Happy Monday! I’m trying new things again. As always, I love to hear your feedback.
Last week on Surface Issues Graig and I stated as fact that PSA grades the hologram of the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. One viewer, who goes by Stick, decided to email PSA and ask them if this was true. He was as surprised as I was when they replied within 24 hours:
For the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. card, PSA graders do not specifically measure or grade the hologram’s centering as a separate grading factor. The official grading standards focus on elements such as:
Centering of the image on the card
Corner condition
Surface condition and gloss
Print quality and overall eye appeal
However, the hologram on the back is still part of the card’s overall condition. If the hologram is damaged, torn, or otherwise detracts from the card’s appearance, it can negatively affect the grade because it impacts the card’s overall condition and eye appeal.
In short, the hologram itself is not graded separately, but its condition can still influence the final grade if it affects the card’s overall quality.
Graig and I will kick off this week’s Surface Issues by talking about this again, but my perspective is that PSA’s language can be parsed. While they claim they don’t necessarily grade the hologram, they also say that they do grade it.
You’ll need to listen on Tuesday for Graig’s interesting thoughts on this.
Affiliate Offers
💵 I’ll Need To Sell Some Cards To Afford This
🗣️ YouTube Comment Of The Week
Worst comment of the week goes to this one, on a video where I talked about being excited for non-sports cards:
Some people are not okay.
🎬 Upcoming Videos
Have I done too many videos about dcsports87 lately? Or should I do one on shill bidding on their auctions? (And on Probstein too.)
I also have two interesting stories that I don’t want to spoil here because I haven’t seen them on YouTube yet and don’t want to tip other creators off.
🎙️On the Pod
A lot of really fun podcasts hitting every week.
And now we have a Zion Cases 10% off discount code for you! The code is SCC and you can click here to shop and add it. I just used it to save $19 on my first case and insert.
🎬 Channel Highlights From the Past Week
I reached 200,000 views in September, far and away my biggest month. Part of this is the change in the way YouTube measures views now, but I think I would’ve been close anyway.
If you haven’t seen the card I traded for with Boston Card Hunter, you’ve got to check this video out:
And I talked about how the PCA $1.1 million sale was actually somehow a disappointment:
🎁 My Pickup Of The Week
I continue building up my numbered playing-days Nomar and Pedro collections:
And yes, I got a bunch more non-sports cards too.
👉 Go Follow David
My friend David Chase has gone from a fan of sports card content to a star of sports card content, all in about six months. To wit:
He started co-hosting Jeremy Lee’s Sports Cards Live last winter
Then he started co-hosting Midlife Card Chase with Graig on Sports Card Clubhouse
Then he started co-hosting The Hangover with Jeremy on SCC
Last night he revealed his massive grail card pickup on SCL and then today on IG:
He’s one of the more interesting people in the hobby, and you should absolutely be following him on IG.
👻 Brief Horror Movie Review of the Week
I finally got around to watching Hitchcock’s Psycho. It’s the oldest horror movie I’ve ever watched, and I think the second-oldest movie (behind The Wizard of Oz), and it absolutely holds up.
I was trying to think about them remaking this with modern technology, acting, and pacing, and I decided it’s not necessary. It’s the perfect movie.
5/5 stars
I also celebrated my 23rd wedding anniversary with my wife this weekend, and we went to see Verity. This is based on a book she read and loved. If you don’t give it any thought at all, it’s maybe a 4-star movie. If you think about how impossible the logistics are, it’s a 3-star movie. I enjoyed it. Maybe it was the company.
3/5 stars
🗓️ This Week In Sports & Pop Culture History
🏆 Sports
Oct. 4, 1955 — Brooklyn Dodgers finally win the World Series — Brooklyn beats the Yankees in Game 7 for its only championship before moving to Los Angeles.
Oct. 6, 1993 — Michael Jordan announces his first retirement — The 30-year-old superstar shocks the sports world after three straight NBA championships.
Oct. 7, 1916 — Georgia Tech beats Cumberland 222–0 — Still the most lopsided game in college football history.
Oct. 8, 1956 — Don Larsen's World Series perfect game — Larsen retires all 27 Dodgers; it remains the only perfect game in World Series history.
Oct. 9, 1996 — The Jeffrey Maier game — The 12-year-old fan interferes with Tony Tarasco's attempt to catch Derek Jeter's fly ball, which is controversially ruled a home run.
🎬 Pop Culture
Oct. 4, 1970 — Janis Joplin dies at 27 — One of rock's defining voices dies just 16 days after Jimi Hendrix.
Oct. 5, 1962 — James Bond and the Beatles essentially arrive together — Dr. No premieres in Britain the same day the Beatles release "Love Me Do." That's my favorite fact of the week.
Oct. 5, 1969 — Monty Python’s Flying Circus premieres — The BBC sketch-comedy series debuted and became one of the most influential comedy shows ever, with its surreal style influencing generations of television, movies, and comedians.
Oct. 6, 1927 — The Jazz Singer premieres — The landmark film helps usher Hollywood from silent movies into the sound era.
Oct. 9, 1940 — John Lennon is born — The future Beatle becomes one of the most consequential musicians and songwriters of the 20th century.
🔗 Links:
Who wants to see these return in a big way?
