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In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Dave Paladino (@davepfit)—fitness expert, martial artist, lifelong collector, and owner of Impact Zone Fitness in Norwood, New Jersey.

Dave has spent more than three decades helping athletes, celebrities, and everyday people build stronger bodies and more disciplined lives. From his early years running Core Fitness—where Alyx himself trained throughout high school and college—to building Impact Zone into one of Bergen County’s premier fitness destinations, Dave has built his career around consistency, accountability, and community.

Outside the gym, Dave is also a passionate hobbyist who has been collecting sports cards for most of his life and now enjoys the hobby with his son.

Alyx and Dave explore the parallels between fitness, martial arts, entrepreneurship, and collecting. Just like training, the hobby rewards patience, discipline, and long-term thinking—qualities that often get lost in today’s fast-moving, hype-driven environment.

Dave shares stories from decades in the fitness world, including training professional athletes and celebrities, building one of the region’s most respected training facilities, and the lessons he’s learned about consistency, resilience, and mental strength.

The conversation also touches on the role collecting plays in relationships and community. Dave recounts breaking cards during the pandemic, friendships Action Bronson and CC Sabathia, and how the hobby can create meaningful connections that go far beyond the cards themselves.

Together they discuss how collecting can serve as a bridge between generations, the importance of passing hobbies down to the next generation, and why the values learned in both the gym and the hobby often overlap more than people realize.

This episode is less about hype and more about discipline, passion, and the long game—both in life and in collecting.

Topics covered include:

• Dave's journey from Core Fitness to Impact Zone

• Building discipline through fitness and martial arts

• Training professional athletes and celebrity clients

• The parallels between fitness, consistency, and collecting

• How the hobby has changed over the years

• Sharing collecting with the next generation

• The role hobbies play in building relationships and community

• Why discipline and patience matter in both life and collecting

This episode offers a thoughtful perspective on discipline, legacy, passion, and enjoying the process—both in life and in collecting. The best hobbies—like the best training routines—are built for long term sustainability.

Subscribe, share, and join the ongoing conversation about building a healthier, more intentional hobby—through discipline, community, and a mindset that values the journey as much as the outcome.

Watch The Episode On YouTube

Learn More & Join The Movement:

Website: collectorsmd.com

Socials: bio.collectorsmd.com

Weekly Meetings: bit.ly/45koiMX

Contact: info@collectorsmd.com

YT: ‪@collectorsmd

IG: @collectorsmd

Follow Dave & Impact Zone:

Website: impactzonenj.com

YT: ‪@ImpactZoneNJ‬

IG: @davepfit | @impactzonenj

FB: dave.paladino.7 | impactzonenj

LI: bit.ly/3NtnoaW

Help for Problem Gambling: Call or Text 800-GAMBLER

This Episode of The Collector's Compass 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% of your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

#CollectorsMD | #ImpactZoneNJ | #RipResponsibly | #CollectResponsibly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK2fUOZCDJY&t=194s

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Phillip Tadros, founder of HobbyScan (@hobbyscan)—a platform built to help collectors identify, value, organize, and list cards to eBay from a single workflow.

As the hobby becomes faster, more digital, and increasingly complex, collectors are managing more cards, more data, and more decisions than ever before. HobbyScan was built to solve a simple but growing problem: how do we remove the friction from collecting without losing the joy that brought us into the hobby in the first place?

Phillip shares the story behind building HobbyScan, the challenges collectors face when trying to track and manage their collections, and how technology can actually make the hobby simpler, clearer, and more intentional rather than more overwhelming.

The conversation also expands beyond software into a bigger discussion about the systems shaping the hobby today. Alyx and Phillip explore the rise of “blind box” mechanics across modern industries, where unpredictable rewards, scarcity marketing, and chase-driven engagement are becoming increasingly common—not just in trading cards, but across collectibles and consumer culture.

Together they discuss how tools, transparency, and thoughtful design can help collectors stay grounded in the hobby without getting lost in the chase, and why technology has an opportunity to support healthier engagement rather than amplify impulsive behavior.

Phillip also talks about the upcoming launch of his new card shop, and what it means to build hobby spaces—both digital and physical—that prioritize community, clarity, and sustainability for collectors.

This episode is less about hype and more about infrastructure, responsibility, and the future of collecting.

Topics covered include:

• The story behind building HobbyScan

• How technology is changing the collector experience

• Removing friction from organizing, valuing, and selling cards

• Data transparency and smarter collecting decisions

• The rise of “blind box” mechanics in collectibles and consumer culture

• Tools that support intentional collecting

• Bridging digital platforms with physical hobby spaces

• What a healthier hobby ecosystem could look like

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the logistics of managing your collection—or wondered how technology might help make the hobby more enjoyable and sustainable long-term—this episode offers thoughtful perspective from someone building tools at the center of the hobby ecosystem.

Because collecting should add to your life—not manage it.

Subscribe, share, and join the ongoing conversation about building a healthier, more intentional hobby—through better tools, clearer systems, and a culture that puts collectors first.

Watch The Episode On YouTube

Learn More & Join The Movement:

Website: collectorsmd.com

Socials: bio.collectorsmd.com

Weekly Meetings: bit.ly/45koiMX

Contact: info@collectorsmd.com

YT: ‪@collectorsmd

IG: @collectorsmd

Download & Follow HobbyScan:

Download The App: hobbyscan.com

IG: @hobbyscan

Help for Problem Gambling: Call or Text 800-GAMBLER

This Episode of The Collector's Compass 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% of your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

#CollectorsMD | #HobbyScan | #RipResponsibly | #CollectResponsibly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUT1b7fMnJM&t=1s