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Like his brothers, Tom Pepdjonovich has been collecting baseball cards for decades. His expert advice for keeping a sports card in good shape?
“Don’t put them in the spokes of your bike,” he said with a laugh.
The statement evokes a nostalgic image – and maybe even a sound – for many, including myself. It’s that same feel-good feeling that’s at the heart of the Northeast Sports Card Expo, a convention for card collectors that Tom has been organizing with his brothers Steve and George Pepdjonovich since 2022.
Taking place today and tomorrow at the Marriott Hotel in Quincy, the Northeast Sports Card Expo is currently one of the largest trading card shows in the state. (The brothers plan to secure the official title of “biggest in Massachusetts” with an even bigger 400-table card show in Marlboro this June.)
I spoke with Tom and Steve, two-thirds of the team behind the convention, to learn more about the curiosities visitors can expect to see at the Northeast Sports Card Expo this weekend, whether you’re new to the collecting game or have more cards to spare. count. They also passed on some tips for seasoned card collectors.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Hannah Ali: How long have you been dealing with baseball cards? What inspired you and your brothers to organize this event in the first place?
Steve Pepdjonovich: So there’s a history there, with the three of us, that goes back decades. When he was 20, [my brother] George opened a baseball card store in Quincy. Tom and I were teenagers at the time and we worked for him behind the counter. This was our first job other than the paper routes we had a few years ago.
Tom Pepdjonovic: It’s just something we’ve always enjoyed, so making these show cards together is a nice way for us to have fun with it. That’s our main goal, really, is to have fun along with everyone else who attends our shows.
HA: What can people expect when they come to the Northeast Card Expo?
Steve: Visitors can expect a lot! We have something for everyone. There are sports cards and non-sports cards, such as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. We have vendors selling all kinds of memorabilia such as vintage toys, VHS tapes and collectibles. Both days we will have celebrity autograph guests and raffles.
One of our other focuses is trying to stay local. Our artist who designed the original show poster [for the Expo] is from Weymouth. We will also have one based in New England [card] grading company, The Grading Authority, on site. They will accept papers for evaluation.
And sports mascots! We’ve had Wally from the Red Sox in the past. This time, the New England Revolution and Boston Bruins mascots are coming.
HA: What are some of the rarest cards on display at the show?
Tom: We don’t really know what the sellers are offering before the show, but we’ve had some iconic cards before. We’ve had one of the most iconic cards in the hobby in the past, a Mickey Mantle rookie card from 1952. And there are old tobacco cards from the early 1900s that are very expensive.
HA: Are there any coveted sports cards featuring newer players?
Tom: Shohei [Ohtani] obviously a big name. It has a variety of cards that are in high demand and also very expensive. Luka [Dončić], by the Dallas Mavericks, is a very popular basketball card. And Jayson Tatum, obviously a local guy, he’s also very popular.
It all depends on the card itself and what you are looking for. Some people like numbered cards and others like autographed cards. But these are probably some of the most popular now.
HA: Will card collecting ever go digital?
Tom: I hope not. I’m sure there will be some kind of digital maps that will definitely be there. But as a collector myself, I would like to hold the item and I would like to look at it, whatever it is. I think this is the most enjoyable part of the hobby.
Steve: When you have something, you want to be able to hold it to show it off. I’m sure you can display digital stuff of course. But there is a connection that people must have [physical] items that are really obvious with collectibles because there is so much nostalgia and so much emotion attached to these things.
HA: Should card collectors appraise their treasured cards?
Tom: It really depends on the card – when it was produced, how [many of them] were produced. It depends on the collector, but if it’s in good condition and if it’s a rare card, you should probably value it.
Old cards are usually valuable – something from 1952, for example – even if it’s in good condition and not great, it’s still valuable. Also look out for autographs or numbers.
On average, an appraisal can cost $15 to $40. However, if it’s a particularly valuable card, say worth $10,000 or something like that, it might cost around $1,000 to get it appraised. But this is a rare case.
HA: How legitimate are the apps that claim to scan your cards and give you value?
Tom: Some of these apps can give you an idea of the card’s value, but if you want a hard estimate, it’s better to give it to someone who can physically look at it and see if there are any defects that weren’t detected by the app .
HA: What if I don’t know much about exchange cards? Should I still go to the Expo?
Steve: We think people will really enjoy the experience. The atmosphere is fun. It’s energetic. And if they’re not collectors, they might leave as one!
PS — Speaking of baseball, the Red Sox will play their first game of the 2024 season this Thursday in Seattle. They will also mark the 20th anniversary of winning the 2004 World Series in their home opener on April 9, which will include a pin giveaway honoring the late Tim Wakefield. Read more about the details here.
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