We’re re-uploading every episode of our podcasts—one per day—to make sure our new members and followers can catch up from the beginning.

If you’re new to Collectors MD, these conversations are where it all started—honest, unfiltered discussions about the realities of collecting, recovery, and rebuilding a healthier hobby.

We’ll be sharing episodes from The Collector’s Compass & Behind The Breaks covering everything from gambling parallels in collecting, to mental health, to how we find purpose beyond the chase.

Whether you’ve been here since day one or just joined the movement, this is your chance to revisit the stories that shaped our mission.

Subscribe on YouTube, follow along daily, like, comment, and help us spread the message: the hobby gets healthier when we do.

Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

The Collector's Compass #18: Do Collectors Still Campout For Sneakers In 2025?

#CollectorsMD | #RipResponsibly | #CollectResponsibly

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, we’re stepping outside the world of sports cards to explore a broader truth about collecting—how intention, authenticity, and self-awareness connect collectors across every community.

Our guest, Mikey Dabb—better known as @thecamp0ut—is a longtime sneaker and streetwear collector who helped shape modern sneaker culture. From lining up at KITH, CNCPTS, and Supreme during the early “campout” era to building a platform that champions originality over hype, Mikey’s story embodies what Collectors MD calls collecting with intention.

Together, Alyx and Mikey unpack how sneaker culture evolved from storytelling and community into hype and speculation—and how that same pattern now plays out in cards, memorabilia, and other collecting verticals. They discuss what was lost when “the line” turned into an app, how creators can lead with authenticity, and why joy and meaning still matter more than market value.

They also draw direct parallels between sneakers and cards—the chase, the dopamine loops, the social validation—and talk about how collectors everywhere can rebuild purpose and sustainability in their relationship with the things they love.

Whether you’re a sneakerhead, card collector, or creative in any hobby, this episode is about finding balance in the chase—and rediscovering why you started.

Subscribe, share, and join the movement toward intentional collecting—because real culture starts with connection, not competition.

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Website: thecamp-0ut.com

YouTube: @TheCamp0utwithazero

Instagram: @thecamp0ut

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cvDnhC1Opk

Published November 09, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

The more conversations we have, the more obvious it becomes—the problem isn’t the product.

Whether it’s trading cards, sneakers, or any other collectible, the same patterns keep surfacing: manufactured scarcity, algorithmic hype, emotional justification, and that quiet feeling of I need this disguised as I love this.

Following our latest episode of The Collector’s Compass with Mikey Dabb (@thecamp0ut), that truth hit even harder. Listening to Mikey describe how sneaker culture has shifted—from community-driven campouts outside brick-and-mortar shops like KITH, CNCPTS, Extra Butter, and Supreme, to resell dashboards and app-based lottery raffles—felt eerily familiar. It’s the same story we’ve watched unfold in the trading card hobby, just with different packaging.

In Episode #18 of The Collector’s Compass, we unpack how sneaker culture mirrors the modern card hobby—two worlds shaped by hype, community, and the psychology of the chase, each struggling to find its way back to intention.

But there’s one key distinction: with trading cards, there’s an element of chance. You don’t know what you’re getting when you open a pack, which makes it inherently more like gambling. That built-in randomness—what we call “the chase”—is deliberately engineered to keep you coming back for the next hit, the next reveal, the next dopamine spike. Not to mention, when we buy wax impulsively, it’s rarely just one—we’re ripping through hundreds or even thousands of dollars’ worth of the same product at a time, chasing that one big hit we’ve convinced ourselves will make it all worth it.

Sneakers, on the other hand, seem more predictable—but they carry their own kind of gamble. The moment buying shifts from passion to prediction—when you’re purchasing pairs in volume to flip, not to wear—you’re still placing a bet. You can’t fortune-tell the aftermarket. Some pairs skyrocket in value, others sit in closets for months, or years ultimately selling for well under retail. It’s not cards in a box, but the psychology is the same: risk, speculation, and the belief that knowledge or timing will somehow protect you from luck.

Sneakers and cards—two different canvases for the same story. Each started as passion and expression, but both now wrestle with speculation, status, and the constant question of what we’re really chasing.

And yet, just like in the card world, community remains the heartbeat of sneaker culture. That’s what made Mikey’s perspective so powerful. Campouts weren’t just about shoes—they were about belonging. You shared stories, made friends, traded memories before a monetary transaction ever entered the equation. But as resale culture scaled and algorithms took over, community became commerce. The lines outside the store turned into a digital queue—and the conversation that used to happen in person now happens in comment sections and digital checkout timers.

Then came the “influencers”—or as sneakerheads call them, “shoetubers”. The same way breakers and content creators drive hype in cards, sneaker YouTubers and Instagram tastemakers dictate what sells out and what sits. The spotlight has become the steering wheel—and too often, it’s pointed wherever engagement goes, not where authenticity lives.

What once was a gathering built on passion and patience has become a marketplace fueled by algorithms—the campout replaced by clicks, but the longing for connection still the same.

Even the structure of the industries mirrors each other. Fanatics has become the Nike of the card world, controlling distribution, access, and marketing narratives. Platforms like eBay, Whatnot, and StockX—where cards and sneakers now share the same marketplace—have blurred the line between collector and retailer, transforming speculation from behavior into business model. And as with every pyramid built on hype, the true collector—the one who still buys for love, memory, or design—ends up at the bottom, quietly holding onto what everyone else overlooked.

Mikey said something during our conversation that stuck with me: it’s not about keeping up—it’s about staying grounded. Because when you slow down, when you buy what actually resonates instead of what’s trending, you reclaim the part of collecting that no platform can quantify—meaning.

So whether it’s a pair of sneakers or a pack of cards, the challenge remains the same: to collect with clarity, intention, and accountability—not compulsion. To remember that ownership isn’t what gives something value—it’s connection.

#CollectorsMD
Different products, same psychology—and the same opportunity to slow down and rewrite the story.

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This month, we’re proud to feature a name that’s been woven into the fabric of the sneaker community for years—Mikey Dabb aka @thecamp0ut.

Mikey’s nickname “thecamp0ut” comes from his early days lining up outside NYC boutiques like KITH, Cncpts, Extra Butter, and Supreme—back when ‘camping out’ was a defining part of sneaker culture.That passion carried forward and grew into a voice of integrity and authenticity that’s widely respected by industry leaders and fellow collectors alike.

Mikey’s collection spans far beyond sneakers—hats, clothing, accessories, and even branded thecamp0ut collaborations. He’s produced content on YouTube and social media, hosted and appeared on sneaker podcasts, collaborated with countless “shoetubers”, and spoken on live panels to share his perspective. Through all of this, Mikey has consistently been a bridge between community, culture, and collecting.

Alyx had the opportunity back in 2018 to chop it up about sneaker and streetwear culture with Sam Hart and Mikey Dabb as part of Highsnobiety’s ‘From The Ground Up’ series. Great people, great conversation, timeless perspective. Watch the full episode.

What makes Mikey stand out is his philosophy. He doesn’t chase hype, inflated prices, or the hottest resell items on StockX, Stadium Goods, or Flight Club. Instead, he builds his collection on his own terms—choosing silhouettes and color palettes that resonate with him personally through authentic storytelling. It’s not about what’s trending; it’s about what feels true.

That approach is exactly what we at Collectors MD call “collecting with intention”. Mikey reminds us that collecting isn’t about outspending others—it’s about curating what inspires you and staying grounded in why you started in the first place.

Most importantly, Mikey is simply a good dude. Genuine, approachable, and passionate about the culture, he’s someone we’re proud to have as part of the Collectors MD community.

Below are a few highlights from his collection and work. Be sure to check out his page and give him a follow!

#CollectorsMD
Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

https://collectorsmd.com/collector-spotlight-october-2025/