Breaking Down the Topps Conference: New Products, Licensing & Shop Allocation

Summary

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Collector Nation – Episode Summary

Episode Title:

Breaking Down the Topps Conference: New Products, Licensing & Shop Allocation

Podcast: Collector Nation
Date: April 17, 2026
Host: Ryan Alford
Guests: Brian Lut (CEO, Ludex), Bella, Leonard Berry

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Brief Overview

In this dynamic episode of Collector Nation, Ryan Alford and his regular guest, Brian Lut, dive deep into the latest Topps Conference, discussing key industry trends, new product launches, and the evolving dynamics between major trading card companies (Topps, Panini, Fanatics). Special guest Leonard Berry joins for the “On It” segment to share insights on the latest college sports card releases and market opportunities. The conversation explores shop allocation strategies, the future of licensing, nostalgic and emerging niches, and the underlying data and infrastructure powering the collectibles hobby.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Topps Conference Recap & Industry Networking

• Networking Hotspot: The Topps industry conference remains an elite networking opportunity, with major players from Topps, Fanatics, and industry influencers like Gary Vaynerchuk present.
  • Networking Quote:
    “For networking, it’s unbelievable… you turn around and see this, you know, CEO, air president here. For networking, it’s unbelievable.”
    — Brian Lut [10:38]
• Conference Atmosphere: Focus is on social connections and industry relationships over explicit educational content.
  • "Did I learn anything? Probably not… But it was fun."
    — Brian Lut [11:25]

2. Sports Card Market Snapshot: eBay & Global Sales

• Booming Market: eBay sports card sales in March 2026 reached $233 million, with standout sales in Ohtani and Michael Jordan cards.
  • "That is more money than millions of Americans combined will ever see or make in their lifetime. And eBay does it in a month on sports cards."
    — Ryan Alford [00:44, 28:45]
• Daily Volume: Market activity exceeds $7.5 million per day.
• Untapped Potential: Discussion on eBay's inability to provide niche-specific features due to being tied to their main platform, possibly limiting industry evolution.
  • "You can't serve the market that you need if you stay under that one umbrella."
    — Ryan Alford [31:52]

3. Licensing Wars: Topps, Panini, and Fanatics

• End of an Era?
  • With Topps and Fanatics acquiring major licenses, questions are raised about Panini’s place in the market and the collectability of its unlicensed and legacy products.
    • "Do you think that Panini's old products are going to increase in value in the market?"
      — Bella [11:58]
    • "If you hold on to them, you're gonna make money… There's a nostalgia part of it."
      — Brian Lut [12:56]
• Potential for Industry Monopolization: General consensus that a monopoly is likely, but selection for collectors remains crucial.
  • "We seem to be moving towards monopolies anyway."
    — Ryan Alford [14:01]
• Brand Loyalty vs. License Loyalty: Panelists agree that collectors chase what matters most for value and nostalgia, rather than being strictly brand or license loyal.
  • "I think collectors are loyal to whatever they think is important."
    — Brian Lut [15:41]

4. Product Hot Takes: New Releases and Niche Expansions

• New Topps Football Chrome:
  • Highly anticipated release, initial allocations at competitive retail prices, but secondary market prices are sharply inflated due to high demand.
    • "Blasters are $100, $150 for a mega box, and a thousand plus for hobby boxes."
      — Ryan Alford [16:15]
• Future Product Innovation:
  • Excitement for non-sports products such as Disney Channel original movie autograph cards and Star Wars sets.
    • "Fandom is not exclusive to sports. People are fans of everything."
      — Brian Lut [22:17]
• Allocation and Shop Responsibility:
  • Topps is emphasizing shop standards and contributions to growing the hobby as a key factor in future product allocation.
    • "If you're a card shop, we visit and there's everywhere and it sucks, then you're not our kind of guy, and you're jeopardizing your allocation."
      — Brian Lut [22:32]

5. On It Segment: College Card Chase (with Leonard Berry)

• Women’s Sports Ascendancy:
  • WNBA Draft successes: Several On It collegiate stars among the top picks (incl. Az Fudd, Gabriela Jaquez, Angela Dugalic, Gianna Kneepkens, Raven Johnson).
    • "This is your last opportunity to get like an Az Fudd out of a Yukon box or any of those UCLA players."
      — Leonard Berry [04:07]
• College Baseball Hot List:
  • 2026's marquee chase: Rock Kowlowski's first-ever autograph, projected #1 draft pick.
    • "The biggest card we're going to have in 2026… Rock Kowlowski's autograph… period."
      — Leonard Berry [04:37]
• Softball Surge:
  • Oklahoma softball cards are the hottest sellers, with strong resell value and rabid fanbase.
    • "Oklahoma softball has by far the widest following out of any softball team."
      — Leonard Berry [06:45]
• First-time Signers:
  • Several prospects’ first-ever cards/autographs in On It products, directed at Bowman-style prospectors.

6. Industry Infrastructure & Tech (Ludex)

• Data is King:
  • Brian and his team at Ludex partnering with Topps around supply, demand, and industry data to improve allocation, print runs, and marketplace efficiency.
    • "Once they get data, I think they're going to do it really well."
      — Brian Lut [17:36]
• Tech Announcements:
  • Ludex is rolling out collection management features and preparing new data-driven store interfaces for the hobby.
    • "We moved some collection management stuff to the app... collector’s data store interface..."
      — Brian Lut [35:35]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hobby Growth:
  "If you believe trading cards are more than cardboard—and collectibles are becoming media, community, and opportunity—this is your home."
  — Ryan Alford [Intro]
• On Collecting as a Dream Job:
  "It's like the second best thing besides going pro in a sport... we get paid to talk about collectibles and trading cards that stemmed from when we were children."
  — Leonard Berry [01:53]
• On Navigating the Market:
  “People love to collect everything they care about. And so I do, I think that’s probably a good investment.”
  — Brian Lut [12:56]
• On Topps’ Vision:
  “They’re maturing in understanding what their vision is and understanding the industry a lot better. I think they’re being really smart about it.”
  — Brian Lut [18:49]
• On Shop Impact:
  "Their whole thing is... what’s your responsibility as a direct account to Topps, to grow this industry?"
  — Brian Lut [22:32]
• Market Humility:
  "We throw around numbers a lot... That is a lot of fucking money... more than millions of Americans combined will ever see or make in their lifetime. And eBay does it in a month on sports cards."
  — Ryan Alford [28:45]
• On Innovation Blockers:
  "You're so big and successful that it stymies any evolution and growth. Right. And that's why these companies... if they don't evolve, you know, they become dinosaurs."
  — Brian Lut [32:09]
• On Executive Overhead:
  "They got more titles than I've got beers in the fridge. And that's saying a lot."
  — Ryan Alford [33:28]
• On Collector Personality:
  "Collectors are loyal to their opinion and whatever they want, however they can make the most amount of money."
  — Brian Lut [15:41]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Topps Conference Takeaways: [00:00] / [10:10] / [18:49]
• Market Numbers (eBay Sales): [00:27] / [28:15]
• WNBA/College Draft & On It Card Insights: [02:16] / [04:37] / [06:37]
• Licensing/Brand Loyalty Discussion: [11:58] / [14:33]
• Secondary Market Pricing & Allocation: [16:15] / [17:47]
• Non-Sports & Disney Cards: [21:43]
• Collector Shop Standards: [22:32]
• eBay Platform Critique: [30:24] / [31:52]
• Ludex Tech Announcements: [35:35]

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Final Takeaways

• The sports cards and collectibles industry is seeing unprecedented growth, both in sales volume and in the diversity of its community and products.
• Licensing shifts are creating both tension and opportunity; nostalgia and first appearances drive market value.
• Breaking into the industry is, more than ever, about networking and access as much as product knowledge.
• Tech and data infrastructure (as with Ludex) are becoming essential for managing collections, marketplace efficiency, and strategic growth.
• The future is bright, but companies must continue to evolve and serve the core – the collector.

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For further info, listeners are encouraged to check out Ludex in the app store for collection management, and visit collectornation.com for more resources.

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Transcript

[Ryan Alford]

I know you were at a big pops conference last week. Maybe your takeaways from the conference.

[Brian Lut]

It was interesting. All they want to do is get more allocation. I feel they're maturing in understanding what their vision is and understanding the industry a lot better. I think they're being really smart about it.

[Ryan Alford]

Is there any chance in hell that they get the ball pop or fanatics?

[Brian Lut]

I don't think so.

[Ryan Alford]

We seem to be moving towards monopolies anyway.

[Bella]

I think it will depend on what Panini does next and how successful what they do next is.

[Ryan Alford]

So ebay Sports card sales hit 233

[Bella]

million in March, specifically with Ohtani and Jordan cards. They saw eight figures worth of sales on ebay last month, but the entire market soared to more than $7.5 million per day.

[Ryan Alford]

That is more money than millions of Americans combined will ever see or make in their lifetime. And ebay does it in a month on sports cards. Welcome to the Collector nation podcast here on the Collector Nation Network. Whether you're chasing grails or calling bluffs, we take you inside the hobby. Here are your hosts, Ryan Alford and Brian Lut. What's up, guys? Hey. It's our on it segment of the week with my good friend Leonard Berry. What's up, Leonard?

[Leonard Berry]

Hey, Ryan. How are you? Glad to be here as always.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, man. I often reflect that we get to, you know, part of what we do for a living is collectibles and trading cards. So I'm just blessed to be here, man. Absolutely. Can't argue with that. Exactly. It's a pretty cool thing. Would you have believed it when you were growing up, Leonard, that you'd be working for, you know, a fast growing trading card and collectibles brand?

[Leonard Berry]

I know, right? It's like the second best thing besides going like pro in a sport, you know, like all those guys like, oh, yeah, I get paid to play a game. You know, like we get paid to talk about collectibles and trading cards that, you know, stemmed from when we were children. So it's like one step below playing a game. And we don't have all the pressure. You know, we don't have 40, 000 fans yelling at us every night.

[Ryan Alford]

I know. But hey, I will say the pressure of choosing teams and partners and the colleges, the pressure's off a little bit because you guys keep drawing winners. You know, we'll close out with some talk on the basketball stuff and then get into some of the sports that are now in full swing. Pun intended. But hey, big WNBA draft night. I Saw and heard I was watching a little bit of it and then I caught the news. I mean every UCLA player, a lot of athletes got their name called.

[Leonard Berry]

Yeah, definitely. We had five first rounders, including the number one overall pick, of course, Az Fudd. I think everybody saw that coming. So she's going to reunite with Paige Beckers there in Dallas. So that's super interesting. Like you said ucla. So we had three of the UCLA first rounders in our products products this year. Gabriela Haquez, Angela Dugalik and then Gianna Neepkins all went in the first round. And then throw in Raven Johnson too from South Carolina. She got drafted 10th overall. So pretty good WNBA draft for us obviously. And that's just the first rounders. We had a couple other people get selected in the second round. And the thing that always blows my mind about the WNBA draft is I always forget how fast it comes after the season ends. Like yeah, it's just such a quick turnaround. Like they go from playing in March Madness to, to the draft and then next month, you know, they're going to be suiting up professionally compared to, you know, the NFL draft is coming up.

[Ryan Alford]

It's a good time though to pick up those athletes. If you're a fan or otherwise or just a collector that likes to see, you know, the college go to pros. Your last on it chance to get those athletes in the boxes that are. That have been out for a little while, right?

[Leonard Berry]

Yeah, absolutely. You know, we don't follow our players to the pro. We let Tops and Panini and whoever else wants to take care of that.

[Ryan Alford]

So.

[Leonard Berry]

So yeah, this is, you know, your last opportunity to get like an AZ Fud out of a Yukon box or any of those UCLA players that we talked about. So yeah, it's you know, last chance to get on card autographs because who knows next year when they're in the wnba. With Panini you're probably getting a sticker.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, exactly. What do you think's like one of the. What's probably like the biggest cards. I know you mentioned a couple of names but for on it, you know, in the college baseball product, you know, like maybe variation and name like what's some of the bigger cards.

[Leonard Berry]

Yeah, I think the biggest card that we're going to have in 2026 that everyone's going to be chasing is we have Rock Kowlowski's autograph. He is a signer for us. He is and was. He was at the start of the year and he still is now. Baseball Americas and most Places number one draft prospect, not only out of high school, but period. Like, you know, including high school kids. He's not just the number one college draft prospect. He is the number one prospect and he signs with us. He's on a lot of different inserts, so I think that is going to be a heavy chase. I think Drew Burris, like I mentioned, too, Georgia Tech. Another guy, Carson Tinney at Texas, playing really well. He signs Sawyer. Sawyer Stronsider for tcu. I know they're not ranked. He's turning it up. He's going to be a top 10 pick. We have multiple guys from Virginia that sign. I think, honestly, on our baseball side, I think it's one of the best sets of names that we've ever had. Especially when you look at some of the guys who have never even had a card before, who have never signed with anyone. We have quite a few of those. And so I think for baseball, like, if you're a fan of Bowman and prospecting and that kind of thing, I think that what we have this year in baseball is going to be a lot of the guys who you're going to see in Bowman. So if you truly want, like, their very first autographs, our baseball set this year for a lot of those guys is going to be kind of cream of the crop.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. And I've opened more than I care to admit of the Clemson boxes, and these are premium cards. They've got great inserts. The autographs numbered you. This is a. You just got. Okay, so many baseball junkies out there. This is your chance. You're always looking for something new, something fresh. Leonard just gave you the names, just gave you the cheat sheet. Get out there and find those cards before they're gone. Softball, I know, is big and, and moving. So. Any quick notes on the softball product?

[Leonard Berry]

Yeah, Oklahoma softball is going to go fast if you're. If you're an Oklahoma fan.

[Ryan Alford]

Bye now. Bye now.

[Leonard Berry]

If you want. If you want the product with the best resale value, Oklahoma softball has by far the widest following out of, you know, any softball team.

[Ryan Alford]

That's a nuts program. I didn't quite understand. Clemson has softball now, too. They're pretty good. But Oklahoma softball is like, I mean, it's a brand.

[Leonard Berry]

Yeah. So that's going to go fast. Those cars are going to have heavy resale value because Oklahoma softball is by far, you know, one of their best products, if not the best product that that school puts out every year. Texas Tech. We got Nishiri Kennedy, the amazing pitcher from Texas Tech, who Signed like the, what, nine million dollar, I think it was nil deal when she transferred from Stanford to Texas Tech. So she's got some inserts in our stuff. We've got Arkansas, who's number six in the country. Some great stuff there as well. Texas, Nebraska. I mean, pretty much every. Every one of these top 10 teams. We have Tennessee softball. I know some people have seen those cards floating around. Tennessee was actually giving away those cards for fans who into the games. So if you're in Knoxville, you've already seen the cards if you went to a game. But so that's kind of just like a glimpse. Those are pretty much all of our teams in the top 10 right there in softball. Tons of talent throughout the nation, but Oklahoma for sure, he's going to lead the way. They're number one in the country for a reason, you know.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, they are. And a brand amongst themselves. Hey, guys. On it. Athlete.com use code collector nation at checkout. You'll get 15% off. We gave you the cheat sheet for baseball players to watch the autos to get these guys go to the MLB any. Before you know it, you'll blink your eye, they're there and they're on the MLB cars. This is your chance to get their best cards early. Go to onitathlete.com Leonard, it's been a blast, as always.

[Leonard Berry]

Hey, thank you so much for having me, Ryan. I always look forward to this each and every week.

[Ryan Alford]

Me too. All right, guys, there it is.

[Brian Lut]

We're.

[Leonard Berry]

See you.

[Ryan Alford]

See you next week on the on it segment of the week. What's up, guys? Welcome to Collector Nation. It's Ryan and Brian here on a Friday, April 17, 2025. What's up, Brian?

[Brian Lut]

What is up, my good friend? How you been?

[Ryan Alford]

Been great, man. You know, just rocking and rolling here. 85 and sunny in South Kakalaki, as we like to call it.

[Brian Lut]

Well, that's. That sounds wonderful. I saw the Masters, so I got to see what the weather's like kind of in your area.

[Ryan Alford]

So, yeah, beautiful azaleas blooming. Spring has sprung.

[Brian Lut]

Sprung. Spring is spring.

[Bella]

Last Friday, Ryan sends me a picture of him sitting on his houseboat. I was like, trying to make me jealous over here.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brian Lut]

No invite.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. Feet are up, buds were out. You know, all kinds of shenanigans. You know, we're filming this on actual Topps Football chrome. I said that as awkward as you could as someone who owns a shop. Tops. Football chrome is out today. I could try to say it more awkward. Tops. Chrome, Football out Today record this a couple days early. Sometimes a day early sometimes too. And that release today which is in alignment. I know you were at a big tops conference last week. First maybe your thoughts on their first football release, if anything. And then maybe thoughts takeaways from the conference.

[Brian Lut]

Yeah, I mean there's like. It was interesting. I mean this is my first time I got to got the invite to go there. Obviously it's not because I have a card shop. It's they. I showed them some of the technology that we're working on. But I mean it's an interesting conference. So it was a. It was great though. I mean a lot of social aspects to it. Every two nights they had parties and they do it well. The guys are great, they're accessible. I got to meet with pretty much every. Every guy that I wanted to there that you know from fanatics and tops and you know, I've met with them, you know, now developing some friendships with them. So that was cool. Just hanging, having a couple cocktails with them and then. Yeah, and my friend Gary V. And his team were there, so I got to spend some time with them. But yeah, it's. You know what it is, man. If I was breaking into this industry and there's a rest, there's a like specific hotel that people all stay at, but like that bar and that during that time when like people are moving and shaking and it's unbelievable. So if I was just starting out, you can meet, you know, you turn around and see this, you know, CEO air president here. And so I. For networking. It's unbelievable. And that's really what life is about and what business is about, you know, getting in front of people and getting the opportunity. But yeah, you know, got to see a lot of good friends and. Yeah. Did I learn anything? Probably not. Like it's not like that freaking educational, but it was fun.

[Ryan Alford]

There's going to be 10,000 collectors that show up at the bar the next year, the top conference, they're going to find that out. The secrets out where they had. Well, you know, Brian on Collector Nation said this is the place to be to meet people.

[Brian Lut]

Yeah, they'll see me in the corner pounding IPAs.

[Bella]

So I have. I have a question for you guys. With the new licensing, do you think that Panini's old products are going to increase in value in the market? Like unopened sealed products or not?

[Ryan Alford]

Maybe I think it depends on the players and the years maybe I think there'd be some nostalgia and the further you get away from it, the less Supply there is because people like me can't stand but to rip it. And so by nature and it not having license anymore. I think it will. But I also think there's so much of it and so many years. I mean, I don't know. Like, I think it'll still be driven by. Well, if it's Pat Mahomes rookie year unopened, you know, Optic. Yeah, it's. It's gonna have as much value as it would have anyway, plus some. But I don't know. What do you think, Brian?

[Brian Lut]

Yeah, it's a good question. I think honestly I was looking for it at the last show as just small shows in Chicago and I'll ask for the years and I'll look for Prism or Optic. Yeah, I think that if you hold on to them, you're gonna make money. There's like they really had some cool products, you know, from the downtowns to the Kabooms and, and yes, Topps is going to do their thing with them. But like there is a nostalgia part of it that people did grow up on Panini. I grew up on Tops. You grew up on Tops. But you know, I, I think that there will be nostalgia kind of. It's. Well, it's a collectible industry. Right. So people love to collect everything they care about. And so I do, I. I think that's probably a good investment.

[Ryan Alford]

Is. Is there any chance in hell that ultimately even after all this that he just gets bought by Tops or fanatics? I don't know.

[Brian Lut]

I don't think so. What do you think?

[Ryan Alford]

I don't think so. I would like to think it would have already happened if it was going to happen, but I don't know. I think I keep telling myself that because I want them to have the license over all that stuff. And then that way, that way we could. We still get choice of, you know. And I'm fine with fanatics owning it all. Like we seem to be moving towards monopolies anyway. So it's, it's. I'm okay with if Top. If an addicts owns it all, but we at least seemingly live in a world where there's selection still.

[Bella]

I think it will depend on how what Panini does next and how successful what they do next is.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Bella]

If it's not successful, they're obviously, you know, they want to keep as much market share and, and money as they can. So they're going to sell while they still can until they're, you know.

[Ryan Alford]

Well, people are going to buy unlicensed.

[Brian Lut]

Yeah, I guess unlicensed but then what else? They have some other. Don't they have some other IP that they have.

[Ryan Alford]

They have other pipes. They got wnba, which is actually growing in popularity. They've got wnba, wpa, some soccer stuff. I think this is soccer and some Looney Tunes. I don't know. So they actually do have a few other properties I think are pretty good. I'm just blanking on them. I could see my, some of the shelves in the store, probably the TVs kind of blocking them.

[Bella]

But that kind of leads me to my next question. Do you think collectors are loyal to the brand or do you think they're loyal to the license?

[Brian Lut]

I think collectors are loyal to whatever they think is important. Like people are like what. They'll bitch about everything. So people will about tops having basketball and now football, but then like they'll about panini when they had it. How. You know, it's like so this industry, like they'll. And, and so I think they're, they're loyal to their opinion and whatever they want, however they can make the most amount of money. But I don't, I don't, I think it changes. I think whoever can give you the product now is who you care about, you know.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, I mean, and for example. But I was. Topps put all the pricing for Topps Chrome at a respectable number. Like the retail number. 40 bucks for a blaster. A little higher than, but reasonable, you know, 60, 70 bucks for a mega box. Fine. Hobby boxes were like 300 or something. And now before it even releases like Martin, True market is pretty much 3 to 4x on all those blasters are 100, $100 for a blaster, 150 for a mega box, and a thousand plus for hobby boxes.

[Brian Lut]

I mean it just shows the supply and demand. Like it's, it's a very difficult industry to figure out. You know, I'm working with that with tops on some stuff to figure out, you know, supply, demand, growth of the industry. That's the biggest challenge I have is like of course they can print it. They'll sell it. All right? And obviously if, if they couldn't, these prices wouldn't be 3 or 4x the day of release. But I also think that they're very, they're going to be, they are very cautious about printing more. But some of the data that, that I've shared with them that we're working on a project together, I think they're going to, we're going to get a good idea of the industry and how it's growing and then I think they're going to be able to manage supply and demand or definitely supply better. I think they're just a little cautious now, a little too cautious now. But they don't have enough data. Once they get data, I think they're going to do it really well to that end.

[Ryan Alford]

That's good to know. That's good, good insight. Brian is did you feel like walking away from the conference other than the tug of war of, you know, the greedy bastards wanting more, you know, stock to resell and be their wholesale to essentially be their third tier? So they're becoming. Yeah, alcohol has like. I know a lot about the three tier system now. My, my or it's fresh top of mind with the beer show this morning. But I mean essentially all these guys that are retail stores are becoming, you know, reseller wholesalers, not just to kids buying packs but to everybody else and they just want more of it to make the difference. So Toss is leaving money on the table to that end. Did you get a feeling that Topps, putting all that bickering to the side and that reality to the side, has a good vision for the future with all these licenses and the power of the position that they hold?

[Brian Lut]

I do. I think they're. Two years ago, I would say no. But I feel they're maturing in understanding what they're their vision is and understanding the industry a lot better. They have some great guys. You know, David Ler who runs Tops is great. I mean he's a huge collector. But yeah, these guys care, you know, and, and I think they're figuring it out and I think there's also like figuring out in business like what not to do. And I think they've done some things that they said, oh, we should probably shouldn't do that again in their learning. But yeah, I think they have a really good, I mean I think they're being really smart about it. What do you think?

[Ryan Alford]

I like what I see so far. You know, it's too early to tell for me. Like, I like I've said this on the show. I mean I like mayhem. I like Ruben. I mean I think Ruben's a black ninja warrior businessman. Like, like, I mean that in respect. Like, like I don't want to be on a back alley with him, you know, like build a box around me faster than I could like, you know, like lift a finger. But that's respectful, you know, like he's, he's. But I like, I kind of like that guy. I kind of actually know what I'M doing with Ruben, I don't. I don't think there's any. You know what I mean? He's just a cunning businessman that's going to own the world, you know, like in his own. His own universe. And then Mayhem's kind of the. More of the approachable CEO type, I think. But I like. I like a lot of good guys that work there. Everyone I've ever met, I can only. I've really met. Like, hey, I could draw judgments from afar, but I don't like to do that unless I've really met somebody. So I can only go by the people. I think sometimes we get caught up in the, I don't know, the. The soap opera headlines. I mean, all people seem like they're trying. They say the right things. I think time will tell. And I. Look, it's in their best interest to grow the hobby. It's kind of like, like, think about this for a second and be kind of practical. If you own an NBA team, your job is to make. Get butts in the seats, sell more tickets, more fandom, more jerseys. You're trying to make your team more popular and to make the. Make it the best team that you can, put the best product out, best players and get the most fans. Topps is trying to do that. They're not trying to make the hobby worse, not trying to bring fewer people in. So, I mean, the road to hell is paved with good attentions. But I tend to think, you know, got the right people to do it. And time will tell kind of on that point.

[Bella]

Like I. I saw with that, you know, obviously football is taking precedent right now, but I mean, they're releasing a ton of new products and. And one that I'm at least excited for, that's kind of nostalgic for me is that they're doing in the Disney packs, they're going to have Disney Channel original movies and have autos from, like, the characters and that, which I think that unlocks a whole new niche. And that makes me excited as a collector who doesn't necessarily care all that much about football or basketball cards, but does care about, you know, movies I grew up watching as a child. And same thing with Star wars cards, too. They looked awesome.

[Brian Lut]

Yeah. And I think, like, fandom is not exclusive to sports. Right. People are fans of everything. And I think the way that they're going about that even to get Heaven, you hear say that fellas like it. They want to grow this industry, like, linear.

[Ryan Alford]

Right.

[Brian Lut]

And the one thing that they talked about a lot is like, what are you doing? What's your responsibility as a. As a direct account to tops, to. To grow this industry? How are you growing this industry? Is your shop accommodating all collectors? Is it. Is it well done? Is it clean? Is it smart? Like, that's what they want. Because that's really. Their whole thing is like, we can give allocation to you, but in the end, what do you. What do you. What's your responsibility in this. In this industry and hobby and how we grow in it together. I think that's really something that was pervasive through that meeting that they, they're pretty honest with. Like, if you're a card shop, we visit and there's everywhere and it sucks, then you know, you're not our kind of guy, you know, and you, you're jeopardizing your allocation. And then something like, you, you open up Ryan at your place. It's amazing, right? Like, that's the new vibe. You're helping the communities grow, the industry grow. And. Yeah, and Disney's Exact is a great example.

[Ryan Alford]

You know, I think they might be in cahoots together, but I don't know. Card Vault had Chrome Vault day here on the Wednesday we record.

[Bella]

It's till the 19th. So for. It's for a few days.

[Ryan Alford]

I wonder if their. How much their allocation went up by doing this.

[Bella]

Well, I think Tom Brady, if he asked for cards, they'd give it to him.

[Brian Lut]

I mean, they're doing a good thing. They're keeping the prices low. I mean, my guys went over to the one in Chicago today. Like, they're not, you know, they're selling a certain limited price, you know, certain limited supply for like the price that like top sold it at know, not the three X. Okay, so.

[Ryan Alford]

So they're holding like map pricing or something.

[Brian Lut]

Yeah. And actually I. We had Costa. I was talking to him today because we were doing some stuff with him in our app to put the Card Vault thumbnail in there. But.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Brian Lut]

Yeah, I thought that was really, really great that he. He did that.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, I mean, I mean, I, I definitely like to feed the. What they say or feed the hand that feeds me or something like that. Yeah, I can't. There's definitely a better way to say it, but. Or totally different. It's a symbiotic relationship. Let's just call that. It goes both ways. Good for Card Vault, good for tops. I don't have to hate them. I like it. I like Tom too. I mean, you could not. How do you not like Tom Brady?

[Brian Lut]

Yeah, it's great.

[Bella]

I did think it was interesting.

[Ryan Alford]

I mean, don't get me wrong, as a sports fan, I have no affinity to Boston sports, but just saying that's a hard. He's a hard guy to not like. I kind of want to. I want to not like him and I still like him.

[Bella]

That just shows he's doing a promotion right now where if you go to the card vault stores and pull one of his autos from the packs, that, that he'll have like a one on one meeting with you and a personalized chat. So I think, I mean, he doesn't have to do that.

[Ryan Alford]

No. And Brian and I are going to do that too here. So at Collector Station, if you come and open a pack and you find one of. Of Brian or me autographed, you can hang out with us.

[Bella]

Oh, I didn't know you were in the NFL.

[Ryan Alford]

No, we're not. We're in the. It's the executive card club.

[Brian Lut]

You get to. You get a day on the houseboat. You go on the house.

[Ryan Alford]

Hey, day in the house boat with Brian and Brian and we'll film an episode there. That should be a giveaway. I think so. You know what? I would pay for that. I mean, I'd pay a lot of money for that if I didn't already get it.

[Brian Lut]

That would be awesome.

[Ryan Alford]

We should do that. It would be. We should do it. Hey, if you comment, we want the houseboat experience on our YouTube or Instagram. If you've listened to this, we will consider a contest where that takes place.

[Bella]

Let's be as vague as I have

[Ryan Alford]

to clear that with miss Trading Cards. She wouldn't care. We could do it during the middle of the week or something. Nobody's working around here anyway.

[Brian Lut]

Does it have a slide on it? Does it slide and all that stuff?

[Ryan Alford]

It's been. Almost all of the ones around us do. And so our kids get to use everyone else's. So I haven't had to put a tacky slide on mine. So that's the honest truth.

[Brian Lut]

That's good.

[Ryan Alford]

You know, we have, we have a little bit more of a luxury vibe going on ours. That's okay. Sort of.

[Brian Lut]

I think actually it makes it a little wt if you have like all that stuff.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, I mean, we've got the bar, the two TVs.

[Bella]

You're saying you don't want to slide down a little yellow slide?

[Ryan Alford]

No, I'll jump right off the side there. That's what I do. Backflip right off there. Even in my late 40s pretty good.

[Bella]

Impressive.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, dude, I can cut a one and a half still, at least I could about two years ago. Last year, I did a backflip. I could still do that. I could still dunk at 48. Don't.

[Brian Lut]

Yeah, I would say you're gonna. You probably should stop doing that. Just let the kid. Let the boys do it. Because, I mean, you got a lot of responsibility now with Collector Nation, Collector Station.

[Ryan Alford]

I know, Brian. Blame me. I know. And it's not worth getting hurt.

[Bella]

Yeah, you'll pull a hammy.

[Ryan Alford]

I know, but it's kind of liberating, like, just knowing you can still do it. And I'm not like, one of those. Like, when it goes, it goes. You know, I don't really care, but

[Bella]

it's kind of like, you know, blows out a knee.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. Blows out the knees.

[Bella]

It's time for a replacement.

[Ryan Alford]

You never know.

[Bella]

Anyway,

[Ryan Alford]

So ebay, sports Card sales hit 233 million in March. They're struggling.

[Brian Lut]

Like, that number is crazy because, like, it's. It doesn't add up all the time. There are like, oh, we did 5 billion. And it's like, well, what? You did 5 billion, but you just said 233. So that's not. Like, the math doesn't add up. But, yeah, it's. I don't know what that real number is, honestly.

[Ryan Alford]

I'm just saying that's what they did in a month. 233 million in March 2026. Like, I. I just want to really pause for a second for effect. Both for effect and for. We throw around numbers a lot. Like, I think we're becoming very sort of. What's the right word? Oh, a million here, a million there. Like, that's a lot of fucking money. Like, it's. That is a lot of money. That is more money than millions of Americans combined will ever see or make in their lifetime. And ebay does it in a month on sports cards.

[Brian Lut]

That's not trading cards. That's just sports. Not trade. Not sports.

[Ryan Alford]

Just sports cards. Yeah.

[Brian Lut]

Then the numbers add up. Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

Because so, Brian, I mean, in one month, dude, I mean, you and I know that. Two, three billion. That's not glossed over on us, you know, we know how big a number that is. That is real money. And unbelievable.

[Bella]

Specifically with Ohtani and Jordan cards, they saw eight figures worth of sales on ebay last month, but the entire market soared to more than $7.5 million per day. Per day.

[Brian Lut]

Yeah. And their. I don't know where their stock is, but, like. And what what's the valuation of ebay? Like, specific. If they just took sports and trading cards and that's all they had, I mean, it's got to make up a good portion of the.

[Ryan Alford]

Why didn't ebay start like a. Like, why not create a brand that was just like ebay sports or like ebay? I don't know. I guess they don't have to. I'd have to sit in a room and think about that though. Like chunk like, like slice that off.

[Brian Lut]

I think they need help. Yeah, you need to help them.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, but. Yeah, right. Yeah, I don't. Because that's the problem. The problem. Yeah. The free advice for ebay. Right here, if you're listening. Yeah. One brand. You keep everything under the umbrella. It's all the same. It's auction. We're about auctions. We're about auctions. But you can't build the tech, you can't build the tools. You can't build what's necessary for industry specific needs. Ie, live. Talking to you live, ebay live and everything else. Because you're beholden to the brand and the one system and the one format and the one technology. You can't. And this. I think they're almost. They're doing too well. It's. It's actually probably shading how well they might actually could do what if they had their. Together with live, like completely together. How much would they be doing? They should be lapping whatnot. I mean, they should be the leader in this. Like, but they're held back by their own technology and their own. And they, and most people know this and I'm not. I like all the guys. I like everybody. A lot of people. I might like the ebay people that are not like the tops people. Like, it's not a lot of people problem, but it's. You can't serve the market that you need if you, if you stay under that one umbrella. Am I speaking something you can understand here or I'm talking crazy talk or am I right?

[Brian Lut]

No, I think there's like, there's. There's definitely a part of companies that you're. You, you're so big and successful that it, it stymies any evolution and growth. Right. And that's why these companies, no matter how big they are, if they don't evolve, you know, they become dinosaurs and dinosaurs die. And, and the fact is like, but if they're challenged at all and they see those numbers go down, it might precipitate them to like, start doing some new edgy, cool stuff. But in the end I think they're so they're successful enough, but then there's no urgency to get even more successful. And they hire a lot of people, man. Like, I love the ebay people. Some of my, you really good friends in this, this hobby are there.

[Ryan Alford]

I love all of them.

[Brian Lut]

But I, I, I think I'm meeting the person's boss and then that, that person has another two bosses and I'm like, whoa.

[Ryan Alford]

Oh, they got the, they got the title. I, I worked in corporate America a long time, or I did. I worked on the agency side and dealt with a lot of corporate America. But man, they have the title thing like, oh, here is the, this is the VP of corporate Card Live sales. I'm like, damn, this is important. And then I meet five of their bosses and then two of their bosses and I'm like, they got more titles than I've got beers in the fridge. And that's saying a lot.

[Brian Lut]

And, and you know what else happens to them? Like when companies get really big that way, it's like they're, it's very hard. You're, let's say you're an SVP at a big multinational company and you're making 500 to 750 a year and you got equity. Like, what's your upside to go and like take a chance or risk and make something different? Zero.

[Ryan Alford]

Zero.

[Brian Lut]

Exactly. And then what does that create? It creates a bunch of people.

[Ryan Alford]

Melees is what that's called.

[Brian Lut]

Malays.

[Ryan Alford]

It's not mayonnaise, it's melees.

[Brian Lut]

Can't do that at LoadX.

[Ryan Alford]

No. You can't fall asleep on, on in your job. Just take playing some golf today or napping. You got to climb that ladder, man.

[Brian Lut]

Keep climbing.

[Ryan Alford]

Bella, we got anything else that we missed? I see some things, you know, GameStop launching, essentially. Yeah. Slot machine style poker packs, power packs. Oh, was that a Freudian slip? Poker packs. I mean, whoops, that'd be a good name for them poker packs at GameStop, which is essentially is this. Arena Club meets GameStop. Okay.

[Bella]

It's repacked PSA graded trading cards that can be.

[Ryan Alford]

Sounds like Arena Club online. Ah, okay, good. We're gonna have them in store too. But yeah, that's the next app that's on my roadmap now. It's like not, you know, one app with a road map of like seven things. It's like nine apps.

[Bella]

Literally has a new idea every day and I'm like, you gotta, you gotta stop, otherwise you're gonna see my head Explode.

[Ryan Alford]

Hey, keep most of them to myself. You only know about half of them.

[Bella]

Yeah, that's the worst. That's the part that I know about.

[Brian Lut]

Yeah, you're good. You know enough.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. I only bring you in when you

[Bella]

know they're fully fledged out.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. And like, we actually have to do something. Besides me spinning wheels with Claude. Brian, any last second updates on Ludx or anything new in the app or anything to bring up there?

[Brian Lut]

No, I mean, we moved some collection management stuff to the app, which is, which is cool. You've seen the collection, the web, that what we're working towards. I think that's going to be really great.

[Ryan Alford]

Very sharp.

[Brian Lut]

I showed you our collector's data store interface, so I'm excited about that. So it's like, you know, by the time it gets onto an app and we go outward facing to the public, so much work has been done, you know, in the. So like we have about three or four big initiatives happening every day and it probably consumes 80% of our bandwidth. But like, you don't see it yet. And so that's what tech. Tech is frustrating that way, you know, and. But I love where we're going. You're gonna see some new things coming out, but the data thing, I'm super excited about.

[Ryan Alford]

L U D E X They're in the App store. Go download it. Collection management values linkage to upload all your stuff to ebay, who we were talking about, who. Actually I love, I love ebay. I've been there since 2001, just telling them how they could improve, you know, free, free, free advice. Right? That might be what it's worth, but go check out Ludx at the app store. Best collection management, scanning, all that stuff. They spend a lot of time, energy and effort, and it's worth your time. I promise you, if you're a collector, you gotta get your stuff in there. You gotta know what you got. You don't want that sitting in your closet. And you're going, yeah, I got four of those two. No, you gotta know what you have. You gotta bandage it digitally. That's how we blend the digital and the physical. Bella, final words from you, nothing from me.

[Bella]

Just excited to see where the hobby takes us from here.

[Ryan Alford]

You never know. Brian, any final thoughts today?

[Brian Lut]

No, man, all good. You enjoy your weekend and we'll be back. Always great being with you guys.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, we love you, Brian. And guess what? We love you for listening. Check us out thecollectordation.com and the collector station. That's the store website. Those all linked together and moo tech coming soon we actually moving some of this lilux technology into the store. Hey more to come. The best is yet to come here on Collector Nation. We'll see you next time. Thanks for tuning in to the show. Be sure to follow us on your go to podcast platform and catch the full video episode over on YouTube. Visit us [e-mail] and follow Ryan on Instagram at Ryan Alford now get out there and collect yours. This is the story of the 1. As a maintenance tech at a university, he knows ordering from multiple suppliers takes time away from keeping their arena up and running. That's why he counts on Granger to get everything he needs needs from lighting and hvac parts to plumbing supplies all in one place and with fast dependable delivery, he's stocked and ready for the next tip off. Call 1-800-granger clickgranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.