Nostalgia and new obsessions: What you’ll find at the Northeast Sports Card Expo

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Like his brothers, Tom Pepdjonovic has been collecting baseball cards for decades. His expert advice for keeping a sports card in good shape?

“Don’t stick ‘em in your bicycle spokes,” he said with a laugh.

The statement evokes a nostalgic image — and perhaps even sound — for many, including myself. It’s this same fond feeling that’s center stage at the Northeast Sports Card Expo, a card collectors’ convention that Tom has been organizing with his brothers, Steve and George Pepdjonovic, since 2022.

Happening 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 “largest in New England” with even bigger, 400-table card show in Marlborough this June.)

I spoke with Tom and Steve, two-thirds of the team behind the convention, to learn more about what 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 that you can count. They also passed along a few tips for seasoned card collectors, too.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Hanna Ali: How long have you been into baseball cards? What inspired you and your brothers to first organize this event?

Steve Pepdjonovic: So there’s a history there, with the three of us, that goes back decades. When he was 20, [my brother] George opened up a baseball card shop in Quincy. Tom and I were teenagers at the time, and we would work for him behind the counter. That was our first job, apart from the paper routes we had a few years before.

Tom Pepdjonovic: It’s just been something that we’ve always enjoyed, so doing these card shows together is a nice way for us to kind of have fun with it. That’s our main goal, really, is to have fun along with everybody else that does attend our shows.

HA: What can people expect when they come to the Northeast Card Expo?

Steve: Visitors can expect a lot! We’ve got something for everyone. There are sports cards and non-sports cards, like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. We have vendors who sell all kinds of memorabilia, like vintage toys, VHS tapes, and collectibles. We’ll also have some celebrity autograph guests and raffles both days.

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’ll also have a New England-based [card] grading company, The Grading Authority, on site. They’ll be taking grading submissions.

And sports mascots! In the past, we’ve had Wally from the Red Sox. This time, we have the New England Revolution and Boston Bruins mascots coming.

HA: What are some of the rarest cards on display at the Expo?

Tom: We don’t really know what the vendors bring before the show, but we have had some iconic cards before. We’ve had one of the most iconic cards in the hobby, a 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card, in the past. And there’s old tobacco cards from the early 1900s, which are very expensive.

HA: Are there any coveted sports cards depicting newer players?

Tom: Shohei [Ohtani] is obviously a big name. He has a variety of cards, which are very in demand and also very expensive. Luka [Dončić], from the Dallas Mavericks, is a very popular basketball card. And Jayson Tatum, obviously a local guy, he’s very popular also.

It all depends on the card itself and what you’re looking for. Some people like numbered cards and some people like autographed cards. But those are probably some of the more popular ones now.

HA: Will card collecting ever go digital?

Tom: I hope not. I’m sure there’s going to be some type of digital cards that will be out there for sure. But as a collector myself, I’d like to hold the item and I’d like to look at the item, whatever it may be. I think that’s the most enjoyable part of the hobby.

Steve: When you have something, you want to be able to hold it to display it. I’m sure you can display digital things, of course. But there’s a connection that people have to [physical] items that is really apparent with collectibles because there’s so much nostalgia and so much emotion associated with those things.

HA: Should card collectors get their valuable cards graded?

Tom: It really does depend on the card — when it was produced, how [many of them] were produced. It’s up to the collector, but if it’s in nice condition, and if it’s a rare card, you probably should grade it.

Old cards, usually, are valuable — something from 1952, for example — even if it’s in good condition and not great, it’s still valuable. Keep an eye out for autographs or numbers, too.

On average, grading can cost $15 to $40. Though, if it’s an especially valuable card, like worth $10,000 or something, it might cost like $1,000 to get graded. But that’s a rare instance.

HA: How legit are apps that claim to scan your cards and give you a value?

Tom: Some of those apps can give you an idea of a card’s value, but if you want a hard grade, you’re better off handing it to somebody who can physically look at it and see if there’s any defects that weren’t picked up by the app.

HA: What if I don’t know much about trading cards? Should I still go to the Expo?

Steve: We think people are just gonna really enjoy the experience. The vibe is fun. It’s energetic. And if they’re not a collector, they might walk out as one!

P.S. — Speaking of baseball, the Red Sox are set to play their fist game of the 2024 season this Thursday in Seattle. They’ll also be marking the 20th anniversary of the 2004 curse-breaking World Series win at their home opener on April 9, which will include a pin giveaway in tribute of the late Tim Wakefield. Read more about the details here.

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