Where are collectors actually buying sports cards right now? In this episode of Sports Cards Are Dope, I break down real December sales data showing over $381 million spent online, with eBay dominating nearly 80% of the market. We talk buyer trust, human behavior, scams, the adoption curve, and why Fanatics Collect could slowly gain ground over the next decade.

If you collect cards, sell cards, or are just getting into the hobby, this episode explains why the market looks the way it does and where it’s heading next.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Dentist shots, bad decisions, and sports cards
• 1:00 $381M in monthly card sales explained
• 2:00 Why eBay dominates the hobby
• 4:00 Comfort, trust, and buyer protection
• 6:00 A real eBay scam story (and why I still trust it)
• 8:40 The human adoption curve applied to sports cards
• 10:30 Where Fanatics Collect fits long-term
• 12:00 What the future of card buying might look like

• Azilllatheodd
• Klendathu
• Tatershed
• Justin Burch
• Always_Eaton
• Chris Crimminger
• Casey Miller
• Ryan Bruder
• Kevin Quiles
• Evan Hastie
• Donut
• Josh Stewart
• Zach LaFountain

Dr. Tyler Tarver breaks the hobby into three collector archetypes (no judgment, just labels), explains what each group contributes to the ecosystem, and argues the hobby is more of a spectrum than a war. Plus, a quick Chicken Nugget Nation giveaway at the end.

Timestamps (based on transcript timing):

• 0:00 Welcome + premise, “three types of collectors”
• 1:00 Gordy Bonkers clip, cards as a financially rewarding hobby
• 2:05 Comment reactions, “collect what fulfills you”, money risks, experience matters
• 6:10 The hobby as a spectrum, NBA analogy (rookies, ring chasers, franchise lifers)
• 8:25 Type 1: PSA Kaboom Boys (PKB), flippers and liquidity
• 11:15 Type 2: Capsule Keepers, forever collectors
• 13:00 Type 3: Portfolio Collectors, evolving collection and life seasons
• 18:30 Wrap up, why all 3 matter
• 19:40 Chicken Nugget Nation pitch + giveaway

• Azilllatheodd
• Klendathu
• Tatershed
• Justin Burch
• Always_Eaton
• Chris Crimminger
• Casey Miller
• Ryan Bruder
• Kevin Quiles
• Evan Hastie
• Donut
• Josh Stewart
• Zach LaFountain

In this episode, Tyler interviews Mike Gioseffi from Sports Cards Nonsense about his biggest hobby whiff (selling Ohtani too early), then Tyler shares his own all-time mistake: pricing a 1997 Skybox Z-Force Super Rave like a normal card and watching it walk away for $5, later comping around $1,000 to $1,500.

Timestamps (approx.)

• 0:00 Intro, biggest mistakes concept, Mike Gioseffi setup
• 1:30 The question, “Who did you whiff on?”
• 3:05 Mike’s whiff, selling Ohtani too early, lesson on patience
• 4:45 Mike’s buying range and liquidity philosophy
• 6:50 Tyler returns, travel setup, “here’s my worst mistake”
• 8:30 The $5 pricing mistake, 1997 Z-Force Super Rave context
• 10:45 The reveal, Super Rave is /50, comps explode
• 12:10 The lesson, check 90s numbered parallels, story value
• 13:30 Chicken Nugget Nation Patreon + giveaway plug, wrap

• Azilllatheodd
• Klendathu
• Tatershed
• Justin Burch
• Always_Eaton
• Chris Crimminger
• Casey Miller
• Ryan Bruder
• Kevin Quiles
• Evan Hastie
• Donut
• Josh Stewart
• Zach LaFountain