How the Knicks, Messi, and PSA’s Germany Move Have changed the hobby
6/19/202639 min
Ryan Alford and Brian Ludden react to a packed week in the hobby, starting with the Knicks championship, Jalen Brunson’s market momentum, and why big-city teams still drive outsized attention in both sports and collectibles. They talk through the card implications of New York’s title run and why moments like this can move interest faster than people expect.
The conversation then widens into Messi’s World Cup impact, the global nature of soccer collectibles, and PSA’s decision to open a grading facility in Germany. Brian brings a hobby-tech and market perspective, while Ryan keeps it grounded in collector behavior, product demand, and what these moments actually mean if you are buying, holding, or flipping cards.
They also hit on Bruce Buffer entering the card-shop world, Topps’ ability to capitalize on sports moments quickly, and a few release notes that matter for collectors watching the market week to week. It is a fast-moving episode that feels like a real-time pulse check on where hobby attention is heading next.
Topics Covered
- The Knicks title and Jalen Brunson’s card-market effect
- Why large-market teams still matter in collectibles
- Messi’s World Cup run and soccer-card demand
- PSA’s Germany expansion and what it could mean for grading
- Bruce Buffer opening a sports card shop
- UFC hobby relevance after a major event week
- Product-release chatter and what collectors are watching now
- Ryan Alford and Brian Ludden on what actually shifted in the hobby this week
Links
Collector Nation
https://www.collectibles.show/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/collector-nation/id1832831782
https://open.spotify.com/show/7smmwVvlXIYBqdBm3oXdLV
https://www.youtube.com/@TheCollectorNation
Ryan Alford
https://ryanalford.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/
Brian Ludden / Ludex
https://www.ludex.com/team/brian-ludden/
https://www.ludex.com/
https://app.ludex.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ludexapp/
Bella Shafer
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Ryan Alford· Host0:58
I like this Messi guy. He's worth a lot, and he scores.
Bella Shafer· Host1:02
Yeah.
Ryan Alford· Host1:03
[laughs] You know? So, like, I'm in on Messi.
Bella Shafer· Host1:05
Had 250 cards sell over $10,000. Or more. That's pretty baller. But soccer's just so global that it really opens up the whole market, and when you have a player, a generational player like Messi, and he's had cards go for $1.5 million. It's crazy. PSA is opening a full-scale grading facility in Frankfurt, Germany.
Brian Ludden· Host1:25
That's interesting.
Ryan Alford· Host1:26
New strategy.
Brian Ludden· Host1:27
That's not gonna help us. [laughs] Just get more people here.