Podcast
Stacking Slabs
Hosted by Brett McGrath · EN
Welcome to the Stacking Slabs, a podcast for sports cards collectors. There's been a tremendous amount of change to our Hobby over the last few years and the one constant has been the passion from the collecting community. Stacking Slabs is built by the collector and lives to tell stories for the collector.
169episodes
Episodes
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Passion to Profession: From a Card Shop at 13 to Building DT Sportscards with Dave Thimesch
Yesterday00:37:47Tap to summarizeDave Thimesch wanted a 1987 Topps Mark McGwire card. That card started an obsession.At 13, Dave opened a card shop. He returned to the hobby during the Stephen Strasburg rise in 2009, moved from opening products to running group breaks, and built DT Sportscards into a PSA submission business handling thousands of cards.Dave joins Brett to discuss why ripping products created debt, how rising product costs forced him to change his business, and why transparency matters when collectors trust you with their cards.They also talk about the systems required to submit 1,200 cards per week, the challenge of giving up control, and the line between working in the hobby and collecting for yourself.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA 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 PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Hobby Jobs: Build Before the Validation Arrives + Chat with Collect Talent Co-Founder Danny Mosse
2d ago00:47:20Tap to summarizeMost people do not have an idea problem. They have a permission problem.In this episode of Hobby Jobs, Brett explains why operators need to build before the market gives them certainty. He shares a 30-day conviction sprint for testing an unresolved problem, examines how Gabe built his college football card expertise into a career with CardCollector2, and spotlights the content creator role at Layton Sports Cards.Then Brett sits down with Collect Talent co-founder Danny Mosse at The National.After 15 years across Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Goldin, and eBay, Danny is building a job and networking hub for the collecting industry. They discuss trust across collecting categories, the path from passion to profession, and why the gap between companies and talent is an infrastructure problem.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeCheck out Collect Talent — One network where the collecting industry finds its peopleGet exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Booked to Last: The Week Wrestling Cards Took Over The National
3d ago01:27:20Tap to summarizeWrestling Card Takeover filled a room with nearly 400 collectors at The National.The shirts disappeared. The room hit capacity. Deals took shape. One-of-ones surfaced. Collectors traveled from across the country and as far as Germany to take part.Adam, Ryan, and Brett look back on the week that showed how much the wrestling card community has grown.They discuss: The demand for Oba Femi cards The John Cena and Rhea Ripley WrestleMania patch autographs The cards pulled and purchased during Wrestling Card Takeover The stories behind the deals The market response to SummerSlam Why attending The National is about more than buying cards The cards brought everyone into the room.The people made it a night worth remembering.Check out RbiCru7 for all your wrestling and sports card needs!Join Adam's Main Event Wrestling Cards group for freeGet exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Ryan: | Instagram | Website | YouTubeFollow Adam: | X | InstagramFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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The Football Card Podcast #59: The National Aftermath As The Sun Sets On Linebacker Summer
4d ago01:18:18Tap to summarizePack and Brett return from The National to process what they saw across the show floor.Cards priced between $100 and $500 moved at a fast rate. Dealers struggled to keep cases stocked. Seeing cards such as the 2017 Patrick Mahomes Prizm Black Finite and Peyton Manning Gem Masters in person changed how they viewed them.They also close out Linebacker Summer with Luke Kuechly, one of the best defensive players of his era. His career is set, but his card market tells a different story.The conversation covers cards that have moved beyond reach, displaying a collection, selling through auction instead of private deals, eBay authentication, and the football card sales that moved during National week.Check out Card Ladder the official data partner of Stacking SlabsFollow 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 HypeGet exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonSign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TiktokFollow Pack: | Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Hobby Jobs: When Doing the Right Thing Costs Millions with Noah Dock of BCW Supplies
5d ago00:37:17Tap to summarizeMost collectors know BCW through penny sleeves, top loaders, magnetic holders, and storage boxes. Behind those products sits a company with more than 100 employees serving collectors, shops, breakers, and dealers.Noah Dock joined BCW as CFO after working in finance, private equity, and his family’s pawn business. He did not earn the role because he knew more about cards than everyone else. He earned it because he understood finance, operations, and how to help a company scale.Noah shares why passion cannot replace skill, why a CEO must become the “chief repeating officer,” and how core values shape hiring, promotions, and customer relationships.He also explains why BCW returned millions of dollars in tariff refunds to 4,000 customers.This conversation is about the work behind the hobby. It is about bringing your skills into the industry, building trust through decisions, and proving what your company stands for when money is at stake.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeGet exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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The Most Valuable Thing You Take Home Isn’t a Card
6d ago00:26:32Tap to summarizeAfter my first 24 hours at The National, I returned to my hotel with more energy than I had when the day began. It wasn’t because of a card, a sale, or a booth. It came from the conversations.In this episode, I explore how conversations give collectors context that sales data cannot provide. They test our thinking, strengthen our conviction, build trust, and remind us that people exist on both sides of every card.We also examine the difference between attention and connection, why networking can turn into extraction, and how better questions can change the way you collect.Check out the awesome software that InfernoRed Technology can build for you.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeGet your free copy of Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On HypeStart your 7 day free trial of Stacking Slabs Patreon Today[Distributed on Sunday] Sign up for the Stacking Slabs Weekly Rip Newsletter using this linkFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Hobby Jobs: Passion is the Entry Fee with Chris McGill of Card Ladder
1w ago00:52:19Tap to summarizePassion gets you into sports cards. It does not build a product people trust.Brett sits down with Card Ladder co-founder Chris McGill at The National to discuss the work behind one of the hobby’s most used tools.Chris explains why seeing collectors rely on Card Ladder creates pressure, why customer service takes up much of the team’s time, and why standards matter when money is involved.They also discuss the start of Card Ladder, the value of bringing experience from outside the hobby, and what people should consider before pursuing a career in sports cards.Loving cards can open the door.Staying requires skills, service, and a problem worth solving.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeGet exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Passion to Profession: From College Football Cards to Working at Card Collector 2 with Gabe (@gabeycardstacks)
1w ago00:53:20Tap to summarizeGabe did not follow a career path into sports cards.He created one.His interest in college football led him to Bowman University, player research, value boxes, and content built around a part of the hobby few people were covering.Consistency helped Gabe become a trusted voice in college football cards. It also started a relationship with Ryan Johnson of Card Collector 2.That relationship grew through shared interests, phone calls, podcast episodes, and work behind the scenes. It led to a job offer and Gabe moving his family from Arizona to Ohio to join the Card Collector 2 team.In this episode of Passion to Profession, Brett talks with Gabe about identifying an underserved category, building expertise, earning trust, and turning the work he enjoyed into a career.Gabe also explains how he evaluates college football prospects, compares Bowman First cards with later college and NFL releases, and uses player talent, price, program demand, and timing to make buying decisions.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA 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 PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Hobby Jobs: When the Collection Becomes Capital Building + Hiring, and Serving Collectors Steve Sloan of Heystack
1w ago00:48:34Tap to summarizeWhat happens when a collector starts looking at cards as a source of funding for a business?Brett examines the tension between the collector who wants to keep the card and the operator who sees what selling it can fund. He shares four questions every founder should answer before turning a collection into capital.Recorded at The National in the Card Ladder booth, Brett also sits down with Steve Sloan, CEO of Heystack and former president of PSA. They discuss building technology for the card industry, earning business partnerships, hiring for a startup, and why every operating decision reaches the collector.The collector may never see the systems behind a card business. They will feel the results.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeGet exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Booked to Last: Why Wrestling Cards Have Never Felt Bigger
1w ago01:07:40Tap to summarizeAdam is joined by Brett for a collector-focused conversation during the biggest week of the year.They discuss why Fanatics Fest increased their confidence in wrestling cards, what the Wrestling Card Takeover represents for the community, and how Topps is putting WWE beside its other sports at The National.The conversation also covers the rookie cycle surrounding Oba Femi, collecting Roman Reigns across different eras, SummerSlam, and recent sales involving Gunther, John Cena, and Roman Reigns.Wrestling cards once felt hard to find at major shows.That is changing.Check out RbiCru7 for all your wrestling and sports card needs!Join Adam's Main Event Wrestling Cards group for freeGet exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Ryan: | Instagram | Website | YouTubeFollow Adam: | X | InstagramFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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