2025 Bull Market Unpacked: Why the Hobby Took Off and What It Means for Collectors

<p>2025 was not a random spike. It was a convergence.</p><p><br>In this episode, Brett steps back from individual card sales and looks at the forces that pushed the hobby into a true bull market. Online sales hit record highs. Platforms evolved. Corporations moved in. New collectors showed up. The center of gravity shifted.</p><p><br>This is a collector-first breakdown of what drove the growth in 2025 and why it matters when you buy, sell, and hold cards.</p><p><br>Topics covered include<br> • Why $422M in online sales in a month matters more than any single card<br> • How Fanatics, Topps, eBay, and live commerce reshaped demand<br> • The rise of breakers, repacks, and platform-driven velocity<br> • What corporate money changes for collectors on the ground<br> • Signals to watch as the market moves into 2026</p><p><br>This episode is about context. Because better context leads to better decisions.</p><p>Get your free copy of <a href="https://subscribepage.io/CollectingForKeeps">Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype</a></p><p>Start your <a href="https://patreon.com/StackingSlabs?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink">7 day free trial of Stacking Slabs Patreon Today</a></p><p>[<strong>Distributed on Sunday</strong>] Sign up for the Stacking Slabs Weekly Rip Newsletter using this <a href="https://stackingslabs.substack.com/p/coming-soon?r=hjr6d&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=copy">link</a></p><p>Follow Stacking Slabs: | <a href="https://twitter.com/stackingslabs">Twitter </a>| <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stackingslabs">Instagram </a>| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StackingSlabs/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://vm.tiktok.com/cvNbNG/">Tiktok</a></p> <strong> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/c/StackingSlabs" rel="payment" title="★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★">★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★</a> </strong>