Presented By All Touch Case

This month, we’re proud to feature one of the most recognizable faces in the Collectors MD community: Jared Allen.

Since joining Collectors MD in February, Jared has become one of the cornerstones of our community. He’s attended nearly every weekly peer support and Unboxed meeting, regularly contributes to our group chats, has authored multiple Daily Reflections, encourages others through difficult moments, and always makes time to welcome new members.

While Jared would probably tell you he’s simply showing up, the truth is he’s become an important part of what makes this community so special.

Like many of us, Jared’s relationship with collecting has been complicated. He describes it as bittersweet. The desire to collect has never come from greed or a desire to own everything. Instead, it has always come from a genuine desire to better understand himself and connect with the people around him. But somewhere along the way, that pursuit often became overshadowed by disappointment, obsession, and isolation.

Growing up without many financial resources, collecting looked very different. Every card, every item, every addition to his collection required patience and intention because there simply wasn’t another option. Looking back, Jared realizes those limitations often protected him from the kinds of behaviors that became much easier once disposable income entered the picture as an adult.

Over the years, collecting became less about any one hobby and more about chasing the next identity. Like many people with addictive personalities, Jared found himself cycling through one obsession after another. The excitement wasn’t necessarily found in using the item or enjoying the hobby itself. More often, it came from researching, planning, hunting, and finally purchasing whatever had captured his attention at that particular moment.

Eventually, those once-exciting purchases faded into the background. The objects remained, but the meaning often didn’t. That realization changed the way he approaches collecting today.

Rather than chasing every new interest, Jared has intentionally shifted his focus toward collections that strengthen relationships instead of replacing them. Star Trek has become something he enjoys with his own family. NASCAR has become a way to connect more deeply with his wife’s family. And as a lifelong Orlando Magic fan, collecting basketball cards allows him to stay connected to the team he has always loved. The collections themselves matter, but the relationships and memories surrounding them matter even more.

Perhaps most importantly, Jared doesn’t pretend the struggle has disappeared. He openly acknowledges that he can still become emotionally consumed by the things he collects. The difference today is that he no longer faces those challenges alone.

Through Collectors MD, Jared has surrounded himself with people who understand exactly what that experience feels like. He leans on the community for accountability, perspective, and support whenever collecting begins pulling him away from the life he wants to build.

It’s a philosophy that’s reflected beautifully in the Daily Reflections Jared has written for Collectors MD over the past several months. In Collecting Cards, Collecting Moments, he reminds us that our collections ultimately become reflections of the lives we’ve lived – that the real value often lies in the memories attached to the objects rather than the objects themselves.

In What’s In The Box?, he explores forgiveness through one of the hobby’s most familiar metaphors, reminding us that sometimes the only way to understand what we’ve been carrying is to finally give ourselves permission to let it go.

Both reflections share a common thread: intentionality. Not perfection. Not abstinence. Intentionality.

That same mindset is exactly how Jared approaches collecting today. He understands that being an intentional collector doesn’t mean never wanting another card, another die-cast, another VHS tape, or another piece for the collection. It means recognizing that collecting should enrich your life – not consume it. It means celebrating progress over possession and understanding that you don’t need to own everything to fully enjoy the things you love.

Jared’s impact on Collectors MD extends far beyond his own collecting journey. He reminds us that recovery isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about continuing to show up, staying accountable, and helping others along the way.

Communities are built by people who consistently show up for others. Jared has done exactly that, and the Collectors MD community is stronger because of it.

#CollectorsMD
Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

This Collector Spotlight is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

http://collectorsmd.com/collector-spotlight-july-2026/

Alyx Effron | August 3, 2026

Presented By All Touch Case

Over the past three weeks, I’ve had the privilege of attending three very different conferences: Fanatics Fest NYC, the NCPG Annual Conference in Nashville, and The National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago. On paper, they couldn’t have been more different. One celebrated the passion and excitement of fandom. Another brought together the nation’s leading councils, coalitions, clinicians, researchers, and treatment providers. The third represented the largest gathering of sports collectors anywhere in the world.

And yet, I walked away from each with the exact same feeling. Hope.

When I launched Collectors MD a year and a half ago, I honestly didn’t know how these conversations would be received. I knew collectors needed somewhere to turn because, not long before, I had been searching for that place myself. I knew there were thousands of collectors quietly struggling with overspending, loss of control, and behaviors they didn’t fully understand. But I didn’t know whether the hobby would be willing to acknowledge those challenges, or whether the behavioral health community would see collecting as something worthy of its attention.

Over the past month, I received that answer. Collectors embraced us. Clinicians embraced us. Businesses embraced us. Platforms embraced us. Industry leaders embraced us. Perhaps most importantly, the conversation is no longer happening in two separate worlds. The hobby is beginning to prioritize and embrace behavioral health, and the behavioral health community is developing a deeper understanding of the modern collecting landscape.

That’s exactly where Collectors MD has found its purpose. We aren’t trying to change the hobby or redefine behavioral health – we’re simply helping each better understand the other. In many ways, we’ve become the bridge between two worlds that have needed each other for far longer than either one realized.

Throughout all three conferences, I lost count of how many people told me some version of the same idea: “We’ve been seeing this for years – we just didn’t have the language, the framework, or the partner to address it”. It has become increasingly clear that Collectors MD isn’t introducing a new problem. We’re simply providing clarity, structure, and solutions to something many people have already recognized.

What has humbled me most isn’t the growth of Collectors MD itself. It’s realizing just how many people across this hobby have decided this conversation is worth championing and are committed to leaving It better than they found it.

Meaningful progress isn’t measured by one organization – it’s measured by the growing number of people choosing to build a healthier future for the hobby together.

Over the past month alone, we’ve strengthened existing partnerships, formed countless new ones, expanded The Healthy Hobby Initiative alongside The Certified Trading Card Association, earned national media coverage, presented our work on a national stage, met with some of the hobby’s largest companies, and continued seeing #RipResponsibly embraced by collectors, creators, breakers, hobby shops, manufacturers, platforms, and organizations across the industry.

Every one of those conversations reinforced the same idea: collecting and consumer well-being are not opposing concepts. In fact, they depend on one another. A healthy hobby isn’t one without excitement. It’s one where excitement is balanced with education and safety. It’s one where businesses can continue innovating while also helping collectors make informed decisions. It’s one where parents and loved ones have access to the right tools and resources. Where collectors know support exists if they ever need it. Where responsible engagement becomes part of the culture – not because anyone is forced to adopt it, but because it’s simply the right thing to do.

One moment continues to stand out from this past week. As I walked the floor of The National, I couldn’t help but notice how many children were everywhere. They were buying cards, negotiating trades, learning entrepreneurship, building collections, making friends, and creating memories they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives.

That’s what this hobby is supposed to be. That’s what we’re working to protect. If the next generation is going to inherit this incredible community, then we have a responsibility to leave it better than we found it. Not by removing what makes collecting exciting, but by ensuring the systems surrounding it continue evolving in ways that support the people participating in it.

When I first entered recovery, I never imagined it would lead me here. I certainly never imagined I’d spend three consecutive weeks moving between the hobby’s biggest stages, the nation’s leading behavioral health conference, and conversations with many of the industry’s most influential organizations – all centered around one simple idea: helping collectors enjoy the hobby for a lifetime.

Looking back, it’s hard not to feel grateful. Grateful for every partner who believed in us before anyone knew our name. Grateful for every collector who shared their story. Grateful for every organization willing to lead instead of follow. Grateful for every conversation that helped move this mission one step forward. Most of all, I’m grateful because, after everything I’ve seen these past few weeks, I can say something I truly believe: The future of the hobby is in good hands. Not because any one person or organization has all the answers, but because so many people care enough to ask the right questions.

This month wasn’t the finish line. It was another reminder that meaningful change happens through collaboration, curiosity, and a shared commitment to doing what’s right. And after everything I’ve experienced over these past three weeks, I can say with more confidence than ever: We’re only just getting started.

#CollectorsMD
Three conferences. Countless conversations. One shared vision. The future of collecting isn’t defined solely by bigger shows, larger audiences, or more products – it’s defined by the people committed to ensuring the hobby continues to enrich lives for generations to come. Together, we’re building that future.

—
Follow Us On Social: @collectorsmd
Join Our Support Group
Join Us On Mantel
Read More Daily Reflections

Support The CMD Foundation

This Daily Reflection is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

https://collectorsmd.com/the-future-is-in-good-hands/

Most people will never have a problem with collecting. But for those who do, the consequences can be very real.

No one talks about the part where collecting stops feeling like a hobby and starts feeling like an obligation. When excitement turns into chasing, spending, secrecy, and the belief that the next rip, purchase, or big hit will finally be enough.

We do.

Collectors MD provides support, community, and real tools from collectors who have been there. Because struggling with a hobby you love can feel incredibly isolating - but you don’t have to navigate these challenges alone.

Collect with intention, not compulsion.

#CollectorsMD | #TheCMDFoundation | #RipResponsibly 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbddBKyRX97/

Alyx Effron | July 27, 2026

Presented By All Touch Case

Last week, I had the incredible honor of presenting at the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) Annual Conference in Nashville. Several days later, I’m still struggling to put the experience into words. It wasn’t simply another speaking engagement. It was one of those rare moments in life where you pause, look around, and realize just how far you’ve come.

Eighteen months ago, I was still trying to rebuild my life after gambling addiction nearly destroyed it. I was learning how to recover, how to be honest with myself, and how to find purpose in one of the most painful chapters of my life. If someone had told me back then that I would one day be standing on stage at the largest problem gambling conference of the year, presenting my own work to an audience of clinicians, researchers, treatment providers, and advocates from across the country, I never would have believed them.

And yet, there I was – standing before a room of more than 150 people, every seat filled, sharing my journey that ultimately led to the creation of Collectors MD.

I don’t mind admitting that I became emotional during my presentation. It wasn’t because I was nervous. It was because, for the first time, I fully appreciated what that moment represented. It wasn’t just a presentation – it was the culmination of eighteen months of recovery, late nights, setbacks, hard conversations, and an unwavering belief that this issue deserved a place within the broader behavioral health conversation.

I’m incredibly grateful to NCPG for embracing Collectors MD with open arms and giving this emerging topic a platform.

Despite a few travel delays and a flight cancellation, we finally made it to Nashville. I’ll admit I started to get frustrated for a bit, but it turned into a good reminder to practice a little radical acceptance. Sometimes the only productive thing you can do is let go of what you can’t control and focus on what comes next. From the moment we arrived, everyone we met was welcoming, encouraging, and genuinely curious. It was clear that people weren’t dismissing this conversation – they wanted to understand it.

I’m equally grateful to the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado (PGCC) for believing in this work from the very beginning. Together, we’ve built something far greater than a single presentation. Through our partnership, we’ve developed Unboxed: Powered by Collectors MD, created facilitator and participant curricula that are now available for anyone to review, and begun building a framework that will help organizations better support individuals navigating these behaviors for years to come.

It was an absolute privilege to present “Not Just a Hobby: How the Culture of Collecting Can Escalate Gambling Disorder” at the NCPG Annual Conference in Nashville.

One of the most humbling parts of the week was the response from those who attended our session. As I stood at the podium moments before we began and looked out at a completely full room, I had to take a moment to soak it all in.

Throughout the presentation, the audience remained incredibly engaged. People were taking notes, nodding along, and asking thoughtful questions that continued long after our session officially ended. The conversations afterward were unlike anything I could have imagined. Clinicians shared stories of clients they had struggled to understand. Researchers wanted to learn more. Treatment providers asked how they could incorporate this work into their own programs. Others simply thanked us for giving language to something they’d been observing but hadn’t yet been able to explain. That kind of reception is something I’ll carry with me for a very long time.

I also left Nashville incredibly grateful for the opportunity to finally meet so many people in person. Over the past year, countless partnerships have been built through emails, virtual meetings, and phone conversations. Being able to shake hands, share meals, and spend time with so many individuals I’ve admired from afar reminded me that this field is filled with people who genuinely care about helping others. I have no doubt that many of the relationships formed in Nashville will grow into future collaborations that continue expanding the reach of this work.

And, of course, none of it would have been the same without my wife, Monika. She wasn’t there because she had to be. She was there because she wanted to be. She sat in the audience, supported me every step of the way, celebrated every conversation afterward, and reminded me to enjoy the moment when everything started happening so quickly. Having my biggest supporter by my side made an already unforgettable experience even more meaningful.

One realization continued to surface throughout the conference. For decades, the problem gambling field has understandably focused on traditional gambling environments like casinos, sportsbooks, lotteries, and slot machines. But today’s world looks very different. Many of the same behavioral mechanics that have long existed in gambling – uncertainty, variable rewards, rapid purchasing, scarcity, live interaction, and constant accessibility – now appear across dozens of modern consumer environments, including certain parts of today’s collecting ecosystem. Our presentation wasn’t about labeling collecting as gambling. It was about helping clinicians recognize when these increasingly stimulating environments become difficult for vulnerable individuals to navigate and why curiosity, education, and collaboration matter.

Throughout the conference, I found myself thinking about one idea over and over again. There are so many people struggling right now who don’t even realize that help exists. For years, many collectors experiencing compulsive spending, loss of control, or gambling-like behaviors have lacked the language to explain what they’re going through. Likewise, many clinicians simply haven’t been exposed to the culture, terminology, or behavioral mechanics of today’s collecting environments. That gap leaves far too many people falling between two worlds.

Now, we’re beginning to bridge that gap. That may be what I’m most hopeful about. This conference wasn’t the finish line. It was the beginning of something much larger.

Looking back, Collectors MD has always been about turning lived experience into something meaningful. What started as one person’s recovery journey has grown into a movement built around education, peer support, advocacy, collaboration, and hope. It’s become proof that some of life’s greatest purpose can emerge from its greatest pain.

This truly feels like my calling. My pain has become my purpose. After this past week, I’m more convinced than ever that we’re only just getting started. Recovery gave me a second chance at life. If my story encourages someone else to take that first step toward getting the help they need, then this work is doing exactly what it was meant to do.

#CollectorsMD
NCPG wasn’t just another conference – it was a reminder that awareness begins with courageous conversations. By bringing lived experience, behavioral health, and the collecting community together, we’re helping ensure that the people who need support know they aren’t alone – and that help exists.

—
Follow Us On Social: @collectorsmd
Join Our Support Group
Join Us On Mantel
Read More Daily Reflections

Support The CMD Foundation

This Daily Reflection is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

https://collectorsmd.com/pain-into-purpose/

One of the highlights of last week's National Council on Problem Gambling Conference was seeing the incredible recognition the Fan Mode campaign has received.

At Collectors MD, we're proud supporters of this initiative because it reinforces a message that extends far beyond sports betting: it's okay to simply be a fan.

In today's world, so many experiences have become monetized. Whether it's sports, collecting, fantasy contests, prediction markets, or other forms of entertainment, we're increasingly encouraged to have something at stake. But the reality is that fandom itself can be exciting, meaningful, and deeply rewarding without needing to place a wager.

You don't need money on the game to enjoy the game. That message aligns closely with everything we strive to promote through #RipResponsibly. Collecting doesn't have to become a financial competition. Sports don't have to become a betting opportunity. Sometimes, the healthiest and most fulfilling experience comes from simply appreciating what drew us there in the first place.

Congratulations to Jamie Glick, Chigbo Nzoiwu, and the entire team at the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado who helped bring the Fan Mode campaign to life. It's an important reminder that enjoyment doesn't have to come with financial risk, and we're grateful to support a movement that encourages people to reconnect with the simple joy of being a fan.

Proud to be repping my Fan Mode hat, and even prouder to stand behind the message it represents. 💙

#CollectorsMD | #PGCC | #Unboxed | #FanMode | #RipResponsibly