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Each month, our Collector Spotlight series celebrates a Collectors MD community member who embodies the very best of the hobby and reminds us what a healthier, more intentional collecting experience can look like. For August, we’re proud to spotlight Sergio Pizzolante (@instapizzo), one of the most active, thoughtful, and genuinely supportive members of the Collectors MD community.

Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Sergio carries an enormous amount of pride in his Venezuelan roots. That connection has remained a constant throughout a career that has taken him across media, entertainment, sports, and business. He began his career with HBO Latin America before eventually becoming General Manager of Sony Pictures’ operations across Latin America and Brazil and later leading E! Entertainment Television in the region.

Today, Sergio works across the worlds of media, entertainment, music, and sports, with relationships spanning major brands, artists, and athletes. His work has brought him particularly close to the Latin American sports community, including relationships with prominent Venezuelan athletes and involvement in projects surrounding the Venezuelan national baseball team.

But what makes Sergio deserving of this spotlight has far less to do with who he knows or what he has accomplished professionally. It’s how he shows up for other people.

Since joining our community, Sergio has become one of the most consistent voices. He participates in our peer support meetings, is extremely active in our group chats, listens when other members are struggling, offers thoughtful feedback and perspective, and makes a genuine effort to help people feel heard.

Sergio once described empathy as his “number one superpower”, explaining that he tries to move through life asking what another person may be going through and how he can add value to their life. That philosophy is something our community gets to see from him regularly.

He has also become an important part of Collectors MD beyond the community itself. Sergio serves on our Advisory Board and has generously leveraged his experience, relationships, and understanding of the media and sports landscapes to help introduce us to new people and potential partners. From the beginning, he made it clear that he wanted to help grow both Collectors MD and the responsible side of the hobby, even telling us to “consider me a soldier” in the effort.

And Sergio genuinely loves collecting. His collection stretches well beyond traditional sports cards into memorabilia, signed jerseys, match-used pieces, Star Wars helmets, and items connected to some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. His memorabilia collection includes signed jerseys from Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann, the current Real Madrid team, and the current Manchester City team, along with a signed Pop! from Cristo Fernández, who played Dani Rojas in Ted Lasso and Zorro in one of the television series Sergio helped produce.

Yet some of Sergio’s favorite experiences in the hobby are much simpler. He loves collecting with his kids. He has talked about going to his LCS, looking through inexpensive cards together, opening an accessible box, trading at shows, scanning cards to learn what they pulled, and simply enjoying the experience. For Sergio, that sense of discovery and connection is part of what makes collecting worth protecting. He has consistently advocated for celebrating the beauty of the hobby while also acknowledging its risks.

That perspective also reflects something central to Collectors MD: intentional collecting does not mean giving up the hobby you love.

It means understanding your relationship with it. Setting boundaries. Staying within your means. Recognizing when something is pulling you in the wrong direction. And remembering why you started collecting in the first place.

Sergio has been refreshingly open about that journey himself. Rather than pretending that responsible collecting is always easy, he has spoken candidly about wanting to maintain the joy collecting brings him while becoming more intentional about budgeting, purchasing, and the behaviors surrounding it.

That combination of passion, self-awareness, empathy, and willingness to support others is exactly what this community is about.

Sergio, thank you for everything you bring to Collectors MD. Thank you for listening. Thank you for opening doors. Thank you for believing in what we’re building. And most importantly, thank you for consistently showing up for the people around you.

We’re incredibly fortunate to have you as part of this community.

#CollectorsMD
Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

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This Collector Spotlight is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

https://collectorsmd.com/collector-spotlight-august-2026/

Presented By All Touch Case

This month, we’re proud to feature one of the most recognizable faces in the Collectors MD community: Jared Allen.

Since joining Collectors MD in February, Jared has become one of the cornerstones of our community. He’s attended nearly every weekly peer support and Unboxed meeting, regularly contributes to our group chats, has authored multiple Daily Reflections, encourages others through difficult moments, and always makes time to welcome new members.

While Jared would probably tell you he’s simply showing up, the truth is he’s become an important part of what makes this community so special.

Like many of us, Jared’s relationship with collecting has been complicated. He describes it as bittersweet. The desire to collect has never come from greed or a desire to own everything. Instead, it has always come from a genuine desire to better understand himself and connect with the people around him. But somewhere along the way, that pursuit often became overshadowed by disappointment, obsession, and isolation.

Growing up without many financial resources, collecting looked very different. Every card, every item, every addition to his collection required patience and intention because there simply wasn’t another option. Looking back, Jared realizes those limitations often protected him from the kinds of behaviors that became much easier once disposable income entered the picture as an adult.

Over the years, collecting became less about any one hobby and more about chasing the next identity. Like many people with addictive personalities, Jared found himself cycling through one obsession after another. The excitement wasn’t necessarily found in using the item or enjoying the hobby itself. More often, it came from researching, planning, hunting, and finally purchasing whatever had captured his attention at that particular moment.

Eventually, those once-exciting purchases faded into the background. The objects remained, but the meaning often didn’t. That realization changed the way he approaches collecting today.

Rather than chasing every new interest, Jared has intentionally shifted his focus toward collections that strengthen relationships instead of replacing them. Star Trek has become something he enjoys with his own family. NASCAR has become a way to connect more deeply with his wife’s family. And as a lifelong Orlando Magic fan, collecting basketball cards allows him to stay connected to the team he has always loved. The collections themselves matter, but the relationships and memories surrounding them matter even more.

Perhaps most importantly, Jared doesn’t pretend the struggle has disappeared. He openly acknowledges that he can still become emotionally consumed by the things he collects. The difference today is that he no longer faces those challenges alone.

Through Collectors MD, Jared has surrounded himself with people who understand exactly what that experience feels like. He leans on the community for accountability, perspective, and support whenever collecting begins pulling him away from the life he wants to build.

It’s a philosophy that’s reflected beautifully in the Daily Reflections Jared has written for Collectors MD over the past several months. In Collecting Cards, Collecting Moments, he reminds us that our collections ultimately become reflections of the lives we’ve lived – that the real value often lies in the memories attached to the objects rather than the objects themselves.

In What’s In The Box?, he explores forgiveness through one of the hobby’s most familiar metaphors, reminding us that sometimes the only way to understand what we’ve been carrying is to finally give ourselves permission to let it go.

Both reflections share a common thread: intentionality. Not perfection. Not abstinence. Intentionality.

That same mindset is exactly how Jared approaches collecting today. He understands that being an intentional collector doesn’t mean never wanting another card, another die-cast, another VHS tape, or another piece for the collection. It means recognizing that collecting should enrich your life – not consume it. It means celebrating progress over possession and understanding that you don’t need to own everything to fully enjoy the things you love.

Jared’s impact on Collectors MD extends far beyond his own collecting journey. He reminds us that recovery isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about continuing to show up, staying accountable, and helping others along the way.

Communities are built by people who consistently show up for others. Jared has done exactly that, and the Collectors MD community is stronger because of it.

#CollectorsMD
Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

This Collector Spotlight is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

http://collectorsmd.com/collector-spotlight-july-2026/

Presented By All Touch Case

Since launching our Collector Spotlight series, a handful of our community members have asked me the same question: “When are you going to do a Collector Spotlight on your own collection?”

I’ve honestly been putting this one off. I’ve never wanted Collectors MD to be about me. But after enough people asked, I figured it was time to share a little more about my own collecting journey – and why this organization means so much to me.

Like so many collectors, my story began in childhood. Whether it was trading cards, sneakers, jerseys, signed memorabilia, or anything connected to the teams and athletes I admired growing up, collecting quickly became much more than a hobby. It became a way to preserve memories, celebrate milestones, and stay connected to the sports, people, and moments that shaped my life.

Over time, however, what started as passion gradually became accumulation – and eventually, obsession. At one point, I owned more than 550 pairs of sneakers, thousands of trading cards, hundreds of hats, jerseys, luxury watches, signed memorabilia, and countless other collectibles spread throughout my home. From the outside, it probably looked like the dream collection many hobbyists aspire to build.

But eventually, it became overwhelming. Instead of appreciating what I already owned, I found myself constantly thinking about what was next. There was always another release, another grail, another auction, another box to open, another card to chase. As my collection grew, it became increasingly difficult to enjoy the individual pieces because they were buried beneath the sheer volume of everything else.

That realization ultimately became one of the driving forces behind Collectors MD. Today, I still consider myself an active collector, but my philosophy has changed dramatically. Rather than asking myself, “What should I buy next?” I now ask, “What deserves a place in my collection?”

My collection today is significantly smaller, but far more intentional. Every piece has earned its place because it tells a story. My signed Eli Manning jersey takes me back to a core memory – watching one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history with my father during my high school years. My Derek Jeter autograph captures my lifelong love for the Yankees and one of the athletes I admired most growing up. My Jalen Brunson cards reflects the resurgence of Knicks basketball and, after decades of waiting, finally bringing a championship back to New York. My sneaker collection represents different chapters of my life. Other pieces simply remind me of people I’ve met, places I’ve been, or moments I’ll never forget.

Ironically, many of the items I value most aren’t by any means the most expensive. Their value comes from the memories they represent. That’s what intentional collecting means to me today – not collecting more, but collecting with purpose.

It’s also important to recognize that intentional collecting looks different for everyone. For some collectors, a room filled wall-to-wall with thousands of cards or hundreds of sneakers is exactly what brings them joy. If someone has the financial means, the available space, the time, and the emotional bandwidth to maintain a large collection while keeping it a positive part of their life, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Intentional collecting isn’t about owning less. It’s about owning in a way that aligns with your life, your priorities, and your well-being. For me, that meant significantly downsizing until every piece left in my collection truly felt meaningful. For someone else, it may mean continuing to build an expansive collection they genuinely enjoy. Neither approach is inherently right or wrong.

What matters is that your collection serves you – not the other way around. At Collectors MD, we often say there is no universal definition of a “healthy collection”. Some collectors are perfectly content owning twenty cards. Others find meaningful fulfillment in owning twenty thousand cards. The goal isn’t to fit into someone else’s definition of collecting. The goal is to build a collection that enhances your life instead of consuming it.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my own journey, it’s that the most meaningful collections aren’t always measured by size or market value. They’re measured by the stories they tell, the memories they preserve, and the joy they continue to bring long after the excitement of acquiring them has faded.

Sometimes the greatest collection isn’t the one with the most pieces. It’s the one where every piece still means something.

Below is a glimpse into a few of the pieces that continue to mean the most to me.

#CollectorsMD
Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

This Collector Spotlight is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

https://collectorsmd.com/collector-spotlight-june-2026/

Presented By All Touch Case

This month, we’re proud to feature Wil Portillo (@xwilito_) – a lifelong collector whose story serves as a reminder that collecting isn’t always about value, scarcity, or profit. Sometimes it’s simply about preserving the things that make us feel connected to who we are.

Like many collectors, Wil’s journey started long before he understood what a penny sleeve was. At just five years old, he was already fascinated by trading cards. Whether it was Star Wars, Yu-Gi-Oh!, baseball cards from the local Chevron station, or whatever packs caught his eye at Target, he loved having physical pieces of the things he enjoyed. Back then, condition didn’t matter. Most of those childhood cards ended up bent, damaged, and well-loved because they were meant to be handled, enjoyed, and appreciated.

Years later, during the pandemic, Wil found himself reconnecting with those same feelings of nostalgia. As he reflected on his childhood, collecting naturally found its way back into his life. This time, his focus shifted toward the things that had shaped him over the years. Spider-Man. Batman. Disney. Pixar. DreamWorks. SpongeBob. Movie promo cards from films he loved growing up.

And because soccer had become his passion since his teenage years, he also began building a collection centered around Lionel Messi and other FC Barcelona legends.

What stands out most about Wil’s perspective is that he never viewed collecting as a shortcut to getting rich. For him, cards have always represented something deeper. They’re memories. They’re moments. They’re pieces of history connected to the sports, movies, characters, and experiences that helped shape our lives.

In a hobby that is often consumed by pricing apps, market trends, grading reports, and constant buying and selling, Wil offers a refreshing reminder that collections don’t have to be built around transactions. They can be built around meaning.

Collecting allows us to hold onto pieces of our past while connecting with others who share the same passions. Whether it’s a favorite athlete, a beloved film, a childhood cartoon, or a memorable moment in sports history, those connections often matter far more than whatever number appears on a sales chart.

Wil describes cards as physical pieces of history and significance rather than commodities. That mindset reflects something we talk about often within Collectors MD – the difference between ownership and connection.

The healthiest collections are often the ones built around things we genuinely love. Not because they’re trending. Not because someone told us they’ll go up in value. Not because we’re chasing a quick hit of excitement. But because they mean something to us.

Wil’s collecting journey spans decades, from childhood packs purchased at corner stores to carefully curated collections centered around soccer, film, and pop culture. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: a genuine appreciation for the stories behind the items he collects.

Wil’s story serves as an important reminder that collecting doesn’t always have to be about what’s next. Sometimes it’s about remembering where we’ve been. And sometimes the most valuable card in a collection isn’t the rarest one. It’s the one that brings back a memory.

#CollectorsMD
Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

This Collector Spotlight is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

https://collectorsmd.com/collector-spotlight-may-2026/

Presented By All Touch Case

This month, we’re proud to feature Dave Soffen (@bigdogdave99)—a larger-than-life personality in our community whose energy, honesty, and willingness to show up have made a real impact over the past year.

If you’ve been in a Collectors MD meeting, chances are you’ve heard Dave. He’s boisterous, engaged, and never afraid to speak his mind—but underneath that is someone who’s deeply reflective and committed to doing the work. Over the last year, he’s been a consistent presence in our weekly meetings and an active voice in our intentional collecting chat, always looking to support others while continuing to work on himself.

Dave’s collecting journey isn’t tied to just one lane—it’s evolved over time, like it does for a lot of people. Sports cards, Pokémon, Funko Pops… he’s been through all of it. But what really pulled him in was something more creative.

A few years ago, he got introduced to designer toys—artists creating their own pieces, building something from scratch, putting their identity into what they make. That shift stuck with him.

Now, Dave doesn’t just collect—he creates. His work includes original resin pieces like Cloody, a cloud character, and Teddy Ursa, an alien bear—both extensions of his imagination and creativity. It’s a different kind of connection to the hobby. One that’s not just about chasing, but about building something of his own.

That contrast—between creation and compulsion—is a big part of Dave’s story. In one of his Daily Reflections, he talks about getting paid and immediately feeling that pull. Jumping into live streams, chasing hits, convincing himself that maybe this time would be different. And like so many people, it wasn’t. The rush faded, and reality set in.

But what stands out isn’t the slip—it’s what came after. He recognized it. He adjusted. He paid what needed to be paid. And instead of going deeper into the cycle, he made a different choice—he bought resin. He created. He redirected that energy into something that actually gives back.

That doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Dave’s honest about that too. He talks about sitting in his car outside GameStop and choosing to leave. Joining breaks and not bidding. Listing cards he didn’t even remember buying. Those moments—the small ones—are where real change starts to show up.

In another Daily Reflection, he touches on something even deeper—the idea that collecting wasn’t just about cards or packs. It was about coping. Stress, anger, depression, control. The same patterns that showed up in other areas of his life found their way into the hobby. And that’s where things start to click. Because as Dave puts it, the damage isn’t always obvious. It’s not always physical. But it’s there—financially, mentally, emotionally.

Since joining the Collectors MD community, he’s started to create space between the urge and the action. Turning off notifications. Being more intentional about when and why he engages. Using platforms to sell instead of chase. Not perfect—but better. And importantly, not alone.

That’s a big part of what makes Dave’s story resonate. He still loves collecting—especially smaller designer figures, glow pieces, and work from artists he connects with. But now there’s more awareness behind it. More intention. More balance. And at the same time, he’s become someone others can lean on.

Whether it’s sharing openly, offering perspective, or just showing up consistently, Dave represents what this community is about. Not perfection—but progress. Not isolation—but connection.

Dave’s story is a reminder that collecting can take a lot from us—but it can also give something back, if we’re willing to look at it honestly and make the adjustments along the way. And sometimes, the biggest shift isn’t walking away completely. It’s learning when to pause, when to redirect, and when to choose something that actually builds you back up.

#CollectorsMD
Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

This Collector Spotlight is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

https://collectorsmd.com/collector-spotlight-april-2026/