The picture below includes all of the things that 10-year-old me wanted in 1989, save a bag of Hostess potato chips (classic BBQ flavor please) and a Dr. Pepper: two Jose Canseco rookie cards, a Jose Canseco autograph, a Jose Canseco 1989 Donruss, and for Jose Canseco to play for my beloved Toronto Blue Jays. That’s how I know I am a collector and not a successful card flipper/dealer: it’s about feelings. You see, according
2025 was a year I jumped right back into collecting after an on and off relationship with the hobby for the past three decades. But this year was different. Gone are the days of buying a $50 wax box and ripping it open, experiencing the joy of pulling all of the current year’s rookies and stars. $50 these days gets you a blaster pack with a handful of inserts/parallels that many toss aside, the misguided
There’s a certain kind of strength that doesn’t just come from willpower, discipline, or overcoming urges. It comes from connection. From being seen. From sitting in a room, physical or virtual, with other people who understand the weight you’re carrying without needing an explanation. When that kind of connection is present, something shifts. The noise fades. The pressure eases. You feel less alone inside your own thoughts. Recovery doesn’t gain its momentum from perfection. It
One of the most encouraging things we’ve experienced recently is the volume and depth of feedback coming from our community. Messages from people who are struggling, people who are learning, people who are early in recovery, and people who are slowly rebuilding trust with themselves and those around them. What stands out most isn’t just gratitude—it’s connection. People reaching out, asking questions, engaging, and staying present even when life becomes overwhelming. That feedback reinforces something
Burnout doesn’t usually announce itself. It doesn’t show up as a dramatic breaking point or a conscious decision to halt everything. More often, it slips in quietly—masked as productivity, urgency, or commitment. It shows up as overextension disguised as responsibility. As “just one more task” repeated until there’s no margin left. As the false perception that rest is irresponsible and slowing down is a failure of dedication. Recent conversations, honest feedback, and taking real personal
There are moments in recovery when the urge doesn’t feel like a thought—it feels like a force. It shows up suddenly, loudly, and with a kind of certainty that says you don’t have a choice. Your body reacts before your logic can catch up. Your heart rate changes. Your focus narrows. Everything in you wants relief, and it wants it now. This is where mind over matter gets misunderstood. It isn’t about overpowering the urge
New Year’s resolutions can be especially hard in this hobby because the environment doesn’t slow down when people try to reset—it speeds up. January is supposed to feel like a clean slate. But in the hobby, that “fresh start” energy is often the exact thing the system pulls on—because optimism and vulnerability sit right next to each other. On the platform side, the start of the year is rarely quiet. You’ll see new year, new
During active addiction—whether it shows up through gambling, compulsive collecting, or spending—many of us aren’t just chasing a “win”. We’re chasing an image. A version of ourselves we want the world to see. Confident. Successful. Generous. Untouchable. Someone living life in the fast lane, finally validated by the big moment that’s just around the corner. The Gamblers Anonymous Combo Book describes this as the “dream world” of the compulsive gambler. It’s the fantasy of what
Recovery often starts with learning how to change our behavior—but it deepens when we learn how to stop hiding what we feel. Putting on a mask often starts as a survival skill. We do it to keep functioning, to avoid burdening others, to convince ourselves—and everyone else—that we’re okay. The mask helps us appear steady and in control, even when things feel uncertain underneath. But while it can offer short-term protection, it comes at a
As I read today’s CLLCT article asking industry leaders what they’d change about the hobby, I found myself nodding along. More transparency. Fewer conflicts of interest. Cheaper wax. Better access. Stronger education. More in-person connection. All valid. All necessary. And all pointing toward the same underlying truth. The biggest issue in collecting today isn’t a single product, platform, or policy—it’s the culture we’ve normalized around speed, scale, and optimization at all costs. The hobby didn’t
Collectors MD is excited to announce a new partnership with SlabTrack, a next-generation platform designed to bring structure, clarity, and intention back into modern collecting. At Collectors MD, our mission is simple: to help collectors collect with intention—not compulsion. That means supporting tools and systems that slow people down, reduce emotional decision-making, and help collectors understand what they actually own. SlabTrack was built from that exact mindset. Founded by collector and entrepreneur Sherwin Gilani, SlabTrack
More than 26 million cards were graded in 2025. Let that number sit for a moment. That isn’t just a data point—it’s a signal. A reflection of how deeply the hobby has shifted, and how quietly a new expectation has taken hold: if a card is decent, it should be graded. Not because it needs to be sold. Not because it’s part of a long-term plan. But because the industry has conditioned us to believe
