Podcast · Leisure & Travel

Stacking Slabs

by Brett McGrath · English · Leisure & Travel

Welcome to the Stacking Slabs, a podcast for sports cards collectors. There's been a tremendous amount of change to our Hobby over the last few years and the one constant has been the passion from the collecting community. Stacking Slabs is built by the collector and lives to tell stories for the co

New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 1 hr
Latest: 14 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026 · 33 minNew

Do You Want the Card or the Purchase?

Brett has added about 10 cards to his collection this year and sold around 150 to get there. His buying has slowed down. His enjoyment of collecting has grown. In this episode, Brett explores how understanding what you want changes how you buy. He examines the difference between wanting a card and wanting another purchase, how research helps determine what belongs, and how seeking approval influences collecting decisions. He also questions when a buying process starts taking away from the enjoyment it was meant to support. After the package arrives and the excitement settles, what keeps you…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E1108 · 13 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 7 minNew
The WNBA Card Podcast: WNBA Finals and the Cards You Want to Keep | Season 6, Episode 1
What happens when your team’s playoff run puts the cards you want beyond your budget? Katelyn and Mark open Season 6, Episode 1 with a conversation about the WNBA Finals and what winning means for collectors. They discuss Angel Reese, Gabby Williams, and the tension between cheering for your team and watching card prices climb. Katelyn shares how she found a 2023 Origins Napheesa Collier Black 1/1 for her six-card collection. Mark explains why this playoff run has him revisiting cards he owns. They also talk rookie targets, Donruss, Prizm, and deciding when to buy or wait. Plus, a pack rip…
E1106 · 12 Oct 2026 · 37 minNew
Passion to Profession: The Work That Brings Collectors Back
What makes you return to a card shop, open someone’s stream, or trust them with your collection? This week, I’m recording solo and reflecting on twelve conversations from Passion to Profession. From Grant Slayton helping me find my Andrew Luck 1/1 to Collins Boyce welcoming collectors who aren’t buying, I look at the work that earns another visit. I also share how these lessons shape my decisions at Stacking Slabs. Hiring, handing off responsibilities, supporting my family, and giving you a reason to keep listening are all part of building this business. If you collect cards or work in the…
E1107 · 11 Oct 2026 · 22 min
Hobby Jobs: Growing a Hobby Business Beyond Its Founder
What happens when customers want to buy from you, but growing the business means letting someone else earn their trust? In this episode of Hobby Jobs, I explore that question through my conversation with Josh O’Daniel of Odeezy Sports Cards. We talk about handing off responsibilities, helping employees build relationships, and teaching the standards customers count on without asking people to copy your personality. I also examine Arena Club’s partnership with the Philadelphia 76ers and what happens after a fan’s introduction to collecting. Getting someone’s attention starts the relationship.…
E1105 · 10 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 12 min
Booked to Last: Is It Time to Buy Wrestling Cards? Collector Q&A
The card you’ve been waiting for hits the market. Do you buy it, or does seeing more copies for sale make you question your collection? Adam and Ryan answer listener questions about wrestling cards, patience, and where they’re putting their collecting dollars. They discuss the supply arriving through Panini redemption fulfillment, what draws them to Flawless, and why 2019 Topps Transcendent and 2015 Topps Undisputed deserve attention. The conversation also covers WWE sales data, what auction results leave out, Topps release calendars, and Money in the Bank predictions. Plus, a question worth…
E1104 · 9 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 14 min
The Football Card Podcast #68: You Got the Card. Why Do You Want Another?
You spend months looking for a card. You make the deal. Then you open your saved searches and start looking for another. When do you take time to enjoy what you’ve built? Pack and Brett discuss the research, negotiations, and relationships that keep collectors buying and selling. Brett shares how spending 10–15 minutes with his cards has helped him appreciate his collection. Pack explains how viewing a sale as a trade helps him decide which cards to let go. The conversation covers Bowman University’s place in Bowman, Topps Chrome Cosmic, and sales featuring Patrick Mahomes, Saquon Barkley,…
E1103 · 8 Oct 2026 · 52 min
The WNBA Card Podcast: Season 6 Starts Here — Meet Mark (mjs_sportscards)
The friendships you build through cards can change how you collect. Katelyn welcomes Mark (mjs_sportscards) as her cohost for Season 6 of The WNBA Card Podcast. A history professor and Atlanta Dream fan, Mark shares why Allisha Gray anchors his collection and how collecting Pinnacle, Fleer Ultra, and Rittenhouse has helped him learn about the players who built the league. They introduce their plans for the season, react to the WNBA playoffs and awards, and discuss how collectors value A’ja Wilson’s accomplishments. Join Katelyn and Mark for conversations about the players you watch, the…
E1102 · 7 Oct 2026 · 34 min
Why We Cannot Stop Talking About Million Dollar Cards
Why do we spend so much time debating cards that most of us will never buy? In this episode, Brett explores what happens after an auction ends. Why we judge the buyer. Why we want the price to validate our collections. And why one sale gets treated as a verdict on the hobby. He separates the transaction, the signal, and the spectacle to help collectors understand what a sale tells us and where the evidence stops. Before you let someone else’s purchase change how you collect, ask what it changes for you. Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you. Sign up for…
E1101 · 6 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
The WNBA Card Podcast: Collecting the Team That Feels Like Home with Katelyn (@coldlunchcards) | Season 5 Finale
To close Season 5 of the WNBA Card Podcast, I interview Katelyn (@coldlunchcards) about her Minnesota Lynx fandom and the collection it has inspired. We talk about finding community after moving to Minnesota, Maya Moore’s place in Lynx history, and why Napheesa Collier’s values matter to Katelyn’s collecting. She shares her goal of building a six-card Collier collection and the story behind her 2019 Donruss Optic Gold rookie numbered to 10. We close with a question for every collector: If your cards lost their value, would you still want to own them? Check out Card Ladder the official data…
E1099 · 5 Oct 2026 · 47 min
Passion to Profession: Giving Collectors a Reason to Come Back with Josh O’Daniel of Odeezy Sports Cards
What brings you back to a breaker when you don’t hit the card you wanted? Josh O’Daniel of Odeezy Sports Cards thinks about that question. He joins Brett to share how opening Pokémon packs on Twitch became a business with a team, a card shop, and collectors who traveled to attend his store opening. Josh discusses building the business alongside his wife, Lizzie, before leaving an 18-year career at UPS. We get into selling on eBay Live, shipping breaks the next day, covering customer messages, and creating a community where people spend time together between streams. It’s a conversation about…
E1100 · 4 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Hobby Jobs: The Systems Behind a Card Shop That Keeps People Coming Back with Oday Hishmeh
What happens to the collector experience when the owner isn’t there? In this episode of Hobby Jobs, I explore the systems behind buying, inventory, shipping, and customer service. Each handoff affects whether a collector trusts your business enough to return. Then I sit down with Oday Hishmeh, Founder and CEO of It’s Time Sports Cards, TCG, and eSports. Oday brings his experience operating Domino’s locations and owning Ace Hardware stores into building a place where families spend time, play, and trade. We talk about testing Pokémon sales inside Ace Hardware, making room for community,…
E1098 · 3 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 33 min
Booked to Last: Panini WWE Redemptions — The Cards You Waited For with Kevin from New York Roadshow
You waited for an autograph of the wrestler you collect. Your package arrived with someone else. How do you decide what that replacement means to you? Kevin from New York Roadshow joins Adam and Ryan to unpack the Panini WWE redemption closeout. They discuss Roman Reigns on-card autographs, Flawless replacements, and how to evaluate white box cards beyond the 1/1 stamp. The conversation gets into the tension between replacement value and collector attachment. A card’s price doesn’t explain why you wanted it. They discuss how the arrival of these cards affects supply and what to consider…
E1097 · 2 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 17 min
The Football Card Podcast #67: Football Cards Go Beyond Quarterback Prospecting
Does quarterback prospecting define how you see football cards? Pack and Brett discuss Drake Maye’s start to the season and the expectations collectors build into quarterback card prices. They examine why that part of the market gets so much attention while collectors pursue players, sets, and memories that mean something to them. The conversation turns to selling cards. Do you owe anyone an explanation? Does posting the same card for sale over and over change how collectors respond when it reaches auction? Plus, grading cards for your PC, sales of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Jerry Rice…
E1096 · 1 Oct 2026 · 31 min
Buying GOATs: What Earns Your Confidence?
When someone says they’re putting money in GOATs, what are they counting on? A career people remember? A card collectors keep chasing? A buyer who will be there when it’s time to sell? I look at Steph Curry, Peyton Manning, and Barry Bonds to think through how demand builds over time. We talk about the cards collectors recognize, what a sale can tell us, and why a player’s name cannot make every purchase work. Before you buy, ask yourself why you want that card and who else keeps coming back for it. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for free Get your free copy of Collecting For…
E1095 · 30 Sep 2026 · 30 min
What Is It Worth When There Is No Comp?
I paid a lot for a Roman Reigns 1/1 that had no public sale to point to. I knew why I wanted the card. I still had to decide how I got to that number. In this episode, I talk through what a comp can tell us, where comparisons fall short, and why your buy price, your sale price, and the value of owning a card can be three different numbers. I also share the questions I ask before making an offer: What else can a collector buy? What would I have to give up? What happens if I need to sell? And can I live with the purchase if the market never agrees with me? Check out the awesome software that…
E1094 · 29 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
The WNBA Card Podcast: Building a Portland Fire Collection From the Beginning with Chad
Chad (@packtothefuturepodcast) went to a Portland Fire game with his wife while he was still learning the WNBA. The crowd drew him in. Chelsea Gray tied a three-point record that night, and a card he bought afterward became the one that means the most in his WNBA collection. Katelyn (@coldlunchcards) talks with Chad about becoming a Fire fan, choosing which players to collect, and building a collection while the team builds its history. They also get into what past collecting decisions taught him about buying cards that hold meaning, even when a player moves on. Check out Card Ladder the…
E1092 · 28 Sep 2026 · 49 min
Passion to Profession: Selling Cards Without Pressuring Collectors with Collins Boyce
Collins Boyce has built Curated Cards and Collectibles across card shows, a store, and eBay Live. The part that stayed with me was how he treats the person buying the card. On his live streams, you can talk cards all day and leave without buying one. When a card sells for less than he expected, he tells the buyer, “Great take.” Collins and I talk about what he learned from working alongside a shop owner, why he joined forces with a business partner, and how his team decides where each card from a collection should sell. We also get into Ken Griffey Jr. PSA 10s, what a past sale misses when…
E1093 · 27 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Hobby Jobs: What Makes a Collector Come Back? John Amendola on Building Mintink
A collector walks into a card shop for the first time. What happens there determines whether they want to return. I talk with John Amendola, founder and CEO of Mintink, about how he thinks through that visit. We get into greeting people without pressuring them, making room for kids and parents, training staff as Mintink grows, and listening when someone has a bad experience. John says the first sale is easy. The harder question is whether collectors feel enough connection to come back and tell someone else about the shop. This conversation is about the decisions behind that feeling. Hobby…
E1091 · 26 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 46 min
Booked to Last: John Cena’s $329,400 Card, the Rhea Ripley Sale, and Tim Bonito’s WWE Collection
John Cena’s WrestleMania patch auto sold for $329,400. Ryan bid on it, set his limit, and watched someone else take it home. He won the Rhea Ripley WrestleMania patch auto in the same auction. Adam and Ryan talk through both sales and why one result can’t tell you what every wrestling card is worth. They also look at WWE Stadium Club, Panini redemptions, and a question every collector faces when a product releases: buy the card now, or wait for more copies to surface? Then Tim Benito of CardVault by Tom Brady joins the show. He shares how he became the Bron Breakker collector, why he began…
E1090 · 25 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 35 min
The Football Card Podcast #66: What Would You Collect If Instagram Disappeared?
A collector asks a question that stays with Pack and Brett: If prices, posts, and other people’s opinions disappeared, what football cards would you still want? They talk about the difference between buying because a card is available and collecting because you know why it belongs with you. They also look at overlooked football cards from the 1990s, including two 1/1s that sent them searching through sets they knew little about. Plus, listener collections, team collecting, Jalen Hurts, and recent sales of Tom Brady, Bo Nix, Tony Romo, Brett Favre, and Troy Polamalu cards. Check out Card…
E1089 · 24 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Before You Buy the Card, Build the Thesis
Why does this card belong in your collection? A buying thesis gives you an answer before emotion, scarcity, and outside opinions take control. Brett explains the six parts of his process: the personal case, card case, market case, price case, ownership case, and risk case. He applies the process to his purchases of the Roman Reigns Immaculate 1/1, John Cena Superfractor 1/1, and Tyrese Haliburton Crown Royale 1/1. A thesis cannot predict the future. It helps you understand the decision, accept the tradeoffs, and live with the outcome after the excitement wears off. Sign up for Hobby Jobs and…
E1088 · 23 Sep 2026 · 41 min
What It Took to Buy My Biggest Card
I spent $30,000 on the 2022 Immaculate Roman Reigns Premium Memorabilia Autograph Platinum 1/1. The price will get attention. The decisions behind it are the story. I break down the relationship that made the deal possible, how I funded the purchase, and why I sold around 60 cards to bring one card into my collection. This episode is about sacrifice, collection projects that have run their course, and the difference between chasing scarcity and buying a card that belongs in your collection. Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you. Sign up for Hobby Jobs…
E1087 · 22 Sep 2026 · 58 min
The WNBA Card Podcast: Collecting Rhyne Howard and the Atlanta Dream with Jarrod (@wnbacardcollector)
Jarrod, better known as @wnbacardcollector, joins Katelyn to share how a Sue Bird rookie led him from vintage baseball into WNBA cards. He explains why Rittenhouse cards hold his attention, how attending an Atlanta Dream game changed his fandom, and why Rhyne Howard became the center of his collection. The conversation covers his Rhyne Howard Gold Vinyl rookie auto 1/1, the signed debut ticket he considers his personal grail, and the five rookie cards he would use to start an Atlanta Dream collection. Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of Stacking Slabs Follow the WNBA Card…
E1085 · 21 Sep 2026 · 59 min
Passion to Profession: How Jamison Long Built a Card Shop People Return To
Jamison Long left a career in corporate sales to build Port City Sports Collectibles. The goal was never to open a store built around transactions. He wanted to create a place where collectors felt known. That decision is driving the growth of the business. After starting in a 1,500-square-foot shop, Port City moved into a space of nearly 6,000 square feet. The store now has days that match what it once sold in a week. Jamison joins Brett to discuss: Why he left corporate America The cards he sold to fund his next chapter Why access to capital matters when buying collections How Port City…
E1086 · 20 Sep 2026 · 25 min
Hobby Jobs: The Job Before the Job Description
GameStop sold $356.3 million in collectibles during its latest quarter. The category now accounts for 45 percent of company sales. The demand is there. Collector trust still has to be earned. In this episode of Hobby Jobs, I examine what GameStop needs to become a collectibles business, why inventory alone will not create community, and where new jobs can emerge across the sports card industry. I also connect these lessons to Sam Gordon’s career at Overtime and introduce a five-part system for creating career leverage: Observe. Translate. Shrink. Measure. Transfer. The role follows the…
E1084 · 19 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 30 min
Booked to Last: Inside Topps WWE With Tim Trout + The Case for HBK and Bret Hart
Topps WWE’s Tim Trout joins Adam and Ryan to explain how the team is connecting collectors to wrestling history through cards. Tim shares the plan behind Topps Universe, the scarcity of the Slammed inserts, the use of match-related materials, and the work required to place key relic pieces into one-of-one cards. He also reveals incoming Joe Hendry guitar-pick relics, Danhausen’s first certified Topps WWE autographs, and what determines which debut patches reach each Chrome release. Then Adam and Ryan examine the John Cena WrestleMania Patch Auto crossing $250,000 and why one sale does not…
E1083 · 18 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 27 min
The Football Card Podcast #65: What Week 1 Does to Your Football Card Decisions
One NFL game can change how you see a player, a team, and the cards sitting on your watch list. Pack and Brett examine when an on-field result creates a buying opportunity and when it creates an emotional decision. They discuss the risks of team collecting, the long-term outlook for Justin Herbert, Sam Darnold’s lack of hobby attention, and whether the $1.238 million Tom Brady Prizm Black Finite sale changes the football card market. The conversation also covers Panini’s run with the NFL license, Week 1 reactions, recent card sales, and the importance of setting your price before an auction…
E1082 · 17 Sep 2026 · 1 hr
Card Ladder Confidential #23: What the Market Cannot Price
What gives a card value when no comparable sale can explain why it matters to you? Chris McGill and Josh Johnson join Brett for a conversation about what the market cannot price. They discuss the owner’s price, replacement difficulty, the appeal of one-of-ones, and the difference between following the market and building your own card hierarchy. Josh shares why he bid $27,000 on a Todd Gurley card that he won for $4,000. Chris explains the history behind his 1998 Topps Gold Label Wayne Gretzky one-of-one and why he regrets selling parts of his Christian McCaffrey collection. Price data…
E1081 · 16 Sep 2026 · 27 min
The Honor of Ownership: When Keeping the Card Is the Point
The hobby spends a lot of time talking about how cards enter collections and how they leave. We talk about the chase, the deal, the grade, and the sale. We skip the years when the card is yours. In this episode, Brett explores what ownership gives collectors beyond market value. He shares the story behind four T.Y. Hilton Prizm Black Finite 1/1s and examines how time, knowledge, memory, and relationships deepen our connection to cards. Keeping a card is not always the absence of a decision. Sometimes, keeping the card is the point. Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology…
E1080 · 15 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
The WNBA Card Podcast: Collecting Marina Mabrey and the Future of Toronto Tempo Cards with Shawn (@motorcitymarks)
Shawn (@motorcitymarks) started following Marina Mabrey when she arrived at Notre Dame. When she entered the WNBA, he knew he wanted to collect her cards. That decision became a supercollection. Katelyn and Shawn discuss the hunt for Mabrey’s cards, the work behind completing rainbows, the role relationships have played in finding one-of-ones, and why her 2021 Prizm Gold /10 remains his personal grail. They also examine Mabrey’s role with the Toronto Tempo, the growth of her card market, and what representing an entire country can mean for the next wave of WNBA collectors. Follow the WNBA…

About Stacking Slabs

Stacking Slabs is a English leisure & travel podcast from Brett McGrath. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Brett McGrath
Language: English
Category: Leisure & Travel
New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 1 hr
Latest episode: 14 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1510235989
Rights: Stacking Slabs

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