Horrible timing with the injury news, but easily the biggest soccer card I’ve ever hit. Gutted that he’ll miss the World Cup, but hoping he can bounce back and have a great campaign with Bayern next season!

If you live in the SF Bay Area or Nor Cal check your Costco. They released yesterday (Monday)

Presented By All Touch Case

This month, we’re proud to feature Wil Portillo (@xwilito_) – a lifelong collector whose story serves as a reminder that collecting isn’t always about value, scarcity, or profit. Sometimes it’s simply about preserving the things that make us feel connected to who we are.

Like many collectors, Wil’s journey started long before he understood what a penny sleeve was. At just five years old, he was already fascinated by trading cards. Whether it was Star Wars, Yu-Gi-Oh!, baseball cards from the local Chevron station, or whatever packs caught his eye at Target, he loved having physical pieces of the things he enjoyed. Back then, condition didn’t matter. Most of those childhood cards ended up bent, damaged, and well-loved because they were meant to be handled, enjoyed, and appreciated.

Years later, during the pandemic, Wil found himself reconnecting with those same feelings of nostalgia. As he reflected on his childhood, collecting naturally found its way back into his life. This time, his focus shifted toward the things that had shaped him over the years. Spider-Man. Batman. Disney. Pixar. DreamWorks. SpongeBob. Movie promo cards from films he loved growing up.

And because soccer had become his passion since his teenage years, he also began building a collection centered around Lionel Messi and other FC Barcelona legends.

What stands out most about Wil’s perspective is that he never viewed collecting as a shortcut to getting rich. For him, cards have always represented something deeper. They’re memories. They’re moments. They’re pieces of history connected to the sports, movies, characters, and experiences that helped shape our lives.

In a hobby that is often consumed by pricing apps, market trends, grading reports, and constant buying and selling, Wil offers a refreshing reminder that collections don’t have to be built around transactions. They can be built around meaning.

Collecting allows us to hold onto pieces of our past while connecting with others who share the same passions. Whether it’s a favorite athlete, a beloved film, a childhood cartoon, or a memorable moment in sports history, those connections often matter far more than whatever number appears on a sales chart.

Wil describes cards as physical pieces of history and significance rather than commodities. That mindset reflects something we talk about often within Collectors MD – the difference between ownership and connection.

The healthiest collections are often the ones built around things we genuinely love. Not because they’re trending. Not because someone told us they’ll go up in value. Not because we’re chasing a quick hit of excitement. But because they mean something to us.

Wil’s collecting journey spans decades, from childhood packs purchased at corner stores to carefully curated collections centered around soccer, film, and pop culture. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: a genuine appreciation for the stories behind the items he collects.

Wil’s story serves as an important reminder that collecting doesn’t always have to be about what’s next. Sometimes it’s about remembering where we’ve been. And sometimes the most valuable card in a collection isn’t the rarest one. It’s the one that brings back a memory.

#CollectorsMD
Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

This Collector Spotlight is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

https://collectorsmd.com/collector-spotlight-may-2026/

Been wanting to open this giveaway pack of San Diego Loyal cards from 2023 for a while now but also liked the idea of keeping it sealed. The urge finally got to me and after seeing they (finally) sold out on Parkside’s website, I was fortunate enough to find a pack reasonably priced on eBay. Time to rip and put these into top loaders!

Kaboom.... 1.3 million.... World Cup must be near......