Stacking Slabs

Latest Episodes:

Collecting to Connect: Glen Rice, 90s Scarcity, and the Hunt That Still Matters with Michael (@glenrice_90s_cards) Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Are you collecting to impress or to connect?

In this episode, I sit down with Michael, known as @glenrice_90scards, to talk about what it really means to collect 90s cards in 2026.

We cover:

Growing up in Chicago during the Bulls era
Discovering Glen Rice in the 1989 NCAA Tournament
Living through the rise of serial-numbered cards in real time
The stress and relief of landing a 1997 Metal Universe PMG Green
Why some of the best 90s cards aren’t PMGs or Credentials
The reality of competing with deep-pocketed set builders
How to approach one-of-ones in the 90s
Why patience still wins in this category

Michael shares stories behind:

1998 Metal Universe Ryan Sandberg PMG
1997 Metal Universe Glen Rice PMG Green
1997 Flair Showcase Legacy Masterpiece 1/1
1997 Skybox EX2001 Michael Jordan Jambalaya
1997-98 Upper Deck Game Jerseys

If you’ve ever felt priced out of the 90s.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re chasing status or chasing meaning.
If you’ve ever sent a message that said “Do you need this card?”

This one is for you.

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The Power of Holding Your Sports Cards Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

The hobby talks about buying.
It talks about selling.
It celebrates flips, upgrades, and big auction results.

It rarely talks about holding.

In this flagship episode of Stacking Slabs, Brett explores the power of keeping the right cards in a market that rewards motion.

He breaks down why holding is underserved in a culture built on velocity and why conviction matters more than constant movement. Drawing from his own collecting journey, Brett outlines the three buckets he uses before buying any card and the only three reasons he will sell.

The conversation moves into the psychology of ownership, the tension between attachment and arbitrage, and why not every 1/1 deserves long term status.

At the center of the episode is one grounding question:

If the market shut down for five years, which cards would you still be proud to own?

This episode challenges collectors to define their lanes, clarify their rules, and build alignment between their purchases and their purpose.

Buy with intention.
Sell with discipline.
Hold with conviction.

Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you.

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2016 Donruss Optic: The Debut Set Hiding in Plain Sight Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Brett examines a product that rarely gets treated like a true origin story.

2016 Donruss Optic was the first Optic.
The first Gold Vinyl 1/1 in the brand.
The first time Donruss moved to chrome stock.

Yet it does not carry the same cultural weight as 2012 Prizm or 2013 Select.

After spending time with his own Andrew Luck Gold Vinyl 1/1 run, Brett started asking a bigger question.

Why doesn’t 2016 Optic get debut chrome respect?

He breaks down:

• Why Panini launched Optic in 2016
• How Optic fit into the product portfolio next to Prizm
• The parallel hierarchy in football vs basketball
• Why Gold Vinyl became hobby language
• Why the market prices players first and sets second in this release

He also pulls real sales data from Card Ladder to frame the conversation.

Stephen Curry Gold Vinyl 1/1 sold for $25,000.
LeBron James Gold Vinyl PSA 10 once sold for $4,495.

Are those numbers reflecting origin status? Or is perception lagging behind structure?

If you care about first year anything.
If you chase Gold Vinyl.
If you value context over comps.

This conversation matters.

Get your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype

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Follow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok2016 Donruss Optic: The Underrated Debut That Started Gold Vinyl

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Passion to Profession: Building Goldin, Betting on Yourself, and Understanding the Real Market with Dave Amerman Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

What does it look like when a lifelong collector turns obsession into a career?

In this episode of Passion to Profession, sponsored by eBay, I sit down with Dave Amerman, Head of Revenue at Goldin.

We cover:

The Logan Paul Illustrator sale and what this moment means for the hobby
How Goldin scaled from $25M a year to nearly $500M
What changed inside the hobby after the pandemic boom
Why understanding how to sell is the key to learning how to buy
The risk Dave took leaving a stable finance career to start over

Dave shares stories from:

Buying collections in college for cash
Starting his own auction house in his early 20s
Turning a few hundred thousand dollar auction business into an $8M operation
Joining Goldin before the Netflix spotlight and helping fuel its growth

We also talk about sustainability in this market.

The 86 Fleer Jordan PSA 10 ride.
The flood of supply after peak hype.

The difference between pop 2 and pop 300.

If you collect.
If you flip.

If you dream about working in the hobby.

This conversation will hit.

A special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.

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Booked to Last: WrestleMania Heat, Bron Breakker Fallout, and Why Wrestling Singles Are Exploding Feb 14, 2026

Show notes

We’re on the road to WrestleMania. Elimination Chamber is set. Bron Breakker is injured. And wrestling card singles are moving in a way we haven’t seen in a long time.

Adam and Ryan break down:

What Bron Breakker’s injury means for his long-term market
Why Oba Femi might be the next major riser
The real impact of WrestleMania season on singles demand
A wild $4,100 John Cena Baby Milo 1/1 sale
Why Roman Reigns’ first FCW card still matters in any grade

They also answer listener questions, talk tough deal stories, and Ryan cuts a promo that you did not see coming.

If you collect wrestling cards, this is the time of year that tests your discipline.

Are you buying smart?
Or are you chasing noise?

Let’s talk about it.

Check out RbiCru7 for all your wrestling and sports card needs!

Join Adam's Main Event Wrestling Cards group for free

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The Football Card Podcast #34: Ricky Williams, Super Bowl MVPs, and the $70K Bryce Young Sale Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of The Football Card Podcast, Pack Nicholson and Brett McGrath break down one of the most fascinating football card weeks of the year. They start with Ricky Williams. The hype. The trade. The suspension. The comeback. And the uncomfortable truth that his top card sales still lag behind other running backs from his era despite 12,000+ scrimmage yards and 74 touchdowns.

From there, they dive into market shock.

A verified $70,000 Bryce Young Gold Vinyl Downtown.
A $31K Matthew Stafford Superfractor rookie.
A Derrick Henry 1/1 Select PSA 10 that raises serious Prizm vs Select questions.

They also revisit the Legion of Boom, debate who becomes the face of quarterback liquidity in 2026, and examine what it really means to time a card sale on Super Bowl night.

If you care about context over hype and understanding why certain players move markets while others stall, this episode delivers.

Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of Stacking Slabs

Follow The Football Card Podcast on Instagram for memes and stuff.

Get your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype

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'90s Demand Is Different: Josh Adams on PMGs, Patience, and Playing the Long Game Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

What is really happening in the '90s category right now?

Josh Adams from 90s Auctions joins me to break it down. We talk about healthy growth, why some grails spike and then cool off, and what collectors misunderstand when they look at big comps in isolation.

We unpack the recent 1998 Metal Universe Peyton Manning PMG sale and why the PSA 8 brought $24K while BGS copies trailed far behind. Is it a PSA premium? Timing? Platform? Or something deeper about collector cards versus commodity cards?

Josh shares how he thinks about patience, consolidation, and why he stops checking comps once a card hits his PC. We also walk through key pieces from his collection, including a 1998 PMG Frank Thomas, 1997 Diamond Dimensions Jordan, and a 1997 Essential Credentials Future Jordan he consolidated heavily to land.

If you care about scarcity, availability, and building a collection that lasts, this one is for you.

Check out PSA Vault's Spotlight Auction

Follow Andy (@byebyebabycards)

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Scarcity Is About Who Owns the Card Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

Scarcity in sports cards is not a print run problem. It is an ownership problem.

In this flagship episode, I break down why some cards feel impossible to find while others never stop circulating. The difference is not how many exist. The difference is who owns them and whether they sell. Using real examples from modern, 90s, and vintage cards, Brett walks through how ownership concentration, churn, and collector behavior shape what scarcity feels like in the market.

If you want to slow down, stop overpaying for hype, and build a collection with intention, this episode gives you a new lens. One that helps you ask better questions before you spend your money and chase the next card.

Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you.

Get your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype

Start your 7 day free trial of Stacking Slabs Patreon Today

[Distributed on Sunday] Sign up for the Stacking Slabs Weekly Rip Newsletter using this link

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The Staging Area #18: First to Market, First to Matter Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

January set a record. $445M in online sales across the hobby. Tory from dcsports87 felt it firsthand with $14M in sales in one month and no slowdown in sight.

This episode lives at the intersection of data, demand, and decision making. We break down what record volume looks like inside one of the largest eBay sellers in the world, why first public sales still shape collector behavior, and how a Tiger Woods party exclusive card became a $27,600 moment of cultural debate.

We also get into live selling at the Super Bowl, why starting a $40K card at $1 works when the audience is right, and what it means for collectors when platforms like eBay push live formats to the front of the app. This is a look at the hobby from The Staging Area before the action hits the field.

A special thank you to dcsports87 for supporting this series. Check out dcsports87 for your eBay consignment needs and visit the dcsports87 eBay store to find great cards ending every night.

Get your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype

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Passion to Profession: Trust Is the Operating System of a Hobby Business with Sharon (BlackJadedWolf) Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Trust is not a marketing tactic. It is the foundation.

In this episode of Passion to Profession, I sit down with Sharon of BlackJadedWolf to talk about what it takes to build a hobby business that lasts. We get into what she’s seeing in the market right now. Repacks. Comps that don’t tell the full story. Where liquidity is real and where it is fragile.

Sharon shares how she thinks about responsibility when customers hand her cards that carry real value. Sometimes financial. Sometimes emotional. We talk about why data is a starting point and not a decision-maker. Why research still matters. Why relationships matter more.

This is a conversation about independence. About accountability. About playing the long game in a hobby that often rewards short-term thinking.

This episode is sponsored by eBay.

A special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.

Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast Patreon

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