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

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Published July 04, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

There’s always been some form of addiction in this hobby. Even in the earliest days, there was a chase—a pursuit. You’d rip packs hoping to find your favorite player or complete a set. But there was still something innocent about it. There was play. There was freedom.

Kids used to clip their sports cards into their bike spokes just to hear the flutter. They’d trade on the playground without checking comps. Creases didn’t kill a memory. Corners didn’t matter. And no one cared if their Mickey Mantle was minty fresh—grading cards didn’t even exist. Collecting happened on our own terms—not on a screen, not on someone else’s timeline.

But with the rise of streaming, slabs, and 24/7 access, that changed. Technology amplified everything. The hobby went from community-driven nostalgia to content-driven obsession. Now we watch other people open our dreams in real time. We get alerts about drops, auctions, comps. We refresh like it’s a reflex. And before we know it, the lines blur between passion and compulsion.

We don’t collect on our own terms anymore—we collect on the system’s terms. The algorithm tells us what to want. The breakers tell us when to chase. Social media feeds us manufactured hype all day everyday. And the clock never stops ticking. It’s not about connection—it’s about consumption.

This is why awareness matters. This is why we created Collectors MD.

Not to say the hobby is completely unhealthy or to villainize the manufacturers, platforms, and breakers. But to say that if we’re not careful, we’ll lose ourselves in a version of the hobby that was never meant for us.

So today, pause. Ask yourself: Am I collecting from joy—or reacting from impulse?

Because real collecting starts when we reclaim the terms.

#CollectorsMD
Cards were made to be played with, traded on the playground, stuffed in pockets—not turned into dopamine triggers disguised as “investments”.

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Published June 25, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

Fanatics Fest 2025 was nothing short of a spectacle. By every metric—attendance, transactions, energy—in only it’s second ever show it eclipsed The National—an event that’s been held annually since 1980.

The turnout was massive. With so many superstar athletes in attendance, ESPN and SportsCenter covered it throughout the weekend. Kevin Durant found out live on stage that he’d been traded to the Houston Rockets during a panel discussion. Tom Brady won the inaugural Fanatics Games and donated most of his $1M prize back to the fans.

Major athletes. Major celebrities. Major hype. It may have been the moment the hobby finally went mainstream.

And that’s exactly why we need to start asking some harder questions.

Because with growth comes risk. With excitement comes exploitation. And with tens of thousands of kids walking those show floors—why were FanDuel Casino ads plastered everywhere? Why were gambling promotions being served up in the same spaces we celebrate trading cards and collectibles?

This is how it happens. Slowly at first, then all at once.

Unchecked influence. Normalized addiction. Platforms and advertisers who don’t differentiate between 9-year-olds and 39-year-olds—just users, just conversions, just clicks, just revenue.

As the hobby goes bigger, we need to get louder. We desperately need guardrails. Education. Warnings. Opt-outs. Resources. With so many bad actors and predatory behaviors across the hobby, we must protect the young, uneducated children who are incredibly impressionable and deeply vulnerable.

Because if we don’t fight for that layer of protection now, by the time the spiral becomes obvious, it’ll already be too late. There is no one watching over this space. No governing body. No accountability. Just money and momentum.

Collectors MD exists to change that. To be the layer no one else is building. To reform the hobby before it reforms us into something unrecognizable.

This isn’t about canceling the hobby—or being overly cynical. We’re just refusing to look the other way. We love this space. We believe in its potential. But real love means protecting it, challenging what’s broken, and making sure the next generation can collect with joy, not regret.

Let Fanatics Fest be the wake-up call. This isn’t niche anymore. This is big business. And if we’re not careful, the soul of the hobby will be the price we pay for its success.

#CollectorsMD
As the hobby goes mainstream, the stakes get higher. Reform isn’t optional—it’s urgent.

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Live card breaking has exploded—but so have the risks.

Unregulated platforms. No consumer safeguards. Gambling-style mechanics disguised as entertainment.

Collectors MD is stepping in. We’re proposing a full-scale reform across all breaking platforms—because transparency, fairness, and protection shouldn’t be optional.

This isn’t about canceling the hobby. It’s about fixing it—so we can all collect with purpose, not pressure.

If you’re a breaker, a collector, or someone who cares about the future of the hobby…
Now’s the time to speak up.

🎯 Responsible Breaking
🛑 Predatory Practices
🧠 Support for Those Struggling
⚖ Real Consumer Protections

Reform Starts Now. Join The Movement. Check out The Collectors MD Industry Reform Initiative @ collectorsmd.com/industry-reform/

#CollectorsMD | #RipResponsibly
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