Another fun conversation on Pastime Radio: The Collectibles Show! Big thanks to Tom Mayenknecht, host of The Sport Market, and Ken Richardson of Pastime Sports for having me back on the show. I always appreciate their continued support for the non-sport community in the trading card hobby! We touched on the recent 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game, the current NHL playoff standings in the West (Go Kings Go), and new non-sport card releases focusing on the new Upper Deck DC Annual card set.  This conversation, which touched on the launch of the new Facebook group, "DC Collectors Worldwide," and combined with my upcoming trip to the Toronto Expo, has me thinking again about how social media has improved collecting, turning a previously solo pursuit into a vibrant community-driven experience.

Social media has changed how we source and complete our collections and connect and share our hobby experiences. I've been a collector since the early '90s, spending time in high school and during college working at my local comic book shop. Back then, it felt like such luck being in the shop, seeing and hearing about cards as collectors pulled them, having access to a large selection of products and collectors to trade with. (Remind me to share what Sunday morning pack inventories were like someday). Without that, collecting was primarily limited to your immediate circle of friends (if they collected) and the occasional comic book show, making access to sought-after cards feel incredibly rare and exciting. We all remember going into the local comic shop in the glorious days before the industry collapsed and seeing that chase card we needed in the case. Then the shops started closing, and collecting became too much work for some until the pandemic social media combo arrived.

Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube have become musts for collectors. They offer both seasoned and newer collectors the same access to our trading card communities, making it easier than ever to locate specific cards, plates, and sheets that once seemed impossible to find and making it easier to share knowledge and get caught up to speed on what's current in the hobby. Today, making an ISO card post on Instagram or sharing a missing set piece in a Facebook group can lead to quick responses from collectors worldwide, speeding up the process of completing collections.

But beyond "for sale," "ISO," and valuation posts, social media has reshaped the culture around the hobby, creating communities and friendships that wouldn't have existed otherwise. Facebook groups (like "DC Collectors Worldwide" - come join), Instagram, and Discord communities dedicated to specific trading card genres have fostered genuine friendships and valuable networks. I have attended the Toronto Sports Expo twice a year for the last three years because of the connections and friendships I made in a Sports Card room on the Clubhouse app. Live streaming and interactive platforms such as Whatnot are turning out to be points of entry for a new generation of collectors, turning what has frequently been an isolated pastime for some collectors into a very social experience.

The power of social media is not only in making rare collectibles more accessible but also in its ability to connect those of us who share similar interests. Collectors no longer feel isolated in their hobby; instead, we talk daily, have 16 group chats going on, and help each other connect to the cards we need. (Need!) What a great time to be a collector.