Part 3 – Under the Influence
When I first started collecting sports cards, my world was pretty small. My experience was shaped by trading with friends and the one local card shop in the neighborhood. Back then, the hobby felt like a quiet passion. You hunted for your favorite players, stored cards in binders or shoeboxes, and maybe compared notes with buddies to figure out which players were worth chasing. Outside of the monthly Beckett price guide, the values we assigned came from our own little circle.
Fast forward to today, and the hobby looks completely different, thanks in large part to social media influencers. The sports card market has always had its cycles, from the boom of the late ’80s and early ’90s, to the lull of the 2000s, to the pandemic resurgence. But one of the biggest drivers today isn’t just nostalgia or star power—it’s the voices on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and X who’ve turned collecting into both a cultural phenomenon and a business.
What once happened quietly in card shops or at weekend shows now plays out in real time for thousands to watch. Live “box breaks,” massive mail days, rookie hype, all of it streamed to global audiences. For younger collectors, that’s often their first introduction to the hobby…not a trip to the LCS, but a YouTube video with millions of views.
Hooked on the Breaks
I’ll admit, the first time Maddox and I watched a break on YouTube, we were hooked. Packs torn open live, virtual crowds cheering on every pull—it made collecting feel anything but solitary.
The first streamer Maddox showed me was Packman. Here was a guy with nothing but his hands on screen, narrating each rip with infectious excitement. When he pulled a monster card, we cheered along. When he skunked, we shared the disappointment. It was simple, but it was magic.
Soon Maddox wanted to try it himself. From his YouTube channel, where he emulated Packman’s style, to his TikTok account (W-Key Rabbit Rips&Cards), he began documenting his collecting journey. He’s gained a small following—not for profit, but for the joy of sharing his pulls. What started as me and a few friends huddled around packs has turned into thousands of strangers tuning in to root for Maddox. The rush he feels when the comments flood in is real and as his dad, I feel it too.
Maddox with PackMan
The Double-Edged Sword of Influence
Influencers bring plenty of positives. They’ve made the hobby more accessible than ever…no local shop needed. They teach about grading, market trends, and card care. They create community, opening doors for kids like Maddox to join a global conversation.
But there’s a flip side. A single hyped rookie or “grail card” can send prices soaring overnight. Boxes sell out faster, secondary prices climb higher, and collectors, myself included, sometimes chase cards that may not hold long-term value. The fear of missing out is real, and it can be exhausting. Passion can quickly blur into pressure.
Maddox and a friend with King of Cards
Finding Balance
Still, I can’t deny what influencers have given the hobby: energy, visibility, and connection. They’ve made it bigger, louder, and more connected than anything I could have imagined as a kid.
For me, the lesson is balance. I enjoy the thrill of a live break or a reveal video, but I try not to let influencers dictate what I collect. At the core, I still chase my favorite players, the stories behind the cards, and the memories they hold.
Whether loved or criticized, influencers aren’t going away. They’ve become an integral part of how sports cards are marketed, consumed, and even designed. Card companies now actively collaborate with influencers, recognizing their ability to move product and shape collector behavior.
Influencers may shape the market, but the real influence—the one that matters most—is watching Maddox light up when he rips a pack, shares a hit, or gets a flood of encouragement online. That’s the same joy I felt trading with friends decades ago.
In the end, influencers are just another layer of the community. They’re not the whole story, but they are part of the modern one. And just like when I was a kid, the key is remembering why we started collecting in the first place.
Maddux with CardCollector2
