Issue #9 | March 14, 2026
The Numbers
I’m naming my first born son Pikachu
This week the data shows:
–Baseball Opening Day momentum building
–Basketball Nice reversal this week
–Football offseason depression deepening
–Soccer baby bump
–Pokemon oh look, ANOTHER huge week
–One Piece moar gains
–S&P 500 still in the doldrums
–Gold down for the second week, negative trend formed
–Bitcoin up 4+% a second straight week
Can we talk about Pokemon again?!? It’s 9 straight weeks, y’all. Don’t hear what I’m not saying, but Pokemon is on a 9 week winning streak, and the index is up 41% in 3 months.
Most of the trends from last week continued, particularly relevant is the continued medium trend shift from positive to negative in gold and negative to positive in Bitcoin in the short term.
This is a classic phase shift from Risk off to Risk on.
Card tables at shows are booming, and the good times show no signs of discontinuing to roll.
The News
In this segment, I’m going to discuss something a little bit different…
Since I’m writing this from the Dallas Card Show, I thought sharing the boots-on-the-ground perceptions that I’ve had may be more valuable than talking about some recent sale of a card.
Here’s 3 things I noticed:
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Avoid the In-Demand: Things like case hits or well-established rookie cards are difficult for me to buy at a show. Dealers want more than comps a lot of times, and are happy to hold if they don’t get it. Proven commodities are seldom the best pickups at a show. But also…
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Catch the Lightning: The exception to this rule is when there’s a super rare card that the vendor doesn’t truly appreciate. I’ve found some of the best short term flips were buying $500-$1k cards from vendors who don’t follow the sport, and haven’t seen the change in form (and corresponding short-term value) in the player. A few months since the last comp can be a 30% gain for you.
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Budget Paralysis: The more I go to card shows, the less cards I buy. I’ve found in the past, I’ll have a bit of buying ADHD, such that my purchases where for several different reasons (most of them half-baked). Now at shows, I find myself buying very specific brands/players I’m targeting for specific, well-thought-out reasons.
And one bonus thing I noticed…There are so many cards to buy just for fun because you like them! The investing aspect is always my main focus, but little pickups for the pure enjoyment of them are still the strongest spark.
The Framework
We’re 9 Comped articles in, and I’ve never defined this section…
A framework is a basic, conceptual structure.
You’re probably thinking, “ok, dude, so what?” but I’m convinced this is one of only 2 crucial components for long-term success in cards. The other?…
Execution.
Imagine you walk outside one day, and WHOOSH, you’re whisked away to some magical land, where you see a wall with the doors in the image above, connected by a stairway.
Kazaam! A magic genie that looks just like Shaquille O’Neal wearing a glittery yellow vest suddenly appears! He explains that each door has a price on it, the price to open that magic door, and behind every door is one sports or TCG card.
Your eyes shine with feverish excitement and your palms start sweating, as you prepare to sprint at the magic door wall. “Hold up, Big Dog,” the genie booms, “money isn’t the only factor here…”
He continues: “You have to yell a time as you step through the door, and that’s how long you’ll keep the card before you can sell it in order to open more doors.”
What the magical genie man said gives you pause. This scenario is suddenly much more complicated than you thought.
If you are A) Limited in your cards budget and B) Looking to make money in this business, this is you in front of the doors of the Ebay wall, or the Fanatics wall, or the Alt wall or Goldin wall.
You are limited in the money you can spend (capital), and on another level this capital is limited by the timeframe of your investments. Many in sports cards, even those who have been in the game for awhile, rush from door to door, chasing the dopamine hit of the next new shiny thing.
This is action this is not execution.
Execution needs a plan. A plan needs structure.
The best plans, well these have the most structure and contingencies.
The strongest Framework.
That’s my vision as I continue to build Slabnomics: Giving you the most robust conceptual structures to guide your execution toward the investments that will create the most wealth for you possible.
Out of those millions of doors, let’s find the one best for you to open. ❝
“Be an Opener of Doors” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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.
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