The Hobby Experience Newsletter WEEK 6 - Powered by The Grading Club

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Hobby Experience! We’re bringing you the latest updates on grading, special offers, product releases, and what’s happening in the UK card market, along with a preview of upcoming shows you won’t want to miss.

This week we look into:

- Why it’s a good time to buy trading cards
- PSA make some BIG changes to their Terms and Conditions
- Special Pokemon Grading Offer
- 2023-24 Topps Mercury: Victor Wembanyama
- Upcoming card shows in September
- What products are releasing this week
- Card of the Week
- Top 3 sport card sales from last week

UK Hobby
Why It’s a Good Time to Buy Trading Cards

As of the time of writing, the exchange rate between the £ and the $ is £0.75 to $1.00. This is the lowest it’s been since February 2022. To put that into context, if you were to buy a hobby box from the US for $500 today, it would cost you approximately £405. However, if you had bought the same $500 box in April 2024, it would have cost you £375!

Why is this important? A lot of people from the UK buy singles, boxes, supplies, and enter breaks from outside the UK, as they can often be found cheaper on sites like eBay. So, the stronger the pound is against the dollar, the more money we save—or better yet, the more money we have to spend on more cards! This affects the entire supply chain. If your supplier or hobby shop can import products for less, the price you pay also decreases. And if you buy directly from the US, you’ll benefit from a favourable currency exchange too.

Now is a great time if you’re regularly buying in dollars. Even if you had purchased just two weeks ago, that same $500 would have cost you £385 (approximately). As the saying goes, pennies turn into pounds. It’s always worth keeping an eye on the exchange rate, as it can change daily—sometimes drastically. Of course, there are still fees, taxes, and other factors to consider when making purchases, but overall, we’re in a better position to buy now than we have been in over two years. Great news for the card market!

UK Hobby
PSA Make Some BIG changes to their T + C’s

This is a significant shake-up that could affect cards you send to PSA, whether directly or through a group submitter. Not following these new terms could result in additional charges!

SHIPPING CARDS TO PSA

The first big change is that it is now mandatory to ship cards in card savers or semi-rigid holders. This has technically always been a rule, but it wasn’t strictly enforced. Now, PSA is going to be much stricter about it. The benefit is that this will speed up the grading process. We've always transferred cards from top loaders into semi-rigids before submitting for grading, but it’s good to note if you submit cards yourself. This is something to watch out for—also, no pull tabs!

UPCHARGES

This is a big one, especially if you’re submitting cards yourself. PSA can now charge up to an additional $500 if a card is deemed to be more valuable than the tier you selected. While this might sound like a downside, it’s actually a positive step toward speeding up the process. In the past, upcharges required manual approval, which could slow things down. Now, PSA will automatically charge your card, streamlining the whole process.

To avoid this, make sure you declare the correct values when submitting. Websites like 130point.com and cardladder.com are helpful for determining values. Remember, the declared value should be based on the card's value after it’s graded, not before (which can be a bit confusing).

CARD CLEANING

Perhaps the biggest change: PSA now officially considers cleaning your cards as "doctoring," which is forbidden. While this might be hard to enforce, PSA now has the legal right to charge you the grading fee without grading the card, and they could even seek compensatory damages. This is important to keep in mind when submitting your cards. As an approved PSA middleman, we also have to follow this rule. If we discover that your cards have been cleaned, we won’t submit them for grading, as we could be held liable. If we unknowingly send cleaned cards and PSA deems them altered, they will hold you responsible. It's important to understand this if you use any middleman service and check what their stance is.

Final Thoughts

Overall, these changes should have a positive impact on the grading process. Much of the terminology is there to give PSA the legal right to make decisions, but how strictly these rules are enforced remains to be seen. Follow the guidelines, and you’ll be fine!

Submission
Find our latest pricing and special offers below

To submit cards, head to our website www.thegradingclub.co.uk. Here, you can use our pricing calculator to see how much a submission would cost, and it will also tell you when the cards are due to be returned.

Here’s a guide on how to submit cards through the portal if you’ve never done it before.

SPECIAL OFFER

PSA Pokemon Offer - This is the lowest ever offer we've done for Pokemon. £12.50 per card! The offer will be on until 30th September. If you're submitting 30+ cards it will only be £11.50. Max declared value for each card will be £150. Great for the bulk collector. You can place orders through the website. Make sure to use the “PSA POKEMON OFFER” option.

PRODUCT REVIEW
2023-24 Topps Mercury: Victor Wembanyama

The highly anticipated 2023-24 Topps Mercury: Victor Wembanyama collection is released on October 9 rumoured to be $8000 a box! This premium trading card product celebrates the exceptional rookie season of Victor Wembanyama, one of the most exciting prospects in basketball. Packed with Chromium autographs, inscriptions, and game-worn memorabilia, this product is a must-have for collectors looking to own a piece of Wembanyama’s legendary debut season.

Each 2023-24 Topps Mercury box contains 8 encased cards, all sealed in a labeled foil wrap for added protection and presentation. Here’s what you can expect inside:

• 1 Autograph-Relic Card /99 or lower: Featuring game-worn jersey relics from Wembanyama’s rookie season, including historic moments such as his debut and his 1,000th career point. These low-numbered cards feature incredible patches, including rare Laundry Tags and Jumpman Logos, with details of the game on the back of every card.

• 1 Chromium Autograph Card /99 or lower: Highlighting 10 of the cards from the Wembanyama base checklist, these Chromium autograph cards include special inscriptions, including a 2023-24 Rookie of the Year autograph.

• 2 Chromium Base Cards: Featuring an all-Wemby 20-card checklist.

• 3 Chromium Base Parallel Cards /99 or lower: Chase a variety of stunning parallels, including Refractors #’d to 99, Alien Face Wave Refractors #’d to 5, and the ultra-rare 1/1 SuperFractors.

• 1 Chromium Insert Card /99 or lower: Showcasing retro Topps Chrome designs alongside new, original subsets, some parallels /10, /5, and 1/1 even include bonus on-card autographs of Wembanyama.

For those who love chasing ultra-rare hits, Dual Autographs are also available in this product. Limited to 10 copies or less, these cards pair Wembanyama with other legendary athletes and fellow Rookies of the Year, creating a truly unique collectible experience.

Why 2023-24 Topps Mercury: Victor Wembanyama Matters

What makes 2023-24 Topps Mercury: Victor Wembanyama so special is its exclusive focus on a single player—Wembanyama himself. This is a rare approach in the world of trading cards, and it highlights just how significant Wembanyama's rookie season has been. As the No. 1 overall pick and the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year, he’s living up to the immense expectations placed on him, and this product beautifully captures his journey with autographs, game-worn relics, and Chromium cards.

One of the key reasons to chase this product is the inclusion of Wembanyama’s first-ever Topps Rookie Patch Autograph. Featuring game-worn jerseys from milestone games, including his debut and his 1,000th career point, these cards are already being recognised as iconic. The combination of game-used memorabilia, Chromium designs, and on-card autographs ensures that every card is a premium collectible with substantial investment potential.

The Chase

Each box of 2023-24 Topps Mercury guarantees two on-card Wembanyama autographs, making it an appealing product for high-end collectors. Key cards to chase include 1/1 SuperFractors, Rookie Patch Autographs, and dual autographs that pair Wembanyama with sports legends such as LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and even 2023 Pro Football Offensive Rookie of the Year, CJ Stroud. With parallels as low as /99, /5, and even 1/1, collectors will have plenty of opportunities to pull rare and valuable cards.

In conclusion, 2023-24 Topps Mercury: Victor Wembanyama is a groundbreaking release that commemorates the incredible rookie season of a once-in-a-generation talent. Packed with autographs, game-used memorabilia, and stunning Chromium designs, this product is a must-have for serious collectors looking to own a piece of Wembanyama’s history. The price point will put a lot of people off but what could this product be worth in 10 years time? $8000 a box maybe a bargain!

CARD SHOWS
Upcoming Card Shows In September

This is not an exhaustive list of all the card shows that may be happening. These are just the ones we’ve attended and found major value from going.

28th September

The Southampton Card Show - A sports-only show with a true collector vibe. Here you’ll frequently see cards being traded and prices being haggled. Very welcoming to new collectors and seasoned collectors. Although Southampton may be a bit of a travel for some, once at the venue, the show, the hotels, and the trade night are all within a 30-second walk, so it’s very easy to pitch up for the weekend.

We’ll be here returning cards, taking in submissions, and offering pre-grades. Ticket prices start from £6.00. Contact Cardsails on Instagram to find out more.

Southampton Sportscard Show

Southampton and the South’s Best Sportscard Only show. Over 80 tables of showcases, this show is about the cards and nothing else

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/southampton-sportscard-show-tickets-875152062377?

PRODUCT RELEASE
Sport and Non Sport product releasing this week

25th September

27th September

CARD OF THE WEEK

HIGH VALUE CARDS

Top 3 Sport Card Sales From Last Week

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Thank you for being a part of our growing community! We’re thrilled to have you with us on this exciting journey through the world of sports cards. Keep an eye out for next week’s edition, packed with more insights, tips, and offers. And as always, we’re here to help you make the most of your collection – happy collecting!