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.

  1. Card Ladder Confidential #21: The Market Is Running. Are Collectors Keeping Up?

    7 hr ago

    Card Ladder Confidential #21: The Market Is Running. Are Collectors Keeping Up?

    The sports card market keeps reaching new highs. Sales volume continues to climb. Record prices keep falling. New collectors keep entering the hobby. But are collectors making better decisions? In this episode, Brett and Chris McGill discuss what the data is telling us and where they see warning signs. They compare today's market to 2021, break down the record Tim Duncan sale that has everyone talking, and explore why so many collectors wait for validation before making their biggest purchases. They also dive into one of the most overlooked collecting skills and why it will matter even more over the next decade. Topics include: • Why today's market feels different than 2021 • The significance of Tim Duncan's record one of one sale • Why social proof holds collectors back • Building conviction before the market agrees with you • The underrated skill that creates long term collecting advantages 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: | InstagramFollow Chris: | InstagramFollow Card Ladder: | Instagram | YouTube | WebsiteFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    1hr 3min
  2. The Part of Collecting Nobody Talks About: Living With Your Grail

    1 day ago

    The Part of Collecting Nobody Talks About: Living With Your Grail

    You spend years preparing for the grail. You save.You study.You build relationships.You pass on other cards so you're ready when the opportunity comes. Then it happens. The card is finally yours. Now what? This episode explores the part of collecting that rarely gets discussed. What happens after the chase ends. I break down why landing a grail can feel different than you expected. Why ownership is a skill. And how the best collectors turn a major acquisition into something that keeps adding value long after the mail day. We talk about: • Why the chase and ownership are two different experiences • How to keep a grail from becoming another card in the case • Why stories matter more than scans • How community deepens ownership • Why your grail should reorganize your collection instead of ending it • Questions every collector should ask after landing a major card If you've ever chased a grail or you're preparing for one, this episode is for you. Happy collecting. 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 ★

    29 min
  3. Passion to Profession: What Outside Operators See in the Sports Card Hobby with Gavin Hoover of Tombstone Collectibles

    3 days ago

    Passion to Profession: What Outside Operators See in the Sports Card Hobby with Gavin Hoover of Tombstone Collectibles

    What happens when experienced business operators build a sports card company instead of longtime collectors? In this episode of Passion to Profession, Brett sits down with Gavin Hoover, Chief of Stuff at Tombstone Collectibles, to discuss what happens when enterprise experience meets the hobby. Gavin shares how his background building large retail organizations shaped the way Tombstone approaches breaking, hiring, branding, analytics, customer relationships, and growth. Instead of thinking like a breaker, Tombstone thinks like a business. The conversation covers why trust is the biggest challenge in scaling, how data drives decisions, why great breakers look more like sales professionals than entertainers, and why the future of the hobby depends on keeping collecting at the center of it all. If you've ever wondered where the hobby is heading as more capital and experienced operators enter the space, this conversation will give you a different perspective. 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 ★

    1hr 3min
  4. The Football Card Podcast #53: The Cards That Define Football Greatness

    6 days ago

    The Football Card Podcast #53: The Cards That Define Football Greatness

    What makes a football card iconic? This week Pack and Brett McGrath discuss one of the biggest Peyton Manning rookie cards ever to reach the market and why sales like this help define the hobby. From Calvin Johnson and Patrick Surtain to Bronko Nagurski and Mike Ditka, they look at the cards that shape collecting across generations. They also tackle a collector question that sparks a bigger conversation. How should we rank the greatest players of all time? Is it MVPs? Championships? Peak performance? Or something else entirely? Plus: • The Peyton Manning Gem Master 1/1 Heritage auction • Ranking the greatest quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers • Trade night thoughts • Buying cards without buyer's remorse • Calvin Johnson Superfractor sale • Patrick Surtain Honors Shield Auto • New pickups • Cracked Ice Card Call Out 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 | TiktokFollow Pack: | Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    1hr 19min
  5. Built for the Hobby: What Sports Executives Understand About Collecting with Dan Kaufman of Sports Business Journal

    25 Jun

    Built for the Hobby: What Sports Executives Understand About Collecting with Dan Kaufman of Sports Business Journal

    What does the sports industry see when it looks at the hobby? In this episode of Built for the Hobby, Brett McGrath is joined by Scott Lock of InfernoRed Technology and Dan Kaufman, Managing Director at Sports Business Journal, for a conversation at the intersection of sports, collecting, media, technology, and fan engagement.  Dan brings a perspective few people can offer. He's a lifelong collector, a sports business leader, and someone who spends his days talking with executives across leagues, teams, media companies, and technology organizations.  Topics include:  Why sports cards are becoming a bigger part of fan engagement  How younger fans consume sports differently  The relationship between athlete performance and card values  Premium experiences in sports and collecting  The role of technology and AI in shaping the future of fandom  Why collecting remains one of the strongest emotional connections between fans and sports This conversation offers a look at where sports and collecting are heading and why the connection between the two continues to strengthen. 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 Start your 7 day free trial of Stacking Slabs Patreon Today Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    56 min

About

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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