The Weekly Rip 8.14.25 [Content]
We explore the state of content in the hobby in 2025 and why it matters.
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.
The Weekly Rip
Your Stacking Slabs Sunday Update
August 17, 2025
The longer I collect, the more I realize how much of my hobby experience happens when I’m not buying or selling cards.
In between those moments, I’m listening. Watching. Reading.
Content is the connective tissue that keeps me engaged when eBay is quiet and my DMs are clear. It shapes how I think, what I chase, and the kind of collector I want to be.
I don’t only listen to creators in my own lanes. I listen to vintage baseball guys. Wrestling collectors. High-end prospectors. Sometimes the content is about things I’ll never collect, but that’s the point—it expands my perspective.
Not all content is useful, and that’s okay. The key is finding the signal in the noise and supporting the people who create it. Because great content doesn’t happen by accident. It takes time, thought, and a genuine love for the hobby.
Content matters because:
It keeps collectors engaged between transactions.
It informs and educates, helping us make better decisions.
It preserves the culture and history of the hobby.
It gives us identity, inspiration, and connection.
If you enjoy a piece of content, share it. Comment on it. Tell a damn friend. Visibility is currency for creators, and your support helps keep the good stuff coming.
The strength of the hobby is in its diversity of voices. Analysts. Storytellers. Historians. Breakers. Artists. Niche collectors. Every perspective adds value. The more we engage with content outside our own collecting lane, the stronger our community becomes.
I’ve made the decision to build my career at the intersection of collecting and content because I believe this is one of the most important pillars of the hobby. It’s not transactional. It’s a long game. Every episode, post, and video is a seed planted for the future.
So as you collect, think about what you consume. Think about how it shapes you. And most importantly, think about how you can support the people creating the content that makes this hobby better.
Get Your Free Copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype Today
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
Stacking Slabs Patreon is the one stop shop for exclusive content AND video versions of all the shows that you listen to on the main feed. I’m having a blast building The Football Card Podcast with John aka Pack Nicholson. You can give the Patreon a test run. Let me know what you think.
Cool Cards at Auction
We reserve this space for members of the Stacking Slabs Patreon Community to highlight cards that are up for auctions. We’ve got a game-used banger this week.
2005 Finest Gold Xfractor Drew Brees /10 #70 BGS 9.5 GEM MINT
An early New Orleans Saints-era card of Drew Brees in one of Finest’s most iconic parallel formats. The debut Gold Xfractor from FInest shines with its bold color and distinct refractor pattern, limited to just 10 copies. High-grade BGS 9.5 examples are especially tough, making this a standout piece for Brees collectors and those chasing mid-2000s parallel history.
Reissue: Smarter Content, Stronger Collecting
Chris (@cardicsportscards) on Building Tools, Sharing Stories, and Starting with the Why
What happens when a collector sees a content gap — and fills it not with hype, but with help?
That’s what Chris from The Smarter Collector did, and his story isn’t about building a brand. It’s about building trust.
Chris didn’t chase clout. He didn’t follow trends. He looked around the hobby and saw something missing — a place where new collectors could get smarter, faster. Not from hot takes or market charts. But from frameworks. From insight. From actual collector behavior.
What stood out in this conversation wasn’t the volume of content. It was the intention behind it.
Chris isn’t trying to be the face of the hobby. He’s trying to serve it. Quietly. Consistently. On his terms.
And that’s the kind of content the hobby needs more of.
Let’s break it down.
What We Learned from This Episode
Chris started The Smarter Collector with a simple goal: help collectors think clearer.
It wasn’t a reaction to drama. It wasn’t built for scale. It was a response to a deeper need — content that respects the intelligence of its audience.
He built his site like a collector builds a PC: deliberately.
He started with a decision-making guide.
He built a card record worksheet to track buying habits.
He wrote personal stories that explained the why behind his cards, not just the what.
He created tools collectors could use today — not theory, not takes, but actual frameworks.
And he kept it all rooted in his experience. No algorithms. No manufactured content loops. Just one collector making things for others.
This wasn’t content for reach. This was content for retention.
For impact.
For better collecting.
What makes Chris’ approach resonate is that it starts with service. He’s not trying to tell collectors what to chase. He’s trying to give them tools so they can figure it out for themselves.
That’s content with staying power.
What This Means for Collecting in 2025
The content space in the hobby is crowded. But clarity cuts through.
Here’s the play:
Build for the long tail. Not everything needs to go viral. The content that helps someone take the next step in their collecting journey is the content that gets remembered.
Lead with usefulness. Hobby content isn’t about being the loudest. It’s about being the most helpful. When you give people something they can use, they’ll keep coming back.
Put your values first. Chris didn’t try to conform to hobby content norms. He built around what he would have wanted as a collector. That kind of authenticity resonates.
Don’t chase the cycle. Evergreen content matters more than timely content. Collecting is a long game. Your ideas should be too.
If we want a smarter hobby, we need smarter content.
And that starts with creators like Chris — putting out real tools, rooted in real collecting, to help build a better experience for all of us.
I appreciate your support for Stacking Slabs. Tell a damn friend.
Take care,
Brett