The Weekly Rip 3.10.24 [Proactive vs. Reactive Collecting]
In this week's edition of The Weekly Rip Brett explores the differences between proactive and reactive collecting.
A big thank you to the Card Ladder team for being the official data sponsor of Stacking Slabs. Their team and product is amazing. If you’re looking to make more data driven collecting decisions make sure you check out Card Ladder.
We’re going to start this week’s installment of The Weekly Rip by going through a brief exercise. I know this newsletter hits your inbox on Sunday which is the day of rest. I’ll promise you that this thought experiment won’t be too strenuous on you.
I want you to think about the last 3 cards that made their way into your collection.
Think about all of the qualities of those cards. Consider the players that make up the stack.
Now think about how those cards entered your hemisphere. Specifically, I want you to consider the places where you bought these cards. I’m guessing common responses might be eBay, weekly auctions, or even at local card shows.
The last thing I want you to do is to think about each of those cards and ask the question, “Was this a proactive purchase or a reactive purchase?” I promise you that there’s no right answer, but I’ve been fascinated over the last few week’s with understanding collector’s buying habits.
Here’s how I’d define the 2 ways to buy cards:
Reactive buying is the process of purchasing cards that we had no previous intention of buying until they showed up in a saved search or showcase. Once these cards entered our hemisphere we made the decision to buy them and put them into our collections.
Proactive buying is the process of researching, building lists, and networking to track down specific cards that we’re after to help grow our collections.
When you think about these two different approaches to buying cards it helps unlock some really cool threads about our collections. I’ve found that as a reactive buyer the cards in my collection typically don’t stick around as long as proactive purchases. When the blue dot hits I react because I think a card either looks cool or is priced well. Also, there’s an element that I need a mail day to satisfy those dopamine hits that we chase as collectors.
Proactive purchases have longevity. These purchases have intent and take a lot longer to acquire. Typically, these cards have elements of rarity and scarcity which make hunting them down a pain in the ass. That’s why we have to rely so heavily on the network of individuals that we’ve built to support the process. It’s all about giving our friends an inside look at our list and asking for their support when they’re at shows. The process for being on offense with our card purchases is really challenging. On most days we lose, but it’s on those days where the cards pop up that can be transformational for our collections.
I wonder about the fluctuation of prices on the card market and often wonder if the purchase was a proactive or reactive purchase. It’s almost impossible to understand the story of each card without doing a full investigation with each buyer. Maybe that makes for interesting content in the future?
I still react and buy cards that weren’t on my list.
I spend more time now than ever before with building my list.
There’s not a right way.
That’s why collecting cards is the best.
Collectors are joining Stacking Slabs Patreon to consume exclusive content, connect with other collectors, and promote their cards. I’m putting out new collector focused content in the group on a daily basis and it’s the hub for all of SSP’s video content. If you’re enjoying what I’m putting out on the main feeds check out what the group has to offer. I appreciate your attention and commitment to helping grow the damn brand.
I had a blast catching up with Chris McGill this week on ways that we can be more proactive with our collecting through research and list building. You can find this conversation and several others exclusive to Patreon members.
Your Hobby Consignment Needs
We dropped Episode #2 of Auction Talk this week with Nic (@thewharfsportscards).I’m really enjoying the direction of this show and it feels like we’re just getting started. The video version is available every week in the group.
Because this card was mentioned on this week’s pod and rules so much I had to drop the visual in for you to enjoy. Man, 90’s baseball just hit differently.
If you’re interested in consigning your cards with Nic you can check out the form and use promo code “stacking50” for $50 off your first consignment with him.
#Sub100Sunday?
There was a stretch were #Sub100Saturday was poppin’ off on Instagram. Every Saturday I would post a card that I recently purchased for under $100 and ask the community to do the same. I was thinking a lot about making that a thing again and thought maybe we just switch the day to Sunday when The Weekly Rip drops.
I think we get so caught up in all of the big cards that are purchased. They’re the easiest cards to use as reference points, create content around, and start conversations with. However, there’s so many great cards that don’t break the bank.
Here’s my submission for this week: 2023 Prestige Jonathan Taylor Gold /75
The shine on these cards is ridiculous and you can get your favorite player without spending an arm and a leg. I’ve seen so many collectors share and talk about how much they loved these cards that I decided to buy one of a PC player. These cards don’t disappoint, especially for $15!
Share your favorite purchase for under $100 today on Instagram using #Sub100Sunday.
A Collector To Follow
I got a chance to catch up this week for Friday’s collector conversation with Seth (@soccercardcorner) about all things soccer cards. This is a niche of the hobby that I don’t know much about, but enjoy learning about. I think it’s fascinating to sit on the outside and watch how other segments collect. There’s a lot that we can pull from each other.
Seth’s primary PC is Mohamed Salah. Here’s a beautiful 2017 Topps Chrome UCL Red Refractor /10 that we talked about on the show. If you're looking to learn more about soccer cards I’d recommend giving Seth a follow.
I want to close this week’s edition of The Weekly Rip by saying thank you to everyone who's supporting the Stacking Slabs platform. From people who’ve told a damn friend about the pod to members in the Patreon group to you reading this newsletter.
I’m more passionate about collecting cards and creating meaningful content in this space than ever before. I don’t keep going without an audience of people like you following along.
Happy collecting,
Brett