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Stacking Slabs

Brett McGrath

Welcome to the Stacking Slabs, a podcast for sports cards collectors. There's been a tremendous amount of change to our Hobby over the last few years and the one constant has been the passion from the collecting community. Stacking Slabs is built by the collector and lives to tell stories for the collector.

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#1097
Today · 1 hr 17 min
The Football Card Podcast #67: Football Cards Go Beyond Quarterback Prospecting
Does quarterback prospecting define how you see football cards? Pack and Brett discuss Drake Maye’s start to the season and the expectations collectors build into quarterback card prices. They examine why that part of the market gets so much attention while collectors pursue players, sets, and memories that mean something to them. The conversation turns to selling cards. Do you owe anyone an explanation? Does posting the same card for sale over and over change how collectors respond when it reaches auction? Plus, grading cards for your PC, sales of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Jerry Rice cards, and Brett’s arrival of a 2018 Prizm Jack Doyle Black Finite 1/1. This week’s collector challenge: Share a card of the player you’d want as a friend and tell us why. 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 Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok Follow Pack: | Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1096
Yesterday · 30 min
Buying GOATs: What Earns Your Confidence?
When someone says they’re putting money in GOATs, what are they counting on? A career people remember? A card collectors keep chasing? A buyer who will be there when it’s time to sell? I look at Steph Curry, Peyton Manning, and Barry Bonds to think through how demand builds over time. We talk about the cards collectors recognize, what a sale can tell us, and why a player’s name cannot make every purchase work. Before you buy, ask yourself why you want that card and who else keeps coming back for it. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1095
Wednesday · 29 min
What Is It Worth When There Is No Comp?
I paid a lot for a Roman Reigns 1/1 that had no public sale to point to. I knew why I wanted the card. I still had to decide how I got to that number. In this episode, I talk through what a comp can tell us, where comparisons fall short, and why your buy price, your sale price, and the value of owning a card can be three different numbers. I also share the questions I ask before making an offer: What else can a collector buy? What would I have to give up? What happens if I need to sell? And can I live with the purchase if the market never agrees with me? Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1094
Tuesday · 1 hr 7 min
The WNBA Card Podcast: Building a Portland Fire Collection From the Beginning with Chad
Chad (@packtothefuturepodcast) went to a Portland Fire game with his wife while he was still learning the WNBA. The crowd drew him in. Chelsea Gray tied a three-point record that night, and a card he bought afterward became the one that means the most in his WNBA collection. Katelyn (@coldlunchcards) talks with Chad about becoming a Fire fan, choosing which players to collect, and building a collection while the team builds its history. They also get into what past collecting decisions taught him about buying cards that hold meaning, even when a player moves on. Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of Stacking Slabs 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok Follow Katelyn: | Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1092
Monday · 49 min
Passion to Profession: Selling Cards Without Pressuring Collectors with Collins Boyce
Collins Boyce has built Curated Cards and Collectibles across card shows, a store, and eBay Live. The part that stayed with me was how he treats the person buying the card. On his live streams, you can talk cards all day and leave without buying one. When a card sells for less than he expected, he tells the buyer, “Great take.” Collins and I talk about what he learned from working alongside a shop owner, why he joined forces with a business partner, and how his team decides where each card from a collection should sell. We also get into Ken Griffey Jr. PSA 10s, what a past sale misses when supply is thin, and why losing money on one card can still make sense for the collection. This is a conversation about building a card business with systems behind it and room for collectors to collect. Passion to Profession is brought to you by eBay. 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1093
Sunday · 1 hr 2 min
Hobby Jobs: What Makes a Collector Come Back? John Amendola on Building Mintink
A collector walks into a card shop for the first time. What happens there determines whether they want to return. I talk with John Amendola, founder and CEO of Mintink, about how he thinks through that visit. We get into greeting people without pressuring them, making room for kids and parents, training staff as Mintink grows, and listening when someone has a bad experience. John says the first sale is easy. The harder question is whether collectors feel enough connection to come back and tell someone else about the shop. This conversation is about the decisions behind that feeling. Hobby Jobs is sponsored by BCW Supplies. For over 45 years, BCW has helped retailers and wholesale partners stay stocked with the storage and display accessories collectors trust—backed by dependable fulfillment and consistency to keep shelves stocked and margins strong. Learn more at bcwsupplies.com/wholesale. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1091
Saturday · 1 hr 45 min
Booked to Last: John Cena’s $329,400 Card, the Rhea Ripley Sale, and Tim Bonito’s WWE Collection
John Cena’s WrestleMania patch auto sold for $329,400. Ryan bid on it, set his limit, and watched someone else take it home. He won the Rhea Ripley WrestleMania patch auto in the same auction. Adam and Ryan talk through both sales and why one result can’t tell you what every wrestling card is worth. They also look at WWE Stadium Club, Panini redemptions, and a question every collector faces when a product releases: buy the card now, or wait for more copies to surface? Then Tim Benito of CardVault by Tom Brady joins the show. He shares how he became the Bron Breakker collector, why he began collecting Undertaker cards, and the one Brock Lesnar Kaboom PSA 10 he still needs to finish his set. 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 Follow Ryan: | Instagram | Website | YouTube Follow Adam: | X | Instagram Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1090
September 25 · 1 hr 35 min
The Football Card Podcast #66: What Would You Collect If Instagram Disappeared?
A collector asks a question that stays with Pack and Brett: If prices, posts, and other people’s opinions disappeared, what football cards would you still want? They talk about the difference between buying because a card is available and collecting because you know why it belongs with you. They also look at overlooked football cards from the 1990s, including two 1/1s that sent them searching through sets they knew little about. Plus, listener collections, team collecting, Jalen Hurts, and recent sales of Tom Brady, Bo Nix, Tony Romo, Brett Favre, and Troy Polamalu cards. 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 Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok Follow Pack: | Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1089
September 24 · 31 min
Before You Buy the Card, Build the Thesis
Why does this card belong in your collection? A buying thesis gives you an answer before emotion, scarcity, and outside opinions take control. Brett explains the six parts of his process: the personal case, card case, market case, price case, ownership case, and risk case. He applies the process to his purchases of the Roman Reigns Immaculate 1/1, John Cena Superfractor 1/1, and Tyrese Haliburton Crown Royale 1/1. A thesis cannot predict the future. It helps you understand the decision, accept the tradeoffs, and live with the outcome after the excitement wears off. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1088
September 23 · 41 min
What It Took to Buy My Biggest Card
I spent $30,000 on the 2022 Immaculate Roman Reigns Premium Memorabilia Autograph Platinum 1/1. The price will get attention. The decisions behind it are the story. I break down the relationship that made the deal possible, how I funded the purchase, and why I sold around 60 cards to bring one card into my collection. This episode is about sacrifice, collection projects that have run their course, and the difference between chasing scarcity and buying a card that belongs in your collection. Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1087
September 22 · 57 min
The WNBA Card Podcast: Collecting Rhyne Howard and the Atlanta Dream with Jarrod (@wnbacardcollector)
Jarrod, better known as @wnbacardcollector, joins Katelyn to share how a Sue Bird rookie led him from vintage baseball into WNBA cards. He explains why Rittenhouse cards hold his attention, how attending an Atlanta Dream game changed his fandom, and why Rhyne Howard became the center of his collection. The conversation covers his Rhyne Howard Gold Vinyl rookie auto 1/1, the signed debut ticket he considers his personal grail, and the five rookie cards he would use to start an Atlanta Dream collection. Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of Stacking Slabs 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok Follow Katelyn: | Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1085
September 21 · 59 min
Passion to Profession: How Jamison Long Built a Card Shop People Return To
Jamison Long left a career in corporate sales to build Port City Sports Collectibles. The goal was never to open a store built around transactions. He wanted to create a place where collectors felt known. That decision is driving the growth of the business. After starting in a 1,500-square-foot shop, Port City moved into a space of nearly 6,000 square feet. The store now has days that match what it once sold in a week. Jamison joins Brett to discuss: Why he left corporate America The cards he sold to fund his next chapter Why access to capital matters when buying collections How Port City turns customers into returning customers The systems behind its inventory strategy How Jamison protects the culture of his team His Fanatics Fest deal with Kevin O’Leary and Shyne Why each business decision needs a thesis Jamison also explains why some of the decisions that created the most doubt produced the most growth. 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 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1086
September 20 · 25 min
Hobby Jobs: The Job Before the Job Description
GameStop sold $356.3 million in collectibles during its latest quarter. The category now accounts for 45 percent of company sales. The demand is there. Collector trust still has to be earned. In this episode of Hobby Jobs, I examine what GameStop needs to become a collectibles business, why inventory alone will not create community, and where new jobs can emerge across the sports card industry. I also connect these lessons to Sam Gordon’s career at Overtime and introduce a five-part system for creating career leverage: Observe. Translate. Shrink. Measure. Transfer. The role follows the problem. The title follows the proof. Hobby Jobs is presented by BCW Supplies. Hobby Jobs is sponsored by BCW Supplies. For over 45 years, BCW has helped retailers and wholesale partners stay stocked with the storage and display accessories collectors trust—backed by dependable fulfillment and consistency to keep shelves stocked and margins strong. Learn more at bcwsupplies.com/wholesale. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1084
September 19 · 1 hr 29 min
Booked to Last: Inside Topps WWE With Tim Trout + The Case for HBK and Bret Hart
Topps WWE’s Tim Trout joins Adam and Ryan to explain how the team is connecting collectors to wrestling history through cards. Tim shares the plan behind Topps Universe, the scarcity of the Slammed inserts, the use of match-related materials, and the work required to place key relic pieces into one-of-one cards. He also reveals incoming Joe Hendry guitar-pick relics, Danhausen’s first certified Topps WWE autographs, and what determines which debut patches reach each Chrome release. Then Adam and Ryan examine the John Cena WrestleMania Patch Auto crossing $250,000 and why one sale does not establish the value of every WrestleMania patch. The episode closes with a question for wrestling collectors: If collectors across the hobby are shifting toward proven stars, which wrestling legends have been left behind? Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Dusty Rhodes, Eddie Guerrero, and other names enter the discussion. 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 Follow Ryan: | Instagram | Website | YouTube Follow Adam: | X | Instagram Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1083
September 18 · 1 hr 27 min
The Football Card Podcast #65: What Week 1 Does to Your Football Card Decisions
One NFL game can change how you see a player, a team, and the cards sitting on your watch list. Pack and Brett examine when an on-field result creates a buying opportunity and when it creates an emotional decision. They discuss the risks of team collecting, the long-term outlook for Justin Herbert, Sam Darnold’s lack of hobby attention, and whether the $1.238 million Tom Brady Prizm Black Finite sale changes the football card market. The conversation also covers Panini’s run with the NFL license, Week 1 reactions, recent card sales, and the importance of setting your price before an auction ends. Are you buying the card because it fits your collection or because of what happened on Sunday? 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 Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok Follow Pack: | Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1082
September 17 · 59 min
Card Ladder Confidential #23: What the Market Cannot Price
What gives a card value when no comparable sale can explain why it matters to you? Chris McGill and Josh Johnson join Brett for a conversation about what the market cannot price. They discuss the owner’s price, replacement difficulty, the appeal of one-of-ones, and the difference between following the market and building your own card hierarchy. Josh shares why he bid $27,000 on a Todd Gurley card that he won for $4,000. Chris explains the history behind his 1998 Topps Gold Label Wayne Gretzky one-of-one and why he regrets selling parts of his Christian McCaffrey collection. Price data matters. It gives collectors context. It does not measure what a card completes, what it took to find, or how losing it would change your collection. This conversation is about using market data without letting the market make your decisions for you. Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of Stacking Slabs 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 Follow Josh: | Instagram Follow Chris: | Instagram Follow Card Ladder: | Instagram | YouTube | Website ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1081
September 16 · 27 min
The Honor of Ownership: When Keeping the Card Is the Point
The hobby spends a lot of time talking about how cards enter collections and how they leave. We talk about the chase, the deal, the grade, and the sale. We skip the years when the card is yours. In this episode, Brett explores what ownership gives collectors beyond market value. He shares the story behind four T.Y. Hilton Prizm Black Finite 1/1s and examines how time, knowledge, memory, and relationships deepen our connection to cards. Keeping a card is not always the absence of a decision. Sometimes, keeping the card is the point. Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1080
September 15 · 1 hr 6 min
The WNBA Card Podcast: Collecting Marina Mabrey and the Future of Toronto Tempo Cards with Shawn (@motorcitymarks)
Shawn (@motorcitymarks) started following Marina Mabrey when she arrived at Notre Dame. When she entered the WNBA, he knew he wanted to collect her cards. That decision became a supercollection. Katelyn and Shawn discuss the hunt for Mabrey’s cards, the work behind completing rainbows, the role relationships have played in finding one-of-ones, and why her 2021 Prizm Gold /10 remains his personal grail. They also examine Mabrey’s role with the Toronto Tempo, the growth of her card market, and what representing an entire country can mean for the next wave of WNBA collectors. 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok Follow Katelyn: | Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1078
September 14 · 52 min
Passion to Profession: Employee No. 12 — Building Overtime and Its Trading Cards with Sam Gordon
Sam Gordon had accepted a job on Wall Street. Two weeks before he was set to start, he walked away and joined Overtime as its 12th employee. The company had a few months of funding left. Today, Sam serves as VP of Programming and Head of YouTube at Overtime. Sam shares how $15 videos of Zion Williamson reached SportsCenter, why Overtime chose speed over production quality, and how the company grew from a social media account into a sports league. We also get the collector’s view of building the Topps OTE card products. Sam explains the push for on-card autographs, rookie logos, card backs written in Overtime’s voice, and the production demands that led to stickers and redemptions. He also tells the story of turning a Lionel Messi Superfractor autograph pulled from a box at work into his favorite card, a 1999 Michael Jordan Final Floor autograph. This is a conversation about trusting people, testing ideas, building with ownership, and creating sports cards from the collector’s seat. Passion to Profession is presented by eBay. 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 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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#1079
September 13 · 27 min
Hobby Jobs: The Long Game — Build Trust Before You Need It
Relationships gain value when you take care of them before you need something. In this episode of Hobby Jobs, Brett shares why trust remains one of the most valuable assets in the sports card industry. Brett also announce BCW Supplies as the presenting sponsor of Hobby Jobs and explains why this partnership supports the people building businesses across the hobby. You will learn: How to support collectors before, during, and after a purchase Why the response to a problem defines the relationship What to give your network when you have nothing to ask for How relationships create career and business opportunities Why your work matters more than your hobby knowledge when applying for industry roles This week’s Hobby Jobs Highlight covers eBay’s Manager of Pricing and Assortment for Trading Cards. The role sits at the intersection of data, pricing, collector behavior, and marketplace strategy. Hobby Jobs is sponsored by BCW Supplies. For over 45 years, BCW has helped retailers and wholesale partners stay stocked with the storage and display accessories collectors trust—backed by dependable fulfillment and consistency to keep shelves stocked and margins strong. Learn more at bcwsupplies.com/wholesale. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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