Published August 08, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

One of the hardest things to say out loud—sometimes even to ourselves—is: “I think I have a problem.”

In a hobby built on hype, celebration, and curated mail days, admitting that collecting has started to hurt more than it helps can feel like betrayal. To the culture. To your image. To the version of you that once found joy in the chase. But the truth is, many of us have been there—struggling behind the scenes with financial stress, strained relationships, obsessive thoughts, and a shame spiral we didn’t know how to stop.

What keeps so many of us silent? Pride. Embarrassment. Shame. Fear of judgment. The belief that if we just hit that next card—or sell enough to catch up—everything will be fine again. We tell ourselves it’s not that bad. We compare ourselves to someone “worse”. We minimize our struggles so we don’t have to face them.

But eventually, something shifts. Maybe it’s an overdraft notice. A partner’s ultimatum. A pile of unopened mail and unopened wounds. Or maybe it’s just a quiet moment of clarity where you realize: this isn’t who I want to be.

That moment of honesty is scary—but it’s powerful. Because once you name it, you can face it. And once you face it, you can start to heal.

At Collectors MD, we believe that honesty isn’t weakness—it’s the first real act of strength.
It’s what makes space for change.
It’s what turns pain into growth.
And it’s what connects us to one another in a community that sees you, not for what you’ve bought or pulled—but for who you are.

You’re not alone. And you don’t have to carry the shame by yourself.

#CollectorsMD
There’s no healing without honesty. And there’s no shame in starting over.

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Had a great time joining  ⁨@hoosierpulls4689⁩ to talk about where the hobby is right now—and where it’s headed.

We got into the real challenges collectors face today: compulsive spending, break culture, burnout, and the urgent need for accountability at every level of the sports card industry.

Collectors MD isn’t anti-hobby—we’re pro-accountability and pro-awareness. The goal is simple: protect the passion while making sure the hobby works for everyone, not just the platforms and brands at the top.

🎥 Watch the full conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saQbJIx0h1o

Published July 17, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

News broke this week that a major figure in the hobb—Brett Lemieux, known online as “Mister Mancave”—admitted to running one of the largest fraud and forgery operations in sports memorabilia history. Over two decades, he sold more than 4 million fake items totaling over $350 million, often using forged holograms and fabricated certificates of authenticity. He scammed collectors, infiltrated marketplaces, and corrupted the very trust that fuels our passion.

Let that sink in.

This wasn’t just one bad actor with a sharpie and a scheme—it was a calculated, relentless manipulation of collectors’ hope, nostalgia, and belief in the legitimacy of their purchases. He preyed on the emotional and financial vulnerability that so many of us carry into the hobby. And the truth is, he got away with it for years—because the current systems let him.

While collectors trusted moments like these to be genuine, a massive $350 million fraud scheme revealed millions of forged autographs were pumped into the hobby—often with fake holograms and fabricated certificates—shaking the foundation of authenticity the memorabilia world depends on.

What does this mean for us?

It means we must rethink how much blind faith we place in third-party authentication. It means the hobby desperately needs transparency, regulation, and accountability. And it means those of us who care deeply—who collect not just for clout or profit, but for meaning—have a responsibility to push for better.

Not because we’re skeptics. But because we’re believers.

We believe this space can be better. We believe in protecting the joy of collecting. We believe in keeping the next generation from being misled like so many were here.

Let’s collect with our eyes open—and make sure trust is earned, not assumed.

#CollectorsMD
The more we protect the hobby, the more the hobby protects us.

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Follow us on Instagram: @collectorsmd
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