Today’s headlines were hard to miss: a 2007–08 Upper Deck Exquisite Kobe Bryant/Michael Jordan Dual Auto Logoman 1/1 just sold at Heritage Auctions for a record-breaking $12.9M, the most expensive public sports card sale of all time. Bigger than the SGC 9.5 ’52 Mantle. Bigger than BGS 9 Trout Bowman Superfractor. Only Babe Ruth’s “Called Shot” jersey sits above it in the broader world of sports memorabilia. And this wasn’t just any transaction. The buyers
I feel fortunate to have arrived in the beautiful country of Spain today for a long-awaited trip with my wife and in-laws. This place will always hold a special place in my heart—I studied abroad here back in the spring of 2011. Coming back now feels surreal, stirring memories from a very different chapter of life. But as I look around, one thing is undeniable: a lot has changed. Maybe I’m jaded, maybe I’m biased—but
When COVID-19 hit, the world shut down. For many of us, collecting became a lifeline. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, many of us were introduced to modern-day break culture—the hobby exploded—virtual engagement, marketplace scrolling, social media galore. It was natural to gravitate toward community, connection, and nostalgia during lockdown. But as Dr. Shah reminded us when he joined us for Episode #7 of The Collector’s Compass, this “boom” carried its own hidden
Recovery is not a quick fix or a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a slow, deliberate process that can feel painstaking. Those small victories, stacked brick by brick, become the foundation of long-term healing. The challenge is that many of us beat ourselves up over how slow it feels, forgetting that lasting change often takes years. One of the most important truths is that honesty and openness are the starting points. When we keep our struggles hidden,
In 2017, I had the opportunity to attend the ISRU Summer Camp in person on Governor’s Island and to purchase a pair of the highly coveted Nike x Tom Sachs ‘Mars Yard’ 2.0 sneakers. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp it, but the experience was less about the sneakers themselves and more about what they represented: a process rooted in purpose, ritual, and meaning. This summer, I’ve been immersed again—this time virtually—revisiting the same
Collectors MD is proud to announce their partnership with Dr. Aakar “Rick” Shah, D.O., a Board-Certified Family Medicine physician with nearly two decades of experience in Urgent and Immediate Care medicine. Dr. Shah brings a unique perspective to the Collectors MD community—combining extensive medical expertise with his personal passion for collecting. Dr. Shah joins Collectors MD’s growing referral and support network, which connects collectors with trusted professionals who understand the behavioral, financial, and emotional challenges
The hobby moves fast. Very fast. Drops typically sell out in seconds, Dutch auctions bait us into panic buying, countdown timers push us toward impulsive decisions, and social feeds bombard us with highlights of what everyone else is buying or hitting out of latest product. With new, high-priced sets dropping at a relentless pace, the hobby quickly turns into a “flavor of the week”. Our attention spans shrink, and what felt like an exciting must-have
So often, the purchases we regret the most aren’t the ones we planned for—they’re the ones we made in the heat of an emotion. A fight with a partner. A stressful day at work. A painful memory resurfacing. Even something as simple as boredom or loneliness. These are the moments when our defenses are down and the urge to “fix” the feeling with a quick hit of excitement, distraction, or escape becomes strongest—without considering the
In a social media landscape driven by algorithms and clout, it’s easy to mistake numbers for real impact. Followers, views, likes—metrics that make us feel like “bigger” automatically means “better”. But when it comes to building something with real meaning, I’ve learned that one high-quality community member is worth far more than a thousand people chasing a cheap thrill. This lesson comes into sharp focus in the hobby. On platforms like Whatnot and Fanatics Live,
Yesterday, Rob Veres of Burbank Cards posted a video that struck a chord with me—and I think it’s something everyone in the hobby should hear. His message was simple but powerful: the hobby needs a reset. Rob talked about how, 10–20 years ago, card shops were designed for collecting. You could walk in and find sets, players, and topics to build your collection around. Dealers had something for everyone. Now, too many retailers and dealers
Each year, we expect a slight fluctuation in prices across industries—it’s part of market trends: inflation, supply and demand, and the natural ebb and flow of production costs. But in the hobby, the bar keeps moving, drastically—and not in the right direction. Today, 2025 Topps Finest Baseball hit shelves at an eye-watering $500 per hobby box. Let’s rewind: last year’s 2024 release sold for $300 a box—with a better rookie class and arguably a better
Your collection should be a sanctuary, not a scoreboard. It should be the place you turn to when you want to reconnect with a memory, a passion, or a piece of your own story—not a running tally of how you stack up against someone else. In today’s hobby culture, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison. Social media feeds overflow with showcase posts, “record sales” headlines, and highlight reels of jaw-dropping mail days.
