Positives from COVID Pandemic

[UNI88]

Though shall not take Bob's name in vain dammit!

* thou

Boom! Kalm finally get’s one back!!!!!!!!

[AZGrizFan]

Though shall not take Bob's name in vain dammit!

* thou

Boom! Kalm finally get’s one back!!!!!!!!

*gets

[BDKJMU]

Americans bought more guns than any year in our nations history (39.7 million background checks run by the FBI). Over 40% of those, 8.4 million, were to 1st time gun buyers. And this past Jan another record month, with 4.3 million background checks. More gun owners = more pushback against an assault on 2A, and impossible for the govt to register or confiscate what is now pushing (or may already be over) 600 million guns in private ownership.

Course China Virus was only 1 of 3 reasons for the spike in gun sales, the others being the BLANTIFA riots, and the election.

Course some negatives- a lot of guns sold out or on back order, and more expensive. Ammo prices (including reloading components) have skyrocketed..

Keep that negative shit outta this thread, buddy.

A better armed citizenry, and more support for 2A (via more 1st time gun buyers) isn't negative shit. That's a positive.

[AZGrizFan]

Keep that negative shit outta this thread, buddy.

A better armed citizenry, and more support for 2A (via more 1st time gun buyers) isn't negative shit. That's a positive.

I was talking about the last line.

[BDKJMU]

A better armed citizenry, and more support for 2A (via more 1st time gun buyers) isn't negative shit. That's a positive.

I was talking about the last line.

Oh. Well, a lot of these positives listed so far have a countervailing negative. Think you have to acknowledge those also.

The negative in the guns & ammo case is lesser, and somewhat temporary. There's record production going on (another positive I could have mentioned earlier). Those inventories will come back up, and prices will come back down. Another positive after the negative.

[AZGrizFan]

I was talking about the last line.

Oh. Well, a lot of these positives listed so far have a countervailing negative. Think you have to acknowledge those also.

The negative in the guns & ammo case is lesser, and somewhat temporary. There's record production going on (another positive I could have mentioned earlier). Those inventories will come back up, and prices will come back down. Another positive after the negative.

Too confusing. We’re simple people here. Populists.

[Winterborn]

1) More people are saving money
2) Cooking/eating at home has increased
3) More places offer take-out (which I love as i would rather eat at home and drink my own beer)
4) People are more fed up with the stupidities of Government
5) HR didn't bother me about growing out my beard Mountain Man style
6) People have been working on more home/shop projects and my parts sales have never been better

[SDHornet]

Sports memorabilia is hot like never before. A $5000 Michael Jordan rookie from a year ago is selling for $70,000 last week.

Wow.

[AZGrizFan]

Sports memorabilia is hot like never before. A $5000 Michael Jordan rookie from a year ago is selling for $70,000 last week.

Wow.

I’ve got binders full of Mike Piazza cards. what are those worth, Gil?

[SDHornet]

A positive for our household is the increased time spent with each other. Sure there are days when we let the little one veg out to Paw Patrol, but most time away from school has been spent at the local park, riding bikes, doing little projects/crafts around the house.

The eating out tends to fluctuate but overall we've definitely been cooking at home more. Also I've spent a ton of time around a fire drinking, contemplating life, making plans and strategizing, and listening to the Smashing Pumpkins Pandora channel that I have tuned in to hit all the great 90's rock bands.

I'm just thankful I've chosen a profession that has seen minimal impact from the China Virus. Millions of others have not been as fortunate.

[UNI88]

Wow.

I’ve got binders full of Mike Piazza cards. what are those worth, Gil?

Not as much as a single Joe Mauer card ...

[UNI88]

A positive for our household is the increased time spent with each other. Sure there are days when we let the little one veg out to Paw Patrol, but most time away from school has been spent at the local park, riding bikes, doing little projects/crafts around the house.

The eating out tends to fluctuate but overall we've definitely been cooking at home more. Also I've spent a ton of time around a fire drinking, contemplating life, making plans and strategizing, and listening to the Smashing Pumpkins Pandora channel that I have tuned in to hit all the great 90's rock bands.

I'm just thankful I've chosen a profession that has seen minimal impact from the China Virus. Millions of others have not been as fortunate.

I can remember when the Pumpkins played a dive joint in Cedar Falls, Iowa and nobody knew who the hell they were.

[AZGrizFan]

I’ve got binders full of Mike Piazza cards. what are those worth, Gil?

Not as much as a single Joe Mauer card ...

I used those in the spokes of my stingray.

[SDHornet]

A positive for our household is the increased time spent with each other. Sure there are days when we let the little one veg out to Paw Patrol, but most time away from school has been spent at the local park, riding bikes, doing little projects/crafts around the house.

The eating out tends to fluctuate but overall we've definitely been cooking at home more. Also I've spent a ton of time around a fire drinking, contemplating life, making plans and strategizing, and listening to the Smashing Pumpkins Pandora channel that I have tuned in to hit all the great 90's rock bands.

I'm just thankful I've chosen a profession that has seen minimal impact from the China Virus. Millions of others have not been as fortunate.

I can remember when the Pumpkins played a dive joint in Cedar Falls, Iowa and nobody knew who the hell they were.

My biggest concert regret was passing up on a ticket 6 or 7 years ago. It was a midweek open air concert in the summer and a buddy of mine had someone bail and had a ticket for sale.

I chose poorly.

[CAA Flagship]

* thou

Boom! Kalm finally get’s one back!!!!!!!!

*gets

[AZGrizFan]

*gets

[Gil Dobie]

Wow.

I’ve got binders full of Mike Piazza cards. what are those worth, Gil?

1993 PSA 9 Finest Refractor around $1000.

[Gil Dobie]

Not as much as a single Joe Mauer card ...

I used those in the spokes of my stingray.

In 2002? Mauers are in the same price range as Piazza. Best investment is to find deals on unopen boxes. People are buying them up and opening pasks to find cards to send to PSA for grading. An unopen box with possible Michael Jordan rookies is at $300,000, from 1986. Even Target was getting into the craze in some places they were selling Prizm packs of cards for $100, limit of 1 pack. Normally $5.99. These are packs that might have Zion or one of the hot NFL rookies. Be careful and do your research before buying.

[AZGrizFan]

I’ve got binders full of Mike Piazza cards. what are those worth, Gil?

1993 PSA 9 Finest Refractor around $1000.

Now I’ll have to go look, dammit.

[AZGrizFan]

I’ve got binders full of Mike Piazza cards. what are those worth, Gil?

1993 PSA 9 Finest Refractor around $1000.

Ken Goldin has sold sports trading cards for four decades. What happened earlier this month still shocked him.
In early February, a Michael Jordan rookie basketball card in pristine condition sold for a record $738,000 at an auction run by Goldin's company. The kicker? The exact same item went for nearly $215,000 just weeks before.
"There's never been a time like this in the history of the business," Goldin told CNN Business. "I would bet that for every person who wanted a Michael Jordan rookie card in 2019, there's 100 [now]."
The shock sale is part of a much bigger trend in sports collectibles that's grabbed the attention of sophisticated investors as well as small traders, transforming card collecting from a fusty hobby into a major investment market. But the timing and scale of the price surge has also sparked worries that it may be fueled by the same speculative forces that recently sent bitcoin and meme stocks like GameStop through the roof.
Industry insiders acknowledge that their business may be benefiting from broader market euphoria. But they push back on the idea that the boom in demand is generating a price bubble.
"This is now part of our culture," Goldin said. "I wouldn't go anywhere near the word bubble."

The trading card renaissance has its roots in the pandemic. Stuck at home without live sports games, people began raiding their attics and basements and digging up old cards. They also sat down to watch "The Last Dance," the documentary series about Jordan, the legendary former NBA star, that aired on ESPN.
Suddenly, trading cards were everywhere, boosted by celebrity endorsers ranging from actor Mark Wahlberg, whose kids launched a collecting business, to DJ Steve Aoki and Resy co-founder Gary Vaynerchuk. Videos of fans opening packs of cards on YouTube and TikTok started racking up tens of thousands of views.
"This is a market that's growing in demand, but doesn't have more supply," Vaynerchuk, a longtime advocate of card investing, wrote on his website last March. "That's a recipe for opportunity."
Prices for top-quality cards featuring all-time greats jumped dramatically. Those featuring newer talent rose, too, as enthusiasts tried to scout the next big stars.
"Instead of betting on a game, people look at this, and they can bet on a career," Goldin said.
The spike in prices has caught the attention of a wider class of investment professionals, flush with cash following unprecedented stimulus measures from governments and central banks. Rock-bottom interest rates have also made it harder to find lucrative investments, bolstering interest in creative alternatives.
"Funds are being created. They're getting investors involved and pooling five, 10, 15 million dollars," said Jesse Craig, director of business development at PWCC Marketplace, a top seller of premium cards.
Josh Luber, the co-founder of sneaker resale startup StockX, left the company last year to form Six Forks Kids Club, an alternative asset management company focused on cards. The moment, he said, was simply too big to pass up.
"It's hard to find someone [in] my generation whose first business wasn't buying baseball cards when they were 10," Luber, who is 42, told CNN Business. "We're all of the age where we have a little bit more money, but we're also in positions of decision-making for investment funds."
The arrival of institutional money has quickly transformed the market. Goldin said for the first time in his career, he's fielding calls from hedge funds interested in gaining exposure.
Takeover interest has also emerged, given the limited number of prominent companies in the sector. Last month, angel investor Nat Turner and Steve Cohen, the billionaire hedge fund titan and owner of the New York Mets, announced they were buying authentication service Collectors Universe in a $853 million deal, after sweetening a bid first made in November.

It's not just big money getting into the game as the sector gets a financial makeover.
Fractional trading has also reshaped the trading card business, allowing everyday buyers to purchase a small stake in a LeBron James or Patrick Mahomes card that would have otherwise been too costly, in the same way people can now buy a piece of expensive stocks like Apple and Amazon.
"We realized the potential fractional ownership could have to break down a massive barrier to entry," said Ezra Levine, the CEO of Collectable, which buys sports cards and converts them into tradable assets registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Collectable distributes individual shares of cards on its platform through initial public offerings. The shares can then be bought and sold as if they were stock in Microsoft or AMC Entertainment.
The firm has completed roughly 40 IPOs since last fall, and boasts of impressive returns. A 1986 Jordan card that went public at $10 per share in October is now trading at $60 per share, while stock in an autographed James card from 2003 has jumped 50% since late December.
Not everyone is going this route. Other hobbyists are gathering on social media as they rip open new packs of cards, hoping they'll contain younger talent that can later be sold for a huge profit on eBay. Some are making even bigger bets.
"I spent $9,000 on this," one TikTok user said in a post this week, holding up a James rookie card. "Call me crazy, but I think this is going to hit 20K. Let's go."

After Craig brokered the sale of a rare Mickey Mantle card to entrepreneur and actor Rob Gough in January for $5.2 million — labeled the biggest sale for any trading card in history — questions about a price bubble seemed valid.
Those in the business say there could be a pullback in prices for some extremely hot items, like the Jordan rookies, but they don't think valuations are spinning out of control.
"I think trading cards are one of the most undervalued asset classes out there," Luber said.
He added that while the 1986 Jordan card appreciated faster than he might have expected, he doesn't think the value is out of line with where demand is headed.
Everyone in the industry thinks it's "a $1 million card," Luber said. "But we all thought it was a year away instead of a month away."
Scott Keeney, who set up a fund to invest in trading cards and companies like Collectable with venture capitalists Courtney and Carter Reum, is similarly bullish. He thinks that one to two years from now, the prices that Jordan and Mantle cards are commanding will be far higher than they are now.
"We look at all these other people coming in as more validation," Keeney said. He declined to share how much his fund had raised, beyond stating it was at least seven figures.
There are risks, of course. As with investing in rare art or wine, the potential for fraud looms. The Washington Post has reported that the FBI is looking into cards that were allegedly altered to improve their condition before they were authenticated by Collectors Universe and auctioned on platforms like PWCC.
The industry has also seen a crash in prices before, after overzealous producers flooded the market in the 1980s and 1990s. As collectors discovered just how many were in the system, cards from the era plunged in value.
Goldin acknowledges that prices will inevitably fluctuate. But he believes supply will remain in check, particularly on the upper end of the market.
"The difference between cards and stock [is] nobody loves a stock," he said. "Some people who buy these cards, to get them to sell it is like getting them to take off an arm."
© 2021 Cable News Network, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company. All Rights Reserved.

[Gil Dobie]

1993 PSA 9 Finest Refractor around $1000.

Ken Goldin has sold sports trading cards for four decades. What happened earlier this month still shocked him.
In early February, a Michael Jordan rookie basketball card in pristine condition sold for a record $738,000 at an auction run by Goldin's company. The kicker? The exact same item went for nearly $215,000 just weeks before.
"There's never been a time like this in the history of the business," Goldin told CNN Business. "I would bet that for every person who wanted a Michael Jordan rookie card in 2019, there's 100 [now]."
The shock sale is part of a much bigger trend in sports collectibles that's grabbed the attention of sophisticated investors as well as small traders, transforming card collecting from a fusty hobby into a major investment market. But the timing and scale of the price surge has also sparked worries that it may be fueled by the same speculative forces that recently sent bitcoin and meme stocks like GameStop through the roof.
Industry insiders acknowledge that their business may be benefiting from broader market euphoria. But they push back on the idea that the boom in demand is generating a price bubble.
"This is now part of our culture," Goldin said. "I wouldn't go anywhere near the word bubble."

The trading card renaissance has its roots in the pandemic. Stuck at home without live sports games, people began raiding their attics and basements and digging up old cards. They also sat down to watch "The Last Dance," the documentary series about Jordan, the legendary former NBA star, that aired on ESPN.
Suddenly, trading cards were everywhere, boosted by celebrity endorsers ranging from actor Mark Wahlberg, whose kids launched a collecting business, to DJ Steve Aoki and Resy co-founder Gary Vaynerchuk. Videos of fans opening packs of cards on YouTube and TikTok started racking up tens of thousands of views.
"This is a market that's growing in demand, but doesn't have more supply," Vaynerchuk, a longtime advocate of card investing, wrote on his website last March. "That's a recipe for opportunity."
Prices for top-quality cards featuring all-time greats jumped dramatically. Those featuring newer talent rose, too, as enthusiasts tried to scout the next big stars.
"Instead of betting on a game, people look at this, and they can bet on a career," Goldin said.
The spike in prices has caught the attention of a wider class of investment professionals, flush with cash following unprecedented stimulus measures from governments and central banks. Rock-bottom interest rates have also made it harder to find lucrative investments, bolstering interest in creative alternatives.
"Funds are being created. They're getting investors involved and pooling five, 10, 15 million dollars," said Jesse Craig, director of business development at PWCC Marketplace, a top seller of premium cards.
Josh Luber, the co-founder of sneaker resale startup StockX, left the company last year to form Six Forks Kids Club, an alternative asset management company focused on cards. The moment, he said, was simply too big to pass up.
"It's hard to find someone [in] my generation whose first business wasn't buying baseball cards when they were 10," Luber, who is 42, told CNN Business. "We're all of the age where we have a little bit more money, but we're also in positions of decision-making for investment funds."
The arrival of institutional money has quickly transformed the market. Goldin said for the first time in his career, he's fielding calls from hedge funds interested in gaining exposure.
Takeover interest has also emerged, given the limited number of prominent companies in the sector. Last month, angel investor Nat Turner and Steve Cohen, the billionaire hedge fund titan and owner of the New York Mets, announced they were buying authentication service Collectors Universe in a $853 million deal, after sweetening a bid first made in November.

It's not just big money getting into the game as the sector gets a financial makeover.
Fractional trading has also reshaped the trading card business, allowing everyday buyers to purchase a small stake in a LeBron James or Patrick Mahomes card that would have otherwise been too costly, in the same way people can now buy a piece of expensive stocks like Apple and Amazon.
"We realized the potential fractional ownership could have to break down a massive barrier to entry," said Ezra Levine, the CEO of Collectable, which buys sports cards and converts them into tradable assets registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Collectable distributes individual shares of cards on its platform through initial public offerings. The shares can then be bought and sold as if they were stock in Microsoft or AMC Entertainment.
The firm has completed roughly 40 IPOs since last fall, and boasts of impressive returns. A 1986 Jordan card that went public at $10 per share in October is now trading at $60 per share, while stock in an autographed James card from 2003 has jumped 50% since late December.
Not everyone is going this route. Other hobbyists are gathering on social media as they rip open new packs of cards, hoping they'll contain younger talent that can later be sold for a huge profit on eBay. Some are making even bigger bets.
"I spent $9,000 on this," one TikTok user said in a post this week, holding up a James rookie card. "Call me crazy, but I think this is going to hit 20K. Let's go."

After Craig brokered the sale of a rare Mickey Mantle card to entrepreneur and actor Rob Gough in January for $5.2 million — labeled the biggest sale for any trading card in history — questions about a price bubble seemed valid.
Those in the business say there could be a pullback in prices for some extremely hot items, like the Jordan rookies, but they don't think valuations are spinning out of control.
"I think trading cards are one of the most undervalued asset classes out there," Luber said.
He added that while the 1986 Jordan card appreciated faster than he might have expected, he doesn't think the value is out of line with where demand is headed.
Everyone in the industry thinks it's "a $1 million card," Luber said. "But we all thought it was a year away instead of a month away."
Scott Keeney, who set up a fund to invest in trading cards and companies like Collectable with venture capitalists Courtney and Carter Reum, is similarly bullish. He thinks that one to two years from now, the prices that Jordan and Mantle cards are commanding will be far higher than they are now.
"We look at all these other people coming in as more validation," Keeney said. He declined to share how much his fund had raised, beyond stating it was at least seven figures.
There are risks, of course. As with investing in rare art or wine, the potential for fraud looms. The Washington Post has reported that the FBI is looking into cards that were allegedly altered to improve their condition before they were authenticated by Collectors Universe and auctioned on platforms like PWCC.
The industry has also seen a crash in prices before, after overzealous producers flooded the market in the 1980s and 1990s. As collectors discovered just how many were in the system, cards from the era plunged in value.
Goldin acknowledges that prices will inevitably fluctuate. But he believes supply will remain in check, particularly on the upper end of the market.
"The difference between cards and stock [is] nobody loves a stock," he said. "Some people who buy these cards, to get them to sell it is like getting them to take off an arm."
© 2021 Cable News Network, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company. All Rights Reserved.

It's been crazy, Goldin is talking about a pristine PSA 10 Jordan, and that price makes sense, with the PSA 9's going for $70,000.

This is a showcase from the recent Dallas show

[Gil Dobie]

I bought a 4th year Fleer Pack Rack pack with Michael Jordan on top, for $50, a year and a half ago. Sent it off to get authentically wrapped, $8.00. When I get it back, similar to the one below, only Jordan is in the middle of my pack, should be a good investment.

This guy is asking $695, one sold for best offer below $473, yesterday on Ebay.

[89Hen]

5) HR didn't bother me about growing out my beard Mountain Man style

Every single man on our team (8-9) has a beard now. I was the last to give in.

[Winterborn]

5) HR didn't bother me about growing out my beard Mountain Man style

Every single man on our team (8-9) has a beard now. I was the last to give in.

Welcome to the club! There is no dues just the satisfaction that you are one of the limited few that can grow facial hair. Also a beard will improve ones brewing knowledge by significant factor.

I had my first beard trim by my barber in a year yesterday. Cut a good 4 inches off and really trimmed up the sides and my mustache. I had been doing the bare minimum to stay somewhat presentable but I definitely looked a bit "rough". Had way too much breakage due to cold and having to wear a mask that I was over due for a trim.

Currently rocking a 6 incher and my goal is to get it back to 10 inches but much more stylized.

[UNI88]

Every single man on our team (8-9) has a beard now. I was the last to give in.

Welcome to the hipster lumberjack club! There is no dues just the satisfaction that you are one of the limited few that can grow facial hair. Also a beard will improve one's axe throwing knowledge by a significant factor.

I had my first beard trim by my barber in a year yesterday. Cut a good 4 inches off and really trimmed up the sides and my mustache. I had been doing the bare minimum to stay somewhat presentable but I definitely looked a bit "rough". Had way too much breakage due to cold and having to wear a mask that I was over due for a trim.

Currently rocking a 6 incher and my goal is to get it back to 10 inches but much more stylized.

FYP

Are you using PHALLOSAN to get the extra length?