This month, we’re proud to feature Luke K (@uberman808)—one of our community members joining us from Hawaii and a collector whose range, perspective, and intentionality truly stand out.

Luke’s collection is one of the most versatile we’ve seen. It doesn’t live in a single lane or category. Alongside curated sets of sports cards and memorabilia, you’ll find Funko Pops, action figures, pins, posters, Pac-Man stickers, and other pieces tied to nostalgia, memory, and personal meaning. Luke isn’t just collecting items—he’s preserving moments. He’s a collector through and through.

Luke’s collecting story began long before cards entered the picture.

As a child, he collected honey bees, tadpoles, and guppies before moving on to smelly stickers, Transformers, LEGOs, G.I. Joes, and eventually sports cards. His favorite collection growing up was a vast run of Don Mattingly cards—a passion that defined his early connection to the hobby. Like many collectors, Luke stepped away for a long stretch, only to feel that familiar itch return during the pandemic.

That return started with intention—but quickly drifted.

Luke rebuilt a 49ers sports card collection and then found his way into the world of modern breaking and resale. He chased the hottest players, joined breaks, and tried to flip big cards to other “collectors”. He built a following. But in his words, he was left with very little to show for it.

What Luke realized was sobering—and honest.

Keeping up with the sports card market felt worse than the stock market. Breaks consistently resulted in losses. Investors undercut prices without regard for what anyone paid. The cycle was exhausting, financially draining, and ultimately unsustainable. It was a dead end.

That realization became the turning point.

Luke made a deliberate choice to step back, sell off what no longer mattered, and re-dedicate himself to collecting only what he genuinely wanted for his personal collection. He set a monthly budget. He walked away from chasing profits and hype. He stopped buying for others—and started buying for himself.

In doing so, Luke reconnected with why he fell in love with collecting in the first place.

Today, his collection reflects memory, joy, and personal meaning rather than market trends or resale value. For Luke, collecting is about connecting tangible objects to the moments, people, and experiences that shaped him. It’s about grounding the hobby in something real.

Luke leaves the community with a message that captures the heart of Collectors MD: He hopes collectors hold close to why they got into the hobby in the first place—choosing meaning over profit—so we can create a healthier, less toxic collecting environment for everyone.

This is intentional collecting.
This is what Collectors MD is all about.

#CollectorsMD
Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

https://collectorsmd.com/collector-spotlight/