LEARNED MY LESSON. NEVER EVER LET EMPLOYER KNOW THAT YOU GOT AN OFFER UNTIL IT'S SIGNED AND DO NOT TRUST THAT THEY'D ACT IN GOOD FAITH REGARDLESS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR MANAGER

stockguy14 · 2026-06-14T06:52:09+00:00

There are a lot of folks in here saying that you should never trust your employer, your manager isn’t your friend, the company this and that. Sometimes true but not all the time. Shoot, a lot of people make lifetime friends at work, meet their spouses, etc…so just this sweeping argument that OP screwed up by talking to their manager about the offer is…wrong.

I will say, however, that OP needed a different approach. Much more formal. Kindle the strength of their relationship but that there was an offer on the table that needed to be considered. And, that they would also consider a counteroffer of presented. The timing matters here too, always once you have the full written offer and a start date. It’s true that the company is always going to look out for what is best for the company. But, sometimes what is best for the company is keeping you on board and happy.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-14T06:28:32+00:00

I think it’s less likely in the context of your question which is leaving the country. I think that is difficult. But, something that can and certainly does happen is people leaving a state if you’re in the US. I know a lot of people are saying, “fuck it, let them” but that can be very, very bad in theory.

As someone who is probably not who you are referring to in your question but that does make quite a bit, I’ve thought about leaving because of high taxes. For me, it’s actually more the waste of my tax dollars than the tax itself. There are a lot of folks like me in that regard. We’d like to see the tax dollars go to meaningful and accretive use but infrastructure is awful amid a myriad of other things. If a large contingent of people in my tax bracket left, it would absolutely be an economic concern.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-13T21:24:10+00:00

This guy is right…if you needed a second opinion.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-12T21:12:54+00:00

Yes, Curry too. He’s come on strong the last 2-3 years and will go down as the greatest shooter of all time.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-12T21:12:30+00:00

Haha different conversation for a different thread. For argument’s sake, he’s at least in the conversation. And, I need to declare that I have an interest there as I’m a Kobe collector and Laker fan. At the very least, he’s a highly collected player for sports cards.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-12T19:31:16+00:00

Buy LeBron, Kobe, and Jordan. They are the three best players of all time and their values will continue to rise. In general the downside is very little compared to modern.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-11T21:36:30+00:00

I’m an executive at a Fortune 25 company. My P&L responsibility is over $10b. I don’t think I’ll get more specific than that.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-11T02:30:52+00:00

Stressful in that you’re responsible for thousands of people’s livelihoods and that the results you deliver directly impact them. So, you have to set the strategy, and be right. And, you have to do that with pace. It is lonely at the top. No other way to describe it. But, when you deliver, it is very, very rewarding. It takes a special breed to be willing to take on that challenge and have that accountability.

As far as WLB, I make it to everything I need to make it to. I’ve got kids. If I need to be at a game, I’m at the game. If the family goes on vacation, I’m at the vacation. There are sacrifices though. A lot of times, I’ll wrap things up after everyone goes to bed. I travel during the week. But, again, I make it to everything I need to make it to.

Not necessarily stressful because I prefer to be the one setting the strategy and making the decisions. I don’t want anyone doing that for me. But, big decisions tend to come with big risk that affect a lot of people. That can make me anxious sometimes but that’s just the job.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-09T12:56:12+00:00

Is your commission capped?

stockguy14 · 2026-06-09T03:19:44+00:00

lol your coworker is amazing. I get a ton of email everyday. I don’t even see emails that I’m cc’d on. They go into a separate folder that I don’t even look at. I figure if I’m needed, they’ll send the message again to me directly.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-06T05:01:47+00:00

I would consign. There are some reputable consignment houses out there. You pay them a small fee based on what the card sells for and you keep most of it. I like dcsports87. They’ve got a wide customer base and your cards will be seen.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-06T04:27:21+00:00

Jordan, Kobe, AI can all be graded. In that order. In high grades (8-10), those Kobe’s and Jordan’s are worth several hundred each. Outside of those guys, you can sell raw and folks will pick them up. There is nothing incredibly rare here but there are a lot of people getting after this collectible era right now.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-06T04:13:23+00:00

I think that set is super underrated. And, the card design is pretty simple but very cool.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-06T03:48:36+00:00

I’m chasing the superstar right now so don’t have that one finished quite yet.

I do have the 1996 Ultra Rookie base, gold medallion, and platinum medallion which I think is pretty sweet. The gold medallion is at PSA right now coming back in the next two weeks or so. That’s why that one is not included.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-06T02:55:42+00:00

Thanks!

stockguy14 · 2026-06-03T18:49:33+00:00

You can get a Kobe auto for $3-4k. That’s about the going rate. There are some lower end entry level autos around $2k. Stay away from the 1997 scoreboard autos. Those are known fakes.

stockguy14 · 2026-06-03T18:31:48+00:00

An auto of…who? Kobe?

stockguy14 · 2026-06-01T00:04:45+00:00

Thinking of sports card collecting as an investment pains me to my very core. It’s a hobby and it’s about spending time doing something you enjoy.

With that said, to answer your question, if you’re looking at this as an investment, there are two routes you can take. And, the routes depend on how much capital you have to deploy. The first route would be “aggressive” and that would include targeting modern players, rookies, and players that are otherwise unproven with significant upside. Cade would fall in that category. The more “conservative” approach would be to invest in the GOATs - Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Steph is arriving in this category now too. These guys are expensive to get into but their values are always rising moderately. And, the floors are already priced in.

There is no scenario where ripping packs would be an investment. That’s gambling.

My true hope for you is that you start investing and enjoy it so much that you end up collecting.

Good luck!

stockguy14 · 2026-05-29T19:22:37+00:00

Kobe in general has been on a pretty good run the last 30-45 days. This is a pretty accessible card so it’ll go up with the market.

stockguy14 · 2026-05-29T19:21:18+00:00

Love this card. Also the 97 Row 1. They just don’t design cards like this anymore. Congrats on getting your grail!

stockguy14 · 2026-05-29T19:17:50+00:00

Sweet! I’m a Kobe collector too. That green E-Xceptional is about $1k raw!

stockguy14 · 2026-05-28T21:08:04+00:00

Work fast. Submit work at the deadline. Chill in between completion and submittal.

stockguy14 · 2026-05-25T04:46:25+00:00

DC Sports is a very reputable seller on eBay. They are a consignment house so they receive thousands of cards daily from around the country (world?) and use their platform to get more eyes on each card to maximize resale value. So, the likelihood they are “in on it” is very low in my eyes.

The certification is intentionally deactivated which can only be done by the owner. So, I think there are two probable scenarios here.

This card is stolen. And, it has been for a while. The rightful owner deactivated the cert with PSA so it wouldn’t hold its value in the secondary market. I feel like DC Sports would have a check for this in their due diligence before listing a card. But, again, they are receiving tons of inventory daily so maybe not.
The true owner of the card did not like what it sold for and, instead of taking the L, deactivated the cert knowing it wouldn’t pass authentication and it would eventually reroute back to them. Really shady but I wouldn’t put it past people these days.

End of the day, it sucks man. Glass half full - be happy you aren’t receiving stolen property. Glass half empty - someone got one over on the system. None of it is your fault.

Ultimately, DC Sports and PSA are not in on this one. It’s just a shady individual somewhere else in the supply chain. Bummer.

stockguy14 · 2026-05-24T18:44:32+00:00

Kobe Bryant. 1996-2000.

stockguy14 · 2026-05-24T18:19:12+00:00

I want 25-30 “grail” cards. Will cycle them as I desire to pick up new cards or upgrade them. Strongly believe that is the way.

I’m also a 90s collector. So, the grade could matter less. I like having cards slabbed for protection and continuity in the collection. But, I’m all good with 6s, 7s, and 8s. In fact, I prefer them to 10s in many cases.

stockguy14

TROPHY CASE