Collector Nation - eBay rejected GameStop’s Takeover Proposal… What this means for the hobby

Episode Date: May 15, 2026

Ryan Alford and Brian Ludden are back to talk about what is actually changing in the hobby — not just on the surface, but underneath it. This episode covers the hobby’s messy pricing reality, the limits of public comps, eBay’s evolving card tools, Beckett’s rebrand, PSA’s huge grading volume, and why old-school collection habits are about to collide with better software. Along the way, Ryan and Brian connect the dots between collector behavior, product design, and the bigger opportunity sitting in collection management and hobby infrastructure. It is part hobby conversation, part business conversation, and part look ahead at the systems that could shape how collectors buy, track, value, and move cards in the years ahead. Topics Covered God Packs and hobby randomness GameStop vs eBay and hobby platform power Why eBay pricing data is useful but still incomplete How off-platform sales distort true market value Beckett’s visual update and what it may foreshadow PSA submission scale and grading consistency questions The shift from notebooks and spreadsheets to smarter collection tools Ryan Alford and Brian Ludden on what collectors will need next

It's pretty much that GameStop is not a good company. And eBay's awesome. What happens when you get associated with meme stocks? You know, aren't they just sort of wealthy because of all that? Now they're in the sports card game and they want to have a stake in it. So they knew eBay was going to reject it. But it's crazy enough that we're talking about it right now. In the end, it's a genius move to let people know that they're in the same business as eBay.

So Beckett changing their logo and branding. How are they fitting PSA into that? PSAs Beckett, I almost said. PSA's B. I'll leave it there. Welcome to the Collector Nation podcast here on the Collector Nation Network. Whether you're chasing grails or calling bluffs, you take you inside a hobby.

Here are your host, Ryan Alford and Brian Lut. What's up guys? Welcome to Collector Nation here on the Collector Nation Network. You've got BRB, Brian, Ryan, Bella. Woo. What's cooking, guys? Oh, you know, life. I just had some delicious Chipotle.

That was cooking for me that Bella got for. She cooked it right up. Yep. That's always a good lunch. It's put you to sleep. You know, I had the bowl, so no big burrito. I had the big burrito. Oh, okay.

And I said, Chipotle is great. until it's really not great and you just got to stop eating. Well, I don't, I don't eat lunch. And when I do, I get so tired that I'm like, why do I eat lunch? I eat light now. I don't eat breakfast. So I have to eat lunch. But I eat like, I'm in the lighter mode.

I've actually dropped like 17 pounds less. You look great. Dang. You look great. Thanks. Hey, I appreciate that, Brian. I don't eat breakfast or lunch. And then I eat just dinner.

You're crazy for that. I don't know how you're functioning. I would be a ball of anger. Well, no comment. I'm just angry all the time because it doesn't affect me. Living that CEO life, angry. Anger. Yeah, I don't get angry. Brian, what's happening at Luddax, Chicago?

I mean, give us the Chicago, you know, sports scene, run down. and Luddx run down. So the baseball teams are doing well. So, you know, not a Cubs fan, but they're doing, they're a nice team to watch. Easy on the eyes. The socks are doing well. So I'm for them, 500, low under 500. The Bulls got the number four pick in the draft.

They should have had in six or seven. So that's good. and then just waiting for the weather to turn. We've had such a yo-yo. It's like it goes to like 75, 80, and then it goes to 50, 75, 80, 50. So, and then Luddx, we're just, you know, we got some releases coming out, you know, with the eye towards the national for the big release. But we're migrating some of it over now.

I showed you that super search, which is cool. and then the data, the data marketplace, and then just the new app, just like Beckett released a new look. Luddux will release a new look, but they'll get more pub. Are y'all like literally like a new logo or like a new, just new,

it's just the foundation of the app, right? Yeah, yeah, just the whole overall experience with the app. UI, UX. Yes, exactly. You know. So user interface user experience is what that stands for. And it just, what it means is the ease and comfortability of the app experience for a technical and non-technical user. Yeah, you got it.

And then I got my new background. Yes, that's probably the most important part of it. We have Sir Goat, Sir Aranis, Michael Jordan. and yes, Ryan and Ryan are actually an alignment on that. So if you don't think that's true, then that's your problem. You know what I found out this week about Pokemon?

What? There's something called a God pack. Dude, we've had one ripped in the store. We've had four. Oh, more ripped. Yeah, and I ripped one with my son a few months ago. Oh, you got one? Mm-hmm.

Those are pretty legit, dude. Yeah. One guy got a pack of ascended heroes, I believe. It was that or charismatic. He got $3,300 in cards in one pack. NBA finals time is one of those stretches where every possession matters. And if you're anything like me, you're not just watching the star score. You're watching the matchups, the defensive pressure, and the hustle plays.

The guys who completely swing a game with one steal. That's what makes underdogs steal the pot so fun. There's a million dollar pot sitting there, and all you have to do is pick the player who finishes the NBA finals with the most steals in the series. Your picks don't even need to win. You just have to back the right thief. I love this because it makes you watch the game differently.

Start paying attention to who's jumping passing lanes, who's getting more minutes, who's guarding other team's best player, and who has real defensive edge. Pick your player every game. include their steals stat, and when the series ends, the steals leader is crowned. The pot gets split among everyone who called it right. The more finals games you back that player, the bigger your share.

Download the app today and use promo code Collector to score $50 in bonus entries when you play your first $5. That's promo code collector. Underdog, make picks win money. Must be 18 plus. 19 plus in Alabama, Nebraska, 19 plus in Colorado for some games. 21 plus in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Virginia, and present in a state where underdog fantasy operates. Terms apply.

Concerned with your play, call 1-800 My Reset, or 1-800 gambler, or visit www.n.n.w.n-W-N-C-P-Gambling.org. Arizona, 1-800, next step. 1-800-639-7-83. Or text, next step to 533-4-2. New York, call the 24-7-H-7-8, Hope, New York. That's H-O-P-E-N-Y, or text H-O-P-E-N-Y, 4-6-7-3-6-7-3-7-7. Thanks, nine.