A Collector’s Guide to the World Cup: Players, Teams, and Market Watch | Dan Jamieson

It's funny. I thought about this the other day. I have a few NFL jerseys laying around, and I'm like, if that's not signed by them, it's just a rag. Now we have all our products come with an NFC attached. You scan them with your phone, and it shows the moment that the product was signed, date, geolocated photo of the guy doing it. Welcome to the Collector Nation podcast here on the Collector Nation Network. Whether you're chasing grails or calling bluffs, we take you inside the hobby. Here's your host, Ryan Alford. All right, guys, it's World cup season right now. It's in session officially here in the United States. That's why we wanted to go back to our good friend Dan Jameson. It's one of the biggest moments in sports for collectors, and it turns signatures, jerseys, and memorabilia into real pieces of history. Dan with icons.com is back here on Collector Nation. And we talked World cup collectibles, messy authenticity, and why the story behind the signature matters. Dan, what's up, man? Welcome back to Collector Nation. What's up, brother? Ah, nothing but exciting stuff. Hey, man, we had to. I mean, World Cup. Yeah, exactly. Like, we had to get our. Our resident expert in all things World cup soccer, important autograph jerseys here in this crucial moment as the World cup comes to the United States and takes off as we speak. Yeah, I mean, it's. As a. As a football soccer fan, it's the most exciting thing of every four years he could ever imagine for us. So it's like. It's like Christmas Eve, and we're just wrapping the present. Yeah, man, I'm sure. Is it. The funny thing is, like, it's exciting because, I mean, it's right in your field, right in your wheelhouse, you know, with what you guys do@icons.com and. But at the same time, I know how it is. Like, sometimes when you're in the center of it, it's like, it's exciting, but it's also your busiest time, so it's like all work and no play. Is it a little bit of that right now? It is. It's like the. It's the peak moment every four years. It's like, you know, because you've got to get it all right for the big show. So it's crazy. It's hectic. There's ups and downs, good things, bad things, but it's. It's all part of the fun. It's our fifth World cup as the official FIFA licensee, so we started in South Africa in 2010. So we've been around the block and around the world. Yeah, no kidding. But it's. I will say you maybe say you said something was like, you better have the hay already in the barn, I would think, because you're probably not finding it after the fact. If you're a current footballer, as soon as they're playing for their nation, you can't get anywhere near them. So, yes, that means you have to do them all in, like the last 10 days of the season. Hence the sort of running around the planet trying to get them before they disappear. Yeah, exactly. Tell that story. I know you had to go your 24 hour story. That's a good setup for that. Dan's mission across the pond and everywhere in between to secure the best jerseys. So we were, as Leo Messi's exclusive worldwide signing partner. We had to be in Fort Lauderdale because he gave us a shot getting all our World cup stuff done. So we're in Florida, we see Leo. He's brilliant as ever. We get all the Trion doubles and Adidas products, all kinds of cool things signed. So that's good. Then we flew to New York, where we were walking to the Messi Experience. So there is a sort of shop, retail theme park about Leo's life that's in the Dream Mall next to the MetLife station, MetLife Stadium. So we're working with those guys. That's going to be brilliant. And then the crazy bit was we had to fly overnight to Madrid because we were doing our first ever signing with England and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham. So we basically started to work with Jude and it's the most exciting thing we could do as English people. But the heat wave in New York cracked and we were stuck on the tarmac for three hours with a lightning strike. Oh. Which meant we had to be diverted to Milan. Then we arrived late, missed the connection and we had to fly into Madrid and I missed the signing by an hour. But my fantastic team did it all. Okay. The CEO wasn't needed. They did a brilliant professional job. Dude was happy. We were happy. I met them in the airport as they had all the dirts and boots and balls and then we flew home. So it was four countries in 24 hours and chasing footballers around the world. That's both wonderful and terrible at the same time. It sounds like a great story. I haven't got an Instagram selfie, so it didn't happen. Yeah, exactly. I'm sure the bloodshot eyes or whatever. It sounds like there's a lot of Non sleeping involved in some of that. Yes. Foreign. Let's do this. To start, Dan, I got a couple paths I want to take us. One, I'll let you be thinking about this one. This will be, this will be the follow up. We'll be. I want you to help our US American audience that's listening. Maybe give them a cheat sheet on players to be watching and collecting and making. Maybe you're inside like the, I don't know, the cheat sheet to the World cup. Like who's favored, who should you be watching, who should you care about? For someone that's just not like an everyday, you know, World cup knowledge, you know, worldwide knower of everything the sport, I think you'd be a perfect person to do that for our audience. What should we be watching? But let's start with what's new with icons and everything you guys are going to have for the World cup and what you've been up to kind of in the overall collectible space. Yeah. So I think last time we talked, it was about a week before we launched our new triple lock technology. So now we have all our products come with an NFC attached. You scan them with your phone and it shows the moment that the product was signed. So date, date Geo located. Sweet photo of the guy doing it. And that's all linked to a digital record. So it's kind of locked in three different ways and you can't argue with it. And it's now the best level of authenticity in our sport, I'd say in all sports. Yeah, that's up there. I know. I've heard of people talking about doing that, but not implementation. Exactly. Imagine if you scanned your trading card and it had the moment it was signed and all the credentials and exact where, when, how, what all. Opted a digital record, you'd be pretty convinced that that was definitely signed at the right time. Yeah, exactly. You want that. I mean you got to know and be able to. This is a picture of it like happening like literally this card or this jersey or whatever right at the moment. I mean, that what, that's what you want. Yeah, exactly. And we now videotape every signing so I know someone wants to find out about it. You go back and get the tapes out and say, oh, it was the 32nd one we did. That's smart. I love that. I've heard good response to that across all our products. Big response to that. Yeah, people love it. It's like this whole game is about authenticity, reassurance. If you're going to spend money on something, you've got to know in your half hearts that it's kind of real and you can sort of shout facts to people, but that's only half the game. You got to tell stories and reassure them and take them through a story of how it was put together and how it was made. Yeah, exactly. And I mean, because otherwise, it's funny, I thought of this other day, I have plenty of like a few NFL jerseys laying around. And I'm like, if that's not signed by them, it's just a rag in a lot of ways. I mean, it's like I'm not going to put it on to go play it. I will wear jerseys occasionally at the store, but I'm not the biggest jersey wearing guy. So, like, that really has zero value whatsoever unless you know it's real. You trust it's real and it happens. Because I don't remember if I told this story or not, but. You know, the funniest thing growing up is my dad had these records on the wall of all the classics. Clapton, and you name them, like really classic, you know. And he had one that was autographed. And I always thought for the longest time it was autographed, like it was real. It said, hey, Steve, great, good luck with the band. Signed Tom. And it was Tom Petty. It was a Tom Petty album. But Tom had written that. My uncle, who was in the band with my dad had always handwritten that himself on there. And I grew up thinking that Tom Petty had really signed was kind of an inside joke. And my dad would tell the. My dad would, you know, bring people over and showing off the instruments. We had like a music room in our house and it was kind of the inside joke he did. He would tell people, but he would let it go for a little while because everybody would walk up and see that and go, man, he knew you were in a band and everything. But anyway. But it was, it was worthless because it wasn't authenticated and it wasn't real. But it's a joke. But. Yeah, but it's important to know you put your own value on things. If you're, if you're sort of as we both are, if you're collectors, it's got a story and a story behind it. Yeah, that would create a story of its own. But the point was nobody had any interest in it once they thought that was funny. But you got to know it's real and it starts there. And that has always, I mean, in the, in the hobby, you know, there's. I don't. You Know, owning the store, I haven't seen any yet. I know it's coming. But. But we talk with a lot of the grading companies, all that. They see a ton of counterfeits and everything else, so. And then the jersey thing, nothing better than, like, look, it's. It's not only. And you said it. The story is. Okay, I know it's. I know it's signed by that person. I can trust it. It has value because of that. And. But then the story that goes with where it was signed, when it was. I don't know that that's a narrative. That's. That's an interesting take on it that I hadn't thought about. I think. I think it's the next level. It's also natural. You've got a curiosity. It's like, you get your card, it's the most exciting thing in the world. You want to know more about it, where it came from, why and how and what. And it's the story behind it. Exactly. So we've got that launched. People have been loving that. What else. What's our. Any good messy stories before we get into, like, what's. What we need to be paying attention to for the World cup and how it relates to icon jerseys available? Yeah, well, it's. It's. He's a legend already, so he's an icon. But what's going to be interesting is I think on Tuesday he will set foot on a field and then become one of only two men. I think at the time, we've played in six World Cups. Unbelievable. So, actually, in the last signing, we've got all six of his jerseys from all of his tournaments. Six balls, six boots, six kind of photos. So, like the sort of power of six we're going to be doing. So we'll try and launch that through Leo's side when we. When he finally. When he finally steps on the field and does it. Wow. So that kind of unique twist. You can sell a standard jersey, but what's the story behind it? Why is that exciting? Yeah, that is. That's incredible. I mean, you think about the longevity and the only two people. Who was the other one? Was that a mate? I guess again, it was. If Chris Cristiano said spot is. He'll have the same record. Wow. Two legends. The. He made more appearances in the World cup than anyone else. Yeah. What. What does our audience need to know about the World Cup? You know, let's. Let's open it up to. Okay, I'm a listener. I collect. So I was having a chat with the guys at Soccer post, we were sort of hanging out in Queens. And what I said is kind of a different mentality. It's not just about the team that wins. That is amazing. Don't want to argue with that. But in American sports, it's about getting to the super bowl and getting your ring and winning everything. There's 48 teams in this. Only eight can realistically win. But that gives 40 countries who are along for the ride and just love it. They want to take part, they want to experience it. They might lose, but they're going to enjoy the hell out of it when they're still there. So one of the great things is to find neighborhoods where a team is going crazy. Yeah. Like, I know little Argentina or where. Where are the. I know. Where's the Ghana community? And where's. Where are the. Where are all the Scottish people? It's like that's where they'll be going absolutely crazy in bars and clubs and pubs, having a brilliant time. Yes. I love that. And I love the interesting thought about the 48 teams. And, you know, there's only going to be one winner and there's only going to be, you know, what'd you say? Seven or eight that can legitimately probably win based on just the realities probably, of talent and budget and everything else. I don't know. Maybe. But it's like that whole experience, it is a cultural. It is. In that way, it's kind of the Olympic experience. Right. Because the people that go to the Olympics, you know, so many gold, silvers and bronze, but you got thousands of athletes there that have earned the right to be there. And then it's bigger than just the absolute winner. So that is an interesting aspect. Tell you what was interesting. I went to the 2010 World cup in South Africa, and I think the biggest traveling contingent was Americans supporting the American team. That's cool. And they had the greatest time you've ever seen. They absolutely loved it. Their kind of American fervor and their love of sport to this crazy soccer competition. I love it. And I went to the USA vs Ghana quarterfinal in the middle of nowhere. I think there were 35,000 dressed up Yankees going crazy, dancing with Ghanaians. And all the South Africans in, like, by the side of the road. It was one of the greatest experiences in my life. And it's not. It's not about. It's not about the winner. It's about the experience. Yeah, it is. Very few people know how to party like the soccer people. I don't know. It is like Tailgating in the States. You know, like, I think they. They outdo even the tailgates for college football. It's like, that's what I grew up going to, and that's a big party. But the. It's a similar pageantry. Joke. There's a. There's a similar. Similar pageantry, though, with college football and. And World cup. Like, the. I don't know, the. The sights, the sounds, the colors, the. I don't know, everybody's pulling in one direction, and it's about the game, but it feels like it's about more than the game. Yeah, it's about the history and your friends and the family and the stories behind it and. And how you got there in the first place. All right, Dan. Who. Name some players. You know, obviously, you know, Messi's the guy. You know, we know that. Everybody, even I know that. And I've. I've. I've learned more about soccer in the last year than I've knew my whole life. But I'll say this. Who else should we be looking at paying attention to? Who's worth. Who's worth the watch? Well, if you're looking for exciting players, so, like, I can mention defenders and goalies and so on, but everyone, everyone, everyone likes wingers and forwards and people who do amazing. Who's scoring? Yeah, you can't go. You can't go far past Lamina Mal. So Spain superstar plays for Barcelona. He's still 18, but he just plays in an exciting, carefree way, and he should thrive if Spain go far. So he's worth a watch just on his own because he's so talented. He was very, like when we came back into the hobby. His name hit my radar a couple years ago, I GUESS he was 16, and it was like fire, like all his stuff. Car. He was kind of crossing all levels. And then I. You know, admittedly, even on the card shop now, I don't hear his name as much, but I assumed it wasn't just because he fell off the map. So he's. Is he everything that people cracked him out to be like, two years ago? Is he. Is he panning out? Yeah, he's. He's. He's the real deal. Yeah. I mean, what I love about the most skillful players is, is they help make their teams win. So he's played for Barcelona. They won three championships in a row. He plays for Spain. They won the Euros. This is his biggest stage now, and he could win a World cup and retire before he's 20 and still be in the Record books. Wow. So I need to not trust the Panini grade of Le Mans. Like I got these new Monopoly soccer cards. I've been opening soccer cards to kind of get prepared for the World Cup. And like no, certain players see there and they have these Monopoly cards that have the rating on the back and it goes to 1 to 100. And it had LAL at 86, which seemed low to me based on the. You know, there's like the guys that were hundreds or 90 and higher. A few of them I'd heard of and. But then there were still a few. They. And I'm like, Lama's in 86. I didn't. Is that right? Well, maybe there's growth. There's growth in that. Yeah. They're leaving. They're leaving room for growth. They don't want to like, if they give him a 98 now, he's got nowhere to go. And the guy on the other. So the other favorites are France. Yeah. So you need to look out for Michael Elise Alise, who plays for Bayern Munich, also beautiful in England, but is. He's just a super cool dude and he can do. He can score, he can pass, he can run, but it just everything in a really effortless kind of way. So France are favorites? Pretty much. I think unless they all fall apart and fight each other, which is when it goes wrong for our French friends. Like they fight each other on the team. Yeah. Infighting. Ah. To me, egos. Too many egos on the same team. I think they all have opinions about how it should be played. I got you. Are the Americans going to make any noises? I think because it's such a big tournament that they can get through the group stage and into the knockouts. They can do anything. So I think they're going to have close games, they're going to have the support behind them and they've got as good a chance as any kind of mid level team, let's say. Yeah. They're clearly. They can get through and then have a shot at it. I've often wondered. The women's team's badass. I mean, but it's like the men's is. I. I don't know enough about how it works. We had a guy on this earlier, actually a couple weeks ago or last week talking about, you know, youth soccer in the US and stuff. And like some of the reasons and challenges. We haven't maybe had the just all out rock star fighting. You know, some of the best athletes play different sports. You know, they might have been the best soccer player. To ever play, but they end up in football or basketball or baseball or whatever. And. But it does seem interesting. Like when is the US Men's going to really just. Are we even close to turning that corner? I think you've got a team that has talent, it's got a very good coach. I think we could pull together and pull offsets. I can't. I can't see a run all the way deep, but I can see quarterfinals would be. It would be a real achievement. That'd be a win for the. For them kind of where they're at. Yeah. Who. Who is the one name that we probably. I've heard of actually. The two guys you named. Not. I didn't know. I didn't know exactly where they were today as far as like as Lamal threw me off. Petit threw me off that 86. I. I haven't been able to watch enough of his game to go. I was like, is he falling off? No, no, big fall. We're going to just give them the X. No wonder they're losing licenses. Just kidding. But all right. One wild card team. Like upset alert from Dan. Like who. Who could sneak up? That's maybe not a complete sneak cuz I know how it goes with the soccer stuff. You kind of got your eight that you can win it, but who. Who you got? Yeah, there's kind of. So if you want. If you want a team that no one really talks about that could do amazing things, you need to look at Norway. Okay. Firstly, look at their social media. There's a brilliant lineup of them all being Vikings on a big beach and they're all dressed up as like. Like they're going to terrorize your village. It's an amazing look. I love that. Even this, even this. Later on they do a team shot and they've got all the lines of their shirts all lined up. So it just looks a really cool way of presenting the team. They've got Erling Haaland, who's a megastar up front. If you can score goals, then you've got a chance anyway. And they're kind of. They haven't been for a while. So they're kind of fresh and up for it. I think they're going to. To gonna rampage through their bit of the drawer, I think. Interesting. I was looking for a non American team to pull for. I'm gonna go look at that social. But that sounds. I like the sound of that. That sounds a little brash and bold and like, unless it was AI. Yeah. Even if it was, I still like it. I don't mind a little AI creation if it's creative, you know. And I like that little brash, like they're ready to come pillage. Are they ready to come pillage the whole World Cup? That was that sort of the take. All right, Norway it is. We did our last signing before the World Cup. Even after we did, Jude was with a guy called Antoine Semenya. So he's big in England because he plays for Manchester City and has been amazing this season. But he's. He plays for Ghana and it's a great example of a sort of country you wouldn't really be looking at. But basically they've got this fantastic forward. He plays with a massive smile on his face. He's really exciting and powerful and quick and scores great goals. So you get these superstars who come from smaller countries, but if you watch them, you'll see people doing amazing things. Yeah. And they're. The way they run out there, they're the shape they're in. Like, I don't know if people quite grasp. You can kind of see it. The TV's got better, obviously with the widescreen and all that stuff. But they are athletes. Let's just say that they're some of the world's greatest athletes that probably don't get recognized as the world's greatest athletes like they do, but they don't. You know, there's a certain other feats that maybe signal that athleticism. But these guys are incredible. Yeah. I mean the top ones are world class sprinters, plus athletes, plus they're doing it for 90 minutes in a lot of heat. But then you've got. Sometimes it goes to extra time, you've got another 30 minutes, then it goes to penalties. You gotta concentrate all the way to the end of the show. Dan, what. What would make a great tournament? An outcome for icons.com. like what's good for business? Somebody asked this, it's like if you got. Do you want England to win because of your natural. Yeah. Or do I want Argentina to win because of Leo home team versus the. The business team. Right. But I was in the World cup final last time in Qatar and I'm wearing an England shirt. My colleague's wearing a Messi shirt. We're getting really excited about Argentina winning. All the people in the stands around us are like, why are you cheering for Argentina? You're English. Didn't you go to war with them? And I'm like, yeah, yeah. But they're playing the French. We had a hundred year war with them. And Once we explained about our business basically being like loads of it being Leo Messi and if he wins, it's going to be amazing. Even the crowd were pulling for us by the end. So everyone apart from the French people wanted Argentina to win and even they were quite pleased at the end for us. Yes, England, Argentina, final. And I. Then you'll choose one. Or actually, I mean, you can't lose then, right? I mean, that'd be a can't. Yeah, you take that one. Yeah. What happens, like, if Argentina does that? If Argentina makes that run? It's got to be good for business, right? Yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's exciting. Everyone gets. It's like you're watching the goat plates. So, like it's the last time you'll see him. I just saw his added ass. Social media for the launch of his boots and I think they're called the Last Tango. Yeah, it's pretty cool. It is cool. So, yeah, this is going to be the last time you'll see him and Cristiano playing in the World Cup. Two legends is what will happen with the market around his, you know, as he sales into the sunset, at least on the on field stuff. How will that impact icons? Well, actually, legends sell almost as well. A legend sells better than a current player. Yeah, current players go up and down. I mean, Leo's a legend in play, so it's tricky. But current players have hits and misses, ups and downs, controversies. I know they can ebb and flow. Once your place in history is established, they'll sell forever. Yeah. So actually legends are maybe two thirds of the things we sign. Yeah, well, the. I'm sure you'll be continuing that relationship for as long as possible. So. So to get. Keep the signatures fresh. Exactly. I mean, he's going to play for another two years according to his contract with Inter Miami. So. He loves it, he loves America. It's giving him a new lease of life and he's enjoying life. Family's happy, he's happy. So that's brilliant. Happy wife, happy life. Is he. Is he. Where does he fall in the greatest of all time? I have to say the second greatest, but I wouldn't necessarily mention that to him. For me, Diego Maradona is the greatest player of all time. Okay. Yeah. Because he also, he also signed exclusively for icons, so we have a long history with Diego. How did you. You watch both of them play a lot, right? I never saw. I never saw Diego play in the flesh. Not in the flesh, basically. 1986 World cup where he basically makes his team win by being astonishingly brilliant and cheating a little. So there's a little bit of that. You ain't cheating, you ain't playing. Punching the ball into the net and then claiming it was the hand of God. That's a little. I'll forgive him for being the greatest player I've ever witnessed or seen. Yeah. What's the rest of this year like? Do we get through the World Cup? What else is on the docket for icons and anything, you know, like, is it just grab hold and hold on with the demand that gets created from all the excitement around the World cup and jerseys and all that stuff? Well, two things I can say to that. One is that it doesn't stop for us. So we're the official license the Champions League, which will start again in September, and we'll be off again where the licensee for Manchester United and Chelsea and spurs and Barcelona. So it kind of carries on. Well, look, we're also the licensee of the Ballon d'. Or, so whoever basically is the best player of the tournament will win that. And it's in London this year, so that's going to be interesting for us. But what's always exciting is it'll throw up new superstars. And that's. That's also keeps the train running because after every World cup, there's a new name. And we. We will then try and jump on them and get excited. There was a 2014. There's a Colombian, Jamit Rodriguez, who scored and was amazing, and he was an icon within three months and had moved to Real Madrid. So our job's to jump on the next guy, too. Always scouting, abs. Always be scouting. You got to be watching for that next star, right? Yeah, they get younger and younger, I've had to say. I mean, Lamar was on average. Radar was like 11 or something. I don't even know. There's no telling. Yeah, I know. Can we let the kids be kids? Come on. You know? But Dan will be right there getting trading cards got to him first. Signing thousands of trading cards. I know. Before we go there, we signed with him and we. He was very busy, let's say. Yeah. Dan, as we close out this episode, let's walk through a customer experience with icons and what they can expect that experience from beginning to end. So icons.com is where all our biggest, best ranges. It's best for us because we can save the world. So the whole world comes to us to get their official license, signed products. We're the only people who can Say that. So that's cool. We have, I'd say, maybe 40 players playing in the tournament and 140 who have played. So you can kind of choose your team, choose your player, choose how it's framed, get your favorites. If you order it, we frame it up and we'll dispatch it around the world within a week. And you'll. You'll be on your wall by the time your team's qualified or been knocked out. Now's the time. And it'll hold its value, I'm sure, because that's prized possessions. Yes, they are. And the work is beautiful. Love what you guys are doing. Love the. Literally the. The whole process of the chip with scanning and all that. You're ahead of your time. That's where everything that's in authentication should already be. And really love what you guys are doing. Really always appreciate your time and your generosity here on the show with us. Dan. Well, we're all coming to the States to show you how soccer is done properly. I love it, man. Well, we'll be pulling for you, you know, England and Argentina, whatever it takes. England, usa Final. That. Oh, yeah, that'd be amazing. I would be one of the greatest upsets of all time. Just if the US Gets there. Like, not because they couldn't do it, but it's not totally expected if you're being irrational. Not many rational Americans. But I'm irrational enough to know what's ahead of us. But, hey, it's not always about winning. It's about being there. It's about the cultural, you know, bringing the world together. Hey, sport can do it. You know, we got a lot of negativity, a lot of shit happening in the world. Like, let's bring the world together with sport and remember, we're all human after all. Dan, really appreciate your time. We'll go to icons.com learn more. Get your jerseys. Man, these things are hot at this time of the year with World cup going on. Keep your eye out for. Yeah, you get a player, you see somebody you're looking for. Go to icons.com, check out the jerseys, and of course, Messi. Only place to get it. Icons.com. that's one place. We appreciate, Dan. We appreciate you. See you next time, Collector Nation. Thanks for tuning in to the show. Be sure to follow us on your go to podcast platform and catch the full video episode over on YouTube. Visit us@collectornation.com and follow Ryan on Instagram at Ryan Alford. Now get out there and collect yours.