The Collector Nation Podcast
Weekly deep-dives with the people moving the hobby. Top-5 Sports show on Apple Podcasts, 2,000+ subscribers on YouTube. · 75 episodes in the archive.
LATESTPristine Auction: Why $1 No-Reserve Auctions Are Changing the Hobby
In this episode of Collector Nation, Ryan Alford talks with Jared Kavlie, Founder of Pristine Auction, about the evolution of one of the fastest-growing auction platforms in the collectibles space. Jared shares how the company scaled from a simple idea into a high-volume operation moving thousands of items daily through a unique $1 starting bid model. The discussion explores the rapid growth of live auctions, shifting buyer behavior, and how pricing dynamics are evolving across the hobby. This episode provides a behind-the-scenes look at how auctions, technology, and community are shaping the future of collectibles. 🔑 Topics Covered Pristine Auction origin story Daily vs live auction models Consignment structure and pricing Live auction growth and engagement Market trends in sports cards and collectibles
/ ARCHIVE
EP 735/8/2026· 39:26Is Topps Taking Over the Hobby? FIFA, WNBA, and What’s Next
EP 725/5/2026· 54:09Inside VeeFriends: Building a New IP in the Modern Collectibles Market with Zachary Owings
EP 715/1/2026· 34:41The National 2026: What to Expect at the Hobby’s Biggest Event in Sports Cards & Collectibles
EP 704/28/2026· 59:59How Flippers Turn Cheap Cards Into Real Money With American Arbitrage
EP 694/24/2026· 51:28The Truth Behind Card Comps in the Current Market
EP 684/21/2026· 39:52The New Card Shop Model: Inside Bleeker Trading’s Community, Experience, and Entertainment
EP 674/17/2026· 38:08Breaking Down the Topps Conference: New Products, Licensing & Shop Allocation
EP 664/14/2026· 52:17Grading 101: What Separates a 10 from an 8 with the World’s Best Grader | Mike Baker
EP 654/10/2026· 38:03Junk Wax 2.0? Breaking Down Overproduction, Parallels & Pricing in Today’s Hobby
EP 644/7/2026· 46:10Should You Keep it Sealed? The Deep Pocket Monster Playbook on Content, Community & Growth
EP 634/3/2026· 37:01Is the Hobby Recession Proof? Why the Hobby Keeps Growing When Other Investments Don’t
EP 623/31/2026· 43:59Casual Breaks Turned Family Empire: How Ryan Knowles Built “Like Father Like Son”
EP 613/27/2026· 38:21The Hobby Is Changing Fast: TCG Boom, New Releases & Card Shop Grand Openings
EP 603/24/2026· 43:11UFC Fighter Turned Hobby Breaker: Josh Emmett on Building One Punch Cards
EP 593/20/2026· 37:21Is Whatnot Gambling? The Hobby’s Biggest Debate Right
EP 583/17/2026· 50:44The Card Show Debate: Purist Hobby or Entertainment event with Dan Bliss -- Front Row Card Shows
EP 573/13/2026· 35:28Three Autos From One Break, $45k PSA Controversy & Bam Adebayo’s incredible 83 point game
EP 563/10/2026· 37:53Ancient Coins, Julius Caesar & the Overlooked Side of Collecting | Dean Kinzer
EP 553/6/2026· 36:24Rare Tiger Woods Promo, Kevin O’Leary’s $19M Card & Ludex Collection Management
EP 543/3/2026· 33:39The Collectibility of Chummy’s Custom Footwear with Colin Szumski
EP 532/27/2026· 31:50Are Million-Dollar Cards Actually Smart Investments?
EP 522/24/2026· 45:27The Goldin Touch: Building an Auction House Empire with Ken Goldin
EP 512/20/2026· 26:04Understanding Card Value: Grades, Data, and Demand with Mike Baker and Brian Ludden
EP 502/17/2026· 24:39What We Learned After 50 Episodes With the Best in the Hobby
EP 492/13/2026· 24:34PSA Pricing, Super Bowl Card Hype & the Vintage Advantage
EP 482/10/2026· 45:36Custom Over Commodity: Eric Wagenmaker on Reclaiming Memorabilia
EP 472/6/2026· 21:27$5K LeBron Pull… Then a Jordan Rookie Walked Into the Shop
EP 462/3/2026· 35:48Card Care, Grading, and the Line Between Preservation and Alteration | Kurts Card Care
EP 451/30/2026· 22:16What Makes Something Collectible? Inside the Stories, Scarcity & Culture That Create Value
EP 441/27/2026· 48:47From Sports Media to Netflix: How Alex Giaimo Went From Watching the Hobby to Living It
EP 431/23/2026· 23:05Buy Low, Sell Smart: Understanding Sports Card Cycles is the Key to Flipping Cards
EP 421/20/2026· 46:55From Plastic Slabs to Fine Art: How M1nt is Revolutionizing Trading Cards | Brian Pirrip
EP 411/16/2026· 20:58Sports Cards Aren’t a Hobby Anymore… They’re an Industry
EP 401/13/2026· 59:35Why Nostalgia Is the Most Powerful Asset in the Hobby: Media insider explains the power of a story
EP 391/9/2026· 41:59Grading, Breakers, and the billion-dollar collector economy
EP 381/6/2026· 48:02The Next Collectibles Boom Won’t Look Like the Last One and THIS is Why | Shivam Patel
EP 371/2/2026· 33:47Adult Prices, Kid Culture: Where the Card Hobby Is Headed in 2026
EP 3612/30/2025· 42:57How a Mariah Carey Demo Became a $54,000 Iconic Collectible| Alex Bruh CEO of Wax Poetics
EP 3512/26/2025· 35:43Human Card Grading Is Ending — Here’s What Comes Next with Tech Advancements
EP 3412/23/2025· 55:44Gordy Bonker left Wall Street for THIS: Why Sports Cards Are the Ultimate 'Hidden' Asset Class
EP 3312/19/2025· 31:18PSA Acquires Beckett. What This Means For Card Grading And Values
EP 3212/16/2025· 28:14Where Content Meets Collectibles: Building a Card Shop for Creators, Traders, and Fans
EP 3112/12/2025· 36:27Unexpected Card Price Surges Shake Up The Hobby This Week
EP 3012/9/2025· 46:49The Power of Authenticity: How Resolution Photomatching Quadruples Value
EP 2912/5/2025· 31:55The Probstein Controversy Explained In Minutes | What Collectors Must Know
EP 2812/2/2025· 31:39The UNTOLD Story: Licensing Art for Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods & Muhammad Ali with Justyn Farano
EP 2711/28/2025· 38:46Thanksgiving Card Rips, NFL Predictions & Hobby News You Need Today
EP 2611/25/2025· 42:22Beyond The Price Tag: The Shocking Emotional Power of True Memorabilia
EP 2511/21/2025· 35:24Snype, PSA, Fanatics & More — Major Shifts In The Card Market
EP 2411/18/2025· 38:56The 'Veblen Effect': Why Collectibles Get MORE Desired As Prices Skyrocket (An Economic Secret)
EP 2311/14/2025· 34:35Ryan Alford, Brian Ludden & Brandon Steiner Talk What’s Wrong With Sports Coverage Today
EP 2211/11/2025· 39:59Sports Card Investing Tips That Actually Work
EP 2111/7/2025· 38:34Why Digital Collectibles Are The New Sports Card Boom (NBA Top Shot + Ludex)
EP 2011/4/2025· 37:14Mike Baker's "Card Fact" Exposed: The Secret Data Big Graders WON'T Show You
EP 1910/31/2025· 22:21Is Whatnot’s $12B Valuation Real or Hype? Ryan and Brian Break It Down
EP 1810/28/2025· 26:53STOP Buying 'Mystery' Boxes: The Industry OG Exposes Your Losing Bet
EP 1710/24/2025· 34:47Shohei Ohtani Cards Are Breaking The Hobby. Is He The Greatest Collectible Ever?
EP 1610/21/2025· 28:39The $3,500 Prismatic 'God Pack' That Blew Our Minds (You Won't Believe It)
EP 1510/17/2025· 38:45Latest news on trending sports cards, Pokemon, NFL and Major League Baseball Playoffs
EP 1410/14/2025· 39:04Pikachu Beats Athletes: The Secret Reason Pokemon Value Crushes Sports Cards
10/10/2025· 34:19Topps vs. Fanatics | Taylor Swift | $7M Rookie Card | The Biggest News in Collectibles Right Now
EP 1110/7/2025· 36:57Physical + Digital Collectibles is Future of Fan Engagement with Tareq Nazlawy
EP 1110/3/2025· 38:24VeeFriends Comic + Trading Cards Market Update | Collectibles News You Need
EP 109/30/2025· 37:25Why Trading Cards Are Your Next Investment | Jeremy Aisenberg Interview
EP 99/26/2025· 31:23Building the Future of the Hobby, One Scan at a Time (Brian Ludden of Ludex)
EP 89/23/2025· 38:20How Matty Rich is Transforming the Trading Card Hobby
EP 79/19/2025· 39:50Inside the Sports Card Market with Jason Koonce | Collecting, Grading & Card Shows
EP 69/16/2025· 49:23How Dugout Mugs Built a $55 Million Collectibles Brand (Kris Dehnert Interview)
EP 49/12/2025· 60:21Josh Luber on Fanatics, Trading Cards & the Future of Collecting | Hosted by Ryan Alford
EP 49/9/2025· 25:07Gary Vaynerchuk on Why Trading Cards Are the Ultimate Investment Opportunity | Hosted by Ryan Alford
EP 39/5/2025· 41:28Tom Fallos (The Card Carver) brings LUXURY NOSTALGIA to his craft by SCARCITY | Hosted by Ryan Alford
EP 29/2/2025· 54:20UnKommon take on Collectibles, Community & the Future of Trading Cards | Kyle Kravitz "King of the Kards" Interview | Hosted by Ryan Alford
EP 18/25/2025· 44:29Real Talk with Gio (Mike Gioseffi) - the Voice of the Hobby on Sports Card Nonsense
8/12/2025· 2:30Collectibles on SI - Trailer
39:26EP 735/8/2026Is Topps Taking Over the Hobby? FIFA, WNBA, and What’s Next
54:09EP 725/5/2026Inside VeeFriends: Building a New IP in the Modern Collectibles Market with Zachary Owings
34:41EP 715/1/2026The National 2026: What to Expect at the Hobby’s Biggest Event in Sports Cards & Collectibles
59:59EP 704/28/2026How Flippers Turn Cheap Cards Into Real Money With American Arbitrage
51:28EP 694/24/2026The Truth Behind Card Comps in the Current Market
39:52EP 684/21/2026The New Card Shop Model: Inside Bleeker Trading’s Community, Experience, and Entertainment
38:08EP 674/17/2026Breaking Down the Topps Conference: New Products, Licensing & Shop Allocation
52:17EP 664/14/2026Grading 101: What Separates a 10 from an 8 with the World’s Best Grader | Mike Baker
38:03EP 654/10/2026Junk Wax 2.0? Breaking Down Overproduction, Parallels & Pricing in Today’s Hobby
46:10EP 644/7/2026Should You Keep it Sealed? The Deep Pocket Monster Playbook on Content, Community & Growth
37:01EP 634/3/2026Is the Hobby Recession Proof? Why the Hobby Keeps Growing When Other Investments Don’t
43:59EP 623/31/2026Casual Breaks Turned Family Empire: How Ryan Knowles Built “Like Father Like Son”
38:21EP 613/27/2026The Hobby Is Changing Fast: TCG Boom, New Releases & Card Shop Grand Openings
43:11EP 603/24/2026UFC Fighter Turned Hobby Breaker: Josh Emmett on Building One Punch Cards
37:21EP 593/20/2026Is Whatnot Gambling? The Hobby’s Biggest Debate Right
50:44EP 583/17/2026The Card Show Debate: Purist Hobby or Entertainment event with Dan Bliss -- Front Row Card Shows
35:28EP 573/13/2026Three Autos From One Break, $45k PSA Controversy & Bam Adebayo’s incredible 83 point game
37:53EP 563/10/2026Ancient Coins, Julius Caesar & the Overlooked Side of Collecting | Dean Kinzer
36:24EP 553/6/2026Rare Tiger Woods Promo, Kevin O’Leary’s $19M Card & Ludex Collection Management
33:39EP 543/3/2026The Collectibility of Chummy’s Custom Footwear with Colin Szumski
31:50EP 532/27/2026Are Million-Dollar Cards Actually Smart Investments?
45:27EP 522/24/2026The Goldin Touch: Building an Auction House Empire with Ken Goldin
26:04EP 512/20/2026Understanding Card Value: Grades, Data, and Demand with Mike Baker and Brian Ludden
24:39EP 502/17/2026What We Learned After 50 Episodes With the Best in the Hobby
24:34EP 492/13/2026PSA Pricing, Super Bowl Card Hype & the Vintage Advantage
45:36EP 482/10/2026Custom Over Commodity: Eric Wagenmaker on Reclaiming Memorabilia
21:27EP 472/6/2026$5K LeBron Pull… Then a Jordan Rookie Walked Into the Shop
35:48EP 462/3/2026Card Care, Grading, and the Line Between Preservation and Alteration | Kurts Card Care
22:16EP 451/30/2026What Makes Something Collectible? Inside the Stories, Scarcity & Culture That Create Value
48:47EP 441/27/2026From Sports Media to Netflix: How Alex Giaimo Went From Watching the Hobby to Living It
23:05EP 431/23/2026Buy Low, Sell Smart: Understanding Sports Card Cycles is the Key to Flipping Cards
46:55EP 421/20/2026From Plastic Slabs to Fine Art: How M1nt is Revolutionizing Trading Cards | Brian Pirrip
20:58EP 411/16/2026Sports Cards Aren’t a Hobby Anymore… They’re an Industry
59:35EP 401/13/2026Why Nostalgia Is the Most Powerful Asset in the Hobby: Media insider explains the power of a story
41:59EP 391/9/2026Grading, Breakers, and the billion-dollar collector economy
48:02EP 381/6/2026The Next Collectibles Boom Won’t Look Like the Last One and THIS is Why | Shivam Patel
33:47EP 371/2/2026Adult Prices, Kid Culture: Where the Card Hobby Is Headed in 2026
42:57EP 3612/30/2025How a Mariah Carey Demo Became a $54,000 Iconic Collectible| Alex Bruh CEO of Wax Poetics
35:43EP 3512/26/2025Human Card Grading Is Ending — Here’s What Comes Next with Tech Advancements
55:44EP 3412/23/2025Gordy Bonker left Wall Street for THIS: Why Sports Cards Are the Ultimate 'Hidden' Asset Class
31:18EP 3312/19/2025PSA Acquires Beckett. What This Means For Card Grading And Values
28:14EP 3212/16/2025Where Content Meets Collectibles: Building a Card Shop for Creators, Traders, and Fans
36:27EP 3112/12/2025Unexpected Card Price Surges Shake Up The Hobby This Week
46:49EP 3012/9/2025The Power of Authenticity: How Resolution Photomatching Quadruples Value
31:55EP 2912/5/2025The Probstein Controversy Explained In Minutes | What Collectors Must Know
31:39EP 2812/2/2025The UNTOLD Story: Licensing Art for Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods & Muhammad Ali with Justyn Farano
38:46EP 2711/28/2025Thanksgiving Card Rips, NFL Predictions & Hobby News You Need Today
42:22EP 2611/25/2025Beyond The Price Tag: The Shocking Emotional Power of True Memorabilia
35:24EP 2511/21/2025Snype, PSA, Fanatics & More — Major Shifts In The Card Market
38:56EP 2411/18/2025The 'Veblen Effect': Why Collectibles Get MORE Desired As Prices Skyrocket (An Economic Secret)
34:35EP 2311/14/2025Ryan Alford, Brian Ludden & Brandon Steiner Talk What’s Wrong With Sports Coverage Today
39:59EP 2211/11/2025Sports Card Investing Tips That Actually Work
38:34EP 2111/7/2025Why Digital Collectibles Are The New Sports Card Boom (NBA Top Shot + Ludex)
37:14EP 2011/4/2025Mike Baker's "Card Fact" Exposed: The Secret Data Big Graders WON'T Show You
22:21EP 1910/31/2025Is Whatnot’s $12B Valuation Real or Hype? Ryan and Brian Break It Down
26:53EP 1810/28/2025STOP Buying 'Mystery' Boxes: The Industry OG Exposes Your Losing Bet
34:47EP 1710/24/2025Shohei Ohtani Cards Are Breaking The Hobby. Is He The Greatest Collectible Ever?
28:39EP 1610/21/2025The $3,500 Prismatic 'God Pack' That Blew Our Minds (You Won't Believe It)
38:45EP 1510/17/2025Latest news on trending sports cards, Pokemon, NFL and Major League Baseball Playoffs
39:04EP 1410/14/2025Pikachu Beats Athletes: The Secret Reason Pokemon Value Crushes Sports Cards
34:1910/10/2025Topps vs. Fanatics | Taylor Swift | $7M Rookie Card | The Biggest News in Collectibles Right Now
36:57EP 1110/7/2025Physical + Digital Collectibles is Future of Fan Engagement with Tareq Nazlawy
38:24EP 1110/3/2025VeeFriends Comic + Trading Cards Market Update | Collectibles News You Need
37:25EP 109/30/2025Why Trading Cards Are Your Next Investment | Jeremy Aisenberg Interview
31:23EP 99/26/2025Building the Future of the Hobby, One Scan at a Time (Brian Ludden of Ludex)
38:20EP 89/23/2025How Matty Rich is Transforming the Trading Card Hobby
39:50EP 79/19/2025Inside the Sports Card Market with Jason Koonce | Collecting, Grading & Card Shows
49:23EP 69/16/2025How Dugout Mugs Built a $55 Million Collectibles Brand (Kris Dehnert Interview)
60:21EP 49/12/2025Josh Luber on Fanatics, Trading Cards & the Future of Collecting | Hosted by Ryan Alford
25:07EP 49/9/2025Gary Vaynerchuk on Why Trading Cards Are the Ultimate Investment Opportunity | Hosted by Ryan Alford
41:28EP 39/5/2025Tom Fallos (The Card Carver) brings LUXURY NOSTALGIA to his craft by SCARCITY | Hosted by Ryan Alford
54:20EP 29/2/2025UnKommon take on Collectibles, Community & the Future of Trading Cards | Kyle Kravitz "King of the Kards" Interview | Hosted by Ryan Alford
44:29EP 18/25/2025Real Talk with Gio (Mike Gioseffi) - the Voice of the Hobby on Sports Card Nonsense
2:308/12/2025Collectibles on SI - Trailer
