Plus, Clever Cuban Cards goes on his latest hobby rant: People complaining about sealed box prices is getting out of hand. On the flip side, are deals on slabs gone? Or where can you find a good deal? Be sure to check out Brendan's football Whatnot stream tonight at 6 pm CT! He's joining the Clever Cuban Cads team and Alex will be chatting in the comments with everyone tonight.

Vintage vs modern sports cards: what's better? We welcome Gordy Bonker from Bonkers Cards to The Hobby Handbook for an in-depth exploration of the debate between modern and vintage collecting. Clever Cuban Cards and Gordy discuss the transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship, the intricacies of content creation in the hobby industry and how to scale in the business. Gordy also shares his personal journey, insights into the card market, and the challenges of balancing media presence with business operations. Whether you're a collector, investor, or just curious about the hobby, this episode offers a bit of it all. Beyond the interview, Clever Cuban Cards shares his latest lesson in "Learn From My Mistakes" and went on a bit of a rant about AI usage in sports card advertising. Plus, are Downtowns over-saturated already?

Clever Cuban Cards is joined by John Lontoc, owner of Pretty Cool Cards in Nolensville, TN to talk about the realities of owning a local card shop. John tells us about what a day in his life is like, what cards have been flying off the shelf one week into the NFL season, what’s bigger: pokemon or sports cards? And so much more.   We also get a lightning round of hobby questions with John, his thoughts on market consolidation, and learn how much up-front capital it takes to open a card shop.   Plus, Alex answers your mailbag questions on which cards you should actually submit for grading, where to find information on new releases and at what point are there TOO many parallels.   If you're in Tennessee, be sure to check out Pretty Cool Cards and their October 19th Anniversary Party and rip night, which John tells us all about on today's episode.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clever Cuban Cards is joined by Dr. Tyler Tarver to preview the 2025-26 NBA season and what it means for your card collection. Who should you be buying ahead of the season? Who should you be selling? Who’s the next face of the NBA? Plus, the guys discuss their biggest lessons learned in the sports card industry. Why does Tyler love Jordan Poole? Which NBA players is he expecting to break out this year? And, how does he use the hobby to fund the hobby?    Alex also brings a great lesson in “Learn From My Mistakes.” And the guys discuss how they integrate their family into content. From Cade Cunningham to LeBron and Steph, you won’t want to miss this NBA season preview if you’re a basketball card collector.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clever Cuban Cards takes you behind the scenes of one of the biggest mistakes in his sports card career. His mistakes become your learnings! Plus, how and where can you find good deals on cards online? From the biggest sites like eBay, to small sites you may never have heard of, Alex shares some of the best places to buy cards online and why you should check them out. One of the best ways to find a good deal is to put in the work others won’t. But what does that mean and what work do you need to do? Clever Cuban Cards dives into that and more before answering some of your mailbag questions including how much cash to bring to card shows, his preference for PC (personal collection) grading and more. Join Alex for episode 4 of The Hobby Handbook and reach out on social media @CleverCubanCards to ask your mailbag questions for next week’s episode where we’ll be previewing the 2025-2026 NBA season with Tyler Tarver.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode of The Hobby Handbook, Clever Cuban Cards (aka Alex) is joined by Sports Card Nonsense’s Mike Gioseffi. They discuss how Mike got into collecting and some of his favorite players to collect. They also break down the state of the hobby and why Mike thinks sports cards and collectibles are in one of the best states they’ve ever been in, which is great news for collectors. Mike and Alex also debate some quick-fire collectible hot takes before Alex answers your questions on how to become a full-time collector, the difference between BGS and PSA grading and more. Join Clever Cuban Cards for episode 3 of The Hobby Handbook and reach out on social media @CleverCubanCards to ask your mailbag questions for next week’s episode.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the second episode of The Hobby Handbook, hosted by Clever Cuban Cards! The Hobby Handbook explores the world of sports card collecting, where passion meets profit and nostalgia meets strategy. In this episode, Alex shares his background in education and how he quit his full time job to start selling cards and creating content. If you’re looking to become a collector, explore the business side, or use the hobby to fund the hobby, Clever Cuban Cards has you covered. Today’s episode also explores how to set your goals in the hobby. It can be intimidating to start out, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re into singles, packs, or buying into breaks, after this episode you’ll feel empowered to continue exploring.  Join Alex for episode 2 of The Hobby Handbook and reach out on social media @CleverCubanCards to ask your mailbag questions for next week’s episode.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the debut episode of The Hobby Handbook, hosted by Clever Cuban Cards! This podcast explores the world of sports card collecting, where passion meets profit and nostalgia meets strategy. In this first episode, Alex sits down with marketing maverick and media disrupter Ryan Alford, who shares how collecting cards with his four sons sparked a deeper dive into the hobby and eventually led to launching a new trading cards podcast with the Sports Card Nonsense Media Network and Collectibles on SI. Ryan opens up about the thrill of ripping packs, the learning curve of grading and value, and how he’s approached the hobby like a business from day one. They dig into how Ryan’s used his network and marketing experience to create opportunities in the space, and how collectors can flip, trade, and reinvest to use the hobby to fund the hobby. It’s about more than cardboard, it’s community, strategy, and smart moves. Whether you're a seasoned flipper or just getting your feet wet, this episode kicks off The Hobby Handbook!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices