Published September 22, 2025 | By Brandon H, Collectors MD Community Member

When we think of “cautionary tales”, we usually think of stories where someone’s actions carried consequences. By definition, a cautionary tale is meant to warn others about the potential dangers of certain behaviors, showing the repercussions so others might avoid the same mistakes.

In the hobby, we see such cautionary tales every day. When collecting stops being intentional and turns into compulsion, the dangers multiply fast.

For me, that danger was card breaks. At first, it seemed like a smarter way to collect—pick a team, buy a slot, maybe hit something big. Platforms like Whatnot and Fanatics Live make it feel like everyone is winning. But if you look closely, you’ll notice something missing: there is no mention of building a collection. It’s all about the chase, the dopamine, and the rush of impressing strangers online.

And I chased. Hard. In my first break ever, I hit a super-short-print JJ McCarthy Uptowns from Donruss Optic Football—one of the hottest cards in the hobby at the time. Later I began chasing the iconic Kaboom! in Revolution Basketball and actually ended up hitting a Kel’El Ware—a rookie I’d never even heard of, but was able to quickly flip for $500—providing me with a decent return. Those hits fueled the fire. But like every gambler learns, the house always wins.

That’s when it clicked for me: this wasn’t collecting. It was gambling with cardboard.

These eBay comps of the McCarthy and Ware cards I pulled show how inflated the aftermarket has become, and how quickly the rush of flipping can blur the line between collecting and gambling.

When the dust settled, I looked around at piles of base cards on the floor and asked myself: what’s next? Who was my collection serving? Was I even enjoying it? Or was I chasing something I could never actually catch?

That’s often the turning point for every collector caught in compulsion. For some, it means dialing back—paying bills first, cutting out “pay in 4” schemes, and ripping far less. For others, it means stepping away entirely, blocking apps, or even selling everything. Both paths are valid. But what matters most is honesty.

The internet will keep showing you the highlight reels—the hits, the flexes, the grails. What you won’t see are the thousands of misses, the financial strain, and the shame collectors carry in silence. I was on the cusp of becoming one of those stories.

Instead, I’m sharing mine as a cautionary tale. Because it’s better to be a cautionary tale than a tragic one.

And that’s why I’m committed to Collectors MD. This community is proof that none of us have to go through it alone. For years, people were ashamed to admit that collecting had gotten out of control—but now we have a place where the silence is broken, the stigma is gone, and the support is real. I believe in Collectors MD because I’ve lived the problem—and I know firsthand how critical this community is for those searching for a way out.

#CollectorsMD
Collect with intention, not compulsion—because cautionary tales are meant to warn us, not define us.

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