In this episode of The Shallow End, Alyx Effron, Founder of Collectors MD, sits down with Iowa Dave Sports Cards to confront one of the hobby’s most overlooked issues: the blurred line between collecting and addiction.

Alyx opens up about his personal journey—how a lifelong passion for sneakers and cards spiraled into compulsive behavior, overspending, and secrecy—and how those struggles ultimately inspired him to launch Collectors MD.

Together, they dive into:

• Why overspending, secrecy, and loss of control are the “elephant in the room ...