Stacking Slabs

The National brings the sports card industry under one roof. For collectors, the week centers on cards. For people working in the industry, it offers access to the companies and operators shaping its future. Brett shares how to build relationships at The National, why passion alone will not earn a second conversation, and how the right questions can open doors. He also examines an issue facing eve...

The National can overwhelm you before you make it through the first aisle. Adam and Ryan are joined by Bryan (@thzsportscard) and Brett to help wrestling card collectors prepare for the week. They discuss why you need a plan, how dealers evaluate trades, which WWE names collectors are chasing, and why rare Panini cards require more than an old comp. The group also previews Wrestling Card Takeover...

What happens to football card market data when the biggest deals happen away from public marketplaces? Pack and Brett discuss whether collectors should report private sales, why the chase receives more attention than owning the card, and how social media has pushed collectors toward a 1/1-or-bust mindset. They also debate the best three-year era in football cards, compare modern quarterback prices...

The tools required to build a product have become available to everyone. That does not mean every product needs to exist. Scott Lock, CEO of InfernoRed Technology, joins Brett to discuss the growth of hobby tech and what separates an idea from something collectors will use. They also preview Enter the Inferno, a pitch event created by Sports Cards Live and InfernoRed Technology for The National. H...

The National is here. Six hundred dealers. Five hundred thousand square feet. Thirty-six hours of show floor time. That level of choice can make every card feel important. Every deal feel temporary. Every purchase feel necessary. But the best show experience starts before you walk through the doors. In this episode, Brett shares how collectors can build a hunt list, research dealers, set buying ru...

What happens when opening boxes leads to becoming a fan? This week, Katelyn is joined by Jason (@notjasondardic), a longtime collector whose path into the WNBA started with cards and evolved into becoming one of the biggest Dallas Wings supporters around.  The conversation explores how collecting shaped his connection to the league, why Paige Bueckers has changed the trajectory of the Wings, and w...

What does building Xbox, NASCAR, The Athletic, Mantle, and ONIT Athlete have in common? Community. This week on Passion to Profession, brought to you by eBay, Brett sits down with ONIT Athlete CEO Evan Parker to unpack one of the most unique career paths in the hobby. Evan shares lessons from building brands inside sports, media, and startups before explaining why college collectibles represent on...

Fanatics Fest is built on excitement. Big pulls. Big personalities. Big moments. That energy matters. It brings people into the hobby. But what happens after the excitement fades? In this episode, Brett shares why the next generation of sports card businesses will separate themselves by making customers smarter. From Topps, PSA, eBay, and Card Ladder to Mike Inouye's work in Formula 1 cards, this...

Record sales continue to reshape the wrestling card market. Adam and Ryan break down the Rock and Stone Cold dual Superfractor sale, Bianca Belair's WrestleMania Patch Auto, Rhea Ripley's momentum, and why collectors are chasing wrestlers who have already cemented their legacy. The conversation goes beyond the sales. They discuss why GOAT wrestlers, GOAT sets, and GOAT cards continue gaining stren...

Every collector has cards they understand immediately. Then there are the cards that take years to appreciate. Pack and Brett explore why some football cards become hobby staples while others never seem to catch on. They discuss the history behind PMGs, why Tom Brady continues to separate himself from every other retired player, and what international NFL legends deserve more attention. They also...

Everyone will be talking about what happens at Fanatics Fest. Brett is more interested in what it means. In this episode of Stacking Slabs, Brett looks beyond the athlete appearances, product releases, and show floor buzz to examine Fanatics Fest as a signal for where the hobby is headed. He explores how Fanatics has built an ecosystem that connects sports, collecting, commerce, content, and loyal...

Every collector dreams about landing a grail. Very few spend enough time thinking about how to price one. When a card has little or no sales history, the normal playbook breaks down. There are no clean comps. No chart to follow. No market consensus to lean on. That is where your judgment matters. In this episode, Brett shares a framework for evaluating grails when public sales data falls short. He...

What does it take to leave a stable career and build one of the fastest growing card shops in the hobby? Live from Columbus Card Fest, Brett sits down with Garrett Borba, owner of Neighborhood Card Shop, to unpack the decisions behind building a modern hobby business. Garrett shares why he walked away from medical device sales, how relationships became his biggest advantage, what it takes to run a...

Most collectors share what they buy. Mike Inouye shares why. In this episode of Passion to Profession, Mike explains how content became one of the biggest drivers behind the growth of Leahi51513. Instead of telling collectors what card to chase, he walks through the research, context, and decision making behind every recommendation. We talk about why trust is earned through transparency, why proce...

Everyone wants repeat business. Few people spend enough time earning it. This week on Hobby Jobs, Brett explores why trust compounds faster than transactions and why the businesses that last are built long before the first sale is complete. Then Brett sits down with Grant Paterson, owner of Total Sports Cards, live from Columbus Card Fest. Grant shares what it takes to build a modern hobby busines...

SummerSlam season is taking shape, but the biggest opportunities aren't coming from title changes. Adam and Ryan break down why absent stars like Bianca Belair, Stephanie Vaquer, Bronson Reed, and Rhea Ripley deserve more attention from collectors while everyone else chases the latest storyline. They also discuss what makes a wrestler collectible beyond the ring, why entrance music matters more th...

The National is almost here and football collectors are making decisions. Pack and Brett discuss why major cards are changing hands before the biggest show of the year, what Brett learned after consolidating part of his collection into one grail, and why 2012 Prizm Gold continues to establish itself as one of football's defining modern sets. They also break down one of the biggest steals of the ye...

In this episode, Brett sits down with Matthias Peuckert, General Manager of PSA Europe, to discuss what it takes to build PSA's European operation from the ground up and why this launch matters for collectors around the world.  Matthias shares why Europe is seeing rapid collector growth, how PSA is preparing for demand, why education is a priority, and what local grading access means for collector...

Every collector dreams about landing a grail. Few talk about what happens when that opportunity finally arrives. In this episode, Brett explores the decisions that come before a grail enters a collection. Drawing from a real situation he is navigating, he shifts the focus away from the card itself and toward the process behind the purchase. The conversation examines why access is not obligation, h...

The best collections start with connection. In this episode, Katelyn is joined by Griff (@rockyscardboard), one of the hobby's most respected WNBA collectors and a passionate New York Liberty fan. They discuss how Liberty fandom shaped his collection, why Sabrina Ionescu became a cornerstone of his PC, and how buying, selling, and collecting all work together to create a more rewarding hobby exper...

The best businesses in the hobby are not built one deal at a time. They're built one relationship at a time. Mike from MC Sports Cards returns to Passion to Profession to share why trust has become the foundation of one of the fastest-growing consignment businesses in the hobby. We talk about what happens after the first transaction, why honesty wins over short-term revenue, how technology should...

Product knowledge gets you in the door. Systems determine how far you go. In this episode of Hobby Jobs, I break down why the next generation of sports card businesses will be built on repeatable processes instead of founder instinct alone. The hobby is getting bigger. Companies are hiring. Events are growing. Expectations are changing. That means the operators who build training, marketing, hirin...

WWE finally gave collectors plenty to talk about. Adam and Ryan break down Night of Champions, Oba Femi's King of the Ring win, Sami Zayn capturing the World Heavyweight Championship, and what those moments mean for the wrestling card market. Then the conversation shifts to something every collector should think about. Are you chasing the biggest cards in the hobby? Building the best player collec...

Chris Johnson reminded football fans why collecting is about more than championships. After sharing his ALS diagnosis, collectors looked back at one of the most electric careers of the last 20 years. Pack and Brett revisit what made CJ2K special, why his cards matter, and why memorable seasons leave a lasting mark on the hobby. The conversation then shifts into one of the biggest collector debates...

The sports card market keeps reaching new highs. Sales volume continues to climb. Record prices keep falling. New collectors keep entering the hobby. But are collectors making better decisions? In this episode, Brett and Chris McGill discuss what the data is telling us and where they see warning signs. They compare today's market to 2021, break down the record Tim Duncan sale that has everyone tal...