Published September 24, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

Regret shows up in collecting in so many forms. The box we ripped when we knew we shouldn’t. The auction we chased until the credit card balance hurt. The card we sold too early, only to watch its value climb. In those moments, it’s easy to let regret anchor us in shame, to replay the decision over and over until it overshadows everything else.

But regret isn’t just a burden—it’s a teacher. Each time we feel that sting, it’s pointing to a boundary we crossed or one we didn’t set. It’s telling us where our impulse won out over intention, and where we have the chance to build a better plan for next time.

When the packs are empty and the wrappers pile up, the thrill fades—but the regret remains. That's why we promote collecting with intention, not compulsion.

The difference between being crushed by regret and being shaped by it is accountability. Do we sweep it under the rug and hope it never happens again? Or do we pause, admit what went wrong, and put a safeguard in place—whether that’s setting a hard budget, telling a trusted friend or family member about our triggers, or simply learning to walk away from the boxes or the screen when emotions take over?

Collectors who embrace regret as feedback begin to transform it. Instead of letting it spiral into self-punishment, they let it fuel new habits and strengthen their resilience. The sting doesn’t vanish overnight, but step by step, the weight grows lighter.

The truth is, we will all feel regret in this hobby at some point. What matters is how we carry it—and how we let it carry us forward.

#CollectorsMD
Regret doesn’t define us—it refines us.

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Published July 28, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

When the worthless cards finally show up after getting skunked in a break, it’s not always a fun, exciting mail day—but rather a painful reminder of a recent tilt session that spiraled out of control, long after logic left the room. A padded envelope packed with regret and sorrow. You already felt the sting that night—the disappointment, the shame, the self-talk you tried to silence. But now it’s resurfacing, one padded envelope at a time.

At least when you lose money at a casino, you don’t get a physical receipt mailed to your house two weeks later—just to twist the knife. But in the hobby? That’s exactly what happens. The losses don’t just sting in the moment—they linger. They arrive late. They force you to relive decisions you were already trying to forget.

And of course, platforms like Whatnot and Fanatics require sellers to ship something. They have to. Because if they didn’t, they’d be forced to admit what their ecosystems actually are: glorified gambling dens, disguised as trading card marketplaces, dressed up in childhood nostalgia and gamified with dopamine triggers—hit bells, spinning wheels, countdown timers, slot-style animations, and manufactured scarcity.

We’ve reached a point where the system is so optimized for emotional manipulation that even the consolation prize feels like a punishment. And the saddest part? Many of us feel like we can’t talk about it—because “it’s just part of the game.”

But what if we stopped calling it a game? What if we started calling it what it is?

This isn’t about shame. It’s about awareness. It’s about reclaiming our agency in a hobby that’s become increasingly hostile to it. Because when you start seeing it clearly, you can begin to take your power back—one decision, one boundary, one padded envelope at a time.

It’s not about cards anymore. It’s about churn. It's about keeping you locked into the cycle—watching, bidding, chasing, spending. A slave to the endless loop. The card is the byproduct. The real product is your attention. Your wallet. Your hope that next time might be different.

Collect with intention. Not compulsion.

#CollectorsMD
They call it a mail day. We call it what it is.

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