The Weekly Rip 4.13.25 [collection management]
We explore the importance of collection management and the impact it can have on the longevity of our collecting.
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The Weekly Rip
Your Stacking Slabs Sunday Update
April 13, 2025
Several years ago, I picked up a Peyton Manning card I thought I’d never let go of.
It checked all the boxes—low pop, high grade, clean copy. The kind of card I chased for months. When it became available, I was fired up. I stared at it in my case for weeks.
But then something shifted.
It wasn’t sudden. It was slow.
I found myself skipping past it when I opened the case.
Other cards started pulling more weight in how I felt about collecting.
Eventually, I moved it. And I used that money to buy something that better reflected where I was right then.
That moment taught me something I’ve carried ever since:
You’re allowed to outgrow cards.
And the better you get at managing your collection, the more freedom you give yourself to grow.
That’s what this week’s flagship episode of Stacking Slabs is about—collection management.
Not in the way people talk about stocks.
Not with spreadsheets or ROI charts.
But in the real way collectors experience it:
Knowing when it’s time to let go.
Having the clarity to pursue something new.
Feeling good about the direction you’re headed even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else.
I break collection management down into three areas:
Allocation: Where is your hobby budget going? What categories or players deserve it this month, this year?
Focus: Are you collecting in too many directions? Or are you getting sharper about what matters to you?
Engagement: Does your collection still light you up? Or has it started to feel like a pile of stuff?
Your collection should be a reflection of you. Not a portfolio. Not a checklist.
Something that tells a story. Your story.
I’ve bought and sold hundreds of cards. I’ve opened new lanes like WNBA and women’s basketball. I’ve matured in my Peyton Manning lane. What I’ve realized is that collecting isn’t about locking into something and holding forever.
It’s about listening to yourself.
And having the self-awareness to act on it.
You don’t need to be rigid.
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need to be honest with what’s working, what’s not, and what you’re chasing next.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, distracted, or disconnected, it might not be the hobby.
It might be the way your collection is structured.
So here’s your chance to reflect:
Which cards feel heavy in your case?
Which ones still get you excited?
What’s one change you could make that would bring you closer to your ideal collection?
This is the stuff that keeps you in the hobby.
Not comps. Not auctions. Not hype.
But building something that keeps you coming back every week because it feels like you.
If you’ve figured out a way to make that happen, share it. Tag me. I’ll pass it along.
Talk soon.
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A Collector to Follow
Jarrod (@radripper_sc) collects a little bit of everything. I love the diversity of going from a Tracey McGrady Gold Refractor to a 1966 James Bond card. This week we’ll discuss collection management a lot in Stacking Slabs content. I love monitoring the diversity within other collector’s collections. @radpripper_sc is a good page to follow to see that on full display.
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Take care,
Brett