Stacking Slabs

In Episode 20 of The Staging Area, Brett McGrath and Tory from dcsports87 discuss the current state of the consignment market.

The conversation starts with several notable sales across the hobby. A 1954 Bowman Mickey Mantle PSA 8 set an all-time high at $23,700. A 2013 BBM Shohei Ohtani promo PSA 9 jumped from $3,500 to nearly $20,000. An Aaron Judge Bowman Draft Chrome Auto PSA 10 sold for $7,500 as baseball season approaches.

The episode then shifts to a topic many collectors experience but rarely discuss openly.

Non-paying buyers.

Brett and Tory break down what happens when auctions end and buyers fail to pay, how often this occurs, and what steps platforms and consignors are taking to reduce the problem.

The episode closes with a look at the scale of the current market, with dcsports87 moving $14M in January and $17M in February.

For collectors who buy, sell, or consign cards, this conversation offers a clear look at how the system works behind the scenes.

A special thank you to dcsports87 for supporting this series. Check out dcsports87 for your eBay consignment needs and visit the dcsports87 eBay store to find great cards ending every night.

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Tommy Lasorda didn’t inherit a card business.

He got fired during the pandemic and decided to bet on himself.

In this episode of Passion to Profession, sponsored by eBay, Tommy shares how he went from working as a breaker in someone else’s shop to launching Lasorda’s Card House in March 2025

We talk about:

• Why he walked away from allocation and buys only what his customers want
• How repacks, done right, protect value and trust
• Why football became the focus
• The Gold Kaboom Mahomes moment that accelerated growth 
• Why customer care matters more than short-term margin

If you care about trust, reputation, and playing the long game in this hobby, this one is for you.

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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Season 4 reaches its midpoint with a solo episode from Katelyn (@coldlunchcards). 

The topic is nostalgia and how it shapes the way collectors approach WNBA cards.

Many collectors chase rookie cards. That is a bet on the future.

Many collectors chase early legends. That is a connection to the past.

But the WNBA sits in a different position than most leagues. The league began in 1997. Many collectors building WNBA collections today did not grow up watching those early seasons.

So what creates nostalgia when the memory is not personal?

Katelyn explores two forces that drive collecting behavior.

Individual nostalgia
The cards tied to your own life and memory.

Collective nostalgia
The stories a community builds together over time.

In a league and card market still under thirty years old, collectors are not only preserving history.

They are helping define it.

This episode explores how cards connect generations of players, collectors, and moments. And why the present moment in the hobby might be the most important one of all. 

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

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WrestleMania season changes everything.

On this episode of Booked to Last, Adam and Ryan break down the full impact of Elimination Chamber and the release of 2025 WWE Universe.

They dig into:

• Why Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley winning matters for collectors
• The real hobby impact of WrestleMania storylines
• Whether WWE Universe is a true win or just hype
• Why event-worn relics change the long-term value conversation
• What rising wax prices mean for you

This is not surface-level talk.

It is a real conversation about how moments on TV turn into momentum in the market.

If you collect wrestling cards, this episode will sharpen how you think about:

• Prospecting young talent
• Chasing event-worn gear
• Navigating breakers vs ripping wax
• Identifying what actually holds value

Universe is not perfect.

But it might be one of the most important wrestling releases in years.

Let’s talk about why.

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

Join Adam's Main Event Wrestling Cards group for free

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On this episode of The Football Card Podcast, Pack and Brett open Season 4 with momentum.

Since their last recording, the hobby has seen 54 six-figure sales and two multi-million dollar sales. Only three were football cards. That gap sparks a bigger conversation.They break down massive 1997 Metal Universe PMG Green sales, including Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, and Dan Marino, and what those numbers mean for football long term.

They debate Topps Chrome Football and whether it will match Prizm in price and popularity. They discuss what basketball’s return to Chrome reveals about photography, scarcity, and the power of the Superfractor. They tackle a listener question about market fatigue. Are collectors chasing gold, Finite, and Kaboom because they love them—or because the market tells them to?

They also spotlight recent Finite and Gold Vinyl sales, share updates on their personal collecting projects, and introduce a new Season 4 Card Call Out challenge.

If you care about scarcity, psychology, and what really drives the football card market, this one hits.

Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of Stacking Slabs

Follow The Football Card Podcast on Instagram for memes and stuff.

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 happens to your collection when your player goes down?

In this Collector Conversation, I sit down with Rodney (@enjoycards_ig) to talk about what it’s really like to collect Tyrese Haliburton during a lost season. We revisit the Game 7 injury. The shock. The numbness. The reality of a gap year.

Then we dig into the cards.

Does an injury change your conviction?
Do you slow down or lean in?
Are lower prices an opportunity or a warning sign?

We talk about market data. We talk about emotion. We talk about why we collect in the first place.

Haliburton’s index is down while the broader basketball market is up. Sales volume is shifting. Speculators fade. Core collectors stay.

This conversation is about risk, loyalty, patience, and perspective.

If you’ve ever collected an active player through an injury, this one will hit home.

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Why do some cards stick with you while others fade?

It is not the chrome.
It is not the serial number.
It is not even the grade.

It is the story.

In this flagship episode, I break down one core thesis. The card is the object. The story is the asset.

We talk about:

• Why narrative shapes attention, memory, and belief
• How peak moments and ending moments drive remembered value
• Why provenance carries a premium
• How viral sales create availability traps
• The difference between meaningful storytelling and manipulation

From the T206 Wagner to the 1952 Topps Mantle. From the 1989 Upper Deck Griffey to the Jordan and Kobe Logoman. We look at how narrative turns cardboard into cultural artifacts.

But this is not hype.
This is a call to think.

To separate fact from interpretation.
To question scarcity claims.
To stress test your own stories.

If you collect, you are already living inside narrative. The question is whether you control it or it controls you.

Tell a damn friend.

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

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Signal vs Substance. What really holds this hobby together?

In this episode of Card Ladder Confidential, Brett is joined by Kristina and Josh from Card Ladder to talk about what’s driving collecting right now and what actually lasts.

They unpack the West Coast Card Show and why a sports-only format changed the energy in the room. They talk about why the Card Ladder booth has become a landing spot for collectors. And they dig into what happens when price stops leading.

You’ll hear:

• Why moments like Jack Hughes’ gold medal can move markets overnight
• How Josh thinks about 1/1 football cards and why scarcity still wins
• How Kristina builds her Luka and Maxi PCs with checklists and discipline
• Why research still matters in a scroll economy built on speed
• Real examples of how Card Ladder data helped land a deal

This is a conversation about patience, conviction, and building a collection that reflects you.

Not the feed. Not the hype. You.

If you care about long-term thinking in a short-term world, this one is for you.

Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of Stacking Slabs

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Ryan Bannister has been in cards for more than three decades.

He opened RBICru7 in 2012 with borrowed money, a small space, and a willingness to grind seven days a week. Fourteen years later, he owns the building his shop sits in and has built one of the most respected brands in the hobby. 

In this episode of Passion to Profession, Ryan shares:

• Why character is a business advantage
• The sacrifices he made early to keep the doors open
• How relationships opened doors he never could have forced
• What COVID taught him about adaptability
• How he used LeBron autos to fund real estate
• Why community beats competition in the long run

If you’ve ever thought about turning your side hustle into your full-time work, this is a masterclass in what it really takes.

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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In this episode of The WNBA Card Podcast, Katelyn is joined by Joy (@herasportscards) to break down the second half of the Rittenhouse era from 2010 to 2018.

This was a collector’s market.

Most years had print runs of 500 cards.
One year had only 225 rookie base cards.
On-card autos. Limited supply. Minimal hype.

Joy shares her journey back into the hobby, how community shaped her collecting, and why Rittenhouse cards were bought by people who never planned to sell.

They dig into:

• What the league looked like during this stretch and how that shaped demand
• Why Stewie’s rookie and Maya’s jersey auto still matter
• The A’ja Wilson Platinum /25 and whether the hobby is undervaluing it
• Rookie vs. star psychology then versus now
• What collectors today can learn from a true collector-driven era

If you care about context, scarcity, and long-term thinking in WNBA cards, this episode will sharpen your perspective.

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

Follow the WNBA Card Podcast on Instagram 

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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