Published January 07, 2026 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

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 chase messaging, countdown drops, limited-time breaks, and urgency language that pushes immediacy over reflection. Algorithms resurface the most high-dopamine content right when you’re trying to recalibrate—huge hits, profit screenshots, highlight reels that quietly whisper, “start your year like this”. And the social pressure gets louder too: year-end recaps, flex posts, “first big hit of 2026” narratives that make restraint feel like you’re already behind.

On the manufacturer side, January isn’t restraint—it’s momentum. Flagship releases, new product lines, hyped rookie classes, heavy marketing timed perfectly for renewed spending energy. Scarcity language—short print, case hit, true gold, 1/1—keeps the fantasy alive that the next rip could define your entire year. The message isn’t always malicious, but it is constant: start strong, go big, don’t miss out.

Platforms ring in the new year by accelerating urgency—while many collectors are already entering January mentally, emotionally, and financially exhausted.

This is why so many resolutions in this space collapse—not because people lack discipline, but because they’re attempting personal change inside systems built to resist it. The deck is stacked toward speed, excitement, impulse—and the most dangerous part is how frictionless it all is. One click, one livestream, one “why not” moment, and suddenly your new year is being decided by a feed instead of your values.

That’s why at Collectors MD, we don’t treat intention like a strict rulebook. We treat it like harm reduction—a way to create friction where the hobby tries to remove it. A pause before you buy. A plan before you chase. A boundary that isn’t perfect, but is honest. A willingness to ask, “what am I actually looking for right now—joy, or relief”.

And this is exactly why peer support matters so much in January. Resolutions don’t survive in isolation. They survive when we name the pressure instead of internalizing it as failure, when we replace hype-driven momentum with shared reality, and when we set intentions that are flexible, realistic, and supported—rather than rigid promises we’re expected to some how keep on our own.

The goal isn’t to “win” the new year. It’s to move through it with awareness—together—without letting the calendar, the platform, or the chase decide the pace for us.

#CollectorsMD
The healthiest resolutions aren’t louder promises—they’re quieter pauses that interrupt the cycle before it starts.

—
Follow us on Instagram: @collectorsmd
Subscribe to our Newsletter & Support Group
Join The Conversation On Mantel
Read More Daily Reflections