Wax Museum: A Basketball Card Podcast

Episode 29: What is the True Michael Jordan Rookie Card?

It might be the most recognizable basketball card in the hobby's history: the 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie. But is this card actually his true rookie? In this episode, Kyle talks about Jordan's place in the hobby. Along the way, he takes a closer look at both the 1984-85 Star card and the 1986-87 Fleer release. This includes a discussion of the logistics of each set and the abundance of counterfeits that come with it. Is there a true Michael Jordan rookie card? Is there one that you favor over the other? At the end of the episode, Kyle encourages listeners to take to social media to state their case.

Episode 28: Grading Chatter and Zion-Mania

The call for grading reform is loud and clear. But is any company going to answer? In this episode, Kyle talks about his attempts to have dialogue with PSA and BGS, and then unexpected guest SGC. Additionally, Kyle recaps a crazy week of Zion-mania that followed the release of the #1 pick's first certified autographs in Panini Contenders Draft.

Episode 27: Another Altered Curry RPA and Grading Incompetence

In this episode, Kyle talks listeners through the discovery of yet another altered Steph Curry RPA. In the process, he outlines the incompetence of the grading industry that let this particular card slip through the cracks. At the end of the show, Kyle encourages collectors to contact these companies and let their voices be heard.

Episode 26: The 1968 Topps Test Set

Basketball cards are insanely popular in 2019, but there was a time when collectors wanted nothing to do with them. In the late 1960s, Topps experimented with a 22-card test issue that played a major role in creating the vintage cards collectors flock to today. This is the story of the 1968 Topps test set.

Episode 25: An E-X Credentials Rundown

In this week's episode, Kyle takes a look back at one of the most popular parallels from the 1990s: E-X Credentials. As a part of this year-by-year summary, he discusses a couple of 1/1s that vanished and left collectors wondering what happened to them, as well as a Michael Jordan card that ended up in pieces (before later being made whole again).

Episode 24: In-Person Autograph Adventures

What's better than a well-designed basketball card? A well-designed basketball card with a nice looking signature. Between 2011-2013, Kyle lived in an NBA city and had the opportunity to see the game up close and personal. A large part of this experience involved trying to get basketball cards signed in-person. In this episode, he recalls a few of the successes, mishaps (LeBron James), and bizarre moments along the way.

Episode 23: The Menendez Brothers Card

As 2018 drew to a close, countless collectors dug out their old cards in search of one thing: the 1990-91 Hoops Mark Jackson base card. But what caused this to skyrocket in value after all of these years? In this episode, Kyle gives a little background on the set, talks about the Menendez Brothers case, and examines the causes for the card's unforeseen rise to fame.

Episode 22: My 2019 National Recap

In this episode, Kyle takes listeners through his event-filled two days in Chicago at the 2019 National Sports Collectors Convention. At the end of the episode, he discusses three things he thinks he did right, as well as three things he would do differently next time.

Episode 21: Reforming the Grading Industry

Earlier in the week, Joe Orlando of PSA encouraged collectors to help improve the hobby by "engaging in civil discourse." In this episode, Kyle and Adam attempt to do just that with a discussion on possible grading industry reform. As the conversation draws to a close, listeners are encouraged to bring Mr. Orlando into the conversation via his Instagram handle, @joeorlandopsa.

Episode 20: Tracking RPAs for Curry, AD, and Luka

Over the last week, Kyle has been piecing together RPA trackers for Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, and Luka Doncic. In the process, he scoured thousands of images and message board posts, he studied each print run for patterns, and he uncovered a handful of altered cards in the process. In this episode, he discusses the process and shares his findings with listeners. The online tracker can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/waxmuseumpodcast/