Author: Alyx Effron

Patience Over Pressure The hobby moves fast. Very fast. Drops typically sell out in seconds, Dutch auctions bait us into panic buying, countdown timers push

The CAGE Test For Collectors Today on The Collector’s Compass, we sat down with Dr. Aakar “Rick” Shah, D.O.—a physician, lifelong collector, and someone who

How To Work Through The All-Or-Nothing Mentality We’ve all been there. We start feeling really good about ourselves, thinking we can accomplish everything. We, understandably,

Curiosity, Creativity, & Consistency In 2017, I had the opportunity to attend the ISRU Summer Camp in person on Governor’s Island and to purchase a

Brick By Brick: The Slow Work Of Recovery Recovery is not a quick fix or a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a slow, deliberate process that can

Pandemic Within A Pandemic When COVID-19 hit, the world shut down. For many of us, collecting became a lifeline. With nowhere to go and nothing

The Global Hypebeast Pandemic I feel fortunate to have arrived in the beautiful country of Spain today for a long-awaited trip with my wife and

A Record, A Ripple, & A Reminder Today’s headlines were hard to miss: a 2007–08 Upper Deck Exquisite Kobe Bryant/Michael Jordan Dual Auto Logoman 1/1

When Innocence Meets Industry Last week, a disturbing story broke from the Little League Baseball World Series: offshore betting websites were offering lines on games

Life Transition Anxieties: How To Navigate Stress & Uncertainty The fears and stress that come with major life transitions are real and valid. A common

What Will This REALLY Cost Me? Another week, another new product release in the endless cycle of the unrelenting sports card hobby. But let’s be honest—it’s not just a

The Chrome-ification Of Everything It finally happened. Topps Chrome SpongeBob. On the surface, it sounds like a joke—a novelty release you’d expect to stumble across