Published August 30, 2025 | By Alan W, Collectors MD Supporter

FOMO—Fear Of Missing Out. It’s the voice inside our head that says, “just one more spin. One more box. One more break.” It’s the anticipation of the next hit—win or lose—that keeps us locked in the chair long after we should have walked away.

The truth? For most of us, the losses add up way faster than the wins ever could. And yet, FOMO whispers that the next hand, the next pack, the next box could finally make it alright. Even though we know deep down it wont.

My last session on Whatnot was a team break for four boxes of 2024 Phoenix International Football. I landed the Raiders, Falcons, Buccaneers, and Cardinals. What could go wrong? 

Welp, my “best” hits after scoring these four top-tier teams? A Darius Robinson rookie /8 and a Brock Bowers rookie /40. Decent cards, sure—but the comps told the real story. A $15 card. A $24 card. Both worth significantly less than what it cost me to get into the break.

That’s when the questions hit me:

• Why am I even breaking?

• Why am I holding onto slabs, hoping they’ll climb in value when trends show they’re more likely to fall?

• Was I holding onto these cards out of passion—or out of fear?

So, without overthinking it, I gathered the cards, took them to my LCS, and cashed out for 70% of their current market “value”. And in doing so, I realized something: I wasn’t losing. What I sold off was actually the weight that had been holding me down.

This isn’t advice for everyone—it’s just my story. But for me, letting go was the antidote to FOMO. Sometimes, the most freeing thing you can do is intentionally miss out.

And for the first time in years, I genuinely feel free.

#CollectorsMD
Sometimes missing out is exactly how you win in the long run.

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