If you haven’t seen @Brews_and_Breaks latest post, stop now and go give it a read. https://app.onmantel.com/PFE9Cn6HPVb

The section about how to get the hobby back really resonated with me. There’s nothing better than hearing the stories and the reasons why people collect what they do.

I can remember the exact day, just a couple of months ago, when something finally clicked in my head and I asked myself, “What the hell are you doing?!”

That day, I went to a local card show. After walking around for a while and not finding anything that truly spoke to me, I decided to swing by one of the LCSs in my area—simply because I felt like I had to buy something. My buddy and I ended up grabbing two blasters of highly overpriced football cards, sat down, and ripped through them in just minutes. As soon as it was over, I felt that all-too-familiar sting of disappointment. No big hit. No rush. Just an empty feeling.

As I was walking out, I passed a little boy with his mom. He was looking at the boxes behind the showcase when I overheard his mom say no because they were just too expensive. That’s when it hit me—the path the hobby is on right now has started to phase out the love, joy, and memories it’s supposed to offer, all because of the constant urge to make a profit.

I stopped, turned around, and handed the little boy my box. The look on his face was all the reminder I needed. He didn’t care about resale value, odds, or ROI—he was just happy to have cards. That pure excitement… that’s the heartbeat of this hobby.

I’ve never shared this story before, because that’s not really who I am. I’m a relatively private person about certain things. But this article struck something deep inside me—something that’s been sitting there for months.

So thank you, @Brews_and_Breaks, for that reminder of why we started collecting in the first place.