Stacking Slabs

Brett McGrath
  • 4.7 (174)
  • Hobbies
  • Updated Semiweekly

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. Plant the Seed: Why the Best Cards Take Time

    4h ago

    Plant the Seed: Why the Best Cards Take Time

    Most collectors focus on the outcome.The card.The deal.The mail day.The auction win. But the best things in this hobby rarely happen overnight. They come from trust built over years.Relationships formed without expectations.Research completed before the opportunity appears.Conviction developed long before consensus arrives. In this episode, Brett explores the power of planting seeds as a collector. Why patience is an active skill. Why clarity creates opportunity. Why trust compounds. And why the collectors who seem to have the best cards, strongest relationships, and deepest collections are often the ones doing the work nobody sees. If you're feeling pulled in too many directions or frustrated by the pace of the hobby, this conversation is for you. Because the best things in collecting don't come from forcing the moment. They come from doing the right work long enough that the moment knows where to find 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 ★

    34 min
  2. Passion to Profession: Building the Ultimate Hobby Experience with John Amendola of Mintink

    1d ago

    Passion to Profession: Building the Ultimate Hobby Experience with John Amendola of Mintink

    What does it take to build one of the largest hobby businesses in Canada? John Amendola, CEO of Mintink, joins Passion to Profession to share the story behind turning a pandemic-era card business into a national brand. John discusses the early days of Breaks After Dark, scaling livestream commerce, hiring and developing talent, creating community through retail, and why relationships matter more than transactions. We also explore leadership, mental health, customer experience, the future of hobby retail, and the opportunities most businesses still overlook. This conversation is packed with lessons for collectors, entrepreneurs, and anyone building something for the long haul. 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 ★

    1 hr
  3. Hobby Jobs: Stop Building for “The Hobby”

    2d ago

    Hobby Jobs: Stop Building for “The Hobby”

    In this episode of Hobby Jobs, Brett breaks down why “building for the hobby” is too vague to guide a real business. The sports card industry is not one customer. It is trust. It is convenience. It is liquidity. It is discovery. It is fandom. It is customer behavior. Brett expands on this week’s Operator Note and explains why the best operators in sports cards do not build for a category. They build for a person with a clear problem. This episode also looks at lessons from Bryan Shaffer of THZ Sports Cards, the value of category fluency, and why companies like CardVault show where hobby work is headed. For anyone working in sports cards or trying to find a path into the industry, this episode is about sharpening your thinking, understanding the customer, and creating value that the market remembers. 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 ★

    20 min
  4. Booked to Last: How to Sell Big Wrestling Cards Without Losing the Plot

    3d ago

    Booked to Last: How to Sell Big Wrestling Cards Without Losing the Plot

    Ryan is back in the saddle with Adam for a loaded episode of Booked to Last. This week, they dig into the state of WWE booking, the impact it has on wrestler collectability, and why collectors are trying to make sense of a market that is moving week to week. They break down Topps Cosmic WWE, the ripping experience, the planet odds, and why product structure matters so much in wrestling cards. The main event is a deeper conversation around high-value wrestling cards. With recent WrestleMania patch autograph sales from Tiffany Stratton, Jey Uso, Finn Balor, and Rey Fenix, Adam and Ryan walk through what sellers need to understand before moving a major card. They cover comps, buyer pools, platforms, auctions, private sales, promotion, patience, grading, and reputation. They also discuss the long-term value of event-worn relics, why Universe and Royalty relics might be underappreciated, and how collectors should think about match-used and event-used material before the market catches up. RSVP for Wrestling Card Takeover at The National on July 31 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 | YouTubeFollow Adam: | X | InstagramFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    1h 34m
  5. The Football Card Podcast #52: We Celebrate One Year of The Football Card Podcast

    4d ago

    The Football Card Podcast #52: We Celebrate One Year of The Football Card Podcast

    One year ago, we launched The Football Card Podcast with a simple idea: create a place where football card collectors could gather every week and talk football cards. Fifty-two episodes later, we're reflecting on what we've learned. Pack and Brett revisit the cards they highlighted in Episode 1, discuss why patience remains one of the biggest advantages in collecting, and explore the growing disconnect between one-of-one sellers and buyers. They also debate whether Ray Lewis is the greatest defensive player of all time, discuss the value of longevity in sports and collecting, examine the rise of Topps NOW, review recent market movers, and answer listener questions about preparing for grails, flag football, and team collecting. The cards change. The market changes. The collectors who stay committed are the ones who get to experience the payoff. 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 ★

    1h 18m
  6. The John Cena Superfractor and the Difference Between Conviction and Impulse

    5d ago

    The John Cena Superfractor and the Difference Between Conviction and Impulse

    What makes a card worth chasing? In this episode, Brett breaks down the purchase of one of the most important cards to enter his collection in years: the 2025 Topps Chrome WWE John Cena Superfractor 1/1. But this isn't a story about a big card. It's a story about the process behind the decision. From negotiating against a $10,000 asking price to identifying what makes a card canonical, Brett explores the factors that create conviction in collecting. He discusses scarcity versus significance, the power of personal connection, the role of side collections, using collection equity with intention, and why the best long-term purchases often sit at the intersection of market understanding and lived experience. If you've ever wondered how to separate impulse from conviction when a big card surfaces, this episode is 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 ★

    28 min
  7. Stop Waiting for Validation: The Cost of Outsourcing Your Taste

    6d ago

    Stop Waiting for Validation: The Cost of Outsourcing Your Taste

    One of the biggest mistakes collectors make has nothing to do with buying the wrong card. It has everything to do with waiting. Waiting for a sale.Waiting for a content creator to talk about it.Waiting for the market to tell you it's safe. In this episode, Brett explores why waiting for validation is rarely about needing more information and often about seeking permission. Using examples from PMG Greens, Michael Jordan 1/1s, Nat Turner's collecting journey, and Chris McGill's pursuit of overlooked lanes, Brett breaks down the psychology behind social proof, regret, independent taste, and conviction. If you've ever felt pulled toward a player, parallel, set, or category that nobody else seems to care about, this episode is for you. The best collections aren't built by following consensus. They're built by collectors who trust themselves enough to do the work before the crowd arrives. 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 ★

    30 min
  8. The WNBA Card Podcast: Connecticut Sun Team Collecting, Family Memories, and the End of an Era with Steve (showley2003)

    Jun 16

    The WNBA Card Podcast: Connecticut Sun Team Collecting, Family Memories, and the End of an Era with Steve (showley2003)

    The Connecticut Sun are entering their final season. For many fans, that means more than a franchise relocation. It means the end of routines, memories, and connections built over decades. In this episode, Katelyn sits down with Steve (@showley2003), a lifelong basketball fan and dedicated Connecticut Sun collector, to explore what made the Sun unique and why this season carries so much emotion. They discuss:  How a trip to a Sun game with his daughter changed his collecting life  Why team collecting creates a different kind of connection  The role accessibility plays in building WNBA fandom  Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Jonquel Jones, and the players who defined the franchise  The history of the Connecticut Sun and their tribal ownership  How collectors navigate the loss of a team they love  What the future of WNBA fandom in New England might look like This conversation is about more than cards. It's about the people, memories, and experiences that make collecting matter. 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 Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TiktokFollow Katelyn: | Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    1h 12m
See All (993)

4.7
out of 5
174 Ratings

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Brett McGrath
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    993
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Stacking Slabs
  • Show Website
    Stacking Slabs

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