Upper Deck ePack, Trading Card, “Breaks,” and the Question of Just What the Future Holds for Sport and Nonsport Cards

It started in early 2024, or so. I didn’t follow any sports besides Hockey, and figured I would dabble in hockey sports cards. I’d mainly collected some nonsport cards at other times in my life, such as superheroes (I’ve always loved comics) or things that were funny, such as the Garbage Pail Kids. I saw on some internet forum/Reddit/Twitter/whatever that because Upper Deck was the sole company with a hockey license, you could buy the physical boxes and packs in stores or do this thing called, “ePack.” It was a way to buy the cards online–but not some weird digital card/currency. You couldn’t do much with, “Base,” cards, but could always mail any inserts home. Plus, you could easily trade with anyone on the site–no more waiting for mail or worrying someone will flake and rip you off! Plus, besides the hockey, there was nonsport from X-Files to James Bond, Marvel (then, when Topps got Marvel, Upper Deck started doing DC-themed stuff), and more. Almost any boxes in stores (that were Upper Deck-branded) could also have packs, boxes, or a whole case bought online; how great! Right?

A great infographic from a Nova Scotia organization.

Let’s take a step back and talk about slot machines. They are designed to make you want to keep playing. You get a bad spin and mumble to yourself, “One more try.” You get a big win and say, “Well, now I’m on a hot streak!” It is gambling, and the lights, sounds, and so forth make you want to keep playing as well. Trading cards are gambling-adjacent to a degree, no matter what some claim. People buy a pack or box, rip it open, and hope they get something good. Perhaps to trade, sell, or keep. Unless you only buy singles or sets online, if you ever buy a pack or box with nothing more than the hope some odds are in your favor, you’re engaging in a gamble. Once you open up your cards, however, you’re done. Now, what happens when you combine the thrilling sights and sounds of the slot machine with trading cards? A perfectly addictive and patented process (Topps can't do it) cocktail known as ePack.

If you pull a card most would subjectively consider, “Good,” on ePack, it will glow red and make a sound effect. With hockey, it is the horn of a goal; with nonsport cards,  it is a bit like a triumphant symphony. It is easy for some to buy a pack or back, digitally, “Rip,” it and be done. However, what if you rip a pack or two and get nothing? All you have to do is charge your credit card the price of another pack (which can vary immensely depending on the set) and see what happens. Then again. Maybe once more, because at this point you’re chasing something, anything. Perhaps you do get a, “Flasher,” and a sound effect, but it is not that great of a card. You could keep going, and before you know it, about an hour has passed where you just dropped a few hundred dollars on thirty bucks worth of cards–that you’d have to ship home to then list! That, or you can transfer the cards to a digital storefront also associated with ePack, who takes a cut of your profits as well, of course.

It adds up quickly.

If you’re not big on using the internet for much more than checking in on family or reading the news, this all sounds complicated and unwieldy to have these digital-but-physical cards, and it is! When you sit and think about it logically, the only benefit to ePack is that you’re saving space with thousands of cards in some warehouse instead of your house, and trading stuff is a bit easier with its little trading marketplace. Otherwise, it is a hassle to get the cards in your actual hands. That’s logic, however. Once you get that first amazing, “Grail,” card, sensibility melts away. You put another twenty in the trading card slot machine and hope luck is on your side. As with all gambling, however, the, “House,” eventually wins.

Spend even more money and get extra bonus cards as thanks for the debt!

You don’t end up totally empty-handed when you do ePack. You always get some trading cards, and you can get cool ones! Autographed cards, sketch cards, and so forth. The thing is, outside of a small number of ePack-exclusive sets and pricey, “Achievements,” for acquiring certain cards…you generally can buy a physical pack/box/whatever of the thing you like for cheaper. It is the ease of access where you just hop on your computer and smartphone that is the, “Blessing,” that is more of a curse for those with an addictive personality. You don’t have to find a liquor store like with booze. You don’t need to be 21 and go to a casino, or be in a state with legal online gambling, because this is totally not gambling, right? I mean, never mind the sounds and flashing when you, “Win.”

Bye bye money.

From 2024 through 2025, I spent more than I should have on ePack. I didn’t drive my family to bankruptcy, but I was irresponsible. I had to talk with my wife and other loved ones about how it was becoming an issue. I quit at the start of 2026 for a good six months, and tried to dabble in it just a little this Summer, but saw there was no way for myself to just barely engage in it when there was always some sale, promotion, or cool new metaphorically shiny thing to pursue. I am not opposed to ePack for those who find it easier to do or like the social aspect of it. I met some really nice and cool folks I am still friends with whilst doing ePack–and some of them quit it as well eventually or still enjoy it with healthy moderation of their spending. For me, however, ePack doesn’t make sense. I don’t have the funds for it, it takes up a ton of my time, and the fact that it is so easy (too easy) to open a browser and rack up a big ol’ credit card bill in less than an hour is worrisome too–for me at least. 

"Breaks," are getting to be a big thing.

One thing that nags at me about ePack, though, is whether it's a niche of the trading card industry or a sign of what is to come with the gamification of sports cards, especially, but nonsport to a degree as well? For those of you who seek out the newer releases of stuff and aren’t just buying the older sets, you’ve probably seen, “Breaks,” on Facebook, the Whatnot app, eBay Live, or other spots online. People buy dibs/a reservation of sorts on a specific character/insert/whatever, and when the, “Breaker,” opens a box or case, should that person/character get pulled, the person who purchased the mere chance of such a card gets it. Yes, someone could spend a bunch of money to guarantee they get any cards with, say, Wolverine in a new Topps Marvel set, only to find nothing gets pulled they put up all that cash towards. I, personally, think breaking is inane, even more equivalent to gambling (it is currently a legal gray area), and even worse than ePack. You may as well simply throw your money down a sewer drain. Some card companies, the aforementioned Topps especially, have really embraced this, “Trend,” however. 

He makes some good points.

We’ve got Upper Deck with ePack, Topps with breakers, and the whole idea of trading cards has become less about, “Trading,” to make a fun little set and more about, “Winning,” some notable card that you can sell for a big payday. It all starts to sound more like buying a lottery ticket and praying for the best than it does a hobby about actually, you know, collecting! Is this how sport and nonsport card collecting changes with the times, or does it create a new bubble reminiscent of the, “Junk Wax,” era of the 90’s–for all cards, not just sports? Some may say, “Card collecting needs to evolve, sports and nonsport.” Sure, but is this an evolution, or does it put the hobby on a path to extinction?

Shoutout to Jesus for getting me a pack!
I'm not making a silly joke either; it is his name.

I still enjoy buying a pack or box of nonsport cards when they’re inexpensive (getting rarer and rare these days) and something that interests me. I was excited when a friend picked up a promotional pack of, “DC Absolute Universe,” cards at the latest Comic-Con International/SDCC and sold them to me for retail plus shipping. It was something I liked, for a good price, with little worry about it having any kind of big resale value or such. Is buying a card/some cards for cheap simply because you enjoy them an outdated idea now, however? Will sports cards manage to, “Flourish,” in this new gaming-styled ecosystem, but us nonsport folks will see our hobby fade away except for the handful of fandoms (superheroes)  that lend themselves to gambling-style methods of breaks or ePack? 

Is a market like this sustainable?

As for me, I quit ePack and refuse to ever, “Invest,” in a break. I know that I would love to see more people in their teens or twenties getting into nonsport cards (besides Pokémon) and picking up a publication like, “The Wrapper,” as I've discussed before, to learn fun facts about nonsport cards, do physical trades, and build relationships with other collectors. There has to be a happy medium in all this where everybody enjoys the hobby in their own way; I just have no clue how that happens. Do you? 

The Monkey's Paw Has Curled a Finger: Game Pass Prices Have Dropped, But With One Notable Change for the Worse

Ya'll know about the cursed monkey paw, right? Originally a classic short story simply titled, "The Monkey's Paw," by W.W. Jacobs, it involves a mysterious mummified monkey's hand that grants wishes but at a terrible cost. It has been homaged and riffed on in everything from, "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" to, "The Simpsons," and plenty of other media. Well, if anyone pulled out their monkey's paw today and said, "I want Microsoft's Game Pass to be cheaper, right now!" you've got your wish, with a little evil monkey-magic thrown in. You see, as of today, the Game Pass has gone down in price with the most expensive, "Ultimate," option decreasing from $30 to $23 and all the other selections going down in price as well. Something won't be, "Day One," on Game Pass anymore, and that, "Something," is pretty huge.

As Patricia Hernandez over at Polygon discusses, "According to Microsoft, everything that is currently included in either subscription will remain available after the price change. However, future Call of Duty games — including this year's unannounced Call of Duty entry — will no longer be day one releases on Game Pass. Instead, newer Call of Duty games will be available on Game Pass the following holiday season, or about a year after they first release. Existing Call of Duty titles already on the service will continue to be available for Game Pass subscribers." This might sting for many players as when it comes to the biggest games around, I often think of, "Pokemon," "Minecraft," and, "Call of Duty," being huge (there is GTA, but at this rate VI ain't never coming out). Obviously, the price increase ended up doing more harm than good, with many players (including yours truly) presumably giving up on Xbox/Game Pass with the drastic jump in cost back in October. I suppose a mix of lowering the price but charging people for (sooner) access to a big game is hoped to balance everything out. If you love Game Pass and, "Call of Duty," however, that Monkey Paw just zinged you thoroughly. Now, we shall see how this all shakes out.

"Avengers: Armageddon," #1 Will Come With Promotional, "Magic the Gathering," Card

Here is some interesting marketing synergy. Marvel has partnered with Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast for assorted, "Magic the Gathering," promotions and is now bringing it in directly to the comics. You see, the first printing of the first issue of, "Avengers: Armageddon," kicks off an event series (written by Chip Zdarsky with art by  Frank Alpizar and Delio Diaz) and will have a special card that you can--I assume--use in your Magic games. I know almost nothing about, "Magic: The Gathering," as friends have tried to get me into it, but I always told them I spend enough hours and funds on my current hobbies not to need a new timesink and money pit. That said, I did play the virtual card game,"Hearthstone," some years ago, and when I was a wee lad, and only 151 Pokémon existed, I played that trading card game. Hence, I have some familiarity with trading card games and know Magic is a big one.

This promotion makes me wonder if the goal is more to get comic fans into Magic (nah) or to encourage Magic fans to try some Marvel comics (likely). I'm leaning more towards the latter as it is clever to have the card accompany the debut of a big new event. I could imagine someone who is really into, "Magic: The Gathering," buying the issue mainly for the card, but reading the comic and wanting to follow along with at least this latest big happening in the Marvel continuity (it helps Zdarsky is among the few writers at Marvel putting out stuff in the, "Main," Universe that I like and don't find drab along with Jed MacKay's work on Moon Knight). I could see the result being short-term success for the debut, but I wonder if there will be interest in the follow-up issues, depending on whether gamers read the actual issue. We shall see!

The Early Days of March Bring News and Links

The phrase often goes that March is, "In like a lion, out like a lamb," with that holding true in our region, at least, as the debut of March brought ample rain. While we sit inside trying to remain dry, how about examining some interesting news and links?

The, "Lanterns," show has a snazzy new trailer. It seems relatively low-key and contemplative compared to something like, "Peacemaker," but could be quite fun and will (hopefully) have plenty of cool Green Lantern powers shown off when the show launches this August.

A number of random comics have been quite hot in the market. Many are random indie publishers or technically-indie with Image.  Javier Perez explores this latest trend/bubble over at Comicsbeat.

Also at Comicsbeat is a discussion of how the founder of Dark Horse Comics, Mike Richardson, is out after 40 years there. It was officially acquired by Embracer in 2022, shifted around in 2024, but mostly left to its own devices by the megacompany. Not any longer, as--kind polite phrasing aside--he was basically fired. What does the future hold for Dark Horse? We'll see!

You might have heard that the United States entered a war with Iran because Donald Trump just kind of felt like it. He didn't desire to get approval from Congress, either. Little effort has been made to even retroactively complain or try to limit Trump's ability to make a mess because the idea of actual checks and balances in our Government has become a joke during his second term.

Back in the day, if children or teenagers wanted to learn about investing, they could pretend to do the stock market via different worksheets/games/etc. Now, it seems companies want kiddos to invest real money and put it in absurdities such as cryptocurrency. One big proponent of this? That man with the big weird smile and nothing behind it but a black hole (he seriously lacks any discernible personality), Mr. Beast. Yes, thanks to Jimmy Donaldson, your teen can lose a bunch of money via an upcoming app that will possibly be full of pump-and-dump schemes. Yah?

Last off, Corey Plante at Polygon has an interesting piece about how the continued rise of Pokémon and its cards essentially resulted in it occurring where, "Pikachu defeated Michael Jordan in the trading card grading boom." I remember when only 151 Pokémon existed. Now we've got over 1,000. I feel old.

A Local Pokemon Card Show/Convention Was Apparently Quite the Mess

There are occasions when conventions do not go well. Case in point, I had seen ads for, "PokeKon-Fest," and heard about it, but was unfamiliar with who was behind the show ("Our Cons,") even though they apparently do an assortment of events. This show happened yesterday, however, and was apparently the definition of a shit-show. Overcrowded showfloor, extremely long wait to get in, disorganized in terms of programming, and while (by all accounts) the vendors were nice, many attendees were upset and posted online it put the, "Con," in, "Convention."

I'm not here to pass judgment. I am friends with a number of people who put on comic conventions and pop culture shows. They work hard to make sure things go well. When you hold a show, you want it to draw a good crowd, but you need to be prepared for an underwhelming or overwhelming number of people. Apparently, PokeKon-Fest was woefully underprepared for the sheer folks of people excited for a Pokémon-centric show, and as a result, much of the populace is displeased. Some people did have fun, but if the majority of posts about a show are negative, well, that's not good. I've even helped with conventions in the past and hope to assist with others in the future; I just know I'll work hard to ensure any show I'm involved in will (hopefully) be remembered fondly. At the end of the day, that's what a convention is about--having fun and enjoying a community of fans. If it is treated as little more than a cash-grab, as some suggest about this, "Fest," that's just sad to witness. After all, you are supposed to, "Catch them all," not, "Con them all!"

All Hail The Return of Fat Pikachu!

"Pokémon," is turning 30 years old, and the trading card game is as well. The original artistic representation of Pikachu on Pokémon cards was that of a chunky boi, a chonker, a chungus, etc. In honor of this fact, there is a new and official fat Pikachu plush...but it's a bit hard to acquire outside of Japan. I just hope it gets a wider release, as I've always been a fan of this extra-cushy iteration of the character. We love you, Pikachu, thick or thin!

Labubus Are Incredibly Popular, Kind of Ugly

Labubu is the brand name of a new collectible toy.  A bit of a plush doll, a smidgen of a bag charm, they're in the news more and more. Depending on who you ask, they are so ugly they're cute, or they're just ugly. People do agree they are popular, very popular. People are spending absurd amounts of money on these, with comparisons being made to the Beanie Baby craze as folks wonder if Labubus are heading for a similar crash or will be more like Funko Pops and stabilize a bit in the market, sticking around.

Based on storybook characters, they really started taking off around 2019, and one big selling point is that they come in blind boxes, AKA you buy a box and don't know if you'll get a more common or rarer Labubu. This has resulted in a healthy resale market like you see with Pokémon cards (you never know what could be in those packs, after all) and the rise of counterfeits. Kids and adults love them, and I'll admit there is a weird charm. Will they have long-term success or crater? Nobody knows, but I'll suggest that as with any hobby, people should view them as something fun to enjoy as opposed to an investment. That way, whether they explode or implode, at least you can love what you own.

CGC is Embroiled in a New Scandal with Pokémon Cards

CGC has had it rough. They had a huge scandal early last year when scam artists took advantage of a lack of oversight to have regular comics graded as being special editions (Mark Jewelers and such) but the company seemed to weather the fiasco okay. This probably was due to how in regards to comics, CGC is still the big dog. When it comes to cards they are relatively less popular, with PSA and other companies getting more love for grading sports cards or non-sport stuff such as Magic, Pokemon, and the like. PSA is actually getting into comic grading too this year, interestingly enough. One wonders if the timing will work well for PSA as CGC now has suffered a huge hit to their credibility with a Pokemon card forgery scandal. 

Cards worth millions of dollars that had been certified as legit by CGC and slabbed were supposedly prototypes of Pokemon cards from 1996. A number of these cards were examined with professional forensic equipment by individuals who then determined a large amount of the cards were, in fact, printed in 2024 and elaborate forgeries. This is extremely bad for CGC and could cause their reputation to take a massive hit. Comic fans will stick with them almost no matter what because they're a huge name in comic-books. When it comes to cards they have a lot of stiff competition--competition who can take advantage of this fiasco. I'm not going to jump to extreme conclusions such as stating this will lead to the downfall of CGC or something equally dramatic, but this is without a doubt going to hurt them, severely.

The Machinists Hall Sports Cards & Collectibles Show is Really Cool!

I've written about how I got into hockey the past handful of years and then late last year began really enjoying hockey cards. When I saw that Machinists Hall was going to have a sports card show, I reached out to them and asked if I could come and cover the event for my blog. They said yes, so today I attended my first-ever sports card show! The Machinists Hall Sports Cards & Collectibles Show was a little intimidating to think about going to as while I know a ton about comics, I will not pretend to know even 10% as much about sports cards (although I've learned a lot about hockey cards these past months). That is why I appreciated how of the many dealers at the show everyone was incredibly friendly and not at all judgemental at my, "Newness," to sports cards.

There was a range of cards from tons of baseball and basketball to a chunk of football, and hockey had some representation along with fandoms from Pickleball to Pokemon (and a bit of wrestling). Everything from expensive single cards to cheap bundles was for sale, along with sealed packages from the past to the present. If you were looking for a specific sport or era, it was likely represented by a number of dealers here!

It wasn't just cards, of course. There were balls, pucks, and Funko Pops plus old magazines that (mostly) related to sports in some fashion. I even saw a comic or two along with the occasional Marvel trading cards. The vendors were eager to talk about their varied wares and it was really fun to interact with this card fandom that has similarities to the one I know quite well (comics) but is also very different. 

Gibson came with me and enjoyed the show too!

All my pictures you see in this post I was able to snap before the show kicked off and it got busy, fast. The Machinists Hall Sports Cards & Collectibles Show runs through Sunday, so try and go this weekend if you live in the area (or can make the trip). It's only $3 to get in tomorrow and free on Sunday! Here is the link again for the show so you can check it out too!

I Bought Some Hockey Cards!

As readers of the blog are aware, I for a long time had zero interest in sports. Some years ago I did find myself getting into Hockey. Unlike other athletic pursuits, Hockey kept my attention. After all, Football had too much starting and stopping. Basketball only got interesting in the last few minutes. Soccer kind of was fun to watch but lacked something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Golf was boring as Hell. Rugby was confusing. The list went on. That said, Hockey was different. It was fast. It had agility and grace yet was a bit brutal too with the players crashing into each other and sometimes fighting.  Around 2016/2017 I started watching NHL hockey a bit more and then in 2019 my local team, the Saint Louis Blues, won the Stanely Cup and that was incredible. Since then I have continued to enjoy hockey and thought I would try something I'd never done before in my 35 years of life: I bought some sports cards.

Back when I was young I dabbled in Pokemon cards but I sold them before the market crashed (and then came roaring back decades later with those cards now worth even more, but so is life). I never really fiddled with, "Magic: The Gathering," as I knew to build a good deck to play with you can spend an absurd amount of money. I might try, "Magic," in the future with Marvel-themed cards on the way, however. All of that said, I like Hockey so why not get some Hockey cards? I will tell you that sports cards are a lot more complex than you might suspect.

Where to even start?

These days you can buy some sports cards at a retail store or a hobby shop, but generally a hobby shop will have the better boxes/packs of cards. I am aware that Baseball and Basketball cards can be absurdly expensive, but Hockey thankfully is a bit more of a niche in sports cards and less pricey when it comes to buying packs, boxes, or even sought-after single cards. I did some research about sports cards in general online and learned how among your regular ol' cards you can get ones that have limited numbering, autographs, and even pieces of game-worn jerseys! When you get a special card that is a, "Hit," and you never know what you might get. 

One nice thing is you can get a common card of almost any player for dirt cheap, so it is easy to make a set of basic cards with your favorite players. When you're looking for the rare variants that have those autographs or pieces of clothes that's when things can be pricey if you're out buying single cards. I did a bunch of research on sports cards and was ready to buy some Hockey cards from a hobby shop, but where could I go to find someone patient with a sports card newbie like me? Thankfully, I found a cool local place.

Sports Card Market is located in Manchester, Missouri, and not too far a drive for me at all. I called them one day and explained that when it came to comic books I knew a ton but in regards to sports cards I was pretty green. They talked with me for a good 15-20 minutes on the phone reviewing with me what I had read online as I asked a variety of questions. I went in the next day and the kind employees there showed me various options of cards to buy, discussed what was interesting about different kinds, and helped me settle on buying an, "Artifacts," box as it sounded the most fun and I had read good things about the line on the internet. I cannot emphasize how patient they were with me as I asked a metric ton of questions about sports cards. I took home my Artifacts box, opened it up, and got some cool stuff!

My box had several, "Hits," with the coolest thing probably being a Kent Johnson card featuring a piece of jersey material and an autograph of which only 10 cards were produced out of thousands of other cards. I was perfectly happy to get some, "Worthless," cards as well of players I like such as Jordan Kyrou, too, but it was really neat to get some rare stuff. It is fun to be able to own cards featuring players you like and even snazzier when you have an autograph or piece of jersey. It is a cool way to feel extra connected to a sport I enjoy. I would recommend that if you want to buy sports cards of any kind you visit the folks at Sports Card Market either in person or buy from them online as they'll ship anywhere in the U.S. too! Oh, and please note they aren't paying me to promote them or anything (I don't have any affiliate links or such), I just really appreciate how nice they were to me as I slowly got an understanding of how sports cards work these days with all the, "Parallels," cards that you redeem online, and so forth.

Quite the, "Hit," I'd say!

It was fun buying Hockey cards and I plan to buy more in the future. I can see how it can be a pricey hobby though, so I'll have to practice moderation in the same manner I do with comics. I want to again thank the good people at Sports Card Market for their assistance as I bought my first-ever cards and I'm excited to continue watching Hockey and collecting cards!

The Disney Lorcana Card Game Releases Tomorrow

I have some experience with digital card games such as Hearthstone or Marvel Snap, but I have not played physical trading card games (TCGs) much. Back when there were only 151 known Pokemon (and I was still in middle school) you could find me dabbling with Pokemon cards, but I sold all of them before the market crashed--and then came roaring back like 20 years later meaning my cards had some value, were worthless and now would be worth a lot if I kept them (so it goes). I've never played Magic: The Gathering as I always tell friends how I have enough hobbies that take my funds. That said, the company known as Ravensburger has worked with/for Disney to create a new TCG called, "Disney Lorcana."

Disney Lorcana looks fun from the descriptions I've read and videos I've seen. Like many other trading card games it has starter decks, booster packs, and cards of various desirability. People have had a chance to sample Disney Lorcana at recent gaming conventions and seem to like it with the official big release happening at your local gaming store tomorrow. "Big box," stores will get Disney Lorcana in September, but if you've got a shop that deals in gaming it might be selling Disney Lorcana as of August 18th. Some locations seem to have preorders sold out and be in short supply while other places still have a chunk in stock. I haven't fiddled with TCGs in years but am a bit curious about Disney Lorcana, so I may check it out. We shall see if it is a smash hit or struggles to catch on, but as of right now, there is a good deal of hype.

Visit Grape's Games at the Chesterfield Mall!

For a chunk of time, there was not much in the Chesterfield Mall, but it has actually been getting some cool stores added lately. One of those new businesses would be Grape's Games. It just opened May 12th and is owned by two folks named Kristen and Andy. I checked their store out the other day and was impressed by it! Their business sells everything from Pokemon cards and related items to Funko Pops, board games, miniature toys, plush items, and more! If you don't live within the Saint Louis area you can order stuff from them to be shipped as well via their website. If you do live around here, make sure to stop by and say hello to them. The store is located right by the escalators in the mall that go up to the AMC movie theater, so you can't miss them!

The Pokémon Toys/Cards at McDonald's Are Fun

Currently, McDonald's has a Pokémon toy as their little promotional bonus that comes with a Happy Meal. There has been a lot of hype on the internet about it and I figured I would get a toy to see what all the hullaballo was for. The toy is a fun little spinner, a pack of cards exclusive to McDonald's (the Pokémon featured are tweaked a bit for the restaurant chain, apparently), and directions about how to play a game with the cards. Here are the cards I got:

It is all quite cute and admittedly over my head as back in my day when I played Pokémon on the Gameboy or enjoyed the card game there were only 151-ish Pokémon that existed. Now when I check Google it says there are nearly 1,000. Still, kids love and plenty of adults are going nuts over this new batch of cards found at McDonald's too. I like the fun little game that comes with these cards and I hope everyone who wants some of these Pokémon toys can get them!

The Whatnot App is Quite Interesting

I always like examining new social media or item-selling apps. Some start strong and then fade away--remember Ello? Others have been around and are pretty popular still--folks love Twitch and now are allowed to be good-looking on it too if they can't help appearing sexy. TikTok is a juggernaut in the social media space as well and I need to try and make more little videos for it. Well, now there is a newer streaming platform called Whatnot, and it is pretty snazzy. I would describe Whatnot as if Facebook Live or another live-streaming app had a baby with eBay. It is earlier in its existence to you have to apply and be approved to stream, but anyone can tune in to shows. If you've got payment information entered you can take part in auctions or, "Buy it now," items. 

The app right now has a heavy focus on collectibles such as Funko Pops, Pokemon cards, sports cards, and a smaller (but enjoyable) comic-book presence. Sellers are rated like on eBay and I've bought some cheaper comics that have arrived in the condition promised. With auctions, people sometimes seem to have a tendency to overbid, so something you'd hope to get cheap goes for a lot more--that's great for sellers but bad for you if you're after a collectible for a cheaper price! I've still been able to get some neat things for stellar prices by tuning into the right steam at the time--I got a first printing set of some issues from, "The Department of Truth," for well below the current trending price for those issues.

As someone who enjoys selling stuff on various sites, I would love to be able to stream on Whatnot and have in fact applied to be a streamer. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy watching streams as many of the people doing shows are pretty cool and fun to watch even if you aren't buying anything. Should you be into collectibles or just like checking out new social media apps, I'd recommend giving Whatnot a viewing on the smart device of your choice.

CGC is Moving into Grading Cards

In news I find interesting, CGC is moving into grading cards. CGC is best known for grading comics as well as concert posters and the like, but have not graded cards before. They just now have started offering grading for cards from two trading card games, however. "Magic: The Gathering," and, "The Pokemon Trading Card Game," now can have their cards graded and encapsulated by CGC. This is pretty interesting, but it made me wonder, "What about sports cards?" seeing as that is a big business as well.

Less than a day after I pondered that, I received an email from CGC and saw articles discussing that email about how they are looking for experts so they can start authenticating and grading sports cards as well. It won't be CGC itself doing sports grading though, it will be a new sub-company, CSG, or Certified Sports Guaranty. Clearly CGC is expanding its focus with all these trading cards and sports cards being certified!

I haven't collected Pokemon cards since I was a young lad and have zero knowledge about sports cards. I also never did much with, "Magic," even though friends wanted me to give it a try because it looked like an expensive hobby to pursue (and I've spent enough on other things I enjoy that adding something else costly would be difficult). Hence, with my lack of knowledge, I'm not sure if CGC and their new CSG sub-company will be welcomed by those who collect trading cards and sports cards or met with some resistance--I simply am not a part of those circles. I personally find it interesting to see CGC expanding so much, however, and wish them the best. In the meantime, I'll just be sending them comics still, and should I somehow come across a bunch of valuable cards I'll know to have them help me with those too.

Mid-November 2019 Links and News

Thanksgiving (Slowly) Nears

Thanksgiving is right near the end of the month of November this year, so it seems like we have to wait forever to eat all that Turkey/Ham/Vegetarian alternative we're looking forward to digging into. It is just Mid-November right now, so to help us bide our time here are some interesting links or bits of news you can snack on.

Links and News, Wishbone not Included

I am quite excited for a Jeopardy, "Greatest of All Time," tournament where the (arguably) three best players ever face-off in prime-time for a chunk of cash. We shall see who will win when it airs this January!

I and my other friends such the folk at Comics Heating Up are extremely excited for the launch this week of a new mini-series with the character, "The Question."Featuring the talented writing of Jeff Lemire as well as art by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz (who both have drawn Vic Sage in the past with great skill) it will most likely be quite grand. I feel like a weekly show focused on the character solving mysteries would just be awesome.

It seems like everybody has an opinion on this whole, "OK Boomer," meme. I don't have much to say besides it is kind of funny to see how mad Baby Boomers get about it considering the years they went on-and-on about how everyone else was being an overly-sensitive, "Snowflake." Because nothing can simply remain a silly meme, Fox has apparently applied to trademark the phrase for use in comedy programs or game shows.

I still have yet to watch, "The Mandalorian," show on Disney+ even though we have the service. I have heard many good things however, including one interesting observation about how delightfully old-school, "Star Wars," it feels compared to the more slick and fancy new movies. Plus, it has a baby alien from Yoda's species who is absolutely adorable!

"Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp," already had issues with how mercenary it was. Introducing a paid subscription service for the game just sounds atrocious and I'm glad I quit playing it when I did. I will always prefer versions you pay for upfront and can enjoy without micro-transactions.

Speaking of video-games I have not played in forever but sometimes follow the news of, Professor Oak and Ash's Mom are definitely hooking-up in the, "Pokemon," Universe.

"Saturday Night Live," can be quite good or pretty bad. I'll give it up to the, "Days of our Impeachment," bit that opened the last show  however. It made fun of the idea that the impeachment hearings of Donald Trump lack, "Pizzazz," and need to be more dramatic to get people to care. Putting aside how sad it is people need our President committing crimes to be, "Entertaining television," it was a good segment in all its absurdity, despite some apparent issues with where the camera was supposed to be.

God, will people please stop going on about this mythological, "Snyder Cut," unless it is in the context of a fascinating documentary tracing the history of how the, "Justice League," movie went so wrong?

Lastly, the game platform company Valve that used to make games actually announced the have a new, "Half Life," game in the works after over a decade of people waiting. The reason this was not huge news as you would normally expect is that it is a prequel game that uses VR. Yeah, that VR-headset technology some people thought would be huge years ago and which has had a lukewarm-at-best reception by the gaming market. More will be revealed November 21st apparently, so perhaps this will sound more exciting as details emerge? For now, it is quite underwhelming.

Soon-ish We Shall Feast

While it may still seem a bit of a ways away, Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Then, after that it is one big wild mess of all the Winter holidays before the New Year.

Another Awesome Toyman Show Has Concluded!

Today, August 5th, I enjoyed yet another Toyman Show put on by the awesome Chris, "Toyman," McQuillen. In honor of how it is back-to-school season in our region (most schools start back-up next week) there were free backpacks full of school supplies for the first 50 kids in attendance at the show with a paid entry (kids 16 and under get in free, so as long as their parent was present and got a ticket the kid got in for free as usual and got a free backpack full of useful stuff)! It wasn't only the kids who were appreciated though, there were door prizes as always including passes to upcoming shows as well as other goodies.

For this show a number of stellar guests were present, such as comic-artist Steve Geiger--who has worked for a wide range of publishers from big names like Marvel to smaller companies, and whom I have met at other cons and can attest is super-nice. Guy Gilchrist of Muppets, Nancy, and Looney Toons fame was there as well, plus D.A. Firzell (whose dark art style is scary and impressive), and Scott Schwartz from, "A Christmas Story," was present too! I know what you're wondering though--did I get any cool stuff this time? Well you know I did!

As the above picture shows, I was able to acquire a Pikachu Funko Pop as well as a Pop of Sub-Zero signed by the actor who portrayed him for the original, "Mortal Kombat," video-games, Daniel Pesina. I got both of these from the awesome toy retailer who had a vendor-booth at the show, Toys of Our Youth. I was able to trade them a variety of things I had for these rad Pops and they are always the first vendor I speak with anytime I attend a Toyman show thanks to their amazing selection and very nice staff.

After making some trades with Toys of Our Youth I enjoyed walking about the rest of the show-floor, where I as always spotted an amazing array of stuff for sale. Whether someone is after action figures, Legos, toy cars, comic-books, old T.V. Guides, video-games, DVDs, vintage horror posters, or anything else new or old the diverse range of vendors with a wide range of rad items is what keeps me coming back to Toyman--there is always something new and cool to look at and consider buying! 

I usually seem to meet someone new and cool at each show too. For example, I made the acquaintance of  a Funko Pop-vendor named Tugboat Tony (and his delightful wife) and was excited to provide a mixture of trade and cash for the super-cool Bullseye Funko Pop pictured above. I've acquired a Bullseye Pop sometimes before, but never one in a condition as great as the one this was in, making it a stellar addition to my small-but-mighty collection of Ad Icon Funko Pops. The couple was really nice and are selling a variety of their collection currently so I'd encourage people to message Tony if you're after a particular Pop as he and his wife had quite the number of Pops for sale at the show!

All-in-all I had yet another amazing time at the latest Toyman show--there is a reason I keep going back. Whether I'm meeting cool new folk like Tugboat Tony, chatting with the awesome folk at Toys of Our Youth, interacting with the countless other vendors, or introducing myself to the cool guests, Toyman always is jam-packed with things to do and stuff to buy. Oh, and it has free coffee, which is a Godsend if you're someone who likes to go to shows earlier to browse all the cool stuff but also needs coffee in the AM to be able to function. As long as the fantastic vendors keep returning, cool guests keep stopping by, and the coffee remains plentiful for the times I attend in the morning, you can bet I'll be present at the Toyman show too--so keep an eye out for me September 23rd, when the next Toyman event occurs!