Published February 26, 2026 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

One of the most dangerous misconceptions in modern collecting is the idea that cards are "liquid". The word gets thrown around casually, almost irresponsibly, as if owning a desirable card means you can turn it back into cash at will. That narrative sounds comforting. It also happens to be wildly misleading.

What most people don’t see is how elongated the buying and selling process actually is. Liquidity in the hobby isn’t a switch you flip. It’s a long, fragile chain of events and any weak link can break the outcome you’re counting on.

Young, highly impressionable collectors are especially vulnerable to this illusion. They watch influencers transact six-figures at card shows, moving slabs across tables in seconds, and it creates the impression that selling is simple, fast, and guaranteed. What’s rarely shown is the years of capital, reputation, relationships, risk tolerance, and inventory depth required to operate at that level. Most collectors aren’t stepping into that environment - they’re trying to replicate it from their phones.

The reality is much less glamorous. Buying - or hitting - the card is only the beginning. Selling it means deciding if its worth grading - which is a length process in itself, choosing the right marketplace, setting the right price, timing the market, waiting for interest, hoping for a committed buyer, navigating fees, shipping, insurance, delivery, and payout delays. That’s assuming nothing goes wrong. And plenty can go wrong.

All the while, value is not static. A player injury, a slump, an off-field issue, or even a broader market pullback can quietly erase the margin you thought you had. Liquidity depends on demand, timing, and trust - not just ownership. Cards don’t behave like cash, and they don’t behave like stocks either. They behave like collectibles, which means uncertainty is built into every step.

Liquidity is often mistaken for speed, when in reality it’s built on timing, trust, and access. When influencers make it look effortless, kids absorb the message that selling is easy without seeing the years of infrastructure, capital at risk, and deals that didn’t go as planned behind the scenes.

Another factor that often gets overlooked is oversaturation. There are simply too many cards, too many releases, too many parallels, variations, sets, sub-brands, and short prints competing for attention at the same time. What used to feel scarce now exists alongside an infinite number of alternatives. Even when a card is technically limited, it’s rarely limited in context. The abundance of options dilutes demand, fragments buyer interest, and makes true liquidity even harder to find. Scarcity only works when attention concentrates and in today’s hobby, attention is constantly being pulled in every direction.

What makes this especially tricky is how the idea of liquidity feeds the chase. If you believe you can always sell, it becomes easier to justify the next purchase. The risk feels smaller. The downside feels temporary. But when selling takes weeks or months - or never materializes at the price you expected - that belief starts to crack.

This is where the hobby quietly shifts for a lot of people. What started as collecting becomes managing exposure. Cards meant for enjoyment turn into obligations. And the pressure to "make it back" can push collectors into faster, riskier decisions that deepen the cycle.

True liquidity is rare in this hobby, and it usually belongs to people with scale, infrastructure, and long-term staying power. For everyone else, it’s conditional at best. Understanding that isn’t pessimistic; it’s protective. It creates space to slow down, buy with intention, and remove the false comfort that every card has an easy exit.

Collecting doesn’t become unhealthy because selling is hard. It becomes unhealthy when we’re sold the idea that selling is easy and we build our decisions on that promise.

#CollectorsMD
Liquidity isn’t about how fast something sells, it’s about how honest you were with yourself before you bought it.

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