Stacking Slabs

Pack 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.

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Most 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.

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After 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.

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Passion 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.

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Gabe 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.

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A special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.
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