Troy Gentile joins Jeff Garlin, Rob Veres and Sammy Veres for Episode 7 of Gem Mint & Authentic.
Troy talks about collecting in the early 2000s, stepping away from the hobby and eventually finding his way back during the collecting boom.
What's the card to own: a Bowman 1st, Topps Chrome rookie or base rookie? Is today's market becoming oversaturated? How much of a young player's future success is already built into the price of their cards? And what happens to that market when an athlete has one terrible game?
They get into Shohei Ohtani's incredible run before turning to one of Troy's favorite players to collect: Kobe Bryant.
Rob remembers watching the Kobe card market change almost instantly after his death. Troy talks about building his Kobe collection. And Jeff tells the story of working with Kobe before he'd ever played an NBA game and why he chose the memory of that day over asking Kobe for an autograph.
Troy's hobby philosophy ultimately comes down to something much simpler: buy cards of players you actually care about.
Ripping packs is fun. Chasing hits is fun. But the cards that stay in your collection are usually the ones that mean something to you.
They also talk about Jeff and Troy's years together on The Goldbergs, the possibility of sports card museums and the card that started Troy's love of collecting.
And, naturally, they finish by opening packs.
Gem Mint & Authentic is a podcast about collecting, made by collectors.
Hosted by Rob Veres, Sammy Veres and Jeff Garlin.
Filmed at Burbank Sportscards in Burbank, California.
What is GEM MINT & AUTHENTIC: A BURBANK SPORTSCARDS PODCAST?
Welcome to Gem Mint & Authentic, the official Burbank Sportscards podcast.
Hosted by The Cardfather Rob Veres, Sammy Veres, and comedian Jeff Garlin, Gem Mint & Authentic takes you inside the world's largest sports card shop and the hobby that's captivating collectors around the globe.
Each episode blends breaking hobby news, behind-the-scenes stories from Burbank Sportscards, conversations with athletes, celebrities, collectors, and industry insiders, plus honest discussions about the cards, moments, and memories that make collecting special.
Whether you've been collecting for decades, are returning to the hobby, or just pulled your first big card, you'll find entertaining conversations, expert insight, and plenty of laughs along the way.
New episodes every other week.
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