The 90: A Soccer Cards Podcast

Card Ladder tracked $1,075,167,970 in card sales in October 2026. It sounds like the hobby has never been healthier, but what does a billion-dollar month actually measure?We break down all 9.2 million sales by price tier and find that 0.12% of sales brought in 40% of the dollars. We work out the real average sale ($116.65, or $70.07 without the $10K+ sales), look at why dollars grew more than twice as fast as sales since July, and weigh the positives against the risks: wealthy buyers, rising print runs, and a market run through a few big platforms. We also look at what comics, watches, sneakers and NFTs can teach the card market.Cards discussed include Kobe’s Flawless Logoman ($4.2M), the Messi Prizm World Cup Nebula 1/1 ($1.25M), a Zidane rookie ($20K), Lamine Yamal’s Cherry Blossom /20 ($12,878) and a 1958 Pelé rookie ($6,400).Healthy market or top-heavy one? Tell us at @specialonecards.Data: Card Ladder, October 2026, all categories. Some tier figures are estimates. Market commentary, not investment advice.

"That single can be your first drink."When does collecting stop being a hobby and start becoming gambling?Paulo sits down with Brent from Esteval and Friends for a candid conversation the hobby too often avoids. Brent opens up about his struggle with compulsive gambling, the hobby shop visit that pulled him back into cards three years ago, and how the rush of opening a box can start to feel a lot like placing a bet.In this episode:• Are card breaks a form of gambling?• Why Brent says many breakers stay out of breaks themselves• How impulse buying can blur the line between hobby and harm• Why even buying singles can become a slippery slope• How to enjoy the hobby without letting it take controlIf you've ever chased a card, then regretted what you spent, this one's for you.Where do you draw the line between collecting and gambling? Send this to a collector who needs to hear it, and follow The 90 for more.More from The 90:Website: ultimate90.comInstagram: @specialonecardsSubstack: the90.substack.comIf gambling is affecting you or someone you know, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER for free, confidential support in the U.S.

Harry Kane just won the Ballon d’Or, and the market noticed. Is this a spike you sell into, or is Kane a legacy hold? I give my take, plus where soccer cards stand right now as the wider market corrects.Then Oliver from A Special One Collection joins me. He went from collecting shirts to cards, started with a José Mourinho rookie, and came back into the hobby in 2020 when prices had cooled off. We talk about building a collection around coaches, finding value in a market that can feel intimidating, and why the community matters more than the price tags.Also in this episode:Why The 90 is moving to Substack, and what subscribers get there (white papers, deeper data, exclusive episodes)The All Soccer Cards Show, and why spacing out card shows keeps them specialSomething new coming that will set our events apart

Collectors pay for the era, not the ink.Paulo breaks down why non-playing-day autographs from legends like Zidane, Beckham, Ronaldinho and Kaká keep losing to cards from their playing days. Sometimes they even lose to cards with no autograph at all. Using real sales data, he covers the 89x Zidane gap, Beckham’s 80% auto slide, the World Cup spike-and-fade, lessons from Jordan and Brady, and 5 rules for buying autographs without getting burned.Also: the All Soccer Cards Show recap, where the next show could land, and why subscribers are moving to Substack, with a free month for current members.Subscribers get the full white paper on Substack.Follow @specialonecards on Instagram | the90.substack.com

Panini put World Cup stickers under the Prizm brand, and the Dutch auction starts at $15,000 a box. Genius or the biggest money grab of the cycle? Let's look at the numbers. Paulo is back after a month away, recording from New Jersey the night before the All Soccer Cards & Collectibles Show in Clark, NJ. On this episode:- The full Panini Prizm World Cup Sticker Collection breakdown: 980 base, 115 parallels per box, Gold /10, Green /5, Black 1/1- How the Dutch auction works (Oct 23, 11 AM CT, price drops every 5 min, 10-box limit)- The risk nobody's talking about: what if your numbered parallels are all from teams nobody collects?- Prizmania vs. Manga: why the data still says Prizmania is undervalued- Why he's holding, not selling, while the market is up across the board- Long-term thinking on Mbappé, Ohtani and cards you can't replace- What he's hunting at the show: '90s wax and vintage stickers- An eBay seller story every collector should hearWould you buy a $15K sticker box? DM @specialonecards and let us know.Instagram and TikTok: @specialonecardsResearch and white papers: the90.substack.comWriting on Collectibles on SIFollow the show and rate it 5 stars. It helps more collectors find The 90.

Panini just woke up its most exclusive brand for soccer — for the first time in 10 years.Follow @specialonecards on Instagram and head to ultimate90.com for the full breakdown, market data, and subscriber content.We break down 2026 Panini Flawless FIFA World Cup Soccer: the brand's history, why this might be Panini's last Flawless World Cup release ever before the FIFA license changes hands in 2031, what's guaranteed in every $1,000+ briefcase, and the full checklist — Haaland and Mbappé signing alongside legends like Platini and Romário.Then we give it our "Data. Not Vibes." take: is this actually worth buying, or just an expensive flex?New episodes weekly.📲 IG: @specialonecards🌐 ultimate90.com

Panini’s World Cup Prizm Preferred is being called the wildest soccer release of the year, but is it actually the smartest place to put your money? Vincent breaks down why he spotted the product early, why the market reacted the way it did, and why he thinks this set reset pricing across the entire soccer hobby.If you’ve been staring at hobby boxes, retail boxes, and damaged blasters wondering what is worth ripping, this episode gives you the real answer. We go deep on cherry blossoms, case hits, color matches, numbered-card scarcity, and the exact logic behind why Preferred turned into the product everyone started chasing. You'll discover:Why Vincent pegged Preferred as a buy before the market caught onHow cherry blossoms and “juiced” case hits changed the product’s upsideWhy color-match and lower serial numbers matter more than flashy hypeWhich cards and parallels may hold up long term, from solo Color Blasts to Prismania and GenesisWhy firsts matter more than “lasts” when you’re chasing modern soccer cardsVincent also shares the investing framework he uses to rip for free, flip into inventory, and avoid getting stuck holding the wrong product. From resale math and tax efficiency to why he prefers blue-chip names like Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, and Lamine Yamal, this is as much a lesson in hobby economics as it is a breakdown of one of the most talked-about releases in soccer cards.

Goldin's latest soccer auction results are in, and we're breaking down what the data actually says — not what the hype says. This episode covers the auction's biggest soccer results and what they mean for the market, plus a deep dive on Rodrigo Mora and why the numbers point to serious upside. — The 90: A Soccer Cards Podcast, Powered by Ultimate90.com.

Vintage soccer cards are still being mispriced, and this episode shows you exactly where the opportunity is hiding. A rare 1989 Kenner Sports Stars Forza Campioni set featuring Maradona, Baggio, Maldini, Van Basten, and more gets a deep look through the lens of population reports, first-card debates, and real sales data.The case is simple: when a Maradona PSA 9 has already set a record at $345, the low pop on this set starts to look a lot more interesting. You’ll hear why these sealed figurine-card hybrids matter, how centering and corner wear can make or break a grade, and why the difference between a true first card and a debated first card changes the entire investment case.You’ll discover:Why the 1989 Kenner set is drawing attention as vintage soccer heats upHow PSA population data changes the conversation around Maradona, Baggio, Maldini, Van Basten, and Lothar MatthausWhy these cards are so hard to grade well, and what to watch for before you buyHow the same market patterns show up in basketball and soccer, from Larry Bird and Michael Jordan to iconic football legendsWhy the host sees value in low-risk, high-upside entries instead of chasing hypeWe also get a wider look at the modern hobby machine: PSA backlogs, grading economics, CGC versus PSA resale gaps, and the wild auction world where a Cooper Flagg debut patch is already climbing past $3 million even though the seller does not own the card. That leads into a bigger question collectors should be asking right now - what really creates long-term value, and what is just noise?If you care about vintage soccer, first cards, pop counts, grading strategy, or simply finding the next underpriced corner of the hobby before everyone else does, this is essential listening. It is part market breakdown, part collector philosophy, and part warning shot for anyone chasing hype without doing the homework.

Premier League clubs just spent over a billion euros moving ten players around Europe in the middle of a World Cup summer — and we're breaking down which transfers are actually good for the hobby and which ones are just noise.This episode: our final take on the World Cup finish, then a deal-by-deal ranking of the ten biggest transfers of the summer — fee, scouting profile, and most importantly, the rookie card behind each one. From Morgan Rogers' pre-breakout Select Terrace RC to Johan Manzambi's practically unpopulated 2026 Donruss rookie, we tell you what to buy, what to hold, and what to fade.Then we shift into product: a full breakdown of 2026-27 Topps Flagship Premier League Soccer (the base set just got trimmed from 450 to 300 cards — here's why that's a buy signal) and 2026 Panini Prizm Sticker FIFA World Cup, Panini's Dutch Auction sticker/Prizm hybrid that's pricing a nostalgia product like a grail.🔔 Follow @specialonecards on Instagram🌐 Full checklists, white papers, and market breakdowns at ultimate90.com💬 Subscribe on Spotify for bonus episodes early, plus supporting white papers and market collateral — $4.99/mo, like buying me a coffee. Message me anytime if you've got questions about becoming a subscriber.🎁 Subscriber giveaway drops Monday — make sure you've followed the entry instructions, or DM me if you missed them.