Stacking Slabs

What separates the long game collectors from everyone else in the hobby? In this episode, Brett breaks down the DNA of the long-term player: Passion over profit Deep understanding of a niche Patience and perspective Community and relationships A mindset that keeps collecting fun for decades This conversation was sparked by a student question during Brett’s recent talk at DePauw University: How do...

The market is red hot. Cards are moving at record speed, headlines are popping up every day, and collectors everywhere are feeling the pull of FOMO. In this episode of Card Ladder Confidential , I sit down with Chris and Josh from Card Ladder to talk about what it’s really like to navigate a raging market. We cover: The most annoying parts of a bull market Collector identity and the temptation to...

On this episode of Passion to Profession sponsored by eBay, I’m joined by Scott Lock, CEO and Co-founder of InfernoRed Technology. Scott shares how a side business selling cards with his son on eBay turned into a $250,000 operation, and how that same passion for collecting led to building technology solutions for some of the biggest companies in the hobby. We talk about: What he learned building a...

With the playoff race heating up, Katelyn and Brett explore what really drives interest in WNBA cards. Is it all about winning, or are other forces shaping collector behavior? They break down: Why winning doesn’t always lead to hobby heat How moments, storylines, scarcity, and cultural impact influence card values Player-to-watch picks from all 9 playoff contenders The growing importance of Paige,...

Week 1 is here and so is Episode 11 of The Football Card Podcast with Pack Nicholson and Brett. This week we’re leaning into the season kickoff energy and tackling the topics you, the collectors, sent our way. We start by talking number 11s—Bad Jeff George memories, Larry Fitzgerald’s playoff run, and Julio’s touchdown paradox.  Then we dive into listener questions about: The cards that got away a...

Recorded live at The National and brought to you by eBay, this episode of Cards in Hand features Tony (@southerncollector14) sharing one of the most meaningful cards in his collection: a 1954 Topps Jackie Robinson signed in Dodger blue ballpoint pen, graded Auto 10 by PSA. Tony talks about what it means to hold a card Jackie himself once held, the rarity of signed vintage Robinsons, and how collec...

What makes a player a true hobby GOAT? And why do sets sometimes matter as much as the athletes on the cardboard? In this episode, Brett explores the recipe behind collecting greatness. He breaks down why only a select few players reach GOAT status, the role of cultural impact and iconic moments, and why certain sets, brands, and parallels hold long-term value. You’ll hear stories about Jordan, Ru...

What does it really take to build a business in the hobby? On this episode of Passion to Profession , I sit down with my good friend Chris McGill, CEO and Co-Founder of Card Ladder. You’ve heard Chris on Stacking Slabs more than anyone else, but this time we go deeper into the business side of his story. We talk about: The decision to walk away from law and go all-in on the hobby How content becam...

This week on The WNBA Card Podcast , Brett and Katelyn dig into the tension every collector is feeling right now. Demand for WNBA cards has never been stronger. Sales are surging, collectors are engaged, and stars like Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark are driving attention. But where are the new releases? We unpack the lack of communication from Panini, the mystery behind Donruss and Impeccable, a...

Pack and Brett hit a milestone with Episode 10 of The Football Card Podcast . This week is packed with optimism heading into football season and plenty of collecting talk. From Mitchell Trubisky nostalgia to Anthony Richardson’s Nebula, to debating Eli vs. Kurt Warner, the number 10s take center stage. We tackle listener questions on defensive player collecting, patch autos vs. shiny cards, and wh...

Recorded live at The National and brought to you by eBay, this episode of Cards in Hand features Josh Johnson, co-founder of Card Ladder, with one of the most dominant defensive cards of the modern era: the 2014 Prizm Aaron Donald Black Finite Rookie 1/1 PSA 9. Josh shares why he shifted from chasing LeBron grails to building a Black Finite collection, what makes Aaron Donald’s rookie card stand o...

We’re in the middle of a bull market. Prices are climbing, demand is high, and collectors are feeling it everywhere they look. That excitement brings opportunity, but it also brings tough decisions. In this episode, I break down the framework I use when thinking about selling without regret: Value Personal significance Rarity Scarcity I talk through the psychology of letting go, the role of intent...

Tory from dcsports87 is back for another episode of The Staging Area. We cover it all in this one—big hobby sales, grading shakeups, live selling, and why the bull market is pushing collectors to make quick decisions. We get into the Tim Duncan 2012-13 Prizm Gold sale, McDavid Young Guns High Gloss, and what these cards mean for the long-term value of sets. We also call out one of the worst-lookin...

Jayne Peressini has built a career on growth. From early days in gaming and fantasy sports to leadership roles at Reddit, DraftKings, and EA, she’s always taken risks and found new ways forward. Today, she’s applying that same mindset as Director of Product Management at eBay Collectibles. In this conversation, Jayne shares how her collecting roots with her dad shaped her passion, why she values r...

We’re back on the WNBA Card Podcast with a conversation collectors have been waiting for. Brett and Katelyn revisit women’s college basketball and explore what it means for collectors right now. From Sarah Strong’s rise at UConn to Juju Watkins’ recovery at USC and Azzi Fudd’s surprising absence in Bowman and Topps sets, the focus is on the next wave of stars and how their college cards fit into t...

Pack Nicholson is back with Episode 9 of The Football Card Podcast on the Stacking Slabs Network. We’re keeping it all about the collector this week. We start with your questions—the ones that matter most to football card collectors right now. From there, we run through collecting updates, market observations, and the latest chatter around players and sets. With football season right around the co...

Recorded live at The National and brought to you by eBay, this episode of Cards in Hand features Katelyn (@coldlunchcards) sharing the centerpiece of her collection: the 2014 Allen & Ginter Anthony Bourdain Red Ink Autograph /10 PSA 10. Katelyn talks about her connection to Bourdain, how watching Parts Unknown with her dad as a teenager shaped her worldview, and the winding path that led her t...

Content is more than background noise in the hobby. It’s the heartbeat. In this episode, I’m reflecting on what content means in this current era of collecting. I’m talking about how it connects us, educates us, and helps shape the way we collect — whether we realize it or not. I spend my days creating content, but I consume just as much. That combination gives me a unique perspective on where con...

In this episode of Card Ladder Confidential , Brett kicks things off with a cold open that puts a $12,000 Jay Cutler card front and center—and opens a bigger discussion about what signals a set is becoming bigger than the player. From there, the conversation spans: Why 1/1s from the Panini era feel different than other iconic sets The psychology of type collectors vs. set builders How “investment”...

In this episode of Passion to Profession (sponsored by eBay), I’m joined by hobby veteran Steve Sloan, CEO of Haystack—a company quietly becoming the go-to infrastructure partner for hobby businesses. Steve’s career path includes stops at Upper Deck, PSA (where he was President), and now Heystack, where he's building tech to solve real pain points in the card ecosystem. We talk about how his love...

Is it possible that PER (Player Efficiency Rating) might influence hobby behavior in the WNBA card space? In this episode, we explore that question—and a whole lot more. Brett and Katelyn break down: Why 6 of the top 20 PER players in WNBA history are still active What collectors might be missing in names like Aliyah Boston and Nneka Ogwumike The continued dominance of A’ja Wilson—on the court and...

Pack Nicholson brings the energy for Episode 8 of The Football Card Podcast . We start with your comments, hit the latest football talk, and dive into the market watch. The big headline? That Jay Cutler conversation that took over the internet. Pack breaks down what happened, why it matters, and what it signals for football card collectors. If you care about the stories behind the sales and where...

Recorded live at The National and brought to you by eBay, Episode 2 of Cards in Hand features Rodman (@rodmanpc), one of the premier Lionel Messi collectors in the world. We talk about his 2016 Select Messi Black Prizm 1/1 PSA 8—why it’s a cornerstone in his collection, what makes it stand out aesthetically, and the story behind his transition from Michael Jordan to Messi. Rodman shares what it’s...

This week’s flagship is different. I’m using this episode to officially launch my new book, Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning in a Hobby Built on Hype . This isn’t a blueprint. It’s a reflection. It’s about why we collect, the art of chasing, filtering out the noise, building with intention, letting go, finding community, and collecting in a way that lasts. It’s free. It’s for every collector...

The National is over, but the conversations keep going. In this post-show special, Tory from dcsports87 joins me to break down their biggest takeaways from Rosemont. We talk brand growth, why the corporate area felt different this year, the success of their same-day listing program, and the moments that stood out most on the show floor. If you’re a collector, dealer, or hobby business thinking abo...