I grew up a TBS kid.

Coming from south Alabama, there weren’t a lot of MLB teams to root for. The Marlins were an upstart. Pulling for the Yankees didn’t feel authentic. That meant summer afternoons watching Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, and whatever Braves lineup was on TBS — before the dynasty, just because they were my team. They werere were accessible; the were “America’s Team”.

I collected cards with my brother the way every kid did back then: stacks in a shoebox, working trades with friends, looking up values in a 3 month old “Beckett”, chasing and hoping for some high value card…but mostly just enjoying the combination of art and numbers that each card provides.

Then life - - and the 1994 strike happened. The collection got boxed up. Interest waned. The hobby and I moved our separate ways.

Fast forward to last year. My 14-year-old son started getting into cards. And something clicked back on.

I'm not the same collector I was at his age. Now I know what a PSA 10 sells for. I understand what a "1st Bowman" is and why it matters. I've learned to think about cards equal parts souvenirs, art pieces and investment. The truth is, it’s more like a market than most people realize — which players are ascending, which sets hold value, which parallels are actually scarce vs. just shiny. Seniment is huge in driving short term values and volitility.

But the thing that pulled me back wasn't the market. It was sitting at the table with my kid, ripping packs, watching Whatnot, arguing about whether Matt Olsen is a future hall of fame. (He is. Don't @ me.)

That's what this newsletter is about. The hobby — the real hobby — through the eyes of a lifelong baseball fan who collects what he loves, not just trying to make a quick profit.

My PC is current Braves, heavy on 1st Bowman autos and star player relics. If you collect what you love, you already understand the assignment.

Hit reply and tell me who you PC. I read every one.

— Allen

Whatnot: We Should Rip

If you're new to live breaks and feel like the hobby has gotten too expensive and too serious — Jake is the antidote.

His show, We Should Rip, lives up to the name. Low buy-ins, genuine reactions, no pretension. What he's built isn't just a breaking channel — it's a community of people (self proclaimed as the “best community on the app”) who are in the hobby because they actually love it. The comment sections feel like a group chat with friends, not a trading floor. And Jake interacts with everyone. I

If you've been curious about live breaks but haven't jumped in, his stream is the right place to start. Check him out on Whatnot and tell him Inside the Vault sent you.

If you're not already on Michael Harris II, this is your reminder.

Harris burst onto the scene with one of the best rookie seasons for a Braves outfielder in recent memory — elite defense in center, real bat, contact-plus-power profile that doesn't come around often. He was so good they named him NL Rookie of the Year, beating out teammate Spencer Strider. His 2023 Bowman Sterling auto is a beautiful rookie auto. This one matters to me because (a) it’s a recent add to my collection (# to 50) and (b) I got to see him with my wife and son at the Futures Game in Denver to celebrate my son’s 10th birthday.

Here's why it's worth knowing right now: his trajectory puts him squarely in the conversation for being the next Braves cornerstone, and his auto is still attainable compared to where it could go if he keeps developing. Rookie refractors and lower-numbered parallels grade-worthy are the sweet spot. PSA 8 pictured here was a Facebook Marketplace pick-up that I got for a great value.

The window on "reasonable" won't stay open forever. This is a player-collector card masquerading as a spec play.

Note: Always do your own research on pricing before buying. Card markets move fast.

2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball — Presale opens May 11

Series 2 is the mid-year anchor of the flagship Topps calendar — bigger checklist, more rookies, and the set that often captures the breakout players who weren't in Series 1. Presales open this Monday, May 11, with retail hitting shelves in June. If you're a set builder or chasing rookies who emerged in the first half of the season, this is your next target. Worth grabbing a hobby box if the price is right at presale.

2025 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary — June 5, 2026

500-card set celebrating the Chrome anniversary with a stacked checklist. Chrome on Chrome energy — this one has been on collectors' radar for a while. If you're a Chrome collector (and if you're reading this newsletter, there's a good chance you are), put June 5 in your calendar.

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Inside the Vault is published by Allen Hamric | Dugout Vault X: @Dugout_Vault | dugoutvault.app