Published July 10, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

This past month, collectors spent $305 million on trading cards. That’s not a projection. That’s documented sales—from marketplaces, apps, and platforms that actually track these transactions.

But here’s the thing: That number doesn’t include private deals. It doesn’t include the cash exchanges at card shows, local shops, or backroom trades that happen every single day. It doesn’t account for the volume of money moving through the hobby under the radar.

Which means the real number? It’s almost certainly much higher.

And still—no guardrails. No disclosures. No oversight. No transparency. No consumer protection. No regulation.

Imagine if the stock market or any other financial system operated at this scale—with this much money changing hands—and remained virtually untouched by regulation or accountability. Headlines would explode. Lawmakers would scramble. Investors would demand answers.

But in the hobby? It’s business as usual.

We regulate banking. We regulate investing. We regulate gambling. We regulate anything that puts people’s money or mental health at risk. So why is the hobby—now a multi-billion dollar industry—still operating without guardrails? It’s time to stop pretending this is just a game. Protection shouldn’t be optional.

We keep chasing the next record-breaking month without asking the hard questions. We celebrate the boom without confronting the risk. We treat this space like a game, when in reality it’s functioning more and more like a financial market—with none of the structure or safeguards in place to support it.

That’s not sustainable. That’s not safe. And that’s not okay.

This isn’t a call to kill the fun—it’s a call to protect the people inside it. We need transparency. Guardrails. Clarity. Regulation. Not just for the hobby’s sake, but for the sake of every collector getting swept up in something far bigger than they realize.

#CollectorsMD
Growth without guardrails is just chaos in a costume.

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We put warning signs on cigarettes, alcohol, gambling, even movies—but in the hobby? There’s nothing.
When the lines are this blurred, collecting without caution can spiral fast. It’s time we treat this space with the seriousness it deserves.
We need disclaimers. Disclosures. Warning signs. Across live platforms, social media, YouTube videos—everywhere.
This hobby can be scary and overwhelming, especially for new and younger collectors.
But now, there’s finally a place people can turn when they need help.
Let’s protect the next generation. Let’s give them the tools, language, and support to collect with intention—not compulsion. Let’s empower the hobby with clarity, accountability, and care.
We owe it to them. And to each other.

Collect With Intention. Heal With Support.
Join The Movement.

#CollectorsMD | #RipResponsibly

https://www.instagram.com/p/DL41CFDMBBg/

Powerful conversation on Sports Card Live‬ diving into the realities of card addiction, how the hobby mirrors gambling behavior, and the urgent need for guardrails and accountability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQoTexk-72Y&t=4289s