Issue #18 | May 16, 2026
Comped
The Numbers
Risk is back
–Baseball strong week
–Basketball 11 week streak
–Football kicking up a bit after flat weeks
–Soccer World Cup in 26 days
–Pokemon 18 consecutive weeks of gains, an absolute juggernaut.
–One Piece Good week, bad one upcoming if pattern holds
–S&P 500 is so back
–Gold very weak week
–Bitcoin sustained weakness
The News
Shorter Comped today, as I’m currently traveling.
Here’s some things I’ve been thinking about. Pick your favorite and reply to tell me which one you liked most!
- The balance of investing is weighing potentiality vs. actuality
- The most fundamental skill in life is decision-making
- Vintage sports cards are like value stocks, modern like growth stocks.
- Vintage sports cards are like bonds, modern like stocks.
- If I had $X and could pick one card to spend it on, what would that card be?
- A market misunderstands many things…but discovers those things one-at-a-time.
- The Pokemon market is a microcosm of the current American fiscal system (QE forever).
- Sports/TCG cards are a reflection of identity.
The Framework
Sir, this is a Wendy’s
Something many don’t know about me is that I am into cards full time.
That phrase “into cards” can mean different things to different people: A few may think I make content full time, Some have asked if I own a card shop, most would assume I make a living flipping cards.
The way I look at it, I have an analytics business (Slabnomics.com), a card flipping business, and a media business; all of which I’m building simultaneously.
Now, you may be thinking, “why is this relevant to me?” Perhaps you just flip cards here and there for fun money, or maybe you do treat it as your own business with an eye to profit/loss, balance sheet, and cash flows.
Or maybe you just buy cards to sock away as long term investments that you enjoy the activity of accumulating.
Whatever the case, what this newsletter (and the Slabnomics Podcast) give you is a synopsis of someone who constantly analyzes the market to generate opportunities, practically actualizes those opportunities in real purchases and sales, and publicly discusses those ideas and analysis.
There are many newcomers to both Comped and Slabnomics, so I thought I’d take a minute here to peel back the curtain a bit and show the whole picture.
As always, feel welcome to hit reply and let me know how you like either this newsletter or my podcast, and please share with a friend. It really helps this grow🙏.
“Dream big, start small, but most of all, start.”
Simon Sinek
Keep Building,
DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. The content reflects the author’s personal opinions and analysis and should not be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any assets. Sports cards and collectibles are speculative investments with significant risk of loss. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The author may hold positions in assets discussed in this newsletter. Readers should conduct their own research and consult with qualified financial, tax, and legal professionals before making any investment decisions. By reading this newsletter, you acknowledge and accept these terms.