The Collector's Compass

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Pang Ming Wee—aka @TheCardBoss2021—the creator and host of Courtside Investor‬, one of the fastest-growing long-form podcast platforms in the hobby. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Pang has built a global audience by sitting down with collectors, dealers, entrepreneurs, content creators, hobby historians, investors, and industry per...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Rob Shultz—founder of ‪Smart Rip Society‬—a fast-rising and honest voice in the sports card hobby focused on intentional collecting, self-awareness, and the emotional realities behind modern collecting culture. Through transparent videos surrounding spending habits, chasing behavior, hobby burnout, sports betting crossover, survivors...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Ty Wilson—founder and host of ‪‪CHASING CARDBOARD‬—one of the fastest-growing and most influential storytelling platforms in the entire sports card hobby. What started as a creative hobby project quickly evolved into something much bigger. Since launching in 2022, CHASING CARDBOARD has amassed more than 121K YouTube subscribers, over...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Eddie Wittner—Founder and President of C3 Grading—a collector-first grading company built around transparency, accessibility, speed, accuracy, and trust. At a time when grading has become one of the most powerful infrastructure layers in the hobby, collectors are asking bigger questions about pricing, consistency, market control, upc...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Kyle Lescalleet—better known online as Cosmic Cards (@CosmicCardsMD)—one of the fastest-rising content creators in the sports card hobby who has built a loyal following through humor, parody, authenticity, and lighthearted hobby content. At a time when the hobby can often feel consumed by drama, ego, nonstop hype, and financial press...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Rob Sackowitz—Founder, CEO, and Co-Owner of Right Choice Recovery, a leading addiction treatment center in New Jersey, specializing in substance use, mental health, and gambling addiction. With 13+ years of sobriety from both substance use and gambling addiction, Rob has transformed his own recovery journey into a mission to help othe...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Sal Amezcua (@kickstradomis), one of the most well-known sneaker customizers in the world whose work has been worn by NBA players on the court, and the founder of Kicksverse, a platform merging sneaker culture, art, and collectibles. Kicks is an artist who’s built a brand at the highest level of culture. From designing custom sneaker...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Rob Livingston—better known as @Jaybelleshhb —a respected voice in the hobby, longtime Collectors MD community member, and someone who’s been consistently showing up, speaking honestly, and supporting others behind the scenes. Rob isn’t just observing the hobby—he’s living it. Through over 1,300 posts and a growing following, he’s bu...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Sean—one of our very first community members and someone whose story sits at the core of why this movement exists today. Sean isn’t just a guest—he’s been with us since day one. From early Instagram Live ripping days, to becoming one of the most active and impactful voices within the CMD community, Sean’s journey reflects both the hi...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Paul Baldwin Jr.—aka @Paullydoughnuts⁩—founder of #GetToStackin, trusted hobby voice, and one of the more outspoken, community-rooted personalities in the space today. Paully brings a grounded, collector-first perspective to a moment in the hobby that feels as exciting as it does uncertain. With 20K+ followers across his socials and...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Jonathan D. Cohen—historian, gambling policy lead at the American Institute for Boys and Men, and author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling. Jonathan brings a research-driven, public health perspective to one of the fastest-growing—and least understood—issues in modern American life: the rapid rise of legalized...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Tony Cefalu—founder of Sportano Collecting Club and creator of The Underdog Hobby Show. Tony is a lifelong collector who has built a community-first alternative to the status-driven, hype-heavy side of today’s hobby. Through his events, he’s creating spaces centered on connection, access, and authenticity—where collectors of all leve...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Jay Abrenica—a longtime Yankees collector, father, and active member of the Collectors MD community. Jay’s story reflects the full evolution of the modern hobby. From the simplicity of collecting as a kid to navigating today’s fast-paced environment shaped by live breaks, constant access, social pressure, and manufactured urgency. Aft...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Dave Paladino (@davepfit)—fitness expert, martial artist, lifelong collector, and owner of Impact Zone Fitness in Norwood, New Jersey. Dave has spent more than three decades helping athletes, celebrities, and everyday people build stronger bodies and more disciplined lives. From his early years running Core Fitness—where Alyx himself...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Phillip Tadros, founder of HobbyScan (@HobbyScan)—a platform built to help collectors identify, value, organize, and list cards to eBay from a single workflow. As the hobby becomes faster, more digital, and increasingly complex, collectors are managing more cards, more data, and more decisions than ever before. HobbyScan was built to...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Josh Durham (@thejoshdurham)—content creator, spokesperson, and lifelong collector—for a conversation about storytelling, identity, and what the hobby has always been about beneath the surface. Josh’s relationship with collecting began like it did for many of us: trading cards in the front yard, negotiating deals, and studying highlig...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Tim Ross—host of The Basement and Wide Open —for a full-circle conversation about growth, healing, and what happens after you choose to go first. Alyx first appeared on Wide Open in April, just weeks after launching Collectors MD. The idea was new, the language still forming, and the response immediate. Since then, Collectors MD has...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Iowa Dave, host of The Shallow End , to continue a thoughtful conversation around collecting, recovery, and the emotional weight people often carry in silence. Building on their previous discussions, this episode centers on a quieter, often unspoken theme: the guilt people feel for struggling when the world itself feels overwhelming....

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado (PGCC), alongside Jamie Glick and Chigbo Nzoiwu, for a thoughtful, grounded conversation about where gambling harm, collecting, and modern behavior patterns increasingly intersect—and how education and harm reduction can keep pace without jumping to conclusions. Chigbo and Jamie bring a front...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Charles Ahern IV, Project Coordinator at Stop Predatory Gambling, for a clear-eyed, personal conversation about the gambling mechanics quietly shaping modern collecting—and what it looks like to push back with honesty, education, and better systems. Charles brings a rare combination of lived experience and front-line advocacy. Growin...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Paul Petyo—known throughout the hobby as The Card Father—for a grounded, honest conversation about where legitimate business ends and exploitation quietly begins in the modern collecting ecosystem. Paul is a longtime collector, seller, reform advocate, Collectors MD community member, and advisory board contributor who brings clarity,...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Matt Zarb-Cousin, Co-Founder of Gamban, for a timely conversation about why willpower alone isn’t enough in today’s fast-paced, always-on digital environments—and why blocking gambling-adjacent platforms has become essential not just for gamblers, but for anyone navigating high-risk spending ecosystems. Matt founded Gamban over a dec...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Jeremy Lee, host of Sports Cards Live , for a conversation that gets to the heart of a growing issue in the hobby: what happens when collecting exists in a fast, always-on, unregulated environment—and the responsibility to protect collectors falls on individuals instead of systems. Jeremy is widely known for his work as a hobby media...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with Sherwin Gilani, Founder of SlabTrack, for a conversation that gets to the heart of a growing issue in the hobby: what happens when collecting becomes fast, fragmented, and overwhelming—and the systems meant to support collectors can’t keep up. Sherwin is the founder of SlabTrack, an AI-powered platform designed to bring structure, tr...

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass , Alyx sits down with consumer-protection attorney Matt Litt for a long-overdue conversation: what happens when collecting starts to resemble gambling, and the law hasn’t caught up. Matt brings deep experience in predatory gambling practices, consumer protection, and harm prevention. He’s spent years examining how casinos, sportsbooks, and betting platfor...