Sports memorabilia guru and all-around good dude Tracy Hackler of Panini America joins the fun to talk about the explosion in popularity of sports trading cards and memorabilia, the effect of uniform numbers on card value, cutting up a perfectly good rare Babe Ruth jersey and watching Ryan Leaf's NFL career implode before it began.

Our Guest
Tracy Hackler has spent the majority of his career talking about sports trading cards. You know those 2 ½ x 3 ½ pieces of cardboard gold that many of us collected as kids. So yes, he’s got a better job than you do. For more than a decade now Tracy has been running point on all communications and marketing for Panini America, the collectibles giant based in Dallas-Fort Worth. Panini produces official trading cards for the NFL, NBA, college football and NASCAR as well as baseball and World Cup soccer cards. Over the past couple of years – and especially the past few months – Panini and the entire sports collectibles category has enjoyed a revival of sorts. Sports cards are super cool again and innovators like Tracy continue to push the envelope to make guys like us want to dig into our savings accounts to buy the next ultra-limited edition titanium-infused autograph jersey card of Zion Williamson.

3:35 – “I can retire now.”
Sports memorabilia guru, and all-around great guy Tracy Hackler chops it up with Rudy and Tom. Rudy also takes a victory lap over his first-ever brilliant guest introduction.

4:39 – “It’s been a pretty surreal six months.”
Tracy talks about the resurgence in popularity of sports trading cards and memorabilia.

5:50 – “Anaheim ’91 was kinda the Catalina Wine Mixer for card people.”
The National as it’s known is THE event if you’re a collector. We’re dropping knowledge all over the place in this podcast!

6:55 – “From the late 90s to 2010 . . .”
The proliferation of products and innovations beyond just cards has moved the entire industry forward. Jerseys, bats, cleats, socks . . . Panini destroys it all and puts it in your hands.

8:40 – “The more peculiar the item . . .”
Tracy discusses NASCAR tires and other hand-made items that have become cards and collectibles.

9:28 – “I really don’t die inside.”
Tracy explains how players have become savvy to the value of their jerseys and memorabilia in general. He also relays the story of cutting up one of three known Babe Ruth jerseys which means he’s certainly going to be haunted by The Babe either now or in the future.

11:20 – “How do they matter?”
Rudy asks about jersey numbers and cards and how the two intersect. For example, a John Elway card that is #7 of 50 in existence commands a premium price. Again, the more you know.

12:56 – “An education at a small liberal arts institution in the northeast.”
The value of cards and memorabilia has exploded with collectors and even investors getting into the act.

14:43 – “That is a great question and I’m glad you asked that.”
Naturally a great question to Tracy about how a change of uniform number or a change of teams/uniforms affects both the sentimental and monetary value of cards and memorabilia for collectors.

16:12 – “The NBA has always been really forward thinking.”
Tracy discusses the NBA’s approach to appealing to an international audience and the effect of increased education from Players Associations.

18:24 – “Tracy was at the crossroads of greatness and not greatness.”
It is revealed that Tracy was the unnamed friend who had a front row seat to watch Ryan Leaf’s NFL career implode before it ever began at the Quarterback Challenge in 1998.

Thanks to Tracy Hackler. Check him out on the Interwebs at https://www.paniniamerica.net