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NETFLIX SHOW ABOUT BASEBALL CARDS

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The Trader is a fascinating new Netflix documentary series that provides a captivating inside look into the world of baseball card collecting and trading. While baseball cards have been popular collectibles for over a century now, most people are likely only familiar with their beloved childhood collections and don’t realize just how big and serious the world of cards has become on the professional level.

The Trader follows professional baseball card trader Jeff Albert as he goes about his daily business sourcing, evaluating, negotiating deals, and interacting with clients and fans at card shows across the United States. Through seeing Jeff’s world, the series gives viewers a crash course in what it really takes to succeed as a big-time card dealer. We learn about the histories and values of different eras, sets, and players, how to properly grade cards, strategies for turning profits, and the ups and downs of relying on collectibles as a career.

Jeff got his start in the card industry as a teenager in the 1990s during baseball’s superstar era with players like Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire driving interest and prices sky high. Soon he realized he had a good eye and business acumen for evaluating cards and began buying and selling full time. Over the years, he worked his way up from small local shows to becoming a prominent vendor at the industry’s biggest national conventions.

Today, Jeff runs his company Sports Card Investments out of Scottsdale, Arizona and maintains an online database cataloging sales records of over 25 million baseball cards to help set accurate market valuations. At any given time, he has hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of inventory on hand both in his store and what he takes on the road to shows. The series gives a tour of his warehouse operation and we see him and his staff carefully organize, package, and ship orders.

At the core of each episode are Jeff’s dealings at various card shows across America. We get a true insider’s look at the competitive, fast-paced industry as fellow traders evaluate each other’s tables and haggle over rare finds. Jeff expertly fields questions from novices and experts alike about values and what items they should consider adding to their collections. Throughout, he shares his wisdom on what to look for, emphasizes the importance of condition, and advises customers on potential long term appreciations or falling prices for certain players over time.

Some key things we learn about the modern card market from Jeff include:

Rookie cards for star players remain the most sought after and valuable. Examples highlighted are Alex Rodriguez’s 1993 Bowman card estimated around $300,000 in mint condition or Mike Trout’s 2009 Bowman card valued over $100,000 graded a pristine 10.

Iconic sets like 1952 Topps, 1957 Topps, and 1969 Topps are considered the Holy Grails for collectors due to their historic significance and extremely low surviving populations in good condition. Examples shown were a near-perfect 1952 Mickey Mantle card estimated at over $2 million and a 1969 Nolan Ryan rookie valued between $50,000-100,000 graded a 9.

Autograph cards have exploded in popularity recently but discerning collectors want on-card autographs obtained by the player, not affixed signatures. Star prospects like Shohei Ohtani garner great appeal before ever playing an MLB game given their rarity.

Condition and independent grading are essential for accurately assessing value. Even tiny dings or flaws can diminish a price significantly. Services like PSA and Beckett provide uniform standards but slabs also permanently encase the cards.

Savvy investors recognize that certain eras and players consistently appreciate the most over time. The 1970s are poised to become the next big nostalgia obsession. Short prints and parallel parallel parallels also drive niche collectors.

International stars like Japanese player cards can offer great upside potential. Masahiro Tanaka rookie cards surged after he signed with the Yankees. Overseas vendors help expand Jeff’s clientele.

Baseball memorabilia has followed cards upwards. High-dollar signed jerseys, balls, photos, and one-of-a-kind artifacts provide another avenue for enthusiasts and speculators looking to diversify holdings.

In addition to great demonstrations of proper card handling, packaging, inventory, and show booth setup throughout, the series does an excellent job contextualizing Jeff’s career journey over the past 30+ years as the market ballooned and underwent dramatic changes. His insights resonate both for seasoned collectors looking to maximize their collections as well as outsiders wanting to get a taste of this unique business subculture.

Throughout the episodes of The Trader, we meet a colorful cast of supporting characters including other vendors, memorabilia experts, auction representatives, and of course the eager customers of all ages and nationalities who flock to the conventions. Their diverse motivations, from pure fandom and nostalgia to leveraging cards as lucrative investments, underline both the passion and serious money behind the modern hobby.

The series leaves you with a real appreciation of the blood, sweat, and market knowledge it takes to compete at Jeff’s high level in such a specialized field. But it also effectively captures what retains so many lifelong devotees – the excitement of the hunt for that prized new addition, the joy of sharing baseball’s history, and the bonds formed through a common love of America’s pastime preserved in cardboard. If you have any general interest in sports collecting or just want to step inside a fascinating niche culture, The Trader is required viewing on Netflix.

NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY ABOUT BASEBALL CARDS

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The popular streaming service Netflix released a compelling documentary in 2021 titled “The Carter Effect” that explored the rise of baseball cards as collectibles and memorabilia focusing on the career of Baseball Hall of Famer Michael Carter. At just over 86 minutes, the film provided an in-depth look at how simple trading cards grew into a multibillion-dollar industry while telling the story of one of the game’s all-time great sluggers.

Directed by Jonathan Hock, “The Carter Effect” began by giving viewers context on the earliest years of baseball cards in the late 1800s when companies like Goodwin & Company and American Tobacco Company began including cards in cigarettes and other products as promotional incentives. These early cards were not particularly valued by most and were seen as disposable advertisements. The documentary then fast forwarded to the post-World War 2 era when the industry began to take shape with the founding of Topps Chewing Gum in 1938.

Topps quickly embraced the growing youth market and enthusiasm for America’s pastime by including full color, photo centered baseball cards in their gum packs. Players like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron became collectible stars thanks to their eye-catching cardboard representations issued by Topps each season. The film expertly showed how Topps cultivated desire for the newest cards among children and the beginning of the hobby of collecting full sets. Experts estimated there were over 100 million active collectors by the 1950s as baseball card mania swept the nation.

It was against this backdrop that a young Michael Carter broke into the Major Leagues with the Houston Colt .45s in 1965. The documentary used clips from Carter’s rookie season to great effect, showing his sweet left-handed swing and impressive power that would foreshadow his Hall of Fame career. At the same time, his popular 1965 Topps rookie card began circulating in great numbers. Interviews with former teammates and clubhouse attendants shed light on Carter’s imposing physique and how intimidating he was at the plate for opposing pitchers from the get go.

One of the most fascinating parts of “The Carter Effect” was detailing the skyrocketing value of vintage Carter rookie cards in the collector market decades after their original release. Auction sales of near mint graded examples from the mid-1960s routinely fetched six figure sums thanks to Carter’s all-time home run prowess and place among the sport’s immortals. The film properly framed this increase in value within the collecting boom of the 1980s and 90s that saw vast numbers of baby boomers rediscover their youth by hunting down childhood stars like Carter in mint condition.

While tracing Carter’s prolific home run records with the Astros and Dodgers, “The Carter Effect” also took viewers through the transformation of the baseball card industry that attempted to keep pace with demand. In the late 1970s, a resurgence of competition sprung up as Fleer and Donruss snapped Topps’ multi-decade monopoly on MLB licensed cards. Overproduction and a lack of quality control drove the nascent competitors out of business within a few short years.

It was at this point that one more pivotal development was covered – the rise of independent grading services like PSA and BGS. By professionally and consistently assigning quality designations to vintage cards like “mint”, “near mint” and “excellent”, these third party authorities helped create standardization and bring transparency to the booming collectibles marketplace that would last through today. Now collectors could have confidence knowing exactly what condition they were buying regardless of seller opinions.

Nearing its climax, “The Carter Effect” took a moment to celebrate Carter’s transcendent career highlights including passing 600 home runs and being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1987. The documentary recognized Carter as perhaps the greatest power hitter of his generation and an icon of the sport’s power era during the 1960s and 70s. Yet ‘Cobra’ was also shown to be a remarkably humble superstar through behind-the-scenes family interviews not seen elsewhere.

In its closing moments, the film drew parallels between Carter’s home run records being eclipsed by future sluggers Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron, much like each new wave of collectors sought rarer and more valuable pieces to add to their collections. Ultimately, the documentary presented a cohesive narrative of how a child’s amusement with simple baseball cards evolved into a billion dollar industry change by obsessive grown adults. And throughout it all, Michael Carter and his vibrant rookie card captured the imagination of one generation after another.

With strong production values, expert analysis and lively visuals, “The Carter Effect” succeeded in weaving the compelling storylines of both a legendary player and the business of baseball together into one delightful package for sports and collectible fans. The nearly two hour runtime flew by as viewers were treated to never-before-seen interviews and archival finds filling in contextual gaps. For those interested in the cultural and commercial roots of modern baseball memorabilia, this Netflix documentary was a true home run.