10K Card Journey

  • Are Arena Club Slab Packs Worth it With a Discount?

    A surprise $20 coupon convinced me to try an Arena Club Gold slab pack. I landed a PSA 10 Aaron Judge rookie—solid value for my $87. While discounts are rare, they really help lower the break-even point to a more realistic price.

  • My Experience with Arena Club Slab Packs: A Cautionary Tale

    After buying an Arena Club Gold slab pack, I pulled a disappointing card but was pleasantly surprised by the buyback offer. Selling back was easy, though I took a small loss. This experience reinforced that slab packs are a gamble, and singles remain the smarter choice for collectors.

  • My Experience Buying an Arena Club Baseball Emerald Slab Pack

    Buying an Arena Club Emerald slab pack was a fun, impulsive splurge while on vacation. I pulled a PSA 10 George Lombard Jr. auto—not a grail, but a solid card. While the thrill was real, the odds still favor buying singles over slab packs for long-term value.

  • 6 Months into the 10K Card Journey: My Progress

    Returning to collecting in 2025 reignited my passion for sports cards and inspired the 10K Card Journey. With a $10,000 budget, I’ve focused on meaningful rookie and historic cards across sports, learned the ins and outs of various platforms, and shared every step to help others navigate the hobby alongside me.

  • Arena Club Auctions: My Experience Selling Cards

    I tested Arena Club’s auction feature by selling three graded cards. The process was simple, payment was fast, and no shipping was required—ownership transfers on the blockchain. While fees are still 10%, Arena Club is especially useful for selling Arena Club graded cards, which can be tough to move elsewhere.

  • SportsCardPro Review: A Tool for Tracking Your Sports Card Collection

    If you’re looking for a way to track your sports card collection, SportsCardPro is a free tool that provides estimated values and inventory management. While it works well for NBA, MLB, and NFL cards, it has limitations for niche sports and lacks some customization features. Is it worth using? Here’s my experience.

  • Best Credit Cards to Boost Rewards Buying Sports Cards

    Choosing the right credit card for sports card purchases can make a big difference in the rewards you earn. On eBay, where there are no credit card fees, using a cash-back or points-earning card is a no-brainer. On Fanatics Collect and Arena Club, where credit card fees apply, the right card can still help offset…

  • Why I Traded for an Anthony Edwards Panini Prizm PSA 10

    Trading is one of the most exciting parts of the hobby, and I recently made a deal that I feel great about. On Arena Club, I traded $70 and an Ethan Salas 1st Bowman (Arena Club 9.5) for a 2020 Anthony Edwards Panini Prizm PSA 10. With Edwards’ superstar potential and the upcoming NBA playoffs,…

  • COMC Review: Pros, Cons, and Next Steps

    I recently decided to test out COMC to see how well it works for both buying and selling sports cards. I started with a small $10 budget to explore the platform and ended up adding another $100 to try out their eBay auction listing feature. While the buying process was smooth, COMC’s outdated interface made…

  • Credit Card vs Bank Transfer: Which is Better When Buying Sports Cards?

    When buying sports cards online, using a credit card offers convenience, purchase protection, and cash back rewards—but depending on the platform, it can also come with extra fees. While eBay allows credit card payments with no additional cost, Fanatics Collect and Arena Club charge up to 2.9%, making bank transfers (ACH) the smarter choice for…