The Weekly Rip 6.23.24 [The Next Move]
A big thank you to the Card Ladder team for being the official data sponsor of Stacking Slabs. Card Ladder makes me a better creator and collector. If you’re looking to make more data-driven collecting decisions make sure you give the app a spin.
So you just sold a bunch of cards through consignment, what’s next?
I found myself in that position over this past week. I sold 26 total cards from my collection with Nic (@thewharfsportscards) this past Sunday in PWCC’s Weekly Auction. My total payout wasn’t chump change. At the time of writing this I’m waiting for 12 of the cards to get paid before Nic sends me the funds.
The interesting part about this consignment payout over most is that I’m not using the money to immediately pay off a card that I already bought. Also, I’m not using the money to pay for a card that I’ve been waiting for. Finally, I have no plans to get in my car and drive nearly 10 hours round trip to The National to spend my hobby funds on the unknown either.
The reason that I have a surplus of hobby funds right now is because I’ve been spending a lot of time with my collection. It’s in these moments with the cards that I start to see where I want to go next and where I want to abandon ship. In many cases it’s trimming the fat. Cards that excited me when I bought them were no longer giving me the same joy. Throughout the entire process I started to think about my goals. I mapped those goals with my collection and then took the cards to judgment day. There reaches a point in all of our collections when certain cards expire and the desire to have cash for other cards becomes greater. That’s what has been happening to me over the last month.
Here’s some things that I’ve learned about my personal collecting through this experience:
Player collecting: The more particular I’ve gotten about the types of cards I like, the less attractive player collections are to me. I’ll never stop collecting Manning and Luck, but the subset of cards that I want to spend my money on has become smaller.
Depth: I like for my collection to tell different stories at the same time. It can be a story about my favorite team through a specific product or a narrative around players who were on other teams, but I’ve always admired. I’ve learned that I need the space to go deep with my collecting and tell the right stories that resonate with me in those moments.
Products: I feel like I’ve hit the next level of my collecting maturity by understanding what products that I have deep conviction for. I don’t just buy a card because I like the player. I buy cards because there’s something about the product, parallel, or set that I admire. Today, the product profile drives the activity.
The time I’ve spent with my cards has not only helped me identify what cards I want to give up, but it has also given me direction on where I want my collection to head. This might mean more focus in one area or the creation of collecting lanes in others. My collection can stay the same for one season and then change the next. I’m ok with that because the shifts bring a ton of excitement. I’ve learned that navigating the ever changing landscape of my personal collecting is what gets me out of bed in the morning.
The next story is managing the hobby budget with patience and virtue.
Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.
A Weekly Content Roundup
It was a busy week on the main feed this week. We dropped 4 separate episodes. We kicked off the week with a new Hobby Shop Talk with Jamison, Owner at Port City Sports Collectibles. I love getting the hobby shop perspective from him, but I’m also learning a ton about industry shifts, too.
In the flagship episode expanded on the topic of spending time with your cards and the benefits that can happen on the other side of it.
In this week’s episode of Auction Talk with Nic we discussed the biggest gaps in the buying and selling process and shared some of our favorite cards up for auction.
Friday’s collector's conversation with Katelyn (@coldlunchcards) discussed the growing WNBA card market and the community surrounding it.
Joining the Stacking Slabs Patreon is The Best Way to Show Your Support
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. Join Today
This past week I wrote and article on the 98-99 Fleer Brilliants as the best one hit wonder set of all-time and also hosted a collector showcase with Chris (@cardicsportscards)
Auctions To Follow
Each week The Weekly Rip promotes auction listings from members of the Stacking Slabs Patreon group. Here’s the set of auctions ending tonight.
2008 EXQUISITE COLLECTION CHAMPIONS PEYTON MANNING AUTO /15 #ECS-PM BGS 9 MINT
Las Sale: May 5, 2024 for $432.00
2023 PANINI REVOLUTION WWE KABOOM! LIV MORGAN #23 PSA 10 GEM MINT
Last sale: May 8, 2024 for $686.00
2015 TOPPS WWE UNDISPUTED NXT IN LINE BECKY LYNCH ROOKIE AUTO #NA-BL BGS 9.5 GEM
Last Sale: No Recent Comps on BGS 9.5 [SGC 10 sold on March 2, 2024 for $206.50)
2021 TOPPS CHROME WWE GOLD REFRACTOR SETH ROLLINS SP /50 #IV19 PSA 10 GEM MINT
Last Sale: No Recent Comps
A Collector To Follow
@roundtree13_cards has hands down the best Randy Johnson collection I’ve ever seen. His collection is carefully approached and curated. I love the passion that he brings to the table with each post. If you’re looking for a 90s baseball collector to follow look no further.
I appreciate your support for Stacking Slabs.
Thanks for reading and see you on the other side.
Take care,
Brett