In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Nick Jarman, Founder & CEO of The Certified Trading Card Association (CTCA) and Founder of The Global Trading Card Registry (GTCR), to discuss what it will take to build a healthier, more transparent, and more sustainable future for collecting.

Nick brings more than 25 years of leadership experience to The CTCA—the only nonprofit trade association exclusively focused on the trading card industry—uniting manufacturers, hobby shops, breakers, grading companies, platforms, and collectors around shared standards, education, trust, and accountability.

Alyx is also proud to serve on The CTCA Advisory Board and has witnessed firsthand the collaboration taking place among industry leaders working together to help shape the hobby's future.

The conversation explores Nick's journey, the inspiration behind The CTCA, and why the modern hobby needs stronger collaboration, greater transparency, and proactive leadership as collecting continues to evolve.

Fresh off Fanatics Fest NYC 2026, Alyx and Nick reflect on finally meeting in person and share takeaways from connecting with collectors, businesses, manufacturers, platforms, and industry leaders while promoting The Healthy Hobby Initiative and #RipResponsibly.

They also explore The Healthy Hobby Initiative, the strategic partnership between Collectors MD and The CTCA designed to promote healthier collecting habits, consumer awareness, transparency, trust, and long-term sustainability. Collectors MD focuses on education, support, awareness, and advocacy for collectors and families, while The CTCA works with industry stakeholders to strengthen standards and confidence across the hobby ecosystem.

Nick also shares the vision behind the Global Trading Card Registry (GTCR), his newest initiative focused on bringing greater organization, connectivity, and innovation to collecting.

Finally, Alyx and Nick discuss why collaboration—not competition—will help shape the hobby's future, and why responsible collecting doesn't diminish its excitement—it helps protect it for generations to come.

Whether you're a collector, hobby business, breaker, content creator, parent, investor, or simply passionate about the future of trading cards, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Subscribe, share, and join the conversation around transparency, education, responsibility, and building a healthier hobby.

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Learn More & Join The Movement:

Website: collectorsmd.com

Nonprofit: lohas.org/client/the-cmd-foundation

Socials: bio.collectorsmd.com

Weekly Meetings: bit.ly/45koiMX

Contact: info@collectorsmd.com

YT: ‪@collectorsmd

IG: @collectorsmd

Learn More About The Healthy Hobby Initiative:

Website: thehealthyhobby.com

Follow Nick:

IG: @nickjarman

LI: Nick Jarman

Learn More About The CTCA:

Website: thectca.org

YT: ‪@thectca1‬

IG: @thectca

FB: The CTCA

X: @thectca

LI: The CTCA

Learn More About The GTCR:

Website: thegtcr.com

IG: @thegtcr

X: @thegtcr

Help for Problem Gambling: Call or Text 800-GAMBLER

This Episode of The Collector's Compass 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% of your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

#CollectorsMD | #TheCMDFoundation | #CTCA | #GTCR | #HealthyHobby | #RipResponsibly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g20Iy1o1oN8&t=100s

Collectors MD is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with The Certified Trading Card Association (CTCA) to launch The Healthy Hobby Initiative.

This new collaboration represents an important step forward in bringing more responsibility, transparency, education, and long-term sustainability into the trading card space.

As the only 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association dedicated exclusively to the trading card industry, CTCA was created to support and elevate the businesses, retailers, and stakeholders helping shape the future of the hobby. Through advocacy, transparency, and education, CTCA is working to make collecting safer, smarter, and more sustainable for everyone involved.

Together, CTCA and Collectors MD are launching the Healthy Hobby Initiative to help address some of the most pressing issues facing the modern hobby – including compulsive spending, hobby burnout, unhealthy break culture, lack of transparency, and the growing need for stronger consumer awareness.

The initiative will focus on:

• Promoting more responsible collecting habits and healthier hobby participation

• Supporting education and awareness around consumer protection, ethics, and sustainability

• Helping strengthen trust, accountability, and long-term confidence across the hobby ecosystem

This partnership is especially meaningful because it reflects something Collectors MD has believed from the beginning: support and accountability should not exist outside the hobby – they should exist within it.

By partnering with CTCA, we’re helping bridge the gap between the hobby world and the support world in a way that allows both collectors and industry stakeholders to move toward a healthier future together.

This is about creating a stronger foundation for the future of collecting. It’s about building a hobby culture where passion, trust, responsibility, and sustainability can coexist.

We’re proud to be part of that work and excited to share more as the Healthy Hobby Initiative continues to grow.

Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.
#CollectorsMD | #CTCA | #TheHealthyHobby | #RipResponsibly | #CollectResponsibly

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https://collectorsmd.com/the-healthy-hobby-initiative/