I've always believed that if you want something badly enough you can get it. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices, take chances and work extremely hard. I've tried to do that with any job I've had. I've done all of the above and more during the past 2-3 months and I have really enjoyed the results. Thoughts go through my mind and I wonder if I can make them a reality given the short amount of time I have to actually work on the Cardboard Connection show. I work a full-time job and manage a lot of side projects, but I've never felt like the show was ever work. Even on a business trip to Las Vegas, we had fun and the hours melted away into days.
I've never been more proud of the Cardboard Connection team. Working with the guys (Rob, Mike, Paul & Brad) at the Industry Summit was a blast and we were honored to assist Kevin Isaacson and Panini America throughout the event, especially with the GTS Distribution Ultimate Case Break. I can't tell you how much fun it was watching over $15,000 in product get opened and then having all of the participants come on camera to show us their hits.
Our sponsors have also played a huge part in our success. We owe a huge thanks to Memory Lane, Inc., Collectors Proof, Blowout Cards, Onyx Authenticated, ISA Grading, & Leaf Trading Cards.
Upon returning home from Vegas, we've delivered some of our best broadcasts since bringing back the Cardboard Connection Radio show. It has been a combination of elements that have made them so much fun. First off, the main ingredient has been our listeners, we have dedicated core group that always help make the show fun. Being live, it's always a blast to hear and see what they are thinking as we are discussing products or speaking with a guest.
The guests are also a huge part of the show. I liken it to Ric Flair wrestling. Ric is great and his opponent always looks good when the show is over. The result is even better when he wrestles someone of equal or nearly equal talent. Its been said that Ric could make a broomstick look like a million bucks in the ring. That analogy also works the same for radio. You need a good guest, or you have know how to bring out the best in a person to make them sound good on the air. Of late, we've had some top quality guests that are also top quality people. That's magical and a lot of times we don't know what some people are going to be like on the air.
We've added a few new segments too. Set of the Week is one that's become pretty popular. We try to make a regular segment on Friday nights, but sometimes there is just so much to discuss, it slips off the list of show topics. We also added a new Entertainment Card segment with Ryan Cracknell, a long-time blogger who now happens to be the editor at the Cardboard Connection. There are more coming, so stay tuned.
A couple of weeks back we were honored to have Armen Keteyian on the air. Armen had just completed an assignment with CBS Sunday Morning about the hobby and it wasn't good. Much of the news presented was true, but there was no mention of the current industry and how it has adapted, changed and grown over the years. It was produced with a negative tone and basically was predicting the death of the hobby.
Armen got an earful from collectors after the piece aired. What impressed me was that Panini America's Jason Howarth was the first person from a major trading card manufacturer to reach out and debate Armen.
Brian Gray from Leaf Trading Cards also spoke out as did Upper Deck's Chris Carlin. We also opened a dialog with Armen, and were fortunate to get him on the show. It turned out to be a great segment, and with any luck, if he tackles the hobby again in a future piece, it will have some more active and current sources within the industry. Not only did he admit that it was done in a very short time-frame, but he also said that the story could have been a little longer with some mention of how the hobby has changed. Regardless, whether you agreed with Armen or not, the segment got the hobby some attention and it saw collectors unite to make people aware that the hobby is alive and kicking.
Cardboard Connection Radio with guest Armen Keteyian
A week before that we had on Shawn Witt. Shawn is the Executive Producer of the new memorabilia/collectibles show on ABC called Ball Boys. It's a carbon copy of Pawn Stars but only involves the sports memorabilia finds found at the store Robbie's 1st Base in Baltimore, MD. Shawn was awesome. He gave us some great insight on what to expect and how the show would shape up. So far, it's pretty good. I'd like to see some more about trading cards, but after a couple of episodes, I've continued to tune in.
Cardboard Connection Radio with guest Shawn Witt
This past Friday we were thrilled to have Jeremy Brown from Ultimate Sports Cards & Memorabilia in Las Vegas on the show. His shop is thriving in Las Vegas. It's a tough market to have a store in because there are no pro teams and the population is melting pot from all parts of the globe. You need to be diverse and keep a stock of many different teams and players on hand because you never know what kind of collector or fan is going to walk through the front door. If you didn't know, Jeremy is also the go-to guy for Rick Harrison's Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. So if you are a fan of Pawn Stars, check out our archives for a great segment on the health of the hobby in Vegas and learn how Jeremy got involved with the History Channel's smash hit.
Cardboard Connection Radio with guest Jeremy Brown
To quote rock icon Paul Stanley, "We are just getting started." We look to deliver the best guests on a weekly basis that we can. If you think you've got a great collectible product, are a big-time collector, or know of someone you think we should be talking to on the Cardboard Connection Radio show, let us know. We want your feedback too. You may contact us at radio@sportsology.net.
Thanks for all of your support, us collectors have to stick together!
Oh, and a special thank you to the many people that celebrated April Fools Day with us. Our "new" show Bottlecaps & Dumpster Divers was a huge success!
Bottlecaps & Dumpster Divers World Premiere
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