In this insightful episode, we sit down with licensed therapist Dayae Kim for a heartfelt conversation about mental health, identity, and the emotional toll collecting can take when passion turns into pressure.

Dayae shares her clinical perspective and personal connection to the hobby, breaking down how therapy can help collectors reconnect with their values, set healthier boundaries, and navigate stress, burnout, and compulsive behaviors.

We explore topics like people-pleasing, anxiety, life transitions, and the power of defining your own path—one step, one word at a time.

This episode is about more than collecting. It’s about clarity, intention, and reclaiming joy.

Subscribe, comment, and join the movement. And remember to collect with intention, not compulsion.

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Contact: info@collectorsmd.com
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Contact Dayae:
https://dayaekimtherapy.squarespace.com/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/dayae-kim-los-angeles-ca/835556
https://www.instagram.com/dayaekimtherapy/
dayaekimtherapy@gmail.com

#CollectorsMD | #RipResponsibly | #CollectResponsibly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq10sRuhuX4

Collectors MD is proud to announce its partnership with Dayae Kim, LMFT, a Los Angeles-based licensed therapist who brings both professional expertise and personal insight into the emotional and psychological impact of collecting.

Dayae joins Collectors MD’s growing mental health referral network, which connects collectors with trusted, qualified professionals who understand the unique behavioral and emotional challenges tied to the hobby—especially around compulsive spending, anxiety, and identity.

“I’m excited to be part of a platform that’s bringing real conversations and support to an often-overlooked issue,” said Kim. “There’s a tremendous amount of pressure in collecting culture today, and I’ve seen firsthand how it can impact someone’s mental health. It’s powerful to see a community forming around awareness, recovery, and intentionality.”

Dayae recently joined founder Alyx Effron on The Collector’s Compass podcast for a candid conversation about therapy, burnout, self-worth, and how collectors can build healthier relationships with the hobby.

Dayae represents the kind of compassionate, grounded professionals we want in this space. Her understanding of how collecting can mirror gambling behaviors—and how therapy can help people reconnect with balance—is exactly the kind of voice we need more of.

As part of this partnership, Dayae will be featured on the Collectors MD website and referral directory, providing support to California-based collectors and families navigating addiction, stress, and other mental health concerns tied to the hobby. Dayae also offers coaching for individuals who are out-of-state.

Dayae’s involvement reflects the core values of The Collectors MD platform: integrity, empathy, and intention.

For more information or to connect with a therapist through Collectors MD’s growing network, visit collectorsmd.com/resources/.

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Published July 31, 2025 | By Carey A, Collectors MD Advocate

Tell me if this story sounds familiar:

I’m a 45-year-old guy. I recently got back into card collecting. I remember as a kid in the ’80s and ’90s, going to my local card shop with a few dollars I earned from chores, a paper route, or mowing lawns—excited to rip some packs of baseball cards. Hoping to pull a 1987 Topps Jose Canseco with the wood border, an ’89 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie, or really any Michael Jordan card.

I collected for a while, but by high school I stopped—my money started going toward movies, dinners with friends, or gas for my parents’ minivan. Years later, with a steady job and some extra income, I decided to jump back into the hobby. Maybe I was chasing the nostalgia of those great childhood memories.

Sound familiar? That’s my story—and after two years of collecting again, setting up at card shows, and talking to other collectors, I’ve realized it’s a very common theme.

For many, that’s where it ends: buying a box here or there, picking up some singles for the PC. But for others, that first box becomes a slippery slope—a slope that can spiral fast, taking you to a place you never imagined you’d be. That’s also part of my story. And that’s what I want to talk about today: the dark side of collecting.

If you’ve watched my YouTube channel, you’ve probably seen me rip a lot of boxes—sometimes sealed cases, sometimes just a bunch of loose wax. I bought and opened whatever I could get my hands on. I tracked every release drop across apps, knew when the restockers hit Walmart and Target—I didn’t want to miss anything.

In my mind, it was all fine. I had disposable income. I’d just sell the big hits to fund the next one. But those big hits? They’d usually end up sleeved and boxed up—cards I planned to grade “someday”… but never did.

So when I went to buy the next case, that imaginary sale money wasn’t there. So I used credit cards. And I told myself, “It’s okay. I’ll sell the hits from this one.”

It wasn’t long before I had built up a mountain of debt—and even worse, I was keeping it a secret from the people I care about most: my wife and kids. I had justified the spending to myself. It felt good when I was ripping. But deep down, I knew something wasn’t right. I was ashamed—ashamed to admit that I had become addicted to sports cards… something most people see as a child’s hobby.

But this is real. And it’s destroying lives.

Card collecting doesn’t feel like a hobby anymore—it’s become more like gambling. Like scratch-off lottery tickets.

You hit once, and it’s a rush. So what do you do? Cash it in and go again. But eventually, the house always wins.

It’s the same with breaks and boxes. You hit something big, and use it to justify chasing the next one. That dopamine rush only lasts so long. The big hits are rare, and the losses add up. If you’re not careful—if you’re not intentional—it can spiral quickly. And the consequences can be devastating.

I’m not here to bash the hobby. It can still be fun—if done with intention and control. I’ve met amazing people through collecting. Talking cards, talking sports, building real connections. Some of my favorite memories were at shows, giving cards to kids walking around with their dads—watching their faces light up when they got a shiny card of their favorite player. That’s what the hobby should be about. Not stress. Not anxiety. Not guilt.

Not everyone struggles the way I have. Some spend more than I did and are fine. Others spend less and still spiral. We’re all an experiment of one—there’s no single path, no identical outcome.

But here are a few questions that helped me check in with myself. Be honest:

1. Have you ever hidden how much you’ve spent?

2. Have you sold personal items to fund impulse buys?

3. Are you checking shopping or auction apps daily—or even hourly?

4. Have you promised to stop… but didn’t?

5. Do you buy things you don’t actually want?

If you said yes to any of these, just know—you’re not alone. Maybe you have a problem, maybe you don’t. But deep down, you probably already know if you do.

For me, it took reaching a breaking point. I posted my struggles in a Facebook group and was surprised by the support. One person invited me to a Collectors MD meeting—and I joined right away. Because I knew I needed support. I knew I needed to hear from others who had been there.

That first meeting? It was a turning point.

Collectors MD is still new, but it’s growing—and if you’re struggling, I strongly encourage you to reach out. Whether it’s through social media or the website, they’ve created a safe space where people can share without judgment. Hearing others’ stories, and being able to share my own, has been a critical step in my recovery.

Don’t try to fix this alone. That’s probably part of what got you here. Be honest—with yourself and the people you’ve affected. And start right now on the path back to the person you want to be.

Thanks for reading. If my story helps even one person feel seen, understood, or less alone—then it’s worth it.

#CollectorsMD
Sometimes the smallest confession can unlock the biggest transformation.

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

For so many of us, the drive to succeed isn’t just about ambition—it’s about survival.

We grew up learning that being the best, doing the most, and never letting up was how you earned love, safety, or belonging. So we chased wins. On the field, in the classroom, in the workplace—and eventually, in the hobby.

But when achievement becomes the only measure of self-worth, everything starts to feel like a scoreboard.

You’re either up or down, winning or failing. And in that mindset, collecting can become less about joy and more about validation. The next purchase. The next chase. The next momentary hit of “I did it.”

That chase can be exhilarating—but it’s also exhausting. Especially when the wins stop feeling like enough.

Many collectors we’ve spoken with are high-functioning, high-achieving, self-aware, even wildly successful in other areas of life.

They’re parents, professionals, creatives—people who get things done. But beneath the surface, they’re struggling—navigating shame, anxiety, fractured relationships, and financial stress.

And they don’t always feel like they have permission to stop. To pause. To reset. To ask for help without feeling like they’ve failed.

But here’s the truth: your value isn’t in what you win or what you own.
It’s not in your eBay watchlist or your PSA submissions or your shelf of grails.
It’s not in your slabs, sneakers, or watch collection.
It’s in your presence, your intention, and your willingness to grow.

Your value is in who you are—not what you collect.

You don’t have to earn rest. You don’t have to justify change. You don’t need to hit rock bottom to make a shift.

You just have to be willing to start—start asking honest questions. Start setting boundaries. Start collecting with intention. Start healing.

#CollectorsMD
You’re allowed to rewrite the script—to choose connection over compulsion, meaning over metrics, and clarity over chaos.

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Published July 29, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

I have to be honest about something.

The deeper I’ve gone into this work—the more I’ve researched, listened, and peeled back the layers of the hobby—the more jaded I’ve become. I see the cracks. I see the manipulation. I see how normalized it’s all become.

And I’ll be honest—it’s hard not to feel a sense of resentment.

I get angry watching breakers and influencers push narratives rooted solely in profit, showing little to no empathy or effort to adjust or acknowledge the damage some of these systems create.

I get frustrated when people ignore messages, dismiss outreach, or brush off the mission—even those I’ve built past relationships with. People I thought might get it. Might care.

I get discouraged when someone says they’re unsure about endorsing Collectors MD—when I know what we’re trying to do could actually protect the very people they claim to care about and even potentially save some lives.

And the truth is… it hurts.

Not because I need validation, but because I know how urgent this message is. I see what’s happening behind the curtain. I hear the stories. I feel the weight that so many are carrying quietly.

But as heavy as it feels, I keep coming back to this:

I have to remain patient.
I have to control what I can control.
And I can’t let their indifference poison my purpose.

Not everyone will understand or support this movement right away. Some may never. But that doesn’t mean we stop.

We keep building. We keep reaching. We keep showing up. Because the ones who do hear us? The ones who say, “I thought I was the only one”—that’s who this is for.

I won’t let bitterness take the wheel.
I won’t let frustration cloud the mission.
Because peace, clarity, and impact require intention.
And I know the work we’re doing matters—even when others can’t yet see it.

#CollectorsMD
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is stay grounded while you fight for change.

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