I was thinking this week about how much the hobby has changed over the years. When I was a kid, all I did was buy packs, trade cards with my friends, and occasionally sell a card on eBay.

But things have changed now (duh). Much of it is great, and I’ve written a lot about that in the past.

So today, I wanted to put together a list of what I think are some of the worst things that have happened to the hobby. Some of these might be controversial, but that’s part of the fun.

Let’s get into it.

I get it. Breaking is fun. I do believe that community is a big part of the hobby, and joining breaks might be the most accessible way to do so!

I just think the downside outweighs the positives for the hobby as a whole. Some say that people get access to cards they couldn’t otherwise get.

Here’s what I’d say:

Honestly, this isn’t anything new… but it’s getting worse.

Collectors get sucked in when they see cards of the greatest players sell for 7-figures… and figure they should get in now.

That’s why people will pay crazy money for Konor Griffin, because there’s a thought that the “crazy” money now will be considered cheap if he turns into an all-timer.

It’s just so rare that the young guy actually turns into an all-timer, and even pretty good players are left behind eventually.

I understand why sticker autos exist. It’s so much easier to print off sheets of stickers for players to sign. Also, you don’t have to worry about ruining the card's condition when travelling to the player or handling the card.

But they look terrible! They make the auto look way less clean, especially since the stickers shine.

One of my rules for my top-75 NBA autos collection was no stickers whenever possible.

Stickers should be a rare exception, not the rule.

Again, I understand why these exist. There are just too many stories of people waiting years for a card, even though you already paid for the pack. It ruins the momentum of your excitement, plus now you can’t control the pricing cycles of the player.

Sure, you can sell the redemption itself, but it’ll fetch a lower price.

This one I’ll never understand. It’s always felt like a trick designed to fool newcomers to the hobby. These literally lower the value of cards, and even actual jersey patches don’t do very well (unless they’re from the premier brands).

I pulled a Michael Penix Jr. Silver Prizm rookie card with a “patch” on it.

Currently, a silver prizm of his sells for $25.

The silver prizm sells for $3.

If the value isn’t there, why go to the trouble to even make them anymore?

Okay, so obviously it’s been around a while, but the most frustrating thing I see on social media is “Junk Wax 2.0?”

I’m firmly in the camp that the hobby is growing exponentially and will continue to do so. The demand is there.

But because it’s happened before, people think it’ll happen again.

It’s never good when forces combine like this. In practice, I expect prices to go up (which has already happened recently), service to deteriorate, or both. It’s just what history tells us will happen when there are no competitors.

I love parallels, and so does everyone in the hobby!

But… it’s getting out of hand.

I count 62 parallels in 2025-26 Topps Chrome NBA. Ain’t nobody on Earth keeping up with all of that.

And lastly, while I don’t think there’s a “Junk Wax 2.0” issue, I’m not dismissive of the idea that there could be a “Junk Slab” era.

I love grading, and grading the right cards is certainly a smart play.

But people are sending in tons of base left and right. Usually, the people who can get back the cards first make a killing, while prices drop steeply.

I don’t think it can be a good thing for Wemby to have nearly 27,000 PSA 10s. Granted, I understand why people send them in to be graded (they’re selling for $180 right now), but in the long run, I don’t think those values can sustain.

Anything else you’d add to this list? Would love to hear your thoughts!

This doesn’t constitute investment advice, more just a window into my overall strategy as well as for entertainment purposes. All pricing and screenshots are taken from Card Ladder—the only pricing & inventory tool I use.

Today, I want to do something a little different.

I’m fond of talking about 401(k) cards, which are those “forever” holds that just keep going up in value. You can invest in them pretty confidently, just like you would a 401(k).

The retired GOATs are easy - Jordan, Kobe, Griffey, Brady, etc.

But who’s next? When they retire, who are we projecting to be those kinds of cards? In other words, these are the guys that I would have zero problem with telling you to buy and sit on, and they’re about as certain an investment as they can be for players that aren’t old/retired.

(I’m excluding guys like LeBron nearing the end. I doubt there’s anything he could do on the court that would change his legacy, up or down. Curry’s another example.)

✔️ Shohei Ohtani ⚾ - His pricing just keeps. going. up. I think we’re hitting highs, and then it busts through them. With his international market, potential to be the actual GOAT, being on the Dodgers, and his style of play… he might just end up reaching Jordan levels of hobby love.

✔️ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 🏀- I think there’s a decent chance that he has 2-3 rings and 3-4 MVPs by 2030, which would put him as a top-10 player ever. The only hesitation is that he’s in a small market and he’s definitely not as cool or flashy as other GOATs… but I expect his pricing to just keep moving up.

✔️ Patrick Mahomes (duh) 🏈 - No explanation needed, really. Already a top-5 QB ever. Just how much he continues to rise depends on getting back to Super Bowls.

❌ Nikola Jokic - Only because he seems like a guy who could retire at any second. If he left now, he’s still a great, but not GOAT-level. Also gets dinged for being a center.

❌ Kevin Durant - Too much of a mercenary, and he’s lost a lot of popularity.

❌ Victor Wembanyama - Honestly, he’s so good that I considered putting him on the list, but it’s still too early, and super-tall players don’t have a great track record of staying healthy.

❌ Lamar Jackson & Josh Allen - They might go down as some of the best regular-season QBs ever. They’re that good. The no championships kills this before it’s a real argument, though.

❌ Aaron Judge - The bar in baseball is so high to be named among the best, and he hasn’t won any rings. That matters less in baseball, but still definitely matters if you’re wearing pinstripes.

❌ Mike Trout - Injuries. Had one of the best career trajectories in the history of baseball, but couldn’t keep it up.

Collectors and flippers alike often get their cards graded in order to increase value or to better protect them. They also look great for displaying.

But the process can be a little daunting (I remember my first time), and so I’ve put together this post to help walk you through the process…[Keep Reading]

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The content in this newsletter is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be actual financial or investment advice.