1459 - Conversation with Rob Veres, Burbank Sports Cards

·21 min·2 clips

Dr. James Beckett asks if the sports card hobby is too expensive, revealing a split between $400 box rippers and singles buyers.

Dr. James Beckett introduces the episode as part of a longer conversation with Rob Veres, who missed a hobby dinner. Beckett opens by questioning if the hobby is too expensive, noting it depends on participation style—ripping $400 boxes versus buying singles. Rob Veres discusses Burbank Sports Cards' approach to targeting end collectors, not flippers, by loading 500-600 premium cards daily on a state-of-the-art website. He highlights the challenge of flippers who aggressively resell cards, often through repacks. Rob reveals his store's processing team is overwhelmed by new releases, unable to handle pre-2023 inventory, leading to repurposing cards for showroom sales at $3 each. He notes team lots sell better than player lots, as collectors prefer mixes of favorite teams. The conversation shifts to online marketplaces, with Rob explaining they've moved away from eBay due to low profitability on microtransactions. He details the upcoming Fanatics Collect platform, delayed due to technical overhauls, with Fanatics compensating him for lost revenue. Rob emphasizes the importance of being nimble in a changing industry, where Fanatics now controls distribution, squeezing retailer margins to 20%. He describes Burbank's physical store success, with 150 people at once engaging in various activities like ripping product or using PSA services. Rob shares that box sales are staggering, with Pokemon outselling major sports, and singles still drive revenue. The store's location in Burbank, with murals and parking, attracts diverse clientele, even those just visiting. He concludes by stressing adaptability in a hobby where old methods no longer suffice.

As heard by us

A grounded look at how collecting costs, discovery, and sales channels shape the hobby.

The review lands on a plain truth: the hobby can be pricey or not, depending on how someone plays it. It moves cleanly from ripping boxes to buying singles, and the best stretch is the practical one, where in hand discovery and shop floor sales make more sense than small online…

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Why you'd press play

For a grounded read on card prices, showroom selling, and the Fanatics Collect shift.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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