Published May 29, 2025 | By Dave S, Collectors MD Advocate

A few weeks ago, I got paid—and something inside me snapped. Not in celebration, but in compulsion. I opened Whatnot, joined a few lives, and started bidding. Didn’t matter if it was sports, Pokémon, singles, packs—I was chasing.

And when that wasn’t enough, I went deeper. Facebook Marketplace. My dealer. A Prismatic Special Collection box I swore I’d keep sealed… but told myself maybe, just maybe, this was my time to hit something big.

Of course, it wasn’t. Just like always, the rush came and went—and left me sitting there, wondering how I was going to pay for insurance and my car.

So I did what I had to do. I pulled together a $1,600 Pop lot, hit up a friend who builds mystery boxes, and took half of what it was worth. It wasn’t ideal, but it was fair. I had no real options.

When the money hit my account, I felt it—that pull. That voice: You’ve got cash… now’s your chance. Just a few packs.
Then reality kicked in: You know where this ends.

I paid bills. Cleared my tab. And then—for the first time in months—I bought something that actually brings me joy: resin. I create things. I build. This weekend, I poured again.

Yeah, I slipped a little. A cheap blaster, a couple slab packs. But I didn’t spiral.
I parked outside GameStop—and left.
I entered live breaks—but didn’t bid.
That was a win.

Then the mail started arriving—stuff I forgot I bought. Mostly junk. I listed it all: $1 cards, $3 cards. Hoping it adds up to something. Sitting in the aftermath is the hardest part.

As I write this, I still want to rip.
But I know how this story ends.
Even when I win, I want more.

Because the house always wins.
Unless you walk away.

#CollectorsMD
Even when you stumble, you can still stand back up.

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