Stacking Slabs

What does it take to build one of the largest hobby businesses in Canada?

John Amendola, CEO of Mintink, joins Passion to Profession to share the story behind turning a pandemic-era card business into a national brand.

John discusses the early days of Breaks After Dark, scaling livestream commerce, hiring and developing talent, creating community through retail, and why relationships matter more than transactions.

We also explore leadership, mental health, customer experience, the future of hobby retail, and the opportunities most businesses still overlook.

This conversation is packed with lessons for collectors, entrepreneurs, and anyone building something for the long haul.

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A special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.

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In this episode of Hobby Jobs, Brett breaks down why “building for the hobby” is too vague to guide a real business.

The sports card industry is not one customer.

It is trust.

It is convenience.

It is liquidity.

It is discovery.

It is fandom.

It is customer behavior.

Brett expands on this week’s Operator Note and explains why the best operators in sports cards do not build for a category. They build for a person with a clear problem.

This episode also looks at lessons from Bryan Shaffer of THZ Sports Cards, the value of category fluency, and why companies like CardVault show where hobby work is headed.

For anyone working in sports cards or trying to find a path into the industry, this episode is about sharpening your thinking, understanding the customer, and creating value that the market remembers.

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Ryan is back in the saddle with Adam for a loaded episode of Booked to Last.

This week, they dig into the state of WWE booking, the impact it has on wrestler collectability, and why collectors are trying to make sense of a market that is moving week to week.

They break down Topps Cosmic WWE, the ripping experience, the planet odds, and why product structure matters so much in wrestling cards.

The main event is a deeper conversation around high-value wrestling cards.

With recent WrestleMania patch autograph sales from Tiffany Stratton, Jey Uso, Finn Balor, and Rey Fenix, Adam and Ryan walk through what sellers need to understand before moving a major card.

They cover comps, buyer pools, platforms, auctions, private sales, promotion, patience, grading, and reputation.

They also discuss the long-term value of event-worn relics, why Universe and Royalty relics might be underappreciated, and how collectors should think about match-used and event-used material before the market catches up.

RSVP for Wrestling Card Takeover at The National on July 31

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One year ago, we launched The Football Card Podcast with a simple idea: create a place where football card collectors could gather every week and talk football cards.

Fifty-two episodes later, we're reflecting on what we've learned.

Pack and Brett revisit the cards they highlighted in Episode 1, discuss why patience remains one of the biggest advantages in collecting, and explore the growing disconnect between one-of-one sellers and buyers.

They also debate whether Ray Lewis is the greatest defensive player of all time, discuss the value of longevity in sports and collecting, examine the rise of Topps NOW, review recent market movers, and answer listener questions about preparing for grails, flag football, and team collecting.

The cards change.

The market changes.

The collectors who stay committed are the ones who get to experience the payoff.

Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of Stacking Slabs

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Get your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype

Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast Patreon

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What makes a card worth chasing?

In this episode, Brett breaks down the purchase of one of the most important cards to enter his collection in years: the 2025 Topps Chrome WWE John Cena Superfractor 1/1. But this isn't a story about a big card. It's a story about the process behind the decision.

From negotiating against a $10,000 asking price to identifying what makes a card canonical, Brett explores the factors that create conviction in collecting. He discusses scarcity versus significance, the power of personal connection, the role of side collections, using collection equity with intention, and why the best long-term purchases often sit at the intersection of market understanding and lived experience.

If you've ever wondered how to separate impulse from conviction when a big card surfaces, this episode is for you.

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One of the biggest mistakes collectors make has nothing to do with buying the wrong card.

It has everything to do with waiting.

Waiting for a sale.
Waiting for a content creator to talk about it.
Waiting for the market to tell you it's safe.

In this episode, Brett explores why waiting for validation is rarely about needing more information and often about seeking permission.

Using examples from PMG Greens, Michael Jordan 1/1s, Nat Turner's collecting journey, and Chris McGill's pursuit of overlooked lanes, Brett breaks down the psychology behind social proof, regret, independent taste, and conviction.

If you've ever felt pulled toward a player, parallel, set, or category that nobody else seems to care about, this episode is for you.

The best collections aren't built by following consensus.

They're built by collectors who trust themselves enough to do the work before the crowd arrives.

Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you.

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Get your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype

Start your 7 day free trial of Stacking Slabs Patreon Today

[Distributed on Sunday] Sign up for the Stacking Slabs Weekly Rip Newsletter using this link

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The Connecticut Sun are entering their final season.

For many fans, that means more than a franchise relocation. It means the end of routines, memories, and connections built over decades.

In this episode, Katelyn sits down with Steve (@showley2003), a lifelong basketball fan and dedicated Connecticut Sun collector, to explore what made the Sun unique and why this season carries so much emotion.

They discuss:

•  How a trip to a Sun game with his daughter changed his collecting life 
•  Why team collecting creates a different kind of connection 
•  The role accessibility plays in building WNBA fandom 
•  Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Jonquel Jones, and the players who defined the franchise 
•  The history of the Connecticut Sun and their tribal ownership 
•  How collectors navigate the loss of a team they love 
•  What the future of WNBA fandom in New England might look like 

This conversation is about more than cards.

It's about the people, memories, and experiences that make collecting matter.

Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of The WNBA Card Podcast

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Get your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype

Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast Patreon

[Distributed on Sunday] Sign up for the Stacking Slabs Weekly Rip Newsletter using this link

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What does it take to build a sustainable card business in a market that is still finding its footing?

This week on Passion to Profession, Brett sits down with Bryan from THZ Sports Cards to discuss his path from high-end NBA cards to becoming one of the most recognizable wrestling card dealers in the hobby.

Bryan shares how years of buying, selling, and building relationships helped him uncover opportunities that most collectors never see. The conversation explores sourcing rare cards, navigating shows, prospecting WWE talent, building trust with collectors, and why patience remains one of the most important skills in the hobby.

They also discuss:

•  Why Bryan moved away from high-end NBA cards 
•  The appeal of the WWE card market 
•  Oba Femi, Sol Ruca, Zaria, and the next generation of talent 
•  How super collectors shape the wrestling card community 
•  Why eBay remains the best marketplace for high-end wrestling cards 
•  Mistakes collectors make when selling big cards 
•  The importance of relationships when buying and selling 

If you've ever thought about turning your hobby knowledge into a business, this conversation offers a practical look at what it takes to make it work.

Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free

A special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.

Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast Patreon

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Most people think opportunity in the hobby comes from knowledge.

Know the player.
Know the card.
Know the market.

Those things matter.

But as the sports card industry becomes more sophisticated, another asset is becoming more valuable than ever: trust.

In this episode of Hobby Jobs, Brett explores why reputation has become one of the most important forms of leverage in the hobby. From eBay authentication  to Veriswap's focus on secure trading, the industry's biggest companies are investing in trust infrastructure because trust drives transactions.

Brett breaks down the three ledgers that shape your reputation, why attention and trust are not the same thing, and how the best operators build careers through accumulated proof rather than short-term visibility.

The episode also examines what current job openings at Sotheby's, Veriswap, CardCollector2, and Collectors reveal about where the hobby is headed and why the future belongs to people who can translate collector behavior into business value.

If you're building a business, pursuing a career in the hobby, or looking for your next opportunity, this episode is for you. 

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Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast Patreon

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Ryan is out this week, so Brett steps into the co-host seat alongside Adam Gellman for a wide-ranging conversation on the current state of wrestling cards. Based on the episode transcript. 

The guys break down WWE's King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, Oba Femi's momentum, the global appeal of WWE, and why international fandom has not fully translated to wrestling card collecting yet.

On the card side, they discuss Cosmic Chrome, the early reaction to the Planet chase cards, AJ Lee's return to autograph products, and what the market is telling us about new releases.

They also tackle bigger hobby questions:

•  Are wrestling cards truly growing, or are the same cards changing hands? 
•  Does locking big cards into collections make the market stronger or more unpredictable? 
•  Why do so many collectors relist 1/1s at 2-3x the price? 
•  Are great cards always liquid cards? 
•  What opportunities are being missed while everyone chases the newest release? 

Plus thoughts on the Jey Uso WrestleMania Patch Auto auction, major recent sales, Wrestling Card Takeover at The National, and why relationships remain the most valuable asset in the hobby.

RSVP for Wrestling Card Takeover at The National on July 31

Check out RbiCru7 for all your wrestling and sports card needs!

Join Adam's Main Event Wrestling Cards group for free

Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast Patreon

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