Known in the Collectibles.com community as @max_martin, Max has been around sports cards since he was about ten years old, and the itch for collecting started when a store at his local mall called “Wall of Fame” sold him a 1952 Mickey Mantle reprint that he still owns today. The foundation was always there. But what changed in 2022 wasn't his love of the hobby; it was why he needed it.
After surviving a violent, random attack by a boxcutter-wielding psycho in 2014, Max spent several years in a difficult stretch around recovery. By 2022, he was done with that version of his life and ready to change course. Baseball became his anchor. The cards became a practice.
"I got tired of the life I was wasting," he says. "I started using baseball, including collecting cards, as a way to not only distract myself but to help heal all the anger I couldn't let go of."
In the past four years, Max has found his joy in the passion of collecting, and he’s catalogued over 133,000 items on the Collectibles.com app — a number that doesn't happen by accident. We sat down with him to talk about where it all began, the three cards he'd fight to keep, and what he thinks the hobby may look like twenty years from now.
The Max Martin Interview
How long have you been collecting, and what things are you collecting?
"I've enjoyed collecting cards since I was a child, but I became a serious collector in 2022."
Max has been around the hobby his whole life, but 2022 was the year it became something deliberate. That distinction matters to him — there's a difference between owning some cards and being a collector, and he knows exactly when he crossed that line.
Every collection has a "Day Zero" — what was the very first item that triggered your passion for collecting, and do you still own it today?
"I was very young, around 10 if I had to guess, when I got a 1952 Mickey Mantle reprint from a store called Wall of Fame at our local mall. I still own it, but it's missing the front cover for the display."
Still in the collection. Still missing the cover. Some things you just don't let go of, even when they're not perfect — maybe more when they're not perfect.
Was there a specific person who introduced you to the hobby, or did you catch the itch on your own?
"I got the itch on my own."
No mentor, no older sibling with a binder full of rookies. Max found his way to the hobby by himself, which might explain why his relationship with it has always felt personal rather than inherited from someone else.
At what point did you stop being someone who just owned a few collectibles and started identifying as a "collector"?
"In 2014, four people, including myself, were attacked by a man with a box cutter. For the following several years, alcohol was what I turned to. In 2022, I finally got tired of the life I was wasting, and I started to use baseball, including collecting cards, as a way to not only distract myself but to help heal all the anger I couldn't let go of."
This is the answer that reframes everything else. The turning point wasn't a card show or a big pull. It was a decision to stop drowning in something brutal from the past and start building. The collection became the structure. The hobby was the inspiration.
What gives you the most satisfaction: the treasure hunt or the capture?
"The treasure hunt for sure. Buying retail and hitting a big card has been the most satisfactory experience for me. Which any serious collector or investor wouldn't advise. Buying retail is for gamblers."
He knows the odds. He likes them anyway. There's something refreshingly honest about a collector who can acknowledge that the thing that brings him the most joy is also the thing that makes the least financial sense, and then do it anyway. Why? Because the feeling one feels inside is why one does this hobby.
How much of your collecting process is driven by nostalgia versus an appreciation for artistic relevance or historical significance?
"I have a vintage collection that I covet. Some of the players and artwork remind me of cards I dreamed of when I was a child and saw in Beckett guides. We were required to check out a book in elementary school, and for some reason, our library had books about baseball cards!"
The Beckett guides checked out from an elementary school library — it's such a specific, vivid detail. The kind of thing you don't forget. Those early encounters with cards you couldn't afford have a way of staying with you, shaping what you chase decades later.
Do you have a specific process or ritual after acquiring a new collectible?
"I usually don’t waste any time getting them added to my collection on the Collectibles.com app and then sort them alphabetically to get them added into my collection and displayed on my Profile."
Simple, consistent, repeatable. For someone who has catalogued over 133,000 items on the app, that kind of discipline isn't optional — it's what makes a collection an organized showcase rather than a bunch of binders or shoeboxes filled with countless cards.
How do you select new additions to your collection? Are you looking for mint condition, graded, and authenticated? Or do you pursue items for their character and personal nostalgic value?
"I'm definitely a hoarder, so all of these can be true. In the rare instance I'm looking for a specific card, it's usually graded or is an auto of a player I enjoy."
The self-awareness here is part of what makes Max a good collector to follow. He knows exactly what kind of collector he is — broad, instinct-driven, emotionally motivated, and he's made his peace with it.
In a world of fluctuating markets, how do you balance an item's financial value with its sentimental worth?
"If the card's value is enough that I wouldn't have any anxiety about letting it go, I haven't had any issues selling. Certain players that I don't consider myself a fan of are easy sells."
A clean, honest framework. It's not about ignoring value — it's about knowing which cards have a hold on you and which ones don't. The ones with a hold aren’t for sale. Everything else is negotiable.
If you had to choose only 1-3 items from your collection, which ones would they be and why?
"The '66 Mantle I got recently at a card show and had an amazing time with my two best friends. The Elly De La Cruz printing plate I opened out of a Hobby Box in my buddy's car, leaving the card show — so that was a memorable moment. Finally, as a Yankees fan, George Lombard Jr. has been a very fun prospect to follow and is easily one of my favorite Yankees. These are crazy valuable cards, but they mean a lot to me."
What's striking about this answer is that it reflects the hobby itself: many cards and other collectibles often come with a story attached. Not a price, not a grade — a moment, a memory. A card show with his best friends. A parking lot pull that nobody saw coming. A prospect he's been following and believes in. For Max, the value of a card and the meaning of a card are two completely different things, and meaning wins every time.
Is there a "White Whale" collectible that you are currently hunting?
"There isn't currently a white whale collectible for me. It's more about sharing the experience with friends and enjoying what I currently have."
In a hobby that can easily become about what you don't have yet, this is a genuinely rare answer. Contentment is harder to come by than a 1/1.
How has Collectibles.com changed the way you stay organized and interact with the hobby?
"It has pushed me to finally organize my cards! It’s amazing to meet up with friends, and they can look through all my cards on the app rather than me trying to haul a vehicle full of cards."
The vision is social as much as practical, a portable collection you can easily share without a moving truck. With over 130,000 items, the app isn't a convenience for Max —it's the only reason he can keep it organized and all of it in the palm of his hands!.
What advice would you give to a novice collector or a young kid just starting to show interest in the hobby?
"Buy whatever cards you like and [the players and the teams] you want. Don't get sucked into the videos of people pulling crazy cards out of retail boxes or from breaks."
Straightforward, hard-won advice. Follow your passion, collect what you love. Don't let hype define what your collection looks like.
Where do you see the hobby in 10 to 20 years?
"I think an integrated application like Collectibles.com will continue to evolve and eventually become a one-stop shop. It will serve as a platform for people to continue to grow and share their experiences with the other members of the community. I think people will enjoy this digital side of collecting [and being organized], but having the ability to ship a card and maintain a physical collection won't ever leave the hobby."
The digital side grows. The physical remains. Max sees both coexisting — the community and the catalog living online, but the item itself exists in his hands.
Are there any items that you would buy today that you believe will be considered collectibles in the future?
"None that I can think of!"
Fair enough. When you've got 133,000 items already catalogued, maybe the future can wait!
Max's story points to something we've noticed repeatedly across our community — collecting is rarely just about the objects. For most, it's about what the items represent. The focus they provide. The ritual they create. The excuse to spend a Saturday with people you care about.
We saw the same thing when we wrote about collectibles you didn't know were collectible: people holding onto the most unexpected things, not because of what they're worth, but because of what they mean to them. In a hobby increasingly shaped by frothy auction prices and influencer hype, that sentiment is worth holding onto.
For me personally (Dillan - Social Media Manager of Collectibles.com), collecting has always carried that same weight. I started collecting vintage pens with my grandad as a kid. It gave me something to look forward to every weekend, a reason to forget about the harder parts of school and just be somewhere I felt good. I still think about that when the market noise gets loud. Which is part of why I made myself a rule: I buy Pokémon ETBs sealed, and one day I'm going to hand them to my kids and open them together. Maybe we pull a Mega Charizard. Maybe we don't. Either way, that's the point. Enjoying the hobby for the feeling, and not just the monetary value.
Written by Dillan — the Social Media Manager at Collectibles.com
If Max's story resonated with you, we'd love to hear yours! Submit your collection below.
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Max Martin is a member of the Collectibles.com community. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Find and follow collectors like Max at Collectibles.com.
