Happy Hobby Sports Cards Podcast: Build a better sports card collection on a real-world budget.
Like opening a pack — you never know what you'll find! David Gonos (FSWA Hall of Famer, ex-CBS/SI/The Athletic) shares hobby news, new releases, vintage deep dives, and budget strategies with a positive, family-friendly vibe.
Weekly episodes cover:
• Great buying/selling tips for improving your sports card collection
• Topics built with the goal of educating new and Comeback Collectors alike
• Sports card history & nostalgic memories
• Vintage player stories
New episodes drop every Tuesday morning with a fun look at cardboard collecting in the 21st century.
8.2K+ YouTube subs | 1.3K newsletter readers
Free Happy Hobby Collection Checklist 👉 https://gonos.substack.com/p/your-free-sports-card-tool-the-happy
Subscribe at gonos.substack.com
Have a Happy Hobby!
gonos.substack.com (https://gonos.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Ranking the Top 50 Junk Wax Era Football Cards! - Ep. 3.39
This episode explores Scott Hedrick’s ranking of the Top 50 Junk Wax Football Cards, using 1981–1995 as the era’s boundaries.
The top five: 1981 Topps Joe Montana, 1989 Score Barry Sanders, 1984 Topps John Elway, 1984 Topps Dan Marino, and 1986 Topps Jerry Rice.
Standout sets: Why 1984 Topps, 1986 Topps, and 1989 Score feature so prominently in the countdown.
Beyond rookie cards: First Topps NFL cards of former USFL players and a memorable 1985 Topps Walter Payton.
Four for Emmitt: Emmitt Smith leads the list with four cards from his rookie season.
Collecting memories: Bo Jackson, Brian Bosworth, William “The Refrigerator” Perry, and Icky Woods.
Personal picks and omissions: My love for Barry Sanders’ 1989 Pro Set card, plus cases for Vinny Testaverde, Cris Carter’s Topps rookie, and Junior Seau.
Find the full ranking and links to the cards at DavidGonos.com (http://DavidGonos.com).
Which cards would you rank higher, and which missing card deserves a spot? If you add one, tell me who you’d bump out!
Happy Hobby Toolbox
Ding Defend card-shipping protectors: https://dingdefend.com/ (https://dingdefend.com/collections/shipping-protectors)
Use code HAPPYHOBBY for 10% off your first purchase of $40 or more.
Disclosure: Happy Hobby may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
🏆 BEST ROOKIE CARDS FROM EVERY YEAR! 🏆
We list the best rookie cards from each flagship release in all four major sports since the 1950s.
Best MLB Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/who-are-the-best-rookies-from-each-topps-baseball-set/)
Best NFL Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/best-football-rookie-cards-from-every-nfl-year/)
Best NBA Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/who-are-the-best-basketball-rookie-cards-from-each-nba-season/)
Best WNBA Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/best-wnba-rookie-cards-ever/)
Best NHL Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/best-hockey-rookie-cards/)
The Happy Hobby Sports Cards World
📺 YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/davidgonos): 9.7K Subscribers
📬 Newsletter (https://gonos.substack.com/): 1.8K readers
🎙️ Podcast (https://gonos.substack.com/podcast): 500+ podcast downloads/episode
🌐 DavidGonos.com (https://davidgonos.com/) - 1K daily visits
Our podcasts were ranked by MillionPodcasts.com as one of the Top 10 Basketball Card Podcasts (https://www.millionpodcasts.com/basketball-card-podcasts/), Top 10 Football Card Podcasts (https://www.millionpodcasts.com/football-card-podcasts/) and Top 10 Hockey Card Podcasts (https://www.millionpodcasts.com/hockey-card-podcasts/)! And we’re aiming to get ranked among the Top 10 Baseball Card Podcasts!
Happy Hobby! Build a better sports card collection on a real-world budget!
Subscribe to the free Happy Hobby Sports Cards newsletter: https://gonos.substack.com/ (https://gonos.substack.com/)
Get full access to Happy Hobby Sports Cards Newsletter For Collectors! at gonos.substack.com/subscribe (https://gonos.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
29 Sept 2026
What 50 Years of Collecting Sports Cards Taught Me - Ep. 3.37
7 Sports Card Newsletters Worth Adding to Your Inbox
David recommends seven sports card newsletters that each serve a different kind of collector. The conversation covers J.R. Fickle’s entertaining Mantel’s Mail Day, Evan Parker’s Above the Mantel, Sooz’s industry-informed Card Chat, vintage discoveries from Post War Cards, collector commentary from Trading Card Dumpster Fire, practical flipping lessons from Ballcard Genius, basketball coverage from Conor Collects and modern hobby trends from The Hobby Wire. There’s also a bonus recommendation for design and photography fans: Beauty of a Game.
Newsletters mentioned
Mantel: https://mantel.beehiiv.com/ (https://mantel.beehiiv.com/)
Card Chat: https://cardchat.substack.com/ (https://cardchat.substack.com/)
Post War Cards: https://postwarcards.substack.com/ (https://postwarcards.substack.com/)
Trading Card Dumpster Fire: https://tradingcarddumpsterfire.substack.com/ (https://tradingcarddumpsterfire.substack.com/)
Ballcard Genius: https://ballcardgenius.substack.com/ (https://ballcardgenius.substack.com/)
Conor Collects: https://conorcollects.substack.com/ (https://conorcollects.substack.com/)
The Hobby Wire: https://www.thehobbywire.com/ (https://www.thehobbywire.com/)
Bonus — Beauty of a Game: https://beautyofagame.substack.com/ (https://beautyofagame.substack.com/)
Happy Hobby Toolbox
Ding Defend card-shipping protectors: https://dingdefend.com/ (https://dingdefend.com/collections/shipping-protectors)
Use code HAPPYHOBBY for 10% off your first purchase of $40 or more.
Disclosure: Happy Hobby may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
🏆 BEST ROOKIE CARDS FROM EVERY YEAR! 🏆
We list the best rookie cards from each flagship release in all four major sports since the 1950s.
Best MLB Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/who-are-the-best-rookies-from-each-topps-baseball-set/)
Best NFL Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/best-football-rookie-cards-from-every-nfl-year/)
Best NBA Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/who-are-the-best-basketball-rookie-cards-from-each-nba-season/)
Best WNBA Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/best-wnba-rookie-cards-ever/)
Best NHL Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/best-hockey-rookie-cards/)
The Happy Hobby Sports Cards World
📺 YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/davidgonos): 9.7K Subscribers
📬 Newsletter (https://gonos.substack.com/): 1.8K readers
🎙️ Podcast (https://gonos.substack.com/podcast): 500+ podcast downloads/episode
🌐 DavidGonos.com (https://davidgonos.com/) - 1K daily visits
Our podcasts were ranked by MillionPodcasts.com as one of the Top 10 Basketball Card Podcasts (https://www.millionpodcasts.com/basketball-card-podcasts/), Top 10 Football Card Podcasts (https://www.millionpodcasts.com/football-card-podcasts/) and Top 10 Hockey Card Podcasts (https://www.millionpodcasts.com/hockey-card-podcasts/)! And we’re aiming to get ranked among the Top 10 Baseball Card Podcasts!
Happy Hobby! Build a better sports card collection on a real-world budget!
Subscribe to the free Happy Hobby Sports Cards newsletter: https://gonos.substack.com/ (https://gonos.substack.com/)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gonos.substack.com (https://gonos.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
25 Sept 2026
Ranking the 7 Best 2026 Topps Update Rookie Cards - Ep. 3.37
Which 2026 Topps Update rookie cards belong on your collecting radar? In this bonus episode, David Gonos brings his video countdown to the podcast, covering six top picks and one wildcard with room to move up.
The lineup includes Kevin McGonigle, JJ Wetherholt, Konnor Griffin, Carson Benge, Travis Bazzana, TJ Rumfield and wildcard Justin Crawford. Follow along, compare the picks with your own favorites, and tell us which rookie you think we’re overlooking!
Read the full rankings and find the card numbers here:https://davidgonos.com/best-2026-topps-update-rookie-cards/ (https://davidgonos.com/best-2026-topps-update-rookie-cards/)
Happy Hobby!
Happy Hobby Toolbox
Ding Defend card-shipping protectors: https://dingdefend.com/ (https://dingdefend.com/collections/shipping-protectors)
Use code HAPPYHOBBY for 10% off your first purchase of $40 or more.
Disclosure: Happy Hobby may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
🏆 BEST ROOKIE CARDS FROM EVERY YEAR! 🏆
We list the best rookie cards from each flagship release in all four major sports since the 1950s.
Best MLB Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/who-are-the-best-rookies-from-each-topps-baseball-set/)
Best NFL Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/best-football-rookie-cards-from-every-nfl-year/)
Best NBA Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/who-are-the-best-basketball-rookie-cards-from-each-nba-season/)
Best WNBA Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/best-wnba-rookie-cards-ever/)
Best NHL Rookie Cards From Every Year! (https://davidgonos.com/best-hockey-rookie-cards/)
The Happy Hobby Sports Cards World
📺 YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/davidgonos): 9.7K Subscribers
📬 Newsletter (https://gonos.substack.com/): 1.8K readers
🎙️ Podcast (https://gonos.substack.com/podcast): 500+ podcast downloads/episode
🌐 DavidGonos.com (https://davidgonos.com/) - 1K daily visits
Our podcasts were ranked by MillionPodcasts.com as one of the Top 10 Basketball Card Podcasts (https://www.millionpodcasts.com/basketball-card-podcasts/), Top 10 Football Card Podcasts (https://www.millionpodcasts.com/football-card-podcasts/) and Top 10 Hockey Card Podcasts (https://www.millionpodcasts.com/hockey-card-podcasts/)! And we’re aiming to get ranked among the Top 10 Baseball Card Podcasts!
Happy Hobby! Build a better sports card collection on a real-world budget!
Subscribe to the free Happy Hobby Sports Cards newsletter: https://gonos.substack.com/ (https://gonos.substack.com/)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gonos.substack.com (https://gonos.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.7 / 5
15 ratings
Spotify
4.6 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 60 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
73
Social presence
94
YouTube
0
Engagement
71
Contact "Happy Hobby Sports Cards" Podcast!
Guest appearances
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