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Published December 30, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

There’s an uncomfortable truth we don’t talk about enough in the collecting space: the same platforms that claim to build community are quietly exposing children to environments they were never meant to navigate.

I saw it firsthand recently. I was watching a live stream on one of the major platforms—not as a participant, but as an observer. Someone who stays close to the space to understand what’s really happening behind the scenes. The stream had over a thousand viewers. The chat was moving so fast it was unreadable. Energy was high. Money was flying.

And then something felt off.

A user in the chat kept repeating the same messages. Asking how to buy. Asking how to get noticed. Asking for attention. Other viewers started to realize what was happening and asked the question out loud: How old are you?

The answer came back quickly. “I’m 11.”

What followed was deeply unsettling. The child was clearly overwhelmed, excited, and desperate to be seen. Their messages started shifting from curiosity to urgency—“I only have five minutes”, “my iPad is about to shut down”, “how do I buy?” It became glaringly obvious that parental controls were about to kick in, and the child was racing against a clock they barely understood.

Then it happened. They bought a box.

Hundreds of dollars, spent in seconds. The chat exploded. People cheered. Some laughed. Others joked about how angry the kid’s parents were going to be. And the breaker—whether intentionally or not—continued on as if nothing unusual had occurred.

An 11-year-old had just made a high-dollar purchase inside a live gambling-adjacent environment with no guardrails, no intervention, and no meaningful age protection. And the most alarming part? He had zero idea what he’d just done.

What starts as curiosity quickly becomes pressure, and in a system designed to reward speed over reflection, there’s no space for a child to slow down or understand what’s really happening.

And that’s when it really hit me. This isn’t about collecting anymore. This is about exposure. About access. About systems that are optimized for engagement and spending—not discernment, not protection, and certainly not child safety. These platforms are fast, emotional, and deliberately frictionless. They’re designed to keep people clicking, watching, and buying. And when those mechanics are placed in front of children, the results are predictable.

The most concerning part? This isn’t rare.

Stories like this are becoming common. Kids using their parents’ credit cards. Five-figure charges appearing overnight. Families finding out only after the damage is done. Lawsuits are already emerging. And yet, meaningful safeguards remain almost nonexistent.

That’s where the conversation HAS to change.

Education can’t just be aimed at collectors anymore. Parents need to understand what these platforms are, how they work, and why they’re fundamentally different from the card shops many of us grew up with. This isn’t flipping through binders with friends. It’s live commerce, social pressure, artificial urgency, and monetized attention—all wrapped in nostalgia and disguised as a childhood pasttime.

And this is where guardrails matter. Not as punishment. Not as restriction. But as protection.

Guardrails are not anti-hobby. They’re pro-collector. They exist so enjoyment doesn’t turn into harm. So curiosity doesn’t become compulsion. So kids can engage safely without being pulled into environments they’re not developmentally equipped to handle.

Because structure doesn’t ruin fun—it preserves it.

If this industry wants to survive long-term, it has to reckon with this reality. Platforms have a responsibility. Parents need better information. And the community has to stop pretending this isn’t happening.

We can love collecting and still demand better. We can protect joy and protect people. And we can do it before more damage is done.

#CollectorsMD
Guardrails don’t limit the hobby. They protect the people inside it before harm has a chance to take root, especially young collectors who can’t yet recognize the risks.

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Published October 22, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

There’s a reason casino floors are designed the way they are—no clocks, no windows, no exit signs pointing you toward the real world. Every sound, flash, and chime is engineered to keep you in a trance. The hobby, in its modern form, has quietly adopted that same psychology. Only this time, the slot machines are hobby boxes, the chips are credit cards, and the “free plays” come dressed as bonus rips.

Today’s platforms call it rewards marketing. But what’s being rewarded isn’t loyalty—it’s compliance. Those “Spend at least $10K on live breaks, receive $1K back in rewards” or “We missed you. Here’s $50 to come rip again” promos aren’t generosity. They’re hooks. Each one plants a seed of justification: You’ve already spent this much, might as well get that extra bonus. And before long, the chase becomes disguised as strategy. You’re not gambling, you tell yourself—you’re “taking advantage of the offer”. That’s the illusion of control.

And just like that, what should feel alarming starts to feel normal—another “exclusive offer” framed as opportunity instead of exploitation.

We’re watching this play out in real time. With the new releases of Topps Diamond Icons Baseball—a $5,000-per-box product—and the first officially licensed Topps Basketball flagship line, Fanatics has doubled down on the casino model. They’re not just selling cards; they’re selling behavior. Layering on “exclusive offers” that prey on collectors’ anticipation, fear of missing out, and attachment to nostalgia. It’s not about celebrating the return of licensed basketball cards—it’s about creating conditions that push collectors to spend more than they intended, under the pretense of opportunity.

The message couldn’t be clearer—this isn’t about community or collecting, it’s about conditioning. The thrill is the product, and the “rewards” are just the bait.

What makes this so dangerous is the total absence of oversight. Casinos are required to operate under strict laws: age verification, spending limits, self-exclusion tools, warnings about addiction. The hobby has none of that. The same psychological mechanics are in play—dopamine loops, reward reinforcement, near-miss stimulation—but with none of the guardrails that exist in regulated gambling environments. And the products being used to drive those behaviors? The very same cards we once opened as kids.

This is not harmless marketing—it’s behavioral conditioning. The same dopamine that fires when you hit a jackpot or a multi-leg parlay now fires when you pull a color match or see a “1/1” flash across the screen. That feeling is fleeting, but the pull to replicate it is powerful. And companies know it. They build entire campaigns around it. The cycle doesn’t end when you hit big—it ends when you burn out.

So, what does real control look like in a system built to take it from you? It’s not about chasing smarter or spending strategically. It’s about reclaiming space. Setting spending caps that protect your peace. Turning off push notifications. If needed, downloading app-block software like Gamban. Having an accountability partner you can text before you buy in. Recognizing that walking away isn’t losing—it’s winning back something far more valuable than a “case hit”.

Every collector has to draw their own lines. But as a community, we have to start calling this what it is. The Fanatics era isn’t just about consolidation of licenses—it’s about consolidation of influence. And influence without responsibility quickly turns into exploitation. If they’re going to lead the hobby, they must also protect it.

Fanatics and other platforms have mastered the art of manipulation—disguising bait as generosity and turning "rewards" into traps. Their goal isn't to thank you; it’s to keep you playing. We don't need another bonus to keep us chasing. We need boundaries that keep us safe. The house only wins if we keep playing their game. Protect your peace at all costs.

#CollectorsMD
Real rewards come from reclaiming your control—not chasing theirs.

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On Thursday morning, my best friend hits me up about the 2025 Topps Archives break on Filthbomb Breaks. We end up buying all 10 of the Ohtani serials for the break and next thing you know, an Ohtani redemption card gets pulled! We end up doing a random to see which one of us would get it and I was the one who lucked out. Crazy moment on how it happened, let alone getting the Ohtani 🙌🏽

Day 2 of WeTheHobby at PSA is live on Fanatics Live! We're keeping the momentum going with free grading and t-shirts for the Bowman Release. 🔥 Don’t miss your chance to get in on the action—tune in now and be part of the hobby fun! 🙌🥳

Final Day for WeTheHobby at PSA