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Andy Jones. Esquire

@thirdgradehater

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Event Revenue & Experiential Marketing
2,400+ Live Events | $100M+ Direct Event Revenue
Author, The Event Revenue Engine
Events • Marketing

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Well, so much for my plan!

When I submitted my Michael Jordan card to M1NT, I decided I wasn't going to look at the grade until the finished G1 case arrived.

I wanted to open the package, see my Jordan in its new case, and discover the grade for the first time.

Then I received an email from M1NT.

My card had returned from MBA grading, and I had 48 hours to make any final changes before the case moved into engraving.

M1NT gives collectors the option of having their numerical grade laser-etched onto the case or displaying an "A" for Authentic instead.

It's another detail I appreciate about their process. They're giving collectors control over how their cards are presented.

But it created a dilemma for me.

I had already decided that I wanted the numerical grade displayed.

Technically, I didn't need to do anything.

However, with a card this important to me, I wasn't comfortable moving forward without opening the link and making absolutely sure everything was correct.

So much for the surprise!

I opened the link and saw the grade.

I also emailed M1NT to confirm that I wanted the numerical grade engraved on my G1. Everything is now moving forward.

Here's where I'm changing my original plan.

I know the grade, but I'm not revealing it yet.

I'm going to wait until the finished G1 arrives. That's when I'll reveal the grade and show everyone the completed case.

I've documented this experience from the beginning, and I want to see it through to the very end.

Now I just need to exercise a little patience.

The grade reveal is coming! by @thirdgradehater

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8 hours ago

Next up from the Philly Card Show is Pristine Auction.

This is a good example of a booth that does more than promote a business. It gives attendees an opportunity to participate in that business right there at the event.

The branding is excellent. You cannot miss the Pristine Auction name, and the display cases filled with sports memorabilia and collectibles give people a reason to stop.

But my favorite part is the enormous digital screen displaying their live auctions.

You can see the items, current bids and countdown timers. There's even a QR code inviting attendees to join, bid and potentially win.

Think about what that accomplishes.

Instead of simply telling people about their auction platform and hoping they remember to visit it later, Pristine Auction gives them an opportunity to experience it immediately.

Someone walking by might see an item they're interested in, scan the QR code and start bidding.

That's exactly the kind of customer behavior I want to create at an event.
And it's measurable. Pristine Auction could track how many people register, participate in auctions and make purchases after engaging with the booth.

The booth isn't just creating awareness. It's creating opportunities for actual transactions.

That's the difference between showing people what your business does and giving them an opportunity to do business with you.

Pristine Auction passes The Walk By Test. by @thirdgradehater

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12 hours ago

I have an update on my M1NT Case journey.

My Michael Jordan card has officially returned from MBA grading!

I received an email from Collin at M1NT letting me know that the grade was ready and explaining the next step in the process.

M1NT gives customers 48 hours to make any final decisions before their case moves into engraving. You can choose to have the numerical grade displayed on the case or simply have it marked Authentic.

I really like that they give collectors this option and the opportunity to make that final decision before engraving begins.

Something else worth mentioning is the turnaround time.

From the day I shipped my card to M1NT to receiving notification that grading was complete, just 32 days. That includes shipping across the country, M1NT receiving the card, and overnight shipping to MBA for its five-day grading service.

That's impressive.

What continues to stand out to me, though, is the communication and transparency throughout the process.

Collin has been excellent about keeping me informed, answering questions, and explaining exactly what happens next.

For a premium product like the G1, those details matter.

Now that grading is complete, we're moving into the final stages of engraving and encapsulation.

I'm getting closer to seeing my Jordan in its finished G1 case, and I'm really looking forward to it! by @thirdgradehater

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a day ago

Next up from the Philly Card Show is PC Sports Cards.

Here's a booth that understands the importance of telling potential customers exactly why they should stop.

PC Sports Cards is a card dealer and consignment business, and they've done an excellent job communicating what they offer.

The branding is prominent, the booth is clean, and the display cases give collectors something to look at.

But what really caught my attention was the messaging.
BOOSTED PAYOUTS

Their large banner immediately communicates a benefit. Below that, they highlight uncapped payouts, competitive rates, same-day submissions, direct payments to collectors and real-time inventory tracking.

They even display their relationships with eBay and Goldin.

Think about that from the attendee's perspective.

If I'm walking through the show with cards I'm considering consigning, they've already given me several reasons to stop and have a conversation.

They're not making me guess what they do or why I should choose them.

And that's where this booth becomes more than just good branding.

The messaging is doing some of the selling before an employee ever speaks to a potential customer.

It also gives their team an opportunity to spend more time discussing actual submissions rather than explaining the basics of their business.

That's what I want to see at events.
A booth that attracts the right people, communicates a clear benefit and creates opportunities for meaningful business conversations.

PC Sports Cards passes The Walk By Test.

Don't just tell attendees who you are. Give them a reason to do business with you. by @thirdgradehater

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2 days ago

I continue this week with reviews from the recent Philly Card Show with Heritage Auctions.

Heritage consistently does something at events that I wish more companies would do.

They bring their product.

Look at this booth.

Two large, illuminated display cases filled with trading cards and sports memorabilia. Strong branding, plenty of room to approach the displays, and tables where interested collectors can speak with the Heritage team.

The display cases are the stars of this booth.

Heritage brings collectibles from upcoming auctions, giving attendees the opportunity to see items in person that they might otherwise only see in photographs online.

That's important.

Someone walking past may have no intention of participating in an auction. But seeing an incredible piece of sports history sitting in a display case can change that.

Now they're stopping.

They're looking.

They're asking questions.

And Heritage has an opportunity to turn that interest into a future bidder or consignor.

That's where I think this booth is particularly effective.

Heritage isn't simply advertising upcoming auctions. They're using the actual collectibles to create interest in those auctions.

If I were looking for one improvement, I would make the next step more visible. A prominent message inviting attendees to explore upcoming auctions or discuss consigning would help turn that initial interest into action.

And that's what I would want to measure. Not simply how many people stopped to admire the displays, but how many became registered bidders, potential consignors or eventual customers.

Overall, Heritage has built a booth that gives attendees a genuine reason to stop

Getting someone's attention is the first step. What you do with that attention determines the business opportunity.

Heritage passes The Walk By Test. by @thirdgradehater

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2 days ago

Something we’ve lost in the era of digital tickets that I really miss.

The actual ticket.

I’m heading to another Tennessee football game, and like everyone else, my ticket is now on my phone.

It’s convenient. It’s easy. But something is missing.

For years, fans like me saved the tickets from games we attended. They became little pieces of history. You could pull one out decades later and immediately remember the game, who you were with and what happened that day.

Today, that tradition is disappearing.

Some schools offer fans the opportunity to purchase commemorative paper tickets after the game, but it’s not the same as keeping the actual ticket you used to walk through the gate.

Interestingly, tickets have also become serious collectibles. More fans are having old tickets professionally graded, whether they’re from historic sporting events or simply games that hold special memories.

And now we’re no longer creating those same physical keepsakes.

I’ve attended Tennessee football games for more than four decades. I love having those old tickets and the memories that come with them.

I understand why we’ve moved to digital ticketing. There are plenty of advantages.

But sometimes, in making things more convenient, we lose something we didn’t realize was important until it was gone.

A ticket used to be more than admission to an event.

It was something you could keep long after the event was over. by @thirdgradehater

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4 days ago

35 years later, we're still uncovering the mystery behind the original Action Packed prototypes.

I've been researching the original seven prototypes featuring Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Sugar Ray Leonard, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Steve Yzerman.

I own both the Gold and Silver Jordan prototypes and have spoken directly with their original designer, Michael Jerchower.

Recently, we discovered something fascinating: an original Action Packed football sheet featuring all seven prototypes together, each appearing once in the visible layout.

That raises a major question. How many were actually produced?

Jerchower recalls approximately 100–150 Gold examples per athlete. However, Beckett reports that 1,000 Gretzky, 1,000 Lemieux, and 300 Yzerman prototypes were reportedly produced.

We haven't established where those figures originated or whether they describe the same stage of production.

We've now contacted former Action Packed personnel, Beckett, and collectors who own original uncut sheets.

Here's where I need the collecting community's help.

Did you work for Action Packed or Hi-Pro Marketing? Do you own any of these prototypes, original uncut sheets, or production materials? Do you know someone who might remember their creation?

I'd love to hear from you. Even the smallest piece of information could help solve this 35-year-old mystery.

Pictured: My Gold and Silver Michael Jordan prototypes.

#ActionPacked #MichaelJordan #SportsCards #TheHobby #CardCollecting by @thirdgradehater

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5 days ago

Next up from the Philly Card Show is 4 Sharp Corners.

There is a lot I like about this booth.

The branding is consistent and easy to see. Their table cover also immediately gives you a pretty good idea of what they do:
BUY • SELL • CONSIGN • GRADE

But my favorite part of this booth is actually the two pop-up banners.

They show their fee structure.

Right there.

No asking someone.

No searching a website.

No scanning a QR code just to find out what it costs.

They break down the fees based on the selling price of the card, with separate information for raw and graded cards.

Within a few seconds, I can look at those signs and decide whether their service makes sense for me.

That's incredibly effective.

We hear people complain all the time about hidden costs and fees.

Sometimes you don't find out what something really costs until you're already deep into the process.

4 Sharp Corners does the opposite.

They put the numbers right in front of you.
And there's another benefit to doing that.

It helps qualify the customer before anyone even has a conversation.

If I like the fee structure, now I have a reason to stop and talk.

If I don't, I keep walking.

Either way, nobody's time was wasted.

That's good event communication.

Make it easy to understand. Make it easy to decide. Make it easy to take the next step.

4 Sharp Corners passes The Walk By Test. by @thirdgradehater

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6 days ago

I love finding new tools that actually make collecting easier.

At the recent Dallas Card Show, I met Peter, the creator of @beekn.app, and he showed me the new app he's developed.

I've been using it ever since, and I'm impressed!

As someone who searches for some nearly impossible-to-find cards, I spend a ridiculous amount of time checking different marketplaces.

Beekn does that work for me.

You tell it which cards you're looking for, including specific grades and prices, and it continuously searches marketplaces including eBay, Fanatics Collect, Goldin and independent card shops.

It runs 24 hours a day. When it finds a match, you receive a notification and a direct link to the listing.

It also offers a want list and a bounty page.

Since I started using it, Beekn has already found listings for cards I've had an incredibly difficult time tracking down.

And here's another great part.

It's completely FREE during its beta period.

I love seeing people bring new ideas and technology into the hobby, especially when those ideas solve problems collectors deal with every day.

Peter has created something genuinely useful, and I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes it.

If you're hunting for cards that rarely come up for sale, this is definitely worth checking out.

https://beekn.app

Less time searching. More time collecting by @thirdgradehater

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6 days ago

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6 days ago

10

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7 days ago

Next up from the Philly Card Show is REA — Robert Edward Auctions.

This is a simple booth, but it works.

REA comes to shows for two primary reasons.

They want collectors to consign cards and memorabilia to their upcoming auctions.

And they want collectors to see some of the incredible items that will be available in those auctions.

That's something I've always liked about what REA does at events.

They bring actual items from upcoming auctions and put them on display.

It gives collectors an opportunity to see something in person they may eventually bid on online.

That's smart.

You're not just telling me an auction is coming.

You're giving me a reason to become interested in it while I'm standing in front of you.

The booth itself is straightforward.

REA is prominently displayed on the table covers and backdrop. The backdrop uses images of recognizable collectibles and reinforces what they're about with:
"The most trusted name."
"The most iconic items."
"Hobby's best results."

And REA.com is right there.

Could they add something more explicit like "Consign With REA" to make that part of the booth's purpose even clearer? I think so.

But overall, this booth does what it needs to do.

I know who they are.

The imagery tells me they're dealing with significant collectibles.

The actual auction items give me a reason to stop.

And once I stop, REA has the opportunity to talk to me about buying, bidding or consigning.

That's a good example of understanding what you want your booth to accomplish and building around it.

REA passes The Walk By Test. by @thirdgradehater

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8 days ago