Sports Cards are Dope

The Dirty Auction Trick Sellers Justify And Why It Hurts Everyone

Sports Cards are Dope

Show Notes

Shill bidding is way more common than people want to admit. In this episode, we break down what it is, why people do it, and how it quietly destroys trust (and comps) in the hobby. Timestamps 0:00 What “shill bidding” really means (and why it’s tempting) 2:20 The easiest red flags on auction sites (and what they signal) 6:35 Why “defensive bidding” is still shill bidding 10:10 How shill bidding wrecks comps and pushes collectors out 13:55 The buyer rule that saves you from getting played

Thanks to our monthly supporters

Rob Hefley

Klendathu

Tatershed

Justin Burch

Always_Eaton

Ryan Bruder

Evan Hastie

Donut

Josh Stewart

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

More from Sports Cards are Dope

Oct 20, 2026

A reported $8.7 million Victor Wembanyama rookie Logoman deal has the hobby talking—but what actually makes a sports card a grail? On Sports Cards Are Dope, Dr. Tyler Tarver breaks down licensing, card design, Michael Jordan’s legacy, and Wemby’s future. Money is no object: Wemby’s Mercury Logoman, his Prizm Black 1/1, or Cooper Flagg’s debut patch—which would you keep, and why? 👇 Subscribe if you want more honest sports card conversations. #SportsCards #Wembanyama #SportsCardsAreDope

Sep 29, 2026

One Cooper Flagg card sold for $8.04 million. Is it a piece of NBA history worth the price, or a massive bet on what happens next? I break down both sides of the sale, the Dylan Harper and Kon Knueppel results, and where I land as a collector. Which card would you choose?

Sep 22, 2026

You can now submit sports cards for PSA grading at participating Lids locations — but should you? I break down how PSA GO at Lids works, who I think should use it, the cards I wouldn't submit this way, and the biggest mistake collectors could make now that grading is becoming more convenient. Plus, why PSA moving into mainstream sports retail could have much bigger implications for the sports card hobby.

Sep 16, 2026

Sports card shops are changing. After visiting Tom Brady’s Card Vault in Austin, I started thinking about what happens when the traditional local card shop model meets corporate money, rapid expansion, fixed pricing, wax allocation, and investors. We’re breaking down Card Vault’s model, why negotiating gets harder at scale, the advantages local card shops still have, and what I’d do differently if I opened my own sports card shop.

Sep 14, 2026

PSA just launched a new $59.99 Standard grading tier while its cheaper Value options remain paused. On the surface, this could simply be PSA's next step toward reopening cheaper grading—but could it also be a test of what collectors are willing to pay? We break down PSA's new pricing, the massive grading backlog, what SGC's recent changes could tell us, and the biggest question: when PSA Value returns, will $20–$25 grading return with it?

See all episodes →