“The hobby is dead. It\u2019s all about the money now.”<\/p>\n
That was the mournful sentiment expressed by one hobbyist during a recent meeting for compulsive collectors.<\/p>\n
He had recalled contacting his dealer and spending most of a recent paycheck. It wasn\u2019t a drug dealer, he clarified. He had contacted his Pok\u00e9mon dealer about purchasing sealed product.<\/p>\n
A thought entered his mind to hold and flip the cards later for a profit.<\/p>\n
He ripped it. He got skunked.<\/p>\n
That forced him to sell off a portion of his Funko Pop collection for below fair-market value to ensure the car payment was on time and meals weren\u2019t skipped.<\/p>\n
Similar experiences have become increasingly common for collectors across the sports and trading card hobby, and the impact has been devastating.<\/p>\n
From an emotional and financial perspective, compulsive collecting isn\u2019t that different from a gambling addiction. But unlike an industry that is plastered with hotlines on billboards, warning labels and self-help groups, resources for compulsive collecting are largely non-existent.<\/p>\n
Alyx Effron and his community, Collectors MD<\/a>, are hoping to change that.<\/p>\n Effron can relate because he has been there. Like so many collectors, he re-entered the hobby because of its nostalgia. He discovered box breaks, which have exploded in popularity alongside the rise of live-streaming services.<\/p>\n A self-described casual gambler, the appeal for Effron was immediate. The opportunity to build an impressive card collection paired with the thrill of the chase was a powerful motivator.<\/p>\n That combination nearly caused irreparable damage to his personal life.<\/p>\n \u201cI was addicted to both gambling and collecting, and it was a vicious cycle,\u201d Effron told cllct. \u201cIt was really hard to decipher which one was fueling the other \u2026 I realized that it was really the sports cards that were fueling the gambling.\u201d<\/p>\n Effron\u2019s experience with collecting is far from unique. There\u2019s an emotional connection with owning a tangible item, and nostalgia is always a powerful draw.<\/p>\n The social element of collecting has also played a powerful role in driving some hobbyists toward compulsive spending. To some, it\u2019s difficult to walk away from collecting when it also means leaving behind valued friendships.<\/p>\n The deep relationship Effron has with collecting is something he says didn\u2019t resonate with others when he attended Gamblers Anonymous meetings. According to Effron, his struggles with collecting weren\u2019t viewed as seriously as traditional gambling.<\/p>\n With few resources available, Effron created Collectors MD hoping to deliver the community he needed but never had access to.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not anti-hobby at all,\u201d Effron says of Collectors MD. \u201cIt\u2019s all about bringing more awareness to how easily collecting can spiral into compulsive spending, and be something to offer real support for people who want to enjoy their passion in a more healthy way.\u201d<\/p>\n To start, Effron was able to create a number of basic resources that didn\u2019t need professional training or a medical background.<\/p>\n Collectors MD hosts weekly anonymous support groups to let people connect with others.<\/p>\n The organization’s website has a variety of other tools and resources, including a 10-part guide to compulsive collecting<\/a> and overspending as well as a new podcast called The Collector\u2019s Compass.<\/p>\n After creating a strong foundation, Effron then targeted a path to helping others get outpatient care.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Collectors MD secured a critical partnership with Birches Health<\/a>, a program that provides treatment for gambling, sports betting, day trading and other addictions.<\/p>\n Dan Pozner, VP of partnerships at Birches, is also a collector and came across Collectors MD when scrolling social media. Thinking Birches could provide support, Pozner and Effron connected on additional resources for the CMD community.<\/p>\n Through Birches, collectors can receive treatment with a specialized counselor<\/a> and a customized plan. A key component for Birches is that treatment is available virtually and considered in-network for many major insurance providers.<\/p>\n According to Pozner, specialized treatment for addictions such as gambling are major difference-makers on the path to recovery.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is absolutely critical,\u201d Pozner told cllct. \u201cIt is a game-changer, especially when you think about the options of going to a traditional, general mental-health therapist versus a specially trained certified counselor. It adds a whole new level of experience and understanding that really leads to highly effective outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n For Effron and Collectors MD, the target recently has been how to create more resources that allow compulsive collectors to limit themselves.<\/p>\n For the collecting community, a major hurdle has been whether or not the act of collecting \u2014 buying, selling, breaks \u2014 should be considered gambling. The basic definition of gambling fits many of the core concepts of collecting, but card manufacturers, breakers and other hobby companies have considered talk of the comparison largely taboo.<\/p>\n Major gambling sites and apps have self-exclusion mechanisms, meaning gamblers can choose to exclude themselves from the platforms for extended periods of time. Those mechanisms could surely be used by hobby companies, but the introduction of them would certainly signal an acceptance that collecting is gambling to some extent.<\/p>\n Whether or not collecting will ever be considered gambling is a complex question to answer. Regardless of official labels, there\u2019s no question the brain views parts of the two in a very similar way.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the group that\u2019s doing it for more of the financial incentives and financial gain, the overlap with gambling is incredibly strong and, in terms of how it interacts with the brain and how it can impact those reward systems in the brain, it\u2019s almost indistinguishable,\u201d Pozner said. \u201cThe same type of specialized treatment can be really effective with both, whether it\u2019s traditional gambling or compulsive collecting.\u201d<\/p>\n