Published August 05, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD
This past week marked the 45th National Sports Collectors Convention at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL—the largest in its history—and attendance grew for the third straight year, showing double-digit growth over last year’s 100K crowd.
Over the five-day event, lines stretched endlessly around the convention center, and after hours of waiting, some attendees were turned away as the venue hit full capacity. This massive turnout isn’t just a record breaker—it’s a flashing signpost that the hobby is at a critical turning point.
The National once again proved why it’s the biggest sports card tentpole event of the year—five days of wall-to-wall activity, record-breaking crowds, and a convention center pushed to maximum capacity.
Sometimes, you can feel the shift before it’s visible. Right now, the sports card hobby is standing at an inflection point—a moment where the choices made in the next few years will determine whether it matures into something healthier or spirals into something far more dangerous.
The hobby stands at a crossroads—major players, platforms, and brands shaping its future while advocacy and accountability efforts push for a more responsible, sustainable path forward.
The possibilities are wide-ranging. In the best-case scenario, the market finds balance. Fanatics sets real structure, platforms adopt responsible safeguards, and advocacy voices like Collectors MD become partners—not just fringe critics. The “gold rush” hype fades, replaced by intentional collecting and stronger community values. Collectors get educated. Mental health isn’t a side conversation—it’s part of the fabric of the hobby. That’s the outcome where everyone wins.
But there’s a middle road, too—a split hobby where corporate polish and underground chaos run side by side. One path full of official branding and celebrity tie-ins, the other a darker space of unchecked repacks, hit-chases, and influencer-led gambling culture—think offshore betting. In that world, Collectors MD becomes a lifeline for those burned by the system, but the broader industry still treats reform as an optional PR exercise. It works for some, but the cracks keep widening.
And then… there’s the scenario no one wants to see. The crash. Overprinting. Oversaturation. Trust collapse. Lawsuits. Burnout. A total erosion of credibility. We’ve seen it happen in other markets—NFTs, sneakers, even certain corners of gaming. In that scenario, Collectors MD might gain more attention after the damage is done, but the people we’re here for will already be carrying the weight of the fallout.
So where does Collectors MD fit in all this? We’re not here to “save” the hobby. We’re here to be its conscience—to hold up the mirror and remind everyone of the human cost when greed outweighs integrity. Whether the market corrects, splits, or crashes, our role stays the same: build infrastructure for the people, not the platforms.
No matter where the road bends, Collectors MD will be here—advocating, supporting, and pushing for a version of the hobby that values people over product.
#CollectorsMD
The future of the hobby isn’t decided by chance—it’s decided by the choices we make now.
—
Follow us on Instagram: @collectorsmd
Subscribe to our Newsletter & Support Group
Join The Conversation On Mantel
Read More Daily Reflections
