Is Whatnot Gambling? The Hobby’s Biggest Debate Right

Unregulated online casino rather than a noble marketplace. You be a lot like they're all doing the same thing so I don't know if you can necessarily single out what not. Well I mean they're the biggest player so you start with the biggest player and then trickle found. I don't know if you watch the world baseball classic last night and the epic game that it was. It felt like it was going to be like this story about gending for the US.

I felt bad for the fight on the other hand like I do love a good underdog story.

March Madison's here though finally Climps and Women's Basketball has a pulse.

We got a newer coach last few years rock and roll and probably these guys both number eight seats. Welcome to The Collector Nation podcast here on The Collector Nation Network. Whether you're chasing grails or calling Bluffs. Take you inside the hobby. Here are your hosts Ryan Offer and Brian Look. All right guys what's happening? March Madison's here a lot of exciting things happening.

College sports all around. The most really cool is we're not just talking about the teams.

“We're talking about athletes. You can actually collect right now. That's why we have on it here.”

Leonard Barry digital marketing producer at on it. What's up brother? Hey Ryan good to see you again. I had so much fun last week. I said I got to come back.

Yeah brother. I'm ready to talk some college. It's always college town around here. We're like 20

minutes from Climpson. So and we got USC and all the other schools around us. Got some big athletes, big time programs across gymnastics, tennis, baseball, football, wrestling. I know we got some wrestling news today. Talk about it. Yeah we do have some wrestling news this weekend for maybe people who are so focused on basketball. It's actually NCAA wrestling championships as well. We have some of the best teams at on it. Wrestling cards. So if you've never

collected wrestling cards before and you're interested in that you could definitely check those out but amazingly in our Penn State set we have six signers. All six of those guys are number one seeds in their respective weight class. So let's leave our hands, Luke Lee doll, Mitchell Messabring, Shane Venness, Rock of Loach and PJ Duke. Every single one of those guys is a number one seed in their weight class and in fact out of the six of them only one of them

lost all year. So if you're wrestling fan or if you're trying to get into wrestling this is definitely the weekend Ryan for people who start watching wrestling. Leonard let's talk March madness man it's crazy. I don't know if you guys got a rabbit's foot or what but all 12 men's teams and nine women's teams are in the tournament. Yeah we got super super lucky this here with the lace selection Sunday shook out 21 of our teams in total they're making the tournament

the 12 men's teams we we had one number one seed in Michigan and then on the women's side we actually have all four number one seeds which is just kind of crazy that all of those teams work with us and we produce cards for the four best women's collegiate teams that are going to start the tournament here. You know it's insane and it just shows that you guys are picking the relevant programs the programs that have the followings but also the ones that have programs that make them

super collectible because they're playing in these individual tournaments men's and the women's the men I'll tell you this the women's product alone WMBA now with on it with college cards the women's

“game has really stepped it up I think the athlete's are becoming more marketable you've got on it”

promoting these players ahead of their pro career careers whether they go pro or not we're creating a soundboard and a platform for them and hey they're all in the tournament so before we finish Leonard he did you see winning these things in the men's and women's you have any predictions I saw that a lot of brackets but in my number one heart of heart brackets I'm going Michigan I like their style on the men's side 31 and 3 they got a pretty easy path there in the midwest

so I like Michigan to go all the way they've had the bumps I think needed to kind of know what to do in these close games and then on the women's side I think I'm going to take UCLA I know Yukon is undefeated it seems like blasphemy to pick against them but the way UCLA ran through the big 10 conference schedule this year the way that they just beat the allen teams inside the top 10 I think that they are the only team that has a chance to challenge Yukon and if they meet up

“in the final I'm looking forward because I think it's going to be fireworks. Hey I like a bold”

going bolder than I like it you can be easy to say I'll take Yukon and Michigan Michigan

Michigan's pretty heavy favorite I like to do personally at first but they got a guard that's hurt

so I think they're going to struggle a little bit missing that guard I don't know how if he's out the entire tournament or the first half we'll see I like Florida or Michigan in the men's and then

but I am I don't I don't root against my own state I am pulling for the Carroll South Carolina and Don Staley who I love again Clemson people don't behave me Don Staley's a badass and you know it

so anyway always not rooting for them but I think Yukon's going to be cutting down the nets again

if you ask me they just look like they got another one of those teams or yeah you know what's funny is Yukon's women's program was down when they were you know finishing second and third you know in the tournament like I think that machine's rolling again yeah Sarah's strong and as he fun probably two of the best players in the country right now and doesn't supporting cast that they have around there's the base cold to follow because she will be

“one of those turning pro for sure so uh collect now that's why you need to get on it literally”

because it was you with the title which is very likely uh I bet on good authority just watching them play this year uh you get the cards now folks let's do it uh Leonard we're going to be fine on it cards other than collector station yeah you can find them on it athlete.com that's our main websites if you want to just peruse through everything that we offer on the website on it athlete.com if you're into like live ripen ships we're also on TikTok and whatnot

pretty much daily Monday through Friday that can be found on it athlete all one word uh so if you don't want to open the cards yourself where you don't want to wait for them to keep delivered and you want that instant opening you can find us there as well otherwise you can find us online or you can find us a collector station if you're local to South Carolina I love it man the CSA this is going on and a lot of things on it's doing things different supporting these athletes

supporting the school give you something collectible whether they go pro or not you got the best of both worlds and Leonard really appreciate this partnership and appreciate you for coming on

day of course Ryan glad to see you as always and thanks so much for your time see you guys what's up

guys welcome to collector nation here on March 20th 2026 you may notice something a little different on your screen if you're watching it's not me in Brian's not Ryan and Brian it's Ryan and Belle it is it is already beast though yeah yeah we're doing Ryan and Bella Bella safer is our executive producer who you know we bring in we you know she's willing to but like I'll call her out sometimes but she finally has a camera over there what's up no longer in my hidey hole I know so uh Bella

is the uh official diva of the hobby I got you a title already too do you have the hobby yeah had some sparkle you know I I will admit there needs to be more flare in the hobby so I like

“whatever it is I mean you had your green on yesterday it was I you should have recorded this yesterday”

I think that would have been actually on brand for the hobby you know it would have been your green pair the green parallel version of of Bella okay one of one if uh if you get me to the national I'll go like I'll pink out I'll wear a pink wig it might be affordable I could fly you there well me and the boys take the RV yeah you guys can slum it in the RV oh I he's not slum it maybe it's a ax got that thing looking about half way there I would be done by this maybe by

the day before we leave yeah probably well I keep putting them on other things so uh yeah we got to tease what he's doing right now oh let's just say look we're here at collector station that's where we do this show and the wonderful easily South Carolina and our hobby store that's open to the masses they make us to watch us here as we record and you know

I have a back office that you had to admit up if some people would have done their office first

it's been the last project yep that in last very last very last bottom of which yeah we got the studio we got the store rock and looking good uh and then now my office which has it sort of just the door that goes into it and let's just say you know doors are boring yeah especially with their just white yeah white door we got everything else graffiti yeah so let's just say it will

“tease it with this secret passages are cool yep you know maybe it's a proctive me growing up”

with the Goonies movie and like other things where there were like it was the coolest thing ever to have secret passages hey my house has one back back in Connecticut we have like a little wine seller to our laundry room you're really cool kid then I remember going out of kids houses dude had like a couple of kids and I was like I can't believe I'm so jealous you have a

no you're your friend comes over and I'll push it and it's like look at our secret passages

your mom's folding clothes literally literally yeah it wasn't super exciting yeah exactly but you know

“it is exciting there's been some drama in the hobby this this week you know I think we”

got to start off swinging with what not and what's happening there it took me a while like get my head around exactly okay following it is a criminal charge is a civil chart no we've got arbitration complaints you know our legal system yeah I'm a college graduate barely but college graduate own multiple businesses I think by both measures like I feel like I'm a fluent yeah and I don't understand our legal system completely you know like I mean you

can sue anybody over anything at this point but multiple arbitration complaints it's like okay and someone's gonna inevitably be in me and call me in idiot and that I'll accept that but it's like and maybe I haven't had to go through enough this yeah which is hopefully a good sign but filed 15 complaints against whatnot unregulated online casino rather than a normal marketplace

“which I think if you make that argument like you know any other streaming place you know you”

be a lot like they're all doing the same thing so I don't know if you can necessarily single out what not well I mean they're the biggest player so you start with the biggest player and the trickles down yeah I mean the first time I see these and and I'll get to my opinion on this so like everybody's given their opinion you know now that my feed is 80% hobby all I do is get the

opinions of everyone else I'm gonna save that for a second and and more always go to things like

this and all you're like okay what does the person on the other side have to gain what are they going for and it's like okay as this money is just getting their name out there they're building their brand because if they if this were to be successful and what is success exactly getting them to be labeled and I guess getting all the legalese and everything that goes with it in the sort of guardrails that we have to put on our society because we're all children and we you know we

don't like to we get ourselves in holes that we want the government and laws to to keep us out of and don't give me the children well yeah I know I'm just saying let's call a spade a spade you want an opinion you're gonna get it and so we need to protect ourselves from ourselves with more laws and regulations and yes I know that Vegas and gambling all that has that too in a way it is gambling but I will say you do typically end up with some sort of asset on

the side was his cards versus the all or nothing you know if you spend $100 going to get a $20 card yes you were hoping you got a $5,000 card but you at least got a $20 card so you're really just overpaid for something what if you go to a mall that has everything marked up double what really anyone else is because they've got a fancy brand name and they put money sort are we gonna start suing them to because they marked their stuff up but they're gonna

but here's the argument the argument is well they don't have the repeat you know the ways they draw people in and the marketing and all that and I don't know I don't know I don't also argue that doesn't necessarily make what not the casino it makes the individual breakers a casino or well they're giving them yeah yeah this is back to the who shots someone the gun or the person so the platform or the people that are using it so it's an endless debate

and I get it I'm just I understand in theory what this is about and it's and then it's like well if the seniors are gonna be regulated then why doesn't this but I mean I will say in blackjack either win or you lose you don't pay $20 gambling on blackjack and get to keep five you lose all 20 so in whatnot this casino where you're trying to get the

best card you always get some cards that might not be worth as much so there is a distinction here

“that you're trying to pay and I think the bigger things what they're trying to say is less about”

maybe that and more about the fact that you will get addicted to this and there's new limits and

the way it is on gambling which I probably think it could use you know some regulation but I mean

if you take that logic opening a pack of cards is literally the same thing even if it's like you know done in different forms of randomized breaks or spinning wheels like at the end of the day there's still just opening packs of cards and so if it's gambling just because it's on live breaks I feel like it could then regular packs of cards should also be labeled as gambling yeah but you're buying a pack of cards to get what's in the pack and you might get something

great you might win a prize but you're paying for what's in the pack you're paying for whatever's

in it you're getting what's in that pack there's a transaction from money to cards in that pack

“and you have to assume that it's not the grand prize this that that bozo the clown isn't going to roll”

the grand prize bike out till you every time you open the pack you don't get that $50 bill from cookie the weirdo who helps bozo and you know if you're listening you know if that is you're an OG like me the grand prize game you ain't guaranteed to win every time but you play the game and so but you didn't win nothing they guess in most gambling it's all or nothing yeah no this is a transaction for you get what's in the pack you get what's in the break you get what's in the

spin it's something and you're taking the risk but you don't get nothing there's a difference

and that's my opinion do I think they could do better than what they do now to maybe curb what this guy you know 15 arbitration complaints that to get Chad chpd out to understand every you know word in this thing but you know it's just we can have a few more few more guard drills

“but without like going overboard yeah that's why and I don't think what not should they're going”

it's been a lot of many defend in this it's going to be bad publicity and I don't necessarily agree with it I want my kids spinning the older money and getting lured into this dark seeded place that is breaking come on but I mean that's also like that's the risky run and if the you know I'm sure they have the proper disclaimers and all of that when you sign up and join whatnot as you spend the money and you get some cards those cards might be great and they might not be

but you're paying for the cards that you get I just don't think what not should I necessarily pay the price for other people's addictions you know like they're not telling you you need to spend this money right now no but we're built on a society that was great success comes great responsibility and it's not wrong I'm not saying that's completely wrong but it's also flawed in

“its own way again I believe in some guard drills but I believe in guard drills and not absolute and”

every case is different this is not the same I'm interested to see how this kind of pans out I think it will be interesting and it could also be an opportunity for other platforms like eBay live to kind of get ahead of the curve before they get put in a similar situation I can't wait to watch 10 seconds of disclaimer at the beginning of every whatnot yeah you know or eBay live stream for sure this is could be a dating you may may not win you may may not get what you

want but you don't need to keep doing it over and over again we'll need to bad consequences okay here we go and now we're in for the break yeah it should just have that you might mortgage your house over these breaks because so a dating this spinning wheel in these shiny objects they're so attractive oh I did it serious I do don't oh I need no hate mail oh this is serious topic I mean people were you know mortgage in their house to whatever okay well then they need to grow

up and you know there may be news to be a few more guardrails and maybe they need to get cut off you know when they start using the seventh credit card let's just mix it right there yeah for sure I yeah I totally agree in lighter news though well I guess not for the United States but yeah actually I don't think this is lighter news at all for us but I don't know if you watch the world baseball classic last night and the epic game that it was you know I really don't

watch too much baseball but this I did tune in for it was a pretty pretty interesting game

USA and I give it to Venezuela you know they scored in the ninth and I it felt like I don't

“know like it was going to be like this story about gending for the US I felt so bad watching”

the last guy like stand up at bat like I felt because you could just see the defeat in his face you could see the defeat in the rest of the US team's face and I just like I felt bad for them but on the other hand like I do love a good underdog story yeah so are you really that anti-american no no no no but I just like you know like you could see how much Venezuela wanted it and so no I thought you know who won is baseball and like it's it reminds you of how much sport can kind of

I don't know part this red seas of division and different things and obviously we've been as well at one but like it really is the great past time and the great I don't know teacher of lots of lessons

and different things that don't always have to be about war and politics and everything else and so

“I think it was a win for baseball I think baseball had a really good pop last year with the teams”

in the world series in LA and like now I think this is just another thing that's going to resurrect and not that they need them baseball's pop for makes ton of money yeah still the most popular trading card but as someone that's gravitated more towards other sports having collected baseball growing up it is rekindling a little bit of interest for me I didn't need to keep pushing the rules to speed up the games and do things that they can not agree for 80 people like me but

but I do think it was cool but baseball's fun to watch I watch when they're there with a beer and a hot dog yeah I see another beer I kind of am in a tight spot because I both pull for the meds and the Yankees oh my god I know I'm probably gonna get flame for that one but uh oh that's possible

“well I'm a veteran judge yeah so maybe it's I just pull for air and judge but then I just think”

the meds are fun to watch and I hope for any good too and who wouldn't pull that guy but I'm interested to see how Bryce Harper's card's prices increase or decrease based on that home run because since they did have been a game winning they go for sure but it's kind of like it'll kind of in unfortunately it'll be remembered but forgotten because it was such a huge moment but sort of it lasted all the five minutes like every other huge bum. A blip in time. Yeah kind of like hockey

like okay hockey you're like you know and now it's kind of yesterday's news. Yep. March Madness is here though. I know I can't believe we went this long you know it only taking a whatnot controversy and me talking about it forever to keep us from March Madness. The Climps and Tigers all the matters that are number eight seed playing in Tampa against Iowa. Both women and men's comes and teams are

eight seed this. Finally Climps and women's basketball has a pulse we get a great new newer coach

last few years rock and roll and probably these guys both number eight seeds and you know I love Fernman and then this the bellows like Fernman grad it's a great really great school really like pop notch everyone I mean I don't know how Bella ended up the way she did I mean usually people coming out of there I'm kidding she's here for a reason it has a little to do with Fernman and a lot to do with her ability but I will say they're usually kind of the little engine that could

then they get to play you con the first time. Yeah I know it's like well anybody with Ryu con. So I was of Fernman student when we went to March Madness last time playing Virginia and it was probably the most school spirit I have ever had in my entire life like I felt purple running through my veins it was and I was giving a tour of campus and as the game winning basket hit you know that moment we walked into the admissions office and everyone just starts screaming the whole

campus erupted so I'm a little sad that one were playing Yukon because it's like okay well you know that's tough and then too it's at like 10 p.m. on Friday like you just have to have that late go out to probably smashing it would be the biggest upset and tournament history if it happened and there've been other 15 two wins I'll come on for you there was another one of those losing to a number two if you're like 10 year 15 years ago but I don't think that's going to happen but

let me ask you this question I got a question about Fernman okay it's a it one time it had religious ties a little bit does that still the case um no have they haven't had religious ties since

sense that we're in South Carolina and we're a small South Carolina school that's well known

for education and all that the F U shirts I love them it's always the first time I saw it I'm like

Fernman I love it but Fernman did this yeah it was her intent you know I don't know I did someone just do that then they didn't really know what they did and then your step back and like you made you've printed 10,000 of them and so they reside you guys know that's so our shant is also a few one time F U two times F U three times F U all of the time and that's like what we say like that that was intentional it had but I mean it's hilarious we made it last

“more grand is I think it was Jimmy Fallon like during or um was it Jimmy Fallon I think”

during one of the talk shows and I patterned in it like move I don't know um they were like making fun of the fact that were F U and all that stuff and I just think I think it's funny I think it's hilarious and I saw it I guess for you like a few a couple years ago whenever Fernman has been little engine that could for a while they made the turn of it here and there and I don't forget what it was I thought good that is awesome I can't believe Fernman did that but it's awesome

I mean if it's right there like you gotta I think we should have had and still have time even though this Arizona Friday we were we recorded a couple of days before we should have F U shirts the all wear purple F U shirts on Friday oh perfect yeah I can make it happen all right I love that's good for cosplayers it's like cuz we're walks in yeah just pretty Fernman like not you I mean hopefully they know I know hopefully they don't

anyway I had to ask that I had never asked you that it was great thing but always flew in the face

to me if what I thought of Fernman but it was like okay maybe I do like Fernman yeah and we also have Duke and UNC playing in Greenville which not against each other but uh I just think it's like we have a brand opening weekend it's collector station which is wonderful we've got some friends coming in we'll talk more about that next week but I'm glad but also I would have gone inside and watched everyone of these games in Greenville probably if we didn't have this

“grand effect yeah I was honestly thinking about that because I was trying to figure out it was like”

okay how could we get tickets to the games so that we can still make it to dinner and still but yeah exactly where we guess we could have we could have taken uh make her and Brian to the game we could we could take off uh work tomorrow go the games hmm maybe yeah I wonder it's probably not hard to get tickets right last time I checked they were like 90 bucks for the whole weekend no one can you stay but don't you case stay or do you get the leave after each game

I'm not talking about like what's legal about it if it's like a date I've never been on it

I don't know I've been in long time the date but are the whole tournament because um we've games Thursday and Saturday it's like $400 to go to every game at least I'm sure it's no is bleep yeah exactly you know um no he knows bleep didn't it bonds of course it's not at least they finally we called it bonds course and not the ballads center it took a long time to get that off that that that sponsorship stayed but you didn't know it that you but it was the

ballads center for it was there's no ballads anymore but yeah I was like this is a great of sponsorship ever you get to keep the name even when the new sponsor comes in uh anyway degrees uh well in other news new releases yeah we got some new releases uh the 2025 Penini football prism black drops at today as a recording miss I just sold a kidney and bought a few cases uh I only have one kidney so I didn't joke about that but uh yes I can't get rid

of all of mine that's all one of yours you don't like they're we're going to sort of get a couple weeks yeah perfect not cases I bought a few uh hobby boxes that wasn't on our normal

“release but I got suckered in like most but I think we could sell them uh but it's a cool product”

and it might be the last year with the license because toss party never give it back five stuff I wouldn't know I don't think they're going to let's like it's sued for it yeah but anyway it looks like a cool product that's coming out yeah yeah I think they have a lot of a lot of uh parallels that are coming out yeah I want that manga and that uh color blast and I'll take the prismania for uh you know a knife cap and we also have some other ones uh

uh predict series two hockey Bowman's best baseball and top's heritage baseball coming out too so

and we've always got a here at collector station yep got a few that heritage coming in

the upper decks series two hockey we do not have that because we bought some hockey I could then move right in South Carolina shocking yeah we'll see uh inevitably this weekend seven people last me yeah yeah we have more hockey oh we got in the uh the monopoly prisms the soccer see

“did you see those yep the world cup yeah see I think those are those are really cool”

I think there's I might have to rip one of those I like to say when I see what's okay don't do without me filming it I know I've been hot lately I pulled it down town has nothing and you keep not filming it so I run the social media down town why don't one mega box I got like a no I got like $1 $1 card that one dawner's big box don't tell me that I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna make you be miced up 24/7 yeah

Brian Thomas Jr. numbered card like a hundred and then his downtown and then a really cool pat my homes a scat-a-boo scat-a-boo-y so I call him I got pet names for everybody you got a I'm gonna make your boys start just recording you any time well honey well national I've been ripping that be friends we've got some good number ones yeah and he's got to have a camera out yeah I took that you pictures you know hey this is super stickers if you're listening

we got them we're gonna have on the website yeah that's where it's at that's a nice collectible I mean there's a hit in every single one of like every single one and it's like exciting like I like you know I I'm getting into the cards but the the be friends they tell you exactly what the hits are how likely you are to get them and it makes it so easy especially if you're new to the game or like just kind of like the excitement of opening it but don't want to learn all the

“players I think if you're into like the character stuff or Pokemon or anything like”

and on the get this I'd be a kid but I think there's something for everybody and they look cool they they feel very collectible that's the the base compliment that's a cute like I just found the names and generally positive behind them the meaning behind and the carry put in there so it's different but it has it has enough of what makes it collectible like the other cards the pair of little numbers but then enough that makes it different and feel fresh so yeah I'm excited

to see what they kind of do with uh I mean obviously it's a new a new fur brand so I'm excited to see where they go with that um but last thing we have today back to Aaron Judge he just had a

Bowman's chrome draft pick auto superfactor one of one sold fur five point two million dollars

and these records is bright every week I mean it sold in 2022 for $324,000 do we have that being flown in for me to wear as a necklace uh I mean I'm getting a diamond arrested right now for you so don't even worry about that but like how that growth I mean you can't even if you invested in the best damn stock in the market you're not going to see a jump from $324,000 to $5.2 million dollars in four years no it's placed among the top

seven to ten most expensive sports court cards of all time and he's up there with the homeless Wagner's like I mean it's crazy I don't know I'm just glad I got a card store I'm I also think it's interesting because when I first was reading about this I kind of just assumed like a golden probably this the one to sell it no fanatics collect yeah they're trying to get in on the axe and 5.2 mill

“big ones I mean I can't wrap my head around some of these values like I think it's cool card”

I mean I would have given at least a couple grand for it I mean yeah no no 324,000 that sounds right to me yeah 4500 that's been nice jump no 10x well the part that's scary to me is like you know we're just playing so what if you I mean he seems like he's relatively healthy and a good guy and all that great stuff like I said I met him and he was so down to earth so sweet but you know you don't know what's going to happen in the next 5-10 20 years like no so

so you're going to make a 5.2 million like where does the card go from there does it keep going up like

I don't know what's it make it's more big to question of what's it make other things worth and there's a lot of people holding cards like in this territory going well what did that make this somewhere I think one day you're just going to walk out from your PC and be like well guys

but it would take more than 2.2 for me to like close down the shop it has to be a few other

“zeros behind it 2.2 doesn't go as far as it used to yeah so we'll see I got my taster bigger than that”

need to I need like that 18.5 mil and then I wasn't really changing anything five bigger boat

it's 75 feet now I need like you know like 200 I got a cash in an invite to that house boat Oh it's coming the summer tour is happening I will be on the boat working you know

“one of the days a little week we'll figure it out perfect oh I think that's all we got”

yep hey you're to find us thecollection.com you can download the app and the app store as well it's got all the video contents the best source to get the direct video content and everything that

“we're doing for collector nation course I'm right Ryan offered on Instagram it's my biggest platform”

and we we being bill over myself answer every to him yes we do yes one of the other um and uh

bill a great job today appreciate you thank you yeah I'm excited to make my first camera appearance

there she is there she is behind the camera all right guys we'll see you next week right here on collection thanks for tuning into the show be sure to follow us on your go to podcast platform and catch the full video episode over on youtube visit us at collector nation.com and follow Ryan on Instagram at Ryan offered now get out there and collect yours