Stacking Slabs

A Monday morning workout turned into one of the most memorable collecting moments Brett has experienced in years. While checking his saved eBay searches from the treadmill, he stumbled across two cards he had never seen before: a 2015 Prizm Frank Gore Gold Vinyl 1/1 and a 2015 Prizm Frank Gore Gold /10. He didn't check comps. He didn't open Card Ladder. He didn't negotiate. He hit Buy It Now. Twic...

Last week's conversation with Drake (@drakes_pc) sparked a bigger question: What separates collectors who land grails from those who miss them? In this episode, Brett explores the mindset and systems behind successful private market collecting. Topics include:  Why patience and urgency are not opposites   Building a readiness stack before opportunities appear   How to think about premiums in priva...

For Episode 3 of the Team Collector Series, Katelyn sits down with Mitch (@almanacsportscards), a lifelong Indiana Fever fan and one of the hobby's most dedicated collectors of Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas. Mitch shares what it was like growing up with basketball in Indiana, how the Fever became a centerpiece of his collecting journey, and why community remains the foundation of WNBA fandom....

What does it look like when a lifelong collector turns his hobby into his profession? Adam Gray has spent decades immersed in basketball cards. From launching Basketball Card Fanatic magazine to creating content for some of the biggest companies in the hobby, he has built a career around storytelling, education, and helping collectors understand why cards matter. In this conversation, Adam shares...

The sports card industry continues to break records. Nearly $680 million in online trading card sales moved through the market in May alone. Most people look at those numbers and see cards. I look at those numbers and see problems that still need solving. In this episode, I expand on the central idea from Hobby Jobs #12: the best opportunities in the hobby don't exist yet. They show up as friction...

Oba Femi beats Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. Then WWE decides to run it back. Adam and Ryan break down why the decision has frustrated wrestling fans and collectors, what it means for Oba's momentum, and how it impacts one of the hottest card markets in wrestling. The guys also discuss:  Grande Americano vs. Ludwig Kaiser and a Match of the Year candidate   Early thoughts on Topps Cosmic Chrome WW...

Episode 50 is here. Pack and Brett kick off Linebacker Summer by celebrating some of the greatest defenders to ever play the game, including Mike Singletary, Mike Vrabel, Ken Strong, and more. They break down the massive Myles Garrett trade to the Rams and what it means for collectors. They discuss why defensive players might be entering a new era of hobby relevance and share some of their favorit...

What happens when the hobby knows you'll spend big money on the cards you need? In this episode, Brett sits down with Drake (@drakes_pc) to discuss the realities of being a known buyer in today's sports card market. The conversation explores how visibility attracts opportunities, why private deals have become a major part of Drake's collecting journey, and what happens when sellers assume every Pe...

Sports cards are competing for attention in a world built on endless scrolling. Every day, collectors are hit with clips, highlights, reactions, reveals, and hot takes. But what happens when the hobby becomes all spark and no substance? In this episode, Brett explores the role long-form content plays in the sports card ecosystem and why it might be one of the most important assets the hobby has. T...

Season 5's team collector series continues with a deep dive into the Phoenix Mercury. Katelyn sits down with Gavin (@card_collecther), a Mercury season ticket holder and dedicated team collector, to explore what makes the franchise one of the defining organizations in WNBA history. They discuss the Mercury's identity, the influence of Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas' place on the hobby's Disrespect I...

Athletes have never been more visible in the hobby. From Tom Brady and CardVault to Fanatics Fest, athlete-led content, and players publicly sharing their collections, sports cards have become part of the conversation in a way we haven't seen before. Ryan Greene sits at the center of it. As Director of Athlete + Artist Partnerships at PSA, Ryan works directly with athletes who collect, grade cards...

What does it look like to build a career in the sports card industry? In the debut episode of Hobby Jobs, Brett McGrath shares the vision behind the platform and why the hobby needs a dedicated place for operators, builders, and aspiring professionals. This episode explores the shift from hobby to industry and why the biggest opportunities often start as repeated friction, not business plans. Bret...

What happens when you stop reacting to the wrestling card market and start thinking about where it's headed? This week, Adam and Ryan tackle a series of big-picture questions facing wrestling card collectors. Will there be more six-figure wrestling card sales by 2028? Has Topps Royalty already become the most important wrestling card release of the Fanatics era? Will WrestleMania moving to Saudi A...

John and Brett open the episode talking Indy 500 stories, McDonald’s nostalgia, and why modern experiences feel overbuilt before diving into one of the biggest football card sales in years. The guys break down the $1.3M Josh Allen NFL Shield Auto and what the sale says about Fanatics shaping collector attention in real time. They discuss why this card matters beyond Josh Allen, how manufactured pr...

What happens when the value of your card turns from mystery into responsibility? In this flagship episode, Brett explores one of the tensions at the center of collecting. The longer you own a unique card, the more meaning it absorbs. The chase. The story. The memory. The identity tied to it. But eventually every collector runs into a hard question: At what point does ownership become a decision? T...

Every collector talks about value. But what happens when the card means more to you than the market says it should? In this flagship episode, Brett explores one of the hardest truths in collecting: Can collectors ever fully separate emotional attachment from financial decision making? This conversation digs into the tension between memory and money. Between identity and allocation. Between the car...

A million dollar Josh Allen card. A nearly $200K Wemby Gold Refractor. A Dennis Rodman PMG Green pushing nearly $350K. The hobby keeps moving higher. But what is really happening underneath the surface? In Episode 20 of Card Ladder Confidential, Brett sits down with Chris and Josh from Card Ladder to break down the latest Premier Auction and the conversations collectors are having right now. The d...

Jeremy Lee has become one of the most trusted voices in sports card media. But before Sports Cards Live became a Saturday night destination for collectors, Jeremy was balancing a career in finance while building relationships, studying the hobby, and creating content because he loved the cards. In this conversation, Jeremy shares the full story behind Sports Cards Live, the growth of his auction c...

Season 5 of The WNBA Card Podcast starts with a live recording from Saint Paul at the All Women’s Sports Card Expo hosted by Great Lakes Trading Card Co. Katelyn sits down with Spencer from Great Lakes to talk about what’s happening in the women’s sports card market right now and why this moment feels different. They discuss:  Building a hobby shop centered around community   Why women’s sports co...

The wrestling card market keeps moving faster. Adam and Ryan break down the fallout from the Randy Orton WrestleMania Patch Auto sale and the reaction across the hobby after Randy himself responded publicly. They discuss why these patch autos are becoming wrestling card versions of Logomans and what the John Cena WrestleMania Patch Auto might ultimately sell for. The conversation also explores:  W...

Pack and Brett open the show talking about the NFLPA Rookie Premiere Event and why moments like this matter for the future of football cards. From Caleb Downs sitting with Ryan Johnson talking cards to the growing connection between athletes and collectors, this conversation explores where the hobby is heading and why storytelling around players is becoming part of the product itself.  The guys al...

Show season is here. Fanatics Fest. The National. Midwest Monster. Local shows packed wall to wall. The energy around cards feels different right now. In this conversation, Brett sits down with Kevin Randall (@DaCaptain37) to talk through the realities of operating in the current market as both a collector and dealer. They discuss:  Why rare goat cards continue to separate from the market   The da...

What happens after a monster sale hits your category? Not just the headline. Not the screenshots. Not the dopamine. What happens inside the minds of collectors? In this flagship episode of Stacking Slabs, Brett breaks down the psychology behind category repricing through the lens of the Randy Orton WrestleMania Patch Auto sale and why these moments impact collectors far beyond the final hammer pri...

There comes a point in collecting when the question stops being “Do I want the card?” and becomes “What am I willing to move to get it?” In this episode, Brett breaks down consolidation through the lens of a living collection. Not the hobby cliché version. The real version. The version tied to timing, sacrifice, identity, liquidity, and conviction. With show season approaching and more major cards...

Karn Rai has been around cards since he was ten years old. What started with hockey cards, Pokémon packs, and trips to the Toronto Expo turned into one of the fastest growing consignment businesses in Canada. In this episode of Passion to Profession, Karn breaks down the evolution of Slab Sharks and why the future of the hobby belongs to operators who think beyond cards on a table. We talk about:...