The PSA Pod

PSA President Ryan Hoge drops by the studio for his monthly check-in with plenty to cover. This includes favorite highlights from a prime stretch in the sports calendar, significant hobby news breaking from recent weeks on the NBA/NFL front, and diving deeper on buzzing topics such as PSA turnaround times and the recent launch of eBay's PSA Grading Add-On feature at purchase.1:05 - Our favorite things so far this baseball season.2:50 - 2025 Bowman is here!8:45 - Topps announces NBA/NFL license start dates.12:10 - Hobby impact of the 2025 NFL Draft.16:20 - Updates on PSA turnaround time changes.21:20 - Tariff impacts + PSA international updates.26:30 - Updates on the PSA + GameStop partnership.28:10 - Latest PSA Vault + eBay features to launch.Want to submit your questions for Ryan Hoge in his next appearance? Send them to psapod@collectors.com

In the latest episode of The PSA Pod, President Ryan Hoge returns to the studio to provide the latest updates on PSA's receiving backup and the internal adjustments made so far in 2025 to increase efficiency. Plus, a deeper dive into the grading standards language updates, one of PSA's most-anticipated product launches in recent years and, of course, the excitement of MLB Opening Day coming right around the corner.

Even long before leading the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl once again and to the doorstep of three-peat history, Patrick Mahomes had already earned his way to rarefied air in terms of his hobby status. In 2025's first installment The Index, Card Ladder's Chris McGill joins the show for a deeper dive into the data of what this season has meant for Mahomes with collectors, where a win Sunday could take him, and opinions on cards to target if you're looking to start collecting the modern GOAT.

It's the first episode of The PSA Pod in 2025, and President Ryan Hoge joins the show to dive into a couple of hot late January topics. First, some deeper insights into ⁠PSA's recently announced back-up in receiving incoming customer submissions⁠, including how we got here and what's being done internally in response. Plus, go inside the unique grading journey of one of the top hobby chases of the past year – ⁠The Paul Skenes MLB Rookie Debut Patch Auto 1/1⁠.

In the final episode of 2024, we take a look back at the year that was at PSA. Ryan Greene and PSA President Ryan Hoge hit rewind, highlighting some of the company's most memorable moments and innovations from the last 12 months. Plus, a dive into the data puts a spotlight on some of the most notable trends among PSA submitters, including the athletes who led the way – and saw the biggest rises in popularity – in our grading room. Have questions you want to submit for Ryan Hoge's next appearance on The PSA Pod? Send them to psapod@collectors.com.

Entering the home stretch of the NFL season, several key 2024 football card products are about to hit the market. With a loaded rookie QB class leading the way, which one will you be focusing on most for your collection? PSA President Ryan Hoge joins the show to discuss, plus take a look back at a massive weekend at the Toronto Sport Card Expo and dive into this week's mailbag. Have questions you want to submit for Ryan Hoge's next appearance on The PSA Pod? Send them to psapod@collectors.com.

A 2024 World Series featuring two iconic franchises, the game's biggest stars and some already timeless moments – what is the hobby and collecting impact? We dive into that and much more with PSA President Ryan Hoge, including PSA's upcoming return to the Toronto Sports Card Expo and a mailbag Q&A session. Have questions you want to submit for Ryan Hoge's next appearance on The PSA Pod? Send them to psapod@collectors.com.

After a couple of months away, The PSA Pod is back with regularly scheduled programming. PSA President Ryan Hoge joins the show for not only a look back at a massive summer in the hobby – both on the show circuit and in the market overall – but also what lies ahead. Including: Diving into the latest and what features are still to come with the PSA Vault and its eBay integration. As football season begins, just how dominant was CJ Stroud in the grading room this offseason? Which players we're keeping our eyes on heading into the fall from a loaded 2024 MLB rookie class. And much more ...

It's a partnership that has the potential to be a game-changer for all collectors, as the PSA Vault now features the ability to instantly and easily list items for sale on eBay. PSA President Ryan Hoge joins the show for another installment of Guest Submissions to dive deeper into the benefits and details, as eBay's best-in-class marketplace now pairs with PSA's expert authentication & grading services and vault product. ℹ️ ➡️ LEARN MORE

There seems to be one every NBA postseason – the breakthrough star. So far in 2024, it's been Anthony Edwards. One of the hobby darlings during the 2020 & 2021 basketball card boom, the Minnesota Timberwolves' leading man has been rewarding those believers so far this Spring. How high is his ceiling from here? Powered by data from Card Ladder and PSA, Chris McGill and Ryan Greene dive in for a closer look at Ant-Man's evolving cardboard prowess and offer a glimpse into what the 22-year-old's status looks like in the hobby going forward.

One of the strongest trends seen internally at PSA in the past year-plus is the dominant rise in submission volume in our TCG categories, with Pokémon strongly leading the way. This comes at a time where pop culture collectibles – and not just cards – are also catching the hearts and minds of collectors like never before. To dive in deeper and discuss new ways in which PSA is meeting this customer demand, Elizabeth Gruene (GM of Pop Culture) and Roxanne Ghezzi (Senior TCG Specialist) join us for the latest installment of Guest Submissions.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become a legitimate NBA MVP candidate, and is the leading man on one of the league's top young rosters. Has the Oklahoma City Thunder star's growth in the hobby during the 2023-24 season matched what we've seen on the floor? From what the ⁠Card Ladder⁠ and PSA submission data shows, to some good places to start if you're looking to get into his cards, Chris McGill and Ryan Greene deep dive on SGA in the latest installment of The Index.

As we come out of the long winter, baseball is in the air. And in the hobby community, on the heels of the annual Topps Series 1 release, it officially means baseball card season is here. Who were you stocking up on this offseason? Which trending Spring Training performers are you maybe wishing you'd picked up more of during the past few months? Ryan Greene, Jack Archer and Ryan Porter dig in on those questions, then will draft modern grails from a cardboard pool featuring some of the game's hottest names.

Did you ever wonder exactly what happens while your PSA submission is showing up as in the "Research & ID" stage while at our facilities? Well, we dive in a bit in the latest installment of Guest Submissions, as PSA Research Manager Tim Wong joins the show to share his collecting story and discuss the research process with a bit of a look behind the curtains. Tim also discusses the depth of expertise within our internal research team, and which areas are focuses of continuous improvement in 2024 and beyond.

In the year's first installment of The Index, it's a deep dive on the hobby relevance of the 2022 NFL Draft's "Mr. Irrelevant" – San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy. From the story told by the advanced stats and the eye test on the field, to what the Card Ladder and PSA submission data says from the collector POV, Ryan Greene and Chris McGill explore it all. Will Sunday's Super Bowl 58 result have any real impact on Purdy's hobby prowess? If you're looking to get into Purdy cards, where is a good place to start? The guys cover that and much more in the debut of The Index's new 2024 format.

As a big year both in the hobby comes to close, PSA President Ryan Hoge drops by for our final episode of 2023. Along with taking a look back at key milestones, metrics and moments from the year that was, Ryan shares some of what lies ahead for PSA and our customers in 2024.

In the latest installment of Guest Submissions, we're diving in on one of the hobby's most fascinating niches – graded tickets. For this in-depth conversation, we bring in Principal Ticket Authenticator Matt Fuller, whose years as a learning and growing collector in the space led him to his current role at PSA. Matt discusses his own ticket collecting journey, what he's added to his expertise about tickets since joining PSA and much more.

As we look at some of the hobby's most notable movement in October 2023, an incredible, rarely seen Ichiro rookie card from 2001 turned heads by producing a record sale. We take a deeper look at the card, the sale and its significance. Also, Card Ladder's Chris McGill brings the data to highlight some interesting movers from the last month, including two major MLB postseason stars whose cards are headed in opposite directions following the World Series and two NFL quarterbacks showing similar trends.

The 2023-24 NBA campaign is upon us, so it's the perfect time for Hit Draft to return. As one of the most-anticipated seasons in recent history gets underway, the guys take a look at the hobby forecasts for some of the game's brightest stars the best way we know how – with cards. This draft includes grail pieces of the top eight names in ESPN's preseason player rankings, plus four top Player Index risers to date in 2023 per Card Ladder.

Taking a look back at the hobby's biggest movers in September 2023, the San Francisco 49ers' rising star QB continues to cement himself as a legitimate force, both on the field and in the eyes of collectors. And the data backs it up. Card Ladder's Chris McGill brings insights on Brock Purdy's surge and more, including a head-turning Triple Logoman sale ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season.

From a key new product features which allows customers to segment where their orders ship to card by card, to the latest in international grading submission expansion, PSA President Ryan Hoge drops by the show to share all of the key details and more in the latest installment of Guest Submissions.

As The Index takes a look back at both August 2023 and early September, the early conversation centers around a very notable public sale of a grail vintage rookie card featuring a rare on-card, in-person auto. This trend has gained steam of late in the hobby, but opinions remain by divided. Backed with data brought to the table by Card Ladder's Chris McGill, the guys discuss much more from recent notable card market swings, including how the New York Jets' unique QB situation is affecting both the legend Aaron Rodgers and the young Zach Wilson.

It's real – Football. Is. Back. The fantasy drafts should be mostly completed by now, and we're all ready to sit back and take it all in for the next six months. And for hobbyists, nothing is better than having a robust collection in tow while following along week to week. In the latest installment of Hit Draft, the guys will curate some dream collections featuring elite cards of the Top 12 Fantasy QBs from The Ringer's 2023 Fantasy Football Rankings.

The GOAT on the pitch is making a massive direct impact in MLS. What has the impact been with collectors? While The National drew most of the hobby buzz in July 2023, there was plenty more to look back, including the continued surge of Ronald Acuña Jr., a massive 90s sale of note, preparing for the Wemby rollercoaster and much more. Chris McGill from Card Ladder leads the way with the recap in the latest installment of The Index.

From Vintage to Ultra Modern, from generational GOATs to today's hottest hobby stars, it was once again a massive year for PSA on-site grading at the National Sports Collectors Convention. Hobbyists save some of the biggest cards imaginable to grade on-site with PSA each July at the industry's biggest show of the year. In this installment of Hit Draft, the guys not only recap some favorites that passed through the PSA grading operation this year in Chicago, but then curate their dream collections from a pool of cards that is as premium as they come.

In the latest installment of the The Index, a pair of red-hot names in the Baseball space lead the way in this in-depth look at some of the most notable hobby player and card trends from June 2023, backed by data from ⁠Card Ladder⁠. The continued rise of once-in-a-generation talent Shohei Ohtani, plus the burst onto the scene of Elly De La Cruz made some major market waves last month. Card Ladder's Chris McGill leads the way as we take a deeper look at that and much more.

In the latest edition of Guest Submissions, PSA President Ryan Hoge drops by the studio with several updates of value to collectors and customers. Hoge gives some teases on PSA's presence at the upcoming National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago, discusses current PSA grading specials and how they are strategically developed, talks about the latest enhancements to the PSA app and much more as we head into the second half of 2023.

We're back with another installment of The Index, with an in-depth look at some of the most notable hobby player and card trends from May 2023, backed by data from ⁠Card Ladder⁠. In this month's with Card Ladder's Chris McGill, we look at some vintage and modern GOATs whose card sales made major waves last month. Also, some notable index movements on the hardwood, and a rookie card of one of the NFL's top young QBs that is trending up with training camp around the corner.

Whether their careers end in the Hall of Fame or short of enshrinement, being a No. 1 overall pick in one of the major professional sports' drafts is a distinction that lives on forever. Especially with hobbyists. In this edition of Hit Draft, the guys build their collections from a pool of incredible cards featuring memorable top choices in the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL drafts. As a collector, who is YOUR favorite No. 1 overall pick of all-time?

In this edition of Guest Submissions, hobby veteran Brett McGrath - host of the Stacking Slabs podcast - is back. McGrath, an Indianapolis native who is a lifelong Colts fan and collector, dives into the thrill of chasing a new modern player PC in the wake of his favorite team drafting a potential franchise quarterback for the first time in a decade. Brett discusses his unique approach to player collecting, the importance of tailoring a PC around what truly connects with you and his plans for building an Anthony Richardson collection within the current hobby landscape.

We're back with another installment of The Index, this time taking a look at some of the most notable hobby player and card trends, backed by data from Card Ladder. As we recap April 2023 with Card Ladder's Chris McGill, we discuss the biggest sale ever of a pro wrestling card, focus in an an NBA Playoffs standout whose market took a big upturn last month and also a rising NFL star whose hobby steam just refuses to cool during the offseason months.

April means the NBA Playoffs are underway, providing some of sports' best theater of the calendar year. And for basketball card collectors, the sport's hobby heat is reaching its annual peak, as well. So we've rounded up 12 absolute grails of some of the top names playing in this year's postseason for this edition of Hit Draft, as the guys make the tough decisions making their picks out of this insane, uniquely-curated treasure chest.

Welcome back to The Index, where we discuss the previous month in the hobby from the vantage point of price data and market trends, provided by CardLadder. The look back at March 2023, led by CardLadder's Chris McGill, will include what to make of a very notable Tom Brady rookie card sale, how to analyze the current hobby standing of Luka Doncic, a sneaky 2019 Patrick Mahomes card that is gaining some steam and much, much more.

In this edition of Guest Submissions, PSA's Ryan Sabga, who leads the company's growing Funko Pop! authentication & grading operation, joins the show. With a unique and eclectic collecting background of his own, Ryan discusses what the company has seen and learned in the first six months since launching this new service. Plus, he goes in-depth on the numerous benefits for collectors grading Funko Pop! figures, and discusses where the service is evolving and heading in the coming year. LEARN MORE ABOUT FUNKO POP! GRADING WITH PSA

In this installment of HIT DRAFT, hosts Ryan Greene, Jack Archer and Chris McGill build collections from a genuine mixed bag of big ticket items. "March Madness" extends well beyond the hardwood here, as this curated draft pool features a little bit of everything, from basketball and baseball to Pokémon and additional surprise categories. Take a listen and try to determine what your strategy would be in this 3-round snake draft if you held a pick.

In this edition of Guest Submissions, Collectors & PSA Director of Customer Care Chris Carlin joins the show. Chris became a giant in the industry over the past two decades during his time at Upper Deck. In the past year since coming to Collectors, he has not only gone all in on new collecting ventures to learn everything about PSA's services and processes from the customer POV, but also used that intel and brought his wealth of experience over to help the company's customer support efforts take major strides forward. He discusses it all, including some notable glimpses at what lies ahead in 2023 and beyond as the customer experience at PSA only continues to improve. FOLLOW & CONTACT CHRIS VIA TWITTER

Welcome to the first installment of The Index, where we discuss the previous month in the hobby from the vantage point of price data and market trends, provided by CardLadder. This includes notable auction prices realized and market swings, both by player and by card. February 2023's notes we'll dive into with Chris McGill include a massive Mickey Mantle sale, what to make of Trae Young from a hobby perspective and much more.

In the first installment of HIT DRAFT, with Spring Training now underway, hosts Ryan Greene, Jack Archer and Chris McGill build their baseball grail collections in this 3-round snake draft. The curated draft pool features beautiful and unique items of some of the game's top names in the eyes of hobbyists, from hot talent Julio Rodriguez to bona fide superstar slugger Aaron Judge.

Super Bowl weekend is upon us, and to get ready with a good hobby twist, hosts Ryan Greene, Jack Archer and Chris McGill dive into another perfectly curated hit draft, this time featuring nine grails of Super Bowl QBs both present and past. Also, an NBA-focused installment of Stock Up / Stock Down, including the hobby impact of both the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant trades that went down this week.

Last month, Goldin unveiled a pair of new, attractive buying/selling platforms for those in the hobby, each offering something for every collector - the Goldin Marketplace and Goldin Weekly Auctions. For buyers and sellers alike, this launch is the latest major development from Collectors in creating the full, frictionless experience that connects PSA grading, the Collectors Vault and now buying and selling with an industry leader. Goldin CEO Ross Hoffman took the time to join The PSA Pod to discuss the new platforms in-depth, including current key features and what lies ahead as the Goldin customer experience continues to develop and grow.

Before diving fully into the upcoming Super Bowl match-up from the hobby perspective - though we do give a taste this week - the guys are headed to the hardwood for the ultimate hit draft, featuring the just-announced starters in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. The selection includes true grails, RPAs, unique 1/1s and much more, featuring some of the biggest names in both the game and in basketball cards.

Even without several of his key flagship rookie cards on the market yet, Brock Purdy's name is front and center in just about every hobby discussion right now. But is the 49ers' rookie QB going to be a legit, long-term fixture under center for the 49ers? What does his ceiling look like? And what does his emergence mean for Trey Lance moving forward? X's and O's expert Brett Kollman joins the show to weigh in on all of it, with insights that can help any collector trying to figure out what to make of the NFL's most buzzworthy rookie QB.

The field of teams vying to be raising the Lombardi Trophy in Arizona in early February is now down to eight, and the first weekend of the NFL Playoffs saw results with significant hobby implications. Hosts Ryan Greene & Jack Archer venture into "Buy, Trade or Hold" when it comes to several names drawing attention heading into the Divisional round. Does Trevor Lawrence have more magic in him? How are you feeling right now if you're a Lamar Jackson collector? Those and much more, plus an in-depth conversation with PSA President Ryan Hoge, discussing topics from PSA now imaging all cards authenticated & graded in 2023 to the highly-anticipated launch of the Goldin Marketplace.

Collecting moments in history can include those across many genres - from sports to politics to pop culture - and even those unique instances and events that see them intersect. Few collectors in recent years have showcased this more prominently than Darren Rovell. He is the well-known Sports Business Reporter for Action Network by day, while simultaneously building one of the most impressive collections of PSA-authenticated & graded tickets that you will ever come across. While visiting the PSA facilities in Southern California, Darren took some time to join hosts Ryan Greene & Jack Archer in The PSA Pod studio. This deep dive into the world of ticket collecting includes the stories behind some of Darren's favorite items, why he's so passionate on this unique corner of the hobby and much more.

In 2023's first episode of The PSA Pod, hosts Ryan Greene, Jack Archer & Chris McGill explore who is hot and who is not to kick off the year in the hobby, beginning with a look at the NFL playoff picture. Leading the way is this weekend's Justin Herbert & Trevor Lawrence showdown in Jacksonville, with some big hobby implications on the line, as well. Plus, closer looks at the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Alexander Ovechkin, Aaron Rodgers, Devin Booker and more. It all culminates with a Hit Draft featuring this week's subjects ... with a couple of fun twists.

In the final episode of 2022 and of Season 1 of The PSA Pod, the guys tackle both 2022 and 2023 from a collecting perspective. The discussion includes favorite products from 2022, which athlete could consider this "their year" in the hobby and some favorite pick-ups & collecting moments from the last 12 months. From there, the guys head into the time machine and attempt to predict answers to the same questions if it were 12 months from now.

Stock Up / Stock Down this week is replaced by the Nice & Naughty list in the holiday spirit, and it was led by a pair of greats both reaching their peak performance in an epic World Cup Final. Did Lionel Messi & Kylian Mbappé put on the type of head-to-head performances that can truly inspire collectors to dive into soccer cards? Also, a conversation with PSA President Ryan Hoge, discussing the itch to rip new Bowman releases and some notable changes coming in early 2023 to PSA's grading prices & service offerings. The guys close things out with a round of Not-So-Secret Santa, gifting each other dream pieces for their PCs.

This week, 49ers sudden breakout star QB Brock Purdy leads the way in our Stock Up / Stock Down segment, as he has suddenly injected a dose of added intrigue to the not-yet-released 2022 flagship football products, which begin hitting shelves as the calendar turns to 2023. Also, Dustin Porras from the PSA Set Registry team sits down with collector Max Lee (IG: @maxmaxcity) to discuss his collecting journey, which includes the build of one of the most unique vintage Pokémon sets in existence. Also, hosts Ryan Greene, Jack Archer & Steve Sloan share an interesting new perk rolled out this week for PSA Collectors Club members. (Not yet a member? Join today at PSAcard.com/join)

The 2020 NFL Draft's QB class has proven to be nothing short of elite now nearly three full seasons later. Despite the emergence of Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts as legitimate MVP candidates in 2022, it's Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert who have been darlings of The Hobby since Year One. In this week's dive into the COR scoring algorithm, Ryan Greene, Jack Archer & CardLadder's Chris McGill attempt to answer the question: Which of the two is more collectable?

In the latest edition of "Stock Up / Stock Down", Bengals QB leads the way, as he's rewarding collectors with another late-season surge, most recently yet again taking down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for the third time in a year. Also in this week's rundown: 2022 Kaboom! inserts hit the market, PSA x Whatnot launches, Bol Bol breaks out, some quarterbacks who need a big rebound and LaMelo Ball's outlook moving forward. ➡️ LEARN MORE ABOUT PSA x WHATNOT ➡️ COLLECTING PULISIC AND THE 2022 WORLD CUP STARS

The latest athlete to be broken down within the COR score algorithm is the red-hot Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Oklahoma City Thunder's young star has a ton going for him, including All-NBA numbers through the first stretch of the 2022-23 NBA season, plus rookie cards that are within the loaded 2018 Draft class and run of product releases. So how does he stack up in the eyes of collectors, especially against members of that class such as Luka Doncic, Trae Young and others? The guys break it down from every angle, and start it off with a hit draft involving his most iconic and desired cards from that loaded product year.