Stacking Slabs

This is a two-part episode about conviction in a hobby that rarely slows down. I start with Justin Wickizer, Director of Marketplace at PSA, to unpack the thinking behind the PSA Vault Spotlight Auction. We talk about why PSA is leaning into curated auctions, how attention and storytelling shape outcomes, and what it means when high-end cards meet the reach of eBay. This part of the conversation pulls back the curtain on how institutions think about trust, visibility, and collector behavior in today’s market.
Then the episode shifts from infrastructure to instinct. I’m joined by Andy to talk about building a 90s collection right now. Not from a hype angle, but from a place of intent. Andy shares how he approaches rarity, why research matters more than speed, and how patience and refinement have reshaped his collection over time. Together, these conversations explore the same question from two angles. How do you collect with confidence when everything around you is loud?

Check out PSA Vault's Spotlight Auction

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The hobby is in the middle of a real transition. Licenses are moving. Logos are changing. Timelines feel unclear. And a lot of collectors feel uneasy without knowing why.
This episode is not about what to buy next. It is about how to think while something big shifts around you. Panini to Topps. Fanatics stepping in. New marketing. New noise. Same collector sitting at home asking one quiet question. What does this mean for the way I collect?

We talk mindset. Identity. Anxiety. Hype cycles. First year and last year traps. Why urgency feels loud right now. And how to slow down without falling behind. This episode is for collectors who want clarity, agency, and confidence while the ground feels like it is moving.

Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you.
Get your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype
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We are standing at a turning point in the hobby.

Before we rush into what comes next, this episode slows things down and looks back at the Panini era. Not to praise it. Not to tear it down. To understand it.
Panini did more than release products. It reshaped how collecting looks, feels, and moves. From Prizm changing modern card design, to product ladders, chase mechanics, and a release calendar that never stopped, this era trained collectors in ways many of us did not notice in real time.

This episode breaks down what actually happened during the Panini run. How the hobby expanded. How attention replaced intention. How rarity, desire, and visibility became tangled. And why understanding this era gives you more control as we head into the next one.

Get your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype
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[Distributed on Sunday] Sign up for the Stacking Slabs Weekly Rip Newsletter using this link
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Trust does not come from volume. It comes from choices made over time.
In this episode of Passion to Profession, I sit down with Mike from MC Sports Cards to talk about how reputation became the foundation of his business. We get into why he chose quality over scale, how referrals built a powerful network effect, and what it really takes to earn trust when handling five and six figure cards.

We also break down high-end cards on eBay, the impact of Authenticity Guarantee, MC Mondays, and why sometimes the best way to build trust is to say no to business. If you care about long-term relationships in the 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.
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Before parallels.
Before hype cycles.
Before anyone talked about value.
This episode goes back to where WNBA card collecting began.

Katelyn sits down with Anne Marie of Women on Topps to unpack the late 1990s and early 2000s. A period when the league and the cards were being built at the same time. No rules. No roadmap. No expectations.

They walk through the first licensed sets, cards that came in cans, early autographs, die cuts, shoe relics, and redemptions. More important, they talk about how collectors showed up back then. Team focused. Set driven. Community first.

This conversation is about history.
It’s about why this era still matters.
And it’s about what modern collectors can learn from a time when collecting felt closer to fandom than finance.

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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