Latest / Collectors MD Features / #8: The Sports Card Industry Needs Accountability Now, With Collectors MD | Hoosier Pulls

Transcript

#8: The Sports Card Industry Needs Accountability Now, With Collectors MD | Hoosier Pulls · Collectors MD Features

0:04
What is up, everybody? Alijah here from Hoosier
0:07
Pools. Thank you guys so much for joining me
0:09
on the channel. I am super excited because we're
0:12
doing something a little bit different today.
0:14
We are talking with Alyx Effron, the founder of
0:18
Collectors MD. Alyx, thank you so much for joining
0:22
me on the channel and taking the time to talk
0:25
about what Collectors MD is all about. Yeah, man.
0:29
Thanks for having me. Really appreciate the opportunity
0:32
and yeah, really excited to be chatting with
0:35
you today. Yeah, likewise. So could you just
0:39
briefly just describe what, how you started Collectors MD
0:45
and what it's about and what you guys offer?
0:50
Yeah, absolutely. So, hey, everyone. It's great
0:53
to meet you all. I'm Alyx Effron. I've been a
0:56
collector for most of my life. And like a lot
0:59
of you, I've seen this hobby evolve in ways that
1:01
are both exciting and honestly, pretty concerning,
1:05
right? I founded Collectors MD earlier this year
1:08
as a response to what we've been seeing, not
1:11
just in others, but in myself, the overspending,
1:15
the compulsive breaking, chasing that next big
1:18
hit. And slowly just losing that joy that got
1:23
me into collecting in the first place. Right.
1:26
Coming out of national this past week, it really,
1:29
really hit me. You know, we're kind of at a fork
1:32
in the road as a hobby. On one side, we've got
1:35
community, passion, nostalgia, connection. And
1:39
then on the other, we've got, you know, unchecked
1:42
gambling mechanics, influencers that are just
1:44
pushing high risk products, not just to adults,
1:47
but to kids. and an overwhelming pressure to
1:50
just always be chasing something, always be chasing
1:53
that next athlete, always be chasing that next
1:56
product, always be chasing that next case hit
1:58
insert. There's always something that the manufacturers,
2:02
the platforms, the breakers are marketing to
2:04
us, right? So Collectors MD is about creating
2:07
something different, right? It's a support for
2:10
a space where collectors can talk openly about
2:13
the emotional, financial, and mental toll that
2:16
this hobby can take. We run weekly peer support
2:20
groups every Wednesday night. So last night we
2:22
actually had our 15th consecutive meeting, which
2:25
I'm really proud of. Appreciate that. We also
2:28
partner with mental health resources and advocate
2:31
for more responsible, intentional collecting.
2:34
We're not here to bash the hobby. We're not here
2:36
to cancel. the breaking culture or to be a pain
2:42
for anybody. We're here because we love it and
2:47
we want to protect it and the people in it. So
2:50
if you've ever felt like things were starting
2:51
to slip or that collecting was starting to control
2:54
you instead of the other way around, you're not
2:58
alone. And if you're somebody who believes we
3:00
need more honesty, balance, and care in this
3:03
space, you're exactly who we're building this
3:05
for. So in just four months, we've had so much
3:09
success, bringing people into these peer support
3:14
group meetings, building the community, getting
3:18
people to speak up and advocate for the things
3:21
that have been sort of sitting with them that
3:25
they haven't had the courage to speak about for
3:27
quite some time. And it's just been a beautiful
3:31
thing to watch. And so our goal is to continue
3:38
working with a lot of these health resources,
3:41
partner with the breakers, partner with platforms,
3:44
partner with the manufacturers to continue building
3:47
towards a healthier and more sustainable future
3:51
for the hobby. Yeah, that is awesome. And I love
3:55
the work that you guys are doing. And that's
3:58
something that I have noticed within the past
4:01
few years. There's been this really big shift
4:04
into not just enjoying the cards and just chasing
4:09
after your favorite rookies. It's all become
4:13
about making your money back or pulling that
4:18
big chase card like you were talking about. Even
4:21
with the new products like the mystery packs
4:24
and repacks, it's not about enjoying the card
4:29
that you're getting. It's all about trying to
4:31
make a profit or make your money back. And it
4:34
just seems like just so far from what actual
4:39
collecting is supposed to be. Exactly. And you
4:44
touched on something that has become increasingly
4:47
popular. uh also increasingly dangerous and that's
4:51
the uh whole concept of a repack and repack culture
4:54
uh and look you know we we can't talk about the
4:57
current state of the hobby without calling that
4:59
out um you know what started as a fun side idea
5:03
sort of reshuffling hits building chase formats
5:06
has turned into this like unchecked monster right
5:09
now you've got these high -end three boxes uh
5:13
being pushed as entertainment but what you know
5:16
they really are is just straight up gambling
5:19
And here's the worst part. It's often kids opening
5:21
those boxes. We see all of these highlight reels
5:25
and clips and TikToks of 12 -year -old children
5:29
opening up Pokemon repacks, sports card repacks,
5:33
screaming because they doubled or tripled their
5:36
money. They're being conditioned to be a part
5:42
of this gambling culture at such a young age.
5:44
vulnerable and impressionable age, which is so
5:48
incredibly dangerous. But we also see, you know,
5:52
adults, vulnerable collectors who are also struggling
5:55
with, you know, discipline and self -control.
5:58
And right now there's just no regulation. There's
6:01
no transparency. There's no accountability. A
6:04
$500 repack might net you 40 bucks. right and
6:08
the person running it just shrugs and says you
6:11
know that's the luck of the draw like you know
6:12
we'll get them next time uh but it's it's not
6:14
luck it's predatory design you're dangling these
6:17
massive hits in front of people showing off the
6:21
big pulls online to bait them in and not disclosing
6:24
any sort of odds or true value and it's the same
6:27
playbook that casinos use right so um you know
6:31
just just with sports cards instead of slot machines
6:33
and the scariest part again is that All of this
6:37
stuff is just being completely normalized. It's
6:40
being framed as content. It's being gamified.
6:43
And for a lot of people, it's become this like
6:45
slippery slope back into compulsive behavior,
6:49
debt or worse. And so that's why Collectors MD
6:52
isn't just about support. It's about building
6:55
awareness. It's about giving collectors the language
6:57
and clarity to say things like, hey, something
7:00
about this feels off. You know, it doesn't feel
7:02
right. It doesn't sit with me. And then hopefully
7:05
allow them to reclaim their hobby before it turns
7:08
into something harmful. Yeah, absolutely. And
7:12
I think that's like I said, I think the work
7:14
that you guys are doing is so great. I've I myself
7:20
have talked about accountability and. community
7:27
and different things like that. But to see you
7:29
actually take the initiative and start this and
7:32
see this really grow as a movement has been so
7:37
awesome. And just, you know, hearing about the
7:41
weekly support groups, because we don't hear
7:43
about the people who have lost everything because,
7:48
you know, they've they've just. haven't been
7:52
able to take control of their spending when it
7:55
comes to breaking and all of these different
7:57
things um so yeah that is that is really awesome
8:02
what work that you guys are doing yeah man and
8:06
we really appreciate like how many people in
8:08
the community have started talking um about this
8:11
sort of stuff and speaking up about you know
8:14
the gambling like mechanics and the repacks and
8:16
the deeper issues at play here right These aren't
8:20
new concerns. They've been floating around for
8:22
a while. People have been talking about them
8:24
on podcasts, you know, in live forums, whether
8:30
that be at a card show or Fanatics Fest or the
8:33
National. But nobody's done anything about it.
8:36
Right. No one's really stepped up to address
8:39
the real concerns here directly. Right. And so
8:42
that's part of why we. Built Collectors MD and
8:46
why it exists to take those quiet conversations
8:49
and give them a platform, give them a louder
8:51
voice, not to shame or cancel people. Right.
8:54
But to actually push the hobby in a healthier,
8:56
more sustainable direction and seeing more folks
9:00
willing to have these tough conversations in
9:03
our weekly support meetings. in social forums
9:07
or Facebook groups, that's a really encouraging
9:10
sign. It means that people care. People are starting
9:13
to have the courage to step up and talk about
9:16
these issues, talk about their personal problems
9:18
that they're dealing with. And it means that
9:21
folks are paying attention. So we want to just
9:24
keep pushing forward. We want to keep spreading
9:26
positive awareness, educating people, especially
9:30
the next generation who, again, is just so incredibly
9:32
vulnerable and impressionable and needs the tools
9:35
and resources in order to be set up for success
9:38
down the road. So, again, we just want to keep
9:42
calling things out, but also calling each other
9:45
in. Right. The more honest we are, the better
9:47
chance we have at shaping this hobby that we
9:50
all love. so that we can all be proud of it.
9:54
Yeah, and that's something that I also really
9:56
like is when you see a lot of different people
10:00
who their main focus is calling out the bad stuff
10:03
and bringing light to it. I appreciate that,
10:07
but a lot of it is just so negative to the point
10:10
where it's like, do you guys even like collecting
10:12
cards? Do you guys even enjoy this? And so for
10:16
you guys to have that call... to reform. I was
10:21
reading the reform initiative on the website.
10:24
By the way, guys, all of the links are going
10:27
to be in the description of this video. So check
10:30
out the website. They have so much content and
10:34
resources there. It's awesome. But the reform
10:38
initiative, it provides actual feedback and ways
10:45
to actively improve. uh the the problems that
10:48
you see and that's something that i think is
10:51
just so cool because you're not just calling
10:53
out a problem you're providing a solution yeah
10:57
exactly yeah the the industry reform initiative
10:59
was created to serve as um sort of a standard
11:03
a benchmark for platforms for manufacturers to
11:08
hopefully uh see and eventually integrate into
11:12
their user flows, into their UX, into the way
11:16
that they conduct themselves and their apps and
11:19
their entire user experiences. Again, it's not
11:23
intended to be overly intrusive or completely
11:26
shake up the hobby, but it just makes so much
11:29
more sense. for platforms manufacturers and breakers
11:33
to proactively be a part of the change instead
11:36
of just sitting back and waiting for some external
11:38
governing body or worse a lawsuit to come along
11:42
uh and then you know some some external person
11:46
of power start shaking things up uh and just
11:50
turning this into you know a system that that
11:54
we don't like so um we just we just want these
11:58
folks to be able to understand the problems that
12:03
we're facing. And we go through everything in
12:07
great detail. There are objectives here, things
12:10
like ensuring fairness and transparency, preventing
12:13
fraud, standardizing the practices, consumer
12:16
protection, responsible breaking messaging. It's
12:18
subtle. It's nothing like that's going to completely
12:21
change the hobby or completely change the user
12:24
experience. It's just looking out for the customer,
12:27
creating safer. space and guardrails so that
12:31
people don't spiral out of control. So again,
12:35
this is like a framework that we've developed.
12:37
Licensing, registration and age verification,
12:40
transparency and pricing, odds and formats, spending
12:46
limits, self -exclusion and transaction history.
12:48
These are things that we see within gambling
12:50
apps, but haven't been introduced to any of the
12:54
card related or hobby related apps. Responsible
12:58
gaming warnings and support resources. When you
13:01
see a commercial or an ad for a casino or a sports
13:05
book like DraftKings or FanDuel, what do you
13:07
always see along with it? Responsible gaming
13:11
messaging, right? If you or you know somebody
13:14
who has a problem, call 1 -800 -GAMBLER. It's
13:16
a part of their corporate responsibility to provide
13:20
their customers with the appropriate tools and
13:22
resources so that if they need it, they have
13:26
something to lean on. right there's a hotline
13:29
that you can call there are tools and resources
13:30
available for people who have um you know addiction
13:35
and that addiction uh is the same type of addiction
13:39
that we're seeing across the hobby and so that's
13:42
incredibly important and something that we continue
13:44
to advocate for um the verified randomization
13:48
and record record keeping like everything is
13:51
just feels you know like the wild west like these
13:55
real spins and uh the the random card shuffles
14:00
for, you know, the random teams and such, like
14:02
all of that just seems very sort of fugazi as
14:06
we say, like, it doesn't feel, it doesn't feel
14:08
real. It doesn't feel, you know, like it's legitimate
14:14
at times. And so we just, we want to look out
14:16
for the safety and, and ultimately you know,
14:21
the trust. from these breakers and from the platforms.
14:27
We also are looking to add things like real -time
14:30
receipts and break recording, platform accountability
14:34
and moderation tools, ban on conflicts of interest
14:37
and unlicensed gambling, education, awareness,
14:40
and community training. That's something we can
14:43
be actively involved in. Financial safeguards
14:45
and encryption standards, refunds and dispute
14:47
resolution. That's an ongoing issue with these
14:51
apps. um where people are just filing chargebacks
14:54
and again it's the wild west you know you can
14:57
order thousands of dollars worth of product or
15:00
um cards from from a break and decide after the
15:05
fact that you just want to file a chargeback
15:08
with your credit card and it becomes a major
15:10
issue for both sides both the breaker uh and
15:13
the the the customer so right sort of creating
15:16
a better solutions around that and then audit
15:19
and compliance enforcement so You know, some
15:22
of these things do sound a little bit heavy and
15:24
serious, but some of them are just so incredibly
15:26
needed. Right. Right. So, yeah, we just want
15:30
to keep pushing for it. Yeah. And I think that
15:33
people who maybe haven't been on some of these
15:37
platforms might not understand just how easy
15:42
it is to get hooked on the way that these shows
15:46
run and that how the bids run. You know, there's.
15:51
We briefly talked about it in our conversation
15:53
before, but there's auctions that start at 10
15:56
seconds long and it pretty much takes your brain
16:00
out of constructive thinking mode and you just
16:04
go into a swiping frenzy. And so being able to
16:08
have those self exclusions and limits is really
16:11
important because I've had people comment on
16:14
the video that I did, you know, about the national,
16:16
you know, talking about how they have spent,
16:19
you know, hundreds of thousands of dollars collectively
16:23
on different items and and repacks and Whatnot
16:29
and all that good stuff um and you know they're
16:33
they've been like i've never hit anything like
16:35
any of these influencers you know and now i'm
16:38
just left like feeling the shame and remorse
16:41
of of all of this. So yeah, people are getting
16:45
absolutely blindsided by this stuff. Yeah. It's
16:48
scary. You know, one of the biggest traps I think
16:50
you brought up and, you know, you mentioned,
16:52
we talked about, um, that people fall into in
16:55
the hobby. Uh, and I've been there myself is
16:57
the late night bidding, right? When it's like
17:00
2 AM and you're tossing and turning and you can't
17:02
fall asleep. So what do you do? You start, uh,
17:04
doom scrolling and you end up on Whatnot. And,
17:07
uh, you know, maybe you've had a long day and,
17:10
um, You're stressed out. And you tell yourself
17:14
you're just a bystander. You're just watching,
17:16
right? And then all of a sudden, you're in this
17:19
live break or live stream. And there's a break
17:24
going on. And they're filling the break with
17:26
random teams. And suddenly, your fat thumb ends
17:31
up swiping to bid on something. And you're in
17:35
a bidding war over some random team. And you
17:38
get dealt the worst team in the deck. what's
17:40
you know what's the natural uh sort of next step
17:43
or progression there you go full tilt and you
17:45
start chasing other teams the next thing you
17:47
know you've spent a couple thousand dollars only
17:50
to get back like fifty dollars in cards um and
17:54
then so your knee jerk reaction is just to dive
17:56
back in and do it all over again like we see
17:58
this happening over and over and over again and
18:01
people just waking up the next morning like what
18:03
the heck did i do you know last night How did
18:07
I fall into that frenzy? And, you know, again,
18:10
a lot of this behavior is just sort of subconscious
18:12
and the platforms are built for it. And it doesn't
18:16
just exist on the on the breaking apps. It's
18:19
it's also on eBay. Right. It becomes sort of
18:23
second nature swiping and, you know, just clicking.
18:27
And it's all right in front of you in your. face
18:31
all the time. We're all like, you know, our smartphones
18:33
are an extension of us and you don't even realize
18:36
how deep you're in it until the receipt or the
18:39
invoice hits your inbox. Then you've got, you
18:42
know, all sorts of other things that drive the
18:46
FOMO, the breaker acting as the entertainer and
18:50
the dealer and, you know, the marketer all in
18:54
one, just screaming, you know, like. chat chat
18:57
you gotta you gotta bid more these things are
18:59
going for way too low um you know these prices
19:03
or these spots should be going for for way more
19:06
i mean and then you've got uh the guy selling
19:09
the singles who uh you know list everything on
19:13
a sudden death auction so people don't even have
19:15
time to scramble and check comps or like do any
19:17
sort of research there's this sense of urgency
19:20
you have to bid and so cards that cost might
19:24
cost two bucks on ebay end up going for like
19:27
25 30 bucks in these live streams because people
19:30
again just feed into this uh sense of of uh missing
19:36
out the fomo right so again it's just a matter
19:40
of uh refining these platforms and these user
19:44
experiences so people don't get completely sucked
19:46
in and chewed up um you know by by the breakers
19:50
and the platforms and we're not saying that every
19:52
single breaker every single platform uh intends
19:56
to do this to people but it's just inherently
19:58
happening it's it's a part of the experience
20:01
um and there are people who are just getting
20:04
completely burnt and the emotional the mental
20:08
and the financial burnout is just becoming too
20:10
much to bear for for some folks and so again
20:12
we're here for those people but um In addition
20:17
to that, we also want to just keep pushing for
20:19
reform and for change. Yeah. And I saw that you
20:23
guys were partnered with Birches Health, which
20:26
I think they're one of the, if not the only kind
20:31
of company that's offering specific guided therapy
20:36
for like a sports card or, you know, trading
20:41
card type addiction. So, you know. The worlds
20:46
of collecting and mental health don't necessarily
20:48
always overlap, but one of the most important
20:51
steps that we've taken as a community or taken
20:54
at Collectors MD is partnering with Birches Health,
20:57
who are a nationwide leader in behavioral health
21:00
and addiction treatment. I am not a licensed
21:02
therapist. I'm not a doctor. I don't have any
21:03
sort of experience or background as it pertains
21:07
to providing that sort of service. So by partnering
21:11
with Birches Health, we add that extra layer
21:12
of support as people need it. And so what that
21:15
means for our community and for our members is
21:18
that they now have access to licensed professionals
21:20
who specialize in gambling and compulsive behaviors,
21:24
not just general therapy. And that sort of level
21:27
of understanding carries incredible weight when
21:30
you're talking about something as specific and
21:32
emotionally charged as collecting. And these
21:36
gambling like activities like breaking, you have
21:40
access to virtual confidential care from home.
21:43
So reaching out doesn't require taking that extra
21:45
effort to get in the car and go to a doctor's
21:47
office that might leave traces of feeling like,
21:51
you know, exposed. It's completely confidential,
21:54
judgment free. They're there for you when you
21:58
need it. And they offer affordable treatment
22:00
options. uh most of what they offer is covered
22:03
by insurance uh or low to no cost meaning help
22:08
isn't off limits to people who genuinely need
22:10
it right so instead of just feeling like you're
22:12
stuck in a loop of buying breaking chasing hits
22:15
there's now a way to get real professional support
22:18
tailored to those exact challenges and that's
22:20
monumental And so this partnership isn't about
22:24
labeling the hobby or calling anybody out. It's
22:27
about making sure that help is there for people
22:29
who actually need it when they need it. And that
22:32
reflects exactly what Collectors MD stands for,
22:34
supporting the collectors themselves with care
22:37
and clarity, right? And it's not about, you know,
22:42
growing. the Collectors MD brand or creating
22:46
a sense of clout or trying to get more likes
22:50
or followers. It's about educating the people
22:54
that actually need it. So we just want the hobby
22:57
to recognize that these tools and resources.
23:02
exist for those people that need it. And so again,
23:05
we just want to continue to carry the message
23:07
and partner with folks like you who have the
23:10
audience, who have the platform to continue spreading
23:13
such an impactful and important message. Yeah,
23:17
that is that is really important. And on the
23:21
website, you know, it talks about, you know,
23:24
when when should, you know, I seek out help,
23:27
you know, and one of the things that really stuck
23:30
out to me was like when the hobby like when this
23:32
stops being fun, you know, like when it when
23:35
it starts feeling like a weight and I feel like,
23:38
you know, everybody's different. But, you know,
23:40
even myself, I've deleted the eBay app off my
23:44
phone. you know, previously in times past just
23:48
because I felt myself like overusing it, checking
23:52
it too much, having a watch list that was way,
23:56
way too long. Yeah. You know, you have a problem
23:59
when you go to watch an item and eBay tells you
24:02
that you're at capacity and you have to remove
24:04
some items on your watch list. That's been me
24:08
before. Yeah. Yeah. And so just being able to,
24:12
you know, self -reflect and you know self -critique
24:18
you know what what you're doing and you know
24:20
how much of it you're doing um like you said
24:24
the i love the that you guys are all for you
24:29
know the hobby you know you're not anti -hobby
24:31
in any way but it's Yeah. And it's just all about
24:37
having that accountability and community around
24:40
to be there for you when you feel like you might
24:44
start slipping or if you already feel like you
24:47
have slipped and you want to get back on track.
24:50
Exactly. And that's exactly what it is. We want
24:54
to take it back to the purity, to the joy of
24:57
the days when people actually collected to collect.
25:00
and didn't collect to try to collect a paycheck,
25:02
right? And you brought up another really good
25:05
point, you know, and we try to emphasize this
25:07
at Collectors MD, that everyone is different,
25:10
right? The gambling -like mechanics in the hobby,
25:12
things like pack ripping, some of the things
25:14
we talked about, the countdown auctions, the
25:18
high -risk repacks, the mystery slabs, they don't
25:20
affect everyone the same way. And for some people,
25:23
look, it's just entertainment and they do have
25:26
the self -control. They rip a pack here or there.
25:29
They go to their LCS. They buy one box and they
25:32
stay within their means. They know their limits
25:34
and then they walk away. But for others, it's
25:36
just not that simple. People have impulses. And
25:39
so we have to take those people seriously. So
25:42
there's the adrenaline rush, the chase for a
25:45
hit, the thrill of just one more. It can trigger
25:48
something much, much deeper, especially for those
25:50
already dealing with things like stress, trauma,
25:53
or a history of addictive behavior. It can start
25:57
to really spiral faster. A lot of people we hear
25:59
quit gambling or self -exclude from gambling
26:02
and then turn to the hobby only to find themselves
26:04
in the same predicaments. or sometimes even worse,
26:08
right? Because the hobby is sort of disguised
26:12
as this like childhood rooted activity that we've
26:18
all known and love since we were kids. And so
26:22
we just have to be very, very careful there.
26:25
We have to look out for, you know, the warning
26:29
signs. You know, someone might say, well, you
26:32
know, I could stop anytime. It's just fun for
26:35
me. But that doesn't, necessarily mean it's fun
26:39
for the next person or that it's safe. So again,
26:42
we're not here to say that the hobby is inherently
26:45
bad or that everyone needs to stop. We're just
26:48
here to say, let's make space for both realities.
26:51
Let's acknowledge that what feels casual for
26:54
you might feel compulsive for someone else. And
26:58
let's stop pretending that just because you don't
27:00
struggle doesn't mean others don't. So that's
27:03
what awareness is all about. That's what empathy
27:05
actually looks like. I get a little frustrated
27:09
when I see people saying things like, it's just
27:14
a hobby. It's just cards. How could you possibly
27:16
spiral out of control or end up spending your
27:19
life savings or hard -earned money on something
27:23
so juvenile or trivial? You just don't get it.
27:27
You don't get that people... everybody's different
27:31
everybody goes through things differently and
27:33
when the system is engineered to suck you in
27:37
and make you chase it makes it that much more
27:40
difficult for somebody who is susceptible for
27:43
falling into addictive behavior and patterns
27:47
Yeah, definitely. And like you said, the people
27:50
who design these platforms, they're not naive.
27:54
You know, they're very smart. They know exactly
27:57
what they're doing. And, you know, it's it's
28:01
great to see. you know, Collectors MD kind of
28:04
working as that, like, you know, safeguard, um,
28:08
you know, for people who are unaware, um, you
28:12
know, because there's so many new people coming
28:14
into the hobby and it's great and it's awesome,
28:16
but it's also just like, I feel like they're,
28:20
they're prime targets, you know, to get, like
28:24
you said, just to get engulfed in this just vicious
28:28
cycle, you know, that, that can happen. Um, And
28:32
you don't realize that you've been sucked in,
28:36
chewed up and spit out until it's too late most
28:39
of the time. Right. Fortunately, right? Like
28:41
the price points of product these days, it's
28:46
just become so like out of control. just marked
28:53
up that it doesn't even make sense to rip personals
28:57
anymore because 99 of the time you are not making
29:00
back even a fraction of what you put in right
29:03
yeah but people still do it People still do it
29:06
because they want to chase that high. They want
29:08
to chase that hit. And we talk a lot about this
29:10
in our weekly meetings, the whole concept of
29:13
chasing the dragon. You know, that's something
29:15
they talk a lot about in GA and other recovery
29:19
anonymous meetings like AA and NA. People want
29:23
to recreate that first rush, right? And so if
29:29
you... Join the hobby, you join a break for the
29:31
first time, let's say, and you have a little
29:33
bit of beginner's luck and you hit something
29:34
massive. And you end up, you know, either stashing
29:39
it in your PC, maybe you grade it, it gets a
29:41
good grade, becomes like the cornerstone of your
29:44
PC, or you end up selling it and make back a,
29:48
you know, 10x what you originally put in. Let's
29:51
say, you know, that might seem great at first,
29:55
but it really... is the devil in disguise because
29:59
next thing you know you're just trying to recreate
30:01
that moment and so we see this so often where
30:04
somebody joins a break for the first time they
30:06
hit big and then they try they're like oh this
30:08
is so easy this is great i'm just going to join
30:10
more breaks and then they join another four another
30:12
five all of a sudden they've joined a dozen breaks
30:15
and they haven't hit a single card of any value
30:19
or note um And, you know, they fall into these
30:23
patterns, these cycles, these loops, these what
30:26
we call like dopamine loops. And so, again, you
30:30
just have to protect yourself from yourself sometimes
30:33
and make sure that you put those safety measures
30:36
in place. Protect yourself, you know, as you
30:40
see fit in order to prevent. sort of going down
30:44
that slippery slope, that dark path. Another
30:47
partnership that I think is worth mentioning
30:50
is the one we have with Gamban, where you can
30:54
download this app and basically put app blocking
30:58
software on your phone. So if you do feel like
31:02
you're not going to be able to control yourself
31:04
or control that urge in the middle of the night
31:07
when you're in your most vulnerable state, you
31:09
can actually prevent yourself from being able
31:12
to uh open Fanatics Live or Whatnot or Loupe or
31:17
any of these hobby related apps that might be
31:19
uh sort of a trigger for you um so you know that's
31:23
not this we're not doing that because we want
31:26
uh to take anything away from those platforms
31:31
right but the platforms don't offer the self
31:34
-exclusion tools that the gambling apps do The
31:37
gambling apps make it easy. They make it simple
31:39
for somebody to just go into their settings,
31:41
self -exclude in their respective state, and
31:43
then they can't gamble anymore. And they're basically
31:46
on like a block list. I myself self -excluded
31:50
from gambling several years ago because I was
31:53
a gambling addict. I went down that dark path
31:56
and I knew that I didn't have the self -control.
31:58
I would impulsively open those DraftKings. or
32:03
FanDuel apps all the time and start playing live
32:05
blackjack just to scratch the itch. And so that
32:08
doesn't exist in the hobby. That doesn't exist
32:10
with Fanatics or Whatnot. And so if the big players
32:13
aren't going to make it possible for their customers,
32:16
for their users to be able to self -exclude,
32:19
then we want to be able to offer those third
32:21
-party resources so people can do them themselves.
32:24
So again, that's just another layer of support
32:27
that we offer now. Yeah, that's awesome. And
32:31
I think that it's also really important, especially
32:34
like for me as someone who makes content on YouTube,
32:39
you know, specifically with, you know, I open
32:42
a lot of sealed boxes and stuff like that. I
32:44
feel like the content creators also need to be
32:48
transparent with their audience. And be careful
32:54
about who you follow because there's some people
32:58
that only show the monster hits. There's only
33:00
people that show all the good stuff. And they
33:03
don't show you the box where they spent $600
33:08
and got $30 back. There's a very small percentage
33:14
of people who are opening that amount of product
33:17
and have sponsorships and are doing... all these
33:21
other things, which is which is not bad. But
33:24
I feel there also needs to be transparency in
33:27
that saying like, hey, you know, I'm sponsored
33:29
here or I can do this because of this. Right.
33:34
So I think I think that's really important. That's
33:36
something that I try to be really transparent
33:39
with all of my viewers. I tell them, you know,
33:42
if if I partner with anybody, if I'm ever sponsored,
33:46
you know, I personally don't. accept any type
33:50
of partnership unless I specifically use that
33:53
company's product. So I think, I think that having
33:58
a level of accountability in the content creation
34:01
space will also only positively impact these
34:06
other surrounding areas of the hobby. Absolutely.
34:09
You brought up two really good, good topics that
34:13
I think, you know, make a lot of sense to bring
34:18
light to you know from our sort of perspective.
34:21
The first one is sort of these highlight reels
34:24
and the influencer boxes, as some people like
34:27
to call them. They're one of the most subtle
34:29
but dangerous forms of manipulation in the hobby
34:32
right now. And the concept seems harmless, right?
34:35
On the surface, you give a popular content creator
34:38
an influencer box to rip on camera. Maybe the
34:41
manufacturer knows that it's going to be a hot
34:44
box or have a big hit inside and let their audience
34:46
watch the magic happen. But then when you really
34:50
think about it, it's just another way to engineer
34:53
hype and suck people in. It's basically free
34:57
marketing or advertising for the manufacturer
34:59
or the platform. So these boxes aren't always
35:04
random. I think a lot of people... realize that
35:07
now uh in fact a lot of the time they're again
35:10
they're hot boxes they're stacked with hits to
35:12
make the product look better than it actually
35:14
is and when someone with a massive following
35:17
pulls a monster card on stream thousands of people
35:20
watching start to believe that could be me so
35:23
what do they do next they buy They rip, they
35:26
chase, they overspend and they get disappointed
35:28
over and over again. And it's not just about
35:32
the influencer either. It's the psychology of
35:34
influence. The platforms and companies know that
35:38
we trust familiar faces. We're more likely to
35:41
buy what they're promoting. right even if it's
35:45
subconsciously and that's where it becomes predatory
35:47
because when you're struggling with control or
35:50
chasing that next dopamine hit those influencer
35:53
boxes aren't just entertainment they're a trigger
35:56
and the worst part is there there's really you
35:59
know any disclosure people watching don't know
36:01
if that box was free if it was curated if the
36:06
odds were altered or Even worse, the person recording
36:10
is on like their fifth or sixth box in reality
36:12
and just keep recording the same video over and
36:15
over again until they actually hit that hot box
36:17
so that they can create content that has a better
36:20
chance of going viral, right? And so that lack
36:23
of transparency or sort of the unknown creates
36:26
this false sense of possibility and people spiral
36:30
chasing something that was never real to begin
36:33
with. And so that's all about why we're speaking
36:37
up, because if we don't start holding the industry
36:40
and the creators, the influencers accountable,
36:44
this next generation of collectors will be raised
36:47
on smoke and mirrors instead of truth and intention.
36:50
And so the other thing you brought up that we
36:53
talked about a little bit already is the transparency
36:55
in the hobby, which is so long overdue. And,
36:59
you know, it just has to start at every level.
37:02
The breakers and the manufacturers, the breakers
37:05
need to be honest about what they're selling.
37:08
If it's a resealed box or if it's a repack or
37:12
if it's been cherry picked, let's say like, you
37:14
know, they know where the case was in the case.
37:18
they plucked it or whatever if you're guaranteeing
37:20
hits but not explaining the odds or the risk
37:22
like that's just straight up misleading there
37:25
are people spending their literally their rent
37:28
money or their mortgage payments trying to chase
37:31
cards because they trust what they see on camera
37:33
or they trust their favorite breaker right that's
37:36
a huge responsibility whether you realize it
37:38
or not as as the breaker as like the the the
37:42
uh stream host and platforms especially live
37:46
marketplaces and social selling apps they just
37:49
need to step up their moderation right the 10
37:52
second timers the flashing graphics with the
37:54
slot machines um the fake sense of urgency the
37:59
manipulated market prices these are all designed
38:02
to make people spend without consciously thinking
38:05
and these platforms know exactly what they're
38:08
doing and they're profiting from the fallout
38:10
and then there's the manufacturers whether it's
38:13
Panini uh Topps and fanatics whoever you can't
38:17
keep flooding the market with low quality products
38:19
vague print runs and questionable like redemptions
38:23
the whole idea of a redemption in the first place
38:25
is just so insane like i actually tried explaining
38:29
what a redemption was to my parents recently
38:31
And they just couldn't wrap their heads around
38:33
it. Like, why would you buy a product if the
38:36
best hit in the product, the best player in the
38:40
product wasn't live, right? And like, how many
38:43
times do we see a product drop and like the number
38:45
one player, the number one chase in that product
38:48
is a redemption. Like, it's crazy. And so the
38:52
collector base just needs to become more educated,
38:56
be smarter. We need honesty about print runs,
38:59
about odds, about quality control. Like, how
39:01
many times have we seen quality control be a
39:03
major issue in a product? Collectors are just
39:06
becoming fatigued of feeling like they're the
39:08
last ones to know the truth. Transparency, like,
39:11
it shouldn't be radical, right? It should be
39:15
a standard. Because if, you know, the hobby is
39:17
going to grow in a healthy, sustainable way,
39:19
like it just it has to be built on trust, not
39:22
manipulation. We're not asking for that much
39:24
in the grand scheme of things. Right. Yeah. These
39:26
are very, very fair requests. Yeah. And just
39:30
a small digression, you know, you brought up
39:34
with the manufacturers having accountability.
39:37
Topps has been doing these EQL drops where it's
39:41
supposed to. certify fairness and um you know
39:47
a third party the eql um determines you know
39:50
who wins by random um and they you know they
39:55
i have an email from top saying that um you know
39:58
nobody is given a special um treatment or anything
40:04
like that with these these products um and just
40:07
the other day They were dropping the Marvel Sapphire,
40:11
and people were breaking it on Whatnot before
40:17
the EQL had even announced the results. How much
40:22
did those boxes sell for? I did not enter to
40:27
buy one, but they were $489 on the EQL drop.
40:32
Do you have any idea? Because I did see that.
40:35
there are a handful of breakers that have it
40:37
in hand already and they're ripping it. Do you
40:39
have any idea what they're charging as far as
40:42
aftermarket prices? I'm assuming it's astronomical.
40:50
I've heard from just like Discord chats and stuff
40:53
that it was hundreds of dollars. It's over $800
40:57
because I see it sold out at $800 on David Adams.
41:01
So I can't imagine what the breakers are charging
41:04
for it on the platforms. But that's another telltale
41:08
sign. It's so much deeper than just sports cards.
41:12
All of these other major franchises, Disney,
41:17
Marvel, obviously Pokemon, these other TCGs,
41:21
this is becoming more and more widespread, more
41:23
and more mainstream. They make cards for any
41:27
and everything. And Fanatics, their whole concept
41:31
is creating this ecosystem of collectibles, breaking
41:38
platform culture and gambling and casino and
41:42
sports books. Right. And basically encompassing
41:45
all of these sports related items. activities
41:50
in one like a one -stop shop right and so they're
41:54
bringing in all of these celebrities influencers
41:56
athletes to be involved and so you see tom brady
42:00
and olivia dunn and rob gronkowski all these
42:02
major in like athletes and individuals at all
42:06
these events hanging out with michael rubin taking
42:09
selfies with the kids and it's just become like
42:12
it's become a circus right because Those individuals
42:16
only really understand the hobby on the surface
42:19
level. They don't understand the nuances of the
42:22
gambling -like mechanics. And why should they?
42:24
That's not their job. That's not their responsibility.
42:27
But when you see the mainstream celebrities becoming
42:31
more and more acclimated, more and more involved
42:33
in this stuff, it only sucks more and more people
42:36
in, right? So we just, again, we just have to
42:39
create a layer of awareness, education, tools
42:43
and resources. And just be that, you know, layer
42:47
of support for the hobby as it just continues
42:51
to evolve and grow into this mainstream space.
42:56
Yeah, I absolutely agree with you. Absolutely.
43:01
Crazy. It's crazy, man. It's like, you know,
43:06
we talked about like we love collecting. We love
43:08
the hobby. We just want to see it continue to
43:12
evolve in a. positive direction. And I just don't
43:16
know if the folks at the helm are accounting
43:21
for these things that, you know, have sort of
43:26
gone unspoken or flown under the radar for far
43:29
too long. So, uh, we collectively as a, as a
43:33
community, as a hobby, just need to come together
43:35
to continue spreading this message, spreading
43:38
the awareness and, uh, just, you know, pulling
43:42
for change. It just it needs to happen sooner
43:45
rather than later, because like I said in the
43:47
beginning of our conversation, if we don't start
43:51
changing, if we don't start adapting to people's
43:54
needs, there's going to be an external governing
43:57
body that comes in, whether it be a gaming commission
43:59
or an SEC like type of organization that just
44:05
lays the hammer down on the hobby. And it's just
44:07
it's never going to look the same again. Right.
44:10
So that's that's the part that's scary. And we
44:13
want to sort of bake in those preventative measures
44:17
before that ever even becomes the reality. Yeah.
44:22
And I think that a lot of collectors, they, they
44:26
feel that they feel exactly, you know, what we've
44:29
been talking about. I think that, that people
44:32
are tired. They're, they're tired of getting
44:36
brushed under the rug. And, you know, they're
44:39
tired of not having transparency and things like
44:43
that. So there are things that we can do. You
44:47
know, we're not powerless. We're not helpless.
44:50
And, you know, like what you've done, you know,
44:53
you've started a movement. You know, you've brought
44:56
fruition and tangibility to what the collectors
45:03
have been feeling for a long time. Like I said,
45:08
all the links are going to be in the description.
45:11
Definitely check out the website. I know you
45:17
guys do daily posts. You guys are always putting
45:22
out great content. I can't recommend it enough
45:25
because it's just shining such a light in just
45:33
the dark space. can be within the hobby. Exactly.
45:39
Yeah. The, the content is big for us too. We
45:43
want to push this narrative, push this movement.
45:49
through the content, through education. And so
45:52
we have a few different franchises, as we call
45:54
them. One is called The Daily Reflection, which
45:57
has really become a cornerstone of Collectors
45:59
MD. And they're basically just like these brief,
46:01
honest, and thought -provoking journal entries
46:03
that we share on a daily basis. And what's so
46:06
great about them is that it's not just me contributing.
46:09
We have... a whole collective of individuals
46:12
who have contributed and these are people from
46:14
the hobby from the community that just you know
46:17
want a platform to speak their mind speak their
46:20
voice and so uh we invite and welcome any and
46:24
everyone who wants to contribute to The Daily
46:26
Reflection just to reach out, send us a DM, shoot
46:29
us an email, info at collectorsmd .com. And we
46:32
could talk about getting a Daily Reflection up
46:35
and published on the website. And then we have
46:37
another franchise called Collector Spotlight.
46:39
So at Collectors MD, we believe that collecting
46:42
should be deeply personal, intentional. And it
46:46
should be a fulfilling experience. And so our
46:49
collector spotlight is a monthly series that
46:52
features and shines a light on collectors who
46:55
truly embody our mission, which is collecting
46:57
with intention. And so each month we highlight
47:00
a passionate collector within our community and
47:03
showcase their collection. That doesn't necessarily
47:07
have to be car. It could be sneakers. It could
47:09
be coins. It could be memorabilia. It could be
47:13
anything. And we just want to give them the light
47:17
to share their story, celebrate the way they
47:19
approach their respective hobby. And these aren't
47:23
just collectors chasing the latest hits or the
47:25
highest value drops, right? They're individuals
47:27
who build collections with purpose, with meaning
47:29
and, you know, with their own personal touch.
47:32
And that's so incredibly important and valuable.
47:34
And then we started to, to podcasts of our own.
47:37
So we have the collector spotlight. We'll be
47:40
recording episode six next week. And then another.
47:44
podcast called Behind the Breaks, which is a
47:46
little bit more short form. So definitely encourage
47:48
folks to check those out. You can find them at
47:51
collectorsmd .com under the Discover tab. And
47:54
again, we have all the tools and resources that
47:56
you need to continue collecting more intentionally
48:01
and, you know, in a more healthy, sustainable
48:05
way. You know, we're also calling for breakers
48:08
to partner with us. We're trying to get in front
48:12
of the right folks so that we can layer in responsible
48:15
collecting, responsible ripping, messaging into
48:18
these experiences. And it can be done in such
48:20
a subtle way. Like we've been working with stand
48:22
-up displays to make Collectors MD card stands.
48:26
You know, they could say things like hashtag
48:28
rip responsibly, collect responsibly, things
48:32
like that. Same thing with like... stickers,
48:35
those slabs that have the custom labels on them.
48:38
We just want people to, again, carry this into
48:42
their collecting lifestyles or their own individual
48:46
hobbies so that they are constantly making sure
48:50
that they are collecting with intention and not
48:52
compulsion. And I mentioned, inviting people
48:57
to contribute to the daily reflection. We also
48:59
invite people to get involved in, in other ways.
49:03
You know, you can reach out to us at any time
49:06
and join a meeting. You know, we could bring
49:12
you like, I've been interviewing any and everyone
49:14
for The Collector's Compass podcast. I've been
49:17
bringing on members of the hobby community, therapists,
49:21
doctors, just people who want to share their
49:23
perspective and expertise. into some of these
49:27
areas that, you know, have become problematic.
49:32
And yeah, I mean, we're, again, we just, we want
49:35
to continue growing the community and making
49:37
sure that it's reaching the right folks, you
49:42
know, in the best way possible. Yeah. And I think
49:45
you guys are doing an amazing job, you know,
49:49
so far. Like I said, I'm really thankful for
49:53
what you're doing and Collectors MD as a whole.
49:57
And I think that it is going to bring, it's already
50:02
brought change. And I think it's going to continue
50:05
to bring positive change to our space for sure.
50:08
I appreciate that so much. Truly. Alijah, I want
50:14
to thank you so much for bringing me on and being
50:16
a part of this conversation. I know how much
50:20
work goes into building and maintaining a platform,
50:23
a channel like yours. like the world to be given
50:27
the opportunity the space to share what we're
50:29
doing with Collectors MD and why it matters for
50:32
the hobby um you know you're you're really helping
50:35
spark conversations that a lot of people have
50:37
just been avoiding for far too long and that's
50:39
something i'm super grateful so thank you for
50:43
opening the door for letting me share my thoughts
50:46
and perspective and for continuing to push this
50:49
hobby toward you know something much more healthy
50:53
and sustainable Yeah, I truly appreciate that.
50:57
And like I said, this is going to be, I think,
51:01
a very fruitful relationship and friendship as
51:08
we can continue down the road. This will probably
51:13
not be the last time that you're on the channel.
51:16
And I had a great time just listening to your
51:21
thoughts and your vision. for what this hobby
51:26
uh can be and i just i just admire your passion
51:30
dude it's just it's so it's so refreshing to
51:33
see in a time where there's just so much negativity
51:38
there's just you know there's there's so much
51:41
crap out there um that is just constantly being
51:44
fed um like you said through through the good
51:47
old smartphone um and so Being able to come across
51:52
you and Collectors MD, it's just been like a breath
51:56
of fresh air. Appreciate that, truly. Yeah, I
51:59
love what you're doing. Thanks, man. That really
52:02
means the world. And I agree. I think this will
52:05
be the start of a long -term friendship, partnership,
52:10
continuing to just pay it forward and make sure
52:13
we're looking out for this hobby that we care
52:17
so deeply about. Definitely. All right, everybody.
52:21
So that was our episode. Thank you so much for
52:24
tuning in. If you're still here. Thank you sincerely
52:27
from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate each
52:30
and every one of you. If you haven't subscribed
52:32
already, click that subscribe button. All of
52:35
the collector MD links again will be in the description.
52:39
And just once again, thank you so much, Alyx,
52:41
for all your contributions to our wonderful hobby.
52:45
Of course. Thanks Alijah. Remember collect with
52:47
intention and not compulsion. Absolutely. All
52:50
right. We'll see you guys later.