In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Ryan and Desiree Knowles, better known as Like Father Like Son, one of the hobby's fastest-growing family brands. As a husband-and-wife team, parents, content creators, breakers, and passionate advocates for responsible engagement, Ryan and Desiree have built a thriving community centered around family, positivity, and teaching the next generation what collecting is truly about.

Alyx, Ryan, and Desiree explore what it means to raise children in today's rapidly evolving hobby and why parents play such an important role in shaping healthy collecting habits from an early age.

The conversation begins with Ryan's journey into the hobby and how collecting became something his entire family enjoys together. They discuss the life lessons collecting can teach—from communication and negotiation to patience, entrepreneurship, and financial responsibility—and why those lessons extend far beyond sports cards.

Desiree also shares her unique perspective on entering the hobby from the outside. Unlike Ryan, she didn't grow up collecting and wasn't a sports fan. She simply wanted to spend more quality time with her family by participating in something they genuinely loved. What began as a way to connect with her family gradually became a passion of her own, offering a powerful reminder that collecting isn't just about the cards—it's about creating shared experiences, strengthening relationships, and finding meaningful ways to connect with the people who matter most.

They also dive into the realities parents should understand as more children enter today's hobby. From live breaking and social media to influencer culture and highly stimulating hobby environments, Ryan and Desiree share their perspective on protecting young collectors while preserving everything that makes the hobby so special.

Fresh off Fanatics Fest and the West Coast Card Show, Alyx, Ryan, and Desiree reflect on the tremendous growth of the hobby, the incredible number of young collectors entering the space, and the opportunities—and responsibilities—that come with collecting becoming more mainstream than ever before.

Finally, they discuss #RipResponsibly, the importance of promoting healthier collecting habits, and why creating awareness isn't about discouraging collecting—it's about helping ensure the hobby remains fun, meaningful, and sustainable for future generations.

This episode is about family, education, responsibility, and protecting the future of collecting.

Whether you're a parent, collector, breaker, hobby business, or simply someone who wants to see the hobby grow in a positive direction, this conversation is for you.

Subscribe, share, and join the conversation around healthier collecting, family, community, and responsible engagement.

Watch The Episode On YouTube

Learn More & Join The Movement:

Website: collectorsmd.com

Nonprofit: lohas.org/client/the-cmd-foundation

Socials: bio.collectorsmd.com

Weekly Meetings: bit.ly/45koiMX

Contact: info@collectorsmd.com

YT: ‪@collectorsmd

IG: @collectorsmd

Follow Like Father Like Son:

YT: @LikeFatherLikeSon_Cards

IG: @likefatherlikeson_cards

FB: Like Father Like Son Cards & Breaks

Help for Problem Gambling: Call or Text 800-GAMBLER

This Episode of The Collector's Compass is sponsored by ‪All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% of your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

#CollectorsMD | #TheCMDFoundation | #LikeFatherLikeSon | #RipResponsibly

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Megan Poliquin, LPCC-S, LICDC-GAMB, OCPSA, Manager of Gambling Treatment and Prevention at Zepf Center, to explore how addiction changes the brain—and why modern collecting environments are creating behavioral patterns that increasingly resemble traditional gambling.

With nearly a decade of experience treating gambling disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions, Megan brings a unique clinical perspective to a conversation that sits at the intersection of psychology, addiction, recovery, and today's rapidly evolving hobby landscape.

Together, Alyx and Megan discuss why modern collecting has changed so dramatically over the past several years. From live breaks and mystery products to constant product releases, scarcity marketing, and social media-fueled hype, they examine how today's collecting environments can activate many of the same psychological mechanisms that drive compulsive gambling.

The conversation also explores why so many collectors fail to recognize these patterns until significant financial, emotional, or relational consequences begin to emerge. Megan explains how variable rewards, dopamine, chasing behavior, and emotional avoidance can quietly transform a healthy hobby into something much more difficult to control—and why these behaviors often go unnoticed because they don't resemble traditional gambling.

Alyx and Megan also discuss the growing gap between modern collecting and today's behavioral health system. They explore why many clinicians have never been trained to recognize compulsive collecting, why greater awareness is needed throughout the treatment community, and how partnerships between organizations like Collectors MD and Zepf Center can help build stronger pathways for education, prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Finally, they discuss harm reduction, intentional collecting, and why the goal isn't to eliminate collecting—but to help people maintain a healthy relationship with the hobby before the chase begins to outweigh the joy.

At its core, this episode is about understanding how addiction works, recognizing the warning signs before they escalate, and creating a future where collectors, families, clinicians, and the hobby itself are better equipped to support healthier engagement.

If you've ever wondered why it can be so difficult to stop chasing the next card, the next box, or the next release—or if you've watched someone you care about slowly lose control of what started as a hobby—this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Subscribe, share, and join the conversation around healthier collecting, behavioral health, and responsible engagement.

Watch The Episode On YouTube

Learn More & Join The Movement:

Website: collectorsmd.com

Nonprofit: lohas.org/client/the-cmd-foundation

Socials: bio.collectorsmd.com

Weekly Meetings: bit.ly/45koiMX

Contact: info@collectorsmd.com

YT: ‪@collectorsmd

IG: @collectorsmd

Learn More About Zepf Center:

Website: zepfcenter.org/gambling-treatment

YT: ‪@zepfcenter6418‬

LI: Zepf Center

Follow Megan:

LI: Megan Poliquin

Help for Problem Gambling: Call or Text 800-GAMBLER

This Episode of The Collector's Compass is sponsored by ‪All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% of your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

#CollectorsMD | #TheCMDFoundation | #ZepfCenter | #RipResponsibly

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Dylan Genschaw, a Wisconsin-based collector and YouTube creator known for documenting new product releases, PSA submissions, and the realities of modern collecting.

Like many collectors, Dylan returned to the hobby chasing a favorite player and the excitement of opening packs. But what started as a simple search for an Aaron Rodgers card gradually evolved into spending hundreds of dollars chasing the next hit, the next rookie, and the possibility of a big return. Eventually, he stepped back, recognized how easily collecting had shifted from enjoyment to chasing outcomes, and made the decision to completely rethink his relationship with the hobby.

Today, Dylan has become a vocal advocate for intentional collecting, ending each of his videos with a reminder to "Collect with intent & spend responsibly", while encouraging viewers to learn more through Collectors MD.

In this conversation, Alyx and Dylan explore what that journey looked like firsthand—from rediscovering the hobby as an adult to recognizing unhealthy patterns before they spiraled further. They discuss the psychology behind ripping sealed product, the temptation to chase return on investment, and why so many collectors unknowingly find themselves caught in cycles driven by excitement rather than enjoyment.

The conversation also examines the growing influence of hobby content and livestream culture. Dylan shares his perspective as a creator, discussing the responsibility that comes with producing ripping content, the pressure to keep opening bigger products, and why creators have an opportunity to encourage healthier habits without taking away the fun that makes collecting special.

Finally, Alyx and Dylan discuss what intentional collecting actually looks like in practice. They talk about setting boundaries, rediscovering the joy of collecting for personal fulfillment rather than financial outcomes, and why changing hobby culture doesn't require eliminating excitement—it starts with encouraging collectors to become more thoughtful about how they participate.

At its core, this episode is about self-awareness, balance, and proving that you can love the hobby while still protecting yourself from the behaviors that can quietly turn collecting into something much different.

If you've ever found yourself chasing the next release, buying boxes you never planned on purchasing, or wondering where the line exists between collecting and chasing, this is a conversation worth listening to. Because the goal isn't to stop collecting. It's to collect with intention.

Subscribe, share, and join the conversation around healthier collecting, hobby culture, and responsible engagement.

Watch The Episode On YouTube

Learn More & Join The Movement:

Website: collectorsmd.com

Nonprofit: lohas.org/client/the-cmd-foundation

Socials: bio.collectorsmd.com

Weekly Meetings: bit.ly/45koiMX

Contact: info@collectorsmd.com

YT: ‪@collectorsmd

IG: @collectorsmd

Follow Dylan Genschaw:

YT: @dylangenschaw⁩

IG: @dylangenschaw

X: @dylangenschaw

Shop Dylan's Collection: mercari.com/u/dgen42/?sv=0

Help for Problem Gambling: Call or Text 800-GAMBLER

This Episode of The Collector's Compass is sponsored by ‪All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% of your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

#CollectorsMD | #TheCMDFoundation | #RipResponsibly