The Weekly Rip 10.12.25 [Signal vs. Noise]
We explore the process of separating the signal and the noise as excitement builds for our hobby.
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The Weekly Rip
Your Stacking Slabs Sunday Update
October 12, 2025
Every collector hits a point where the hobby feels loud. You scroll through your feed and it’s all there at once—record sales, new podcasts, group chat rumors, hype posts, and hot takes. It’s exciting, but it’s also confusing. You start to wonder whether you’re paying attention to the right things or if the noise has swallowed the signal.
When I released Collecting for Keeps, the market was steady. There was energy in the air, but it felt manageable. Now, months later, that energy has exploded. Card Ladder reported $422 million in online sales in August—the highest month on record. The $12.9 million Jordan–Kobe Logoman sale dominated headlines. New creators are popping up every day. Every time a million-dollar card hits the mainstream, people rush back in and everyone becomes an expert again. The volume is turned all the way up.
I’ve always believed the hobby has neighborhoods. Each one has its own language, its own way of doing things, its own sense of community. That’s what makes it fun. But when every neighborhood is growing at once, you get a lot of voices trying to talk over each other. As someone who lives and works in this space every day, I feel it constantly. My phone lights up with sales data, Instagram stories, messages from collectors, and new shows launching by the hour. I’m always asking myself: what here really matters?
That’s what led me to think about the idea of signal versus noise. The signal is the information that actually helps you as a collector—things like scarcity patterns, long-term trends, or genuine stories being shared by passionate collectors. The noise is the drama, the speculation, the endless cycle of comparisons and price chasing. The challenge is that they often look identical. In a market that’s booming, even the experienced among us can get fooled.
There are moments when I’m doing my nightly scroll—checking Card Ladder, searching eBay, flipping through Instagram—and I see a strange mix of content. Someone’s bragging about a flip. Someone else is posting a list of the “Top 10 cards to own.” A new record sale flashes across my screen, and a thread of people argue about whether the market is back or about to crash. It’s a constant push and pull between excitement and exhaustion. And in those moments, I can feel myself slipping into the noise. The impulse kicks in: maybe I should buy something, maybe I’m missing out, maybe that card I’ve been eyeing will explode next. But then I stop and ask myself: what’s the signal here? What’s real?
Experience helps. The longer you collect, the more you realize that cycles come and go. Hype always burns bright before it fades. The cards that truly matter—the ones collectors refuse to sell—never need hype to sustain them. They stand on their own. You see this at shows all the time. The cases that draw quiet crowds aren’t filled with the latest prospect or new release; they’re filled with cards that have stories, with pieces that mean something to someone. The quiet corners of the hobby often speak the loudest.
Over the years, I’ve built a personal filter to cut through the noise. It’s rooted in experience, instinct, data, and community. Experience reminds me that nothing lasts forever, so patience usually pays. Instinct tells me when something feels off, and I’ve learned the hard way to trust it. Data gives me the truth—Card Ladder, population reports, real sales. And community gives me perspective. Conversations with collectors I trust keep me grounded when everything around me feels manic.
Beyond that, I run every decision through what I call a sniff test—connection, curiosity, and sacrifice. Connection asks whether the card has real meaning for me. Curiosity asks if I’m genuinely interested in learning more about it, not because it’s hot but because it’s compelling. And sacrifice forces me to check if I’m willing to give something up to own it. If all three line up, that’s signal. If not, it’s noise pretending to be something more.
The temptation to react never disappears, especially in a bull market. Everyone feels the pressure to move, buy, sell, or trade because the hobby rewards activity. But sometimes the smartest move is to do nothing. Patience is underrated. Discipline means being okay with missing out when the timing isn’t right. I’ve learned that the cards I love most are the ones I bought after the frenzy faded, not during it.
The hobby will only get louder. More money, more products, more content—it’s not slowing down. We can’t control that, but we can control how we respond. Think of it like a volume knob. You decide how loud it gets. You can mute the hype accounts, turn off the notifications, and spend time organizing your collection instead. Every hour you spend doom-scrolling could be an hour connecting with other collectors or researching a set that inspires you. Those are the activities that build meaning.
The collectors who last the longest share one trait: they trust their own signal. They don’t chase trends or worry about what’s popular. They know what they love, and they build around it. Some skip every new release and focus on one meaningful card a year. Others fill binders, not vaults. They’re not swimming against the current to be contrarian—they’re doing it to stay true to themselves.
That’s the whole point. Collecting isn’t about keeping up. It’s about tuning in. Your passion is the signal. The noise will always be there, but it doesn’t have to drive your decisions. Trust what excites you, ignore what doesn’t, and remember why you started in the first place. The best collections are built when the volume is low and the focus is clear.
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Reissue: Treating the Hobby As An Escape and Collecting Legends with Matthew Doyle (@mcdoylesports)
Matthew Doyle has been collecting for a long time.
When you talk to him, it’s not just about the cards—it’s about the mindset that makes collecting meaningful, sustainable, and frankly, enjoyable over the long haul.
In today’s hobby, where noise dominates the feed and hype outpaces history, Matthew’s voice reminds us what matters most.
He’s built a legendary collections—without flipping, without prospecting, without ever needing to chase the next new thing.
So how did he do it?
He tuned out the noise. He paid attention to the signal.
Matthew’s Signal
“I’ve always leaned toward the iconic. That’s the signal. Not the newest QB or the hottest prospect—just the players who last.”
Matthew’s collecting style is grounded in experience, patience, and an unshakeable belief in legendary players.
From a Jordan/LeBron 23/23 Exquisite dual patch auto to Hank Aaron, Peyton Manning, Willie Mays, and Magic Johnson—his collection isn’t built on hype cycles. It’s built on memories, consistency, and time.
He’s not trying to be first.
He’s trying to collect what matters most.
Matthew’s Noise
“It’s always been this way—every decade, there’s prospecting hype. The only thing that’s changed is the dollars.”
To Matthew, the flood of hype in today’s hobby is nothing new. It’s just louder and more expensive now.
Dominguez outselling Judge. Josh Allen over Mahomes. Unproven QBs trading at GOAT prices.
He’s seen this story before—many times. He didn’t buy into it then, and he’s not buying into it now.
What This Means for Collecting in 2025
There’s more information than ever in the hobby.
More platforms. More commentary. More speculation.
It’s overwhelming.
But here’s the truth: Most of it is noise.
Matthew reminds us that collecting in 2025 requires focus and discipline.
Focus on what you love—not what’s trending.
Focus on who you trust—not who’s loudest.
Focus on cards with history—not cards with hype.
The real signal isn’t flashy.
It’s timeless.
And if you’re patient, intentional, and willing to tune out the static, you’ll build a collection that lasts.
I appreciate your support for Stacking Slabs. Tell a damn friend.
Take care,
Brett