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Brand & Partnerships

The Hobby'sUntapped Audience.

The collectibles market is a $12+ billion industry growing at nearly 20% annually — with a passionate, high-spending audience that brands have barely begun to reach. Collector Nation is the platform that changes that.

Collector Nation Brand Opportunity
$12.6B Market in 2024Growing at 19% CAGR90M Monthly Searches100K+ Monthly ReachTop 10 Apple Podcast18–44 Core DemographicHigh Disposable IncomeUnderserved by Brands$12.6B Market in 2024Growing at 19% CAGR90M Monthly Searches100K+ Monthly ReachTop 10 Apple Podcast18–44 Core DemographicHigh Disposable IncomeUnderserved by Brands
The Market

A $12 Billion Industry
Brands Are Missing.

The sports card and collectibles hobby has quietly become one of the fastest-growing consumer categories in North America — driven by passionate collectors who spend consistently, invest seriously, and trust the voices they follow. The opportunity for brands is enormous, and it is largely untapped.

$12.6B
Global Sports Trading Card Market Value — 2024
19.1%
Projected CAGR 2024–2029 (Technavio)
$23B+
Projected Market Size by 2032
90M
Global Monthly Searches for Trading Cards
$1.8B
Private & Institutional Capital Invested 2022–2024
600+
Live Card Shows & Conventions Globally Per Year
2.8B
Physical & Digital Cards Circulating Globally — 2024
65%
Of US Collectors Aged 18–34 — Prime Brand Demo
Why This Audience

Passionate. Invested.
Underserved by Brands.

📈
They Spend — Consistently. The average US collector spends $145+ annually on cards alone, with high-end buyers investing thousands per month. This is a financially committed audience.
🤝
They Trust Creator Voices. 30% of collectors follow hobby influencers and 25% make purchases based on their recommendations — creator-authentic partnerships convert at rates traditional ads can't match.
📱
They're Digitally Active. 80% discuss the hobby on social platforms weekly. 48% of transactions happen online. This is a native digital audience that engages deeply with content.
🏆
They Skew Young & High-Income. 65% of collectors are 18–34. Gen Z and Millennials are the fastest-growing collector segments — driving the next decade of hobby growth.
🔒
Brand Saturation Is Near Zero. Unlike sports or music, the hobby has almost no established brand presence. Early-mover advantage for the right partners is massive.
Collector Demographics Snapshot
18–34 Age Group 65%
Follow Creator / Influencer Content 30%
Buy Based on Creator Recommendation 25%
Purchase Online (Primary Channel) 48%
Consider Cards as Investment Assets 42%
Active on Social Hobby Communities 80%
Sources
Technavio, Verified Market Research, WorldMetrics, Market Decipher — 2024/2025
Our Reach

Collector Nation's
Built Audience.

We've already done the hard work of building the audience. Collector Nation reaches collectors, investors, and hobby enthusiasts across every major platform — with a Top 10 podcast, a dedicated app, a streaming video platform, and a physical retail presence.

🎙
Podcast Reach
Top 10

Ranked Top 10 Sports on Apple Podcasts. Industry voices, market insight, and collector culture — distributed to engaged listeners wherever they tune in.

📱
App & Digital
100K+

Monthly reach across the Collector Nation app (iOS & Android), YouTube, and social channels. Purpose-built for hobby audiences, not repurposed general content.

Video Platform
Weekly

A dedicated streaming destination for the hobby — original series, market analysis, live events, and exclusive content published every week at video.thecollectornation.com.

🏪
Physical Presence
Live

Collector Station in Downtown Easley, SC — flagship retail, live event venue, and working content studio. In-person brand activations and event sponsorship opportunities available.

🎯
Audience Quality
Verified

Hobby-specific audience — not a general sports fan base. Our listeners and viewers are active, high-intent collectors and investors with real purchasing power in the hobby.

📊
Cross-Platform
Unified

Unlike fragmented creator partnerships, Collector Nation delivers a unified brand message across podcast, video, social, app, and retail — consistent reach across every touchpoint.

How We Work Together

Partnership
Opportunities.

We don't do generic ads. Every brand partnership is built around authentic integration into the hobby conversation — the kind of content that collectors actually trust and act on.

01
🎙
Podcast Sponsorship
Flagship · High Reach

Authentic host-read integrations on the Collector Nation Podcast — Top 10 Apple Sports. Not a 30-second spot. A real conversation with our audience about your brand.

  • Host-read mid-roll and pre-roll placements
  • Episode segment sponsorship
  • Brand mention in show notes and social promotion
  • Access to engaged, hobby-specific listener base
02
Video & Content Integration
High Engagement · Multi-Platform

Brand integration across YouTube, the CN Video Platform, and short-form social. From product features to segment sponsorship — content that lives beyond a single broadcast.

  • YouTube pre-roll and mid-roll integration
  • Branded content segments and series sponsorship
  • Social clip distribution across Instagram, TikTok, X
  • Video on demand placement on thecollectornation.com
03
🏪
Event & Retail Activation
Experiential · In-Person

Sponsorship of live events, trade nights, and in-store activations at Collector Station — connecting your brand directly with collectors in the physical hobby space.

  • Trade Night and event title sponsorship
  • In-store display and product sampling
  • Live stream broadcast integration from the studio
  • Regional hobby show presence and co-activation
04
🤝
Strategic Brand Partnership
Custom · Long-Term

A fully custom partnership built around your brand's goals — combining podcast, video, social, events, and data into a cohesive hobby marketing strategy that actually moves the needle.

  • Custom content strategy and editorial calendar
  • Dedicated brand segment or recurring feature
  • Cross-platform reach with unified messaging
  • Performance reporting and audience data access
Why Now

The Window Is
Open. For Now.

The hobby is growing fast. Brand presence within it is nearly zero. The brands that move first will own the space. Here's why the timing is critical.

01
Category-Level Opportunity

Unlike sports, music, or gaming — the collectibles hobby has no established brand ecosystem. There are no dominant sponsors. No go-to media partners. The category is wide open for the brands that recognize it first.

02
Explosive Growth Trajectory

The market grew from ~$5B in 2020 to $12.6B in 2024. It is projected to hit $23B+ by 2032. New collectors are entering the hobby every month — driven by Gen Z, pandemic-era discovery, and sports crossover.

03
Creator Trust Is at a Premium

Collector audiences are skeptical of traditional advertising and deeply loyal to creators they trust. Authentic integrations through Collector Nation reach them in a way no banner ad or broadcast spot ever could.

04
The Platform Is Already Built

You don't have to build the audience. We already have it — podcast, video, app, retail, and social. A brand partnership with Collector Nation is a direct on-ramp to the most engaged collector audience in the country.

05
Proven Media Operator Behind It

Collector Nation is built by Ryan Alford — the creator behind the #1 Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts, and an eight-figure media revenue operator. This is not an experiment. It's a proven playbook applied to a new category.

06
First-Mover Brand Equity

The brands that partner with Collector Nation now will be the brands the hobby associates with for the next decade. Early-mover advantage in an emerging media category is one of the highest-ROI positions in marketing.

Who You're Working With

A Proven Media
Operator.

Ryan Alford
Ryan Alford
Founder · Collector Nation · RAD Collective
8-Fig
Revenue Generated
#1
Marketing Podcast
Top 10
Sports Podcast
10+
Years Building

Ryan Alford is not a first-time creator. He spent over a decade building one of the most successful independent media operations in the podcast space — generating eight-figure revenue through brand partnerships, content strategy, and creator networks.

His show Right About Now reached the #1 spot on Apple Podcasts in the marketing category — attracting Fortune 500 CMOs, bestselling authors, and global brand executives. That same discipline, infrastructure, and brand relationships are now powering Collector Nation.

As the founder of RAD Collective and operator of Collector Station in Downtown Easley, SC, Ryan brings a rare combination of media expertise, retail execution, and creator credibility that no other hobby platform can match.

Start a Partnership Conversation Listen to Right About Now
Get in Touch

Let's Build Something
Together.

Every great partnership starts with a conversation.

Tell us about your brand and what you're trying to accomplish. We'll come back to you with ideas — not a rate card.

🎯
Custom StrategyWe build every partnership from scratch around your goals — not a generic sponsorship package.
Fast ResponseEvery brand inquiry is reviewed by Ryan personally. Expect to hear back within 48 hours.
📊
Data-BackedWe bring audience data, market research, and campaign frameworks to every conversation — not just reach numbers.
🤝
Long-Term FocusWe're building lasting brand relationships in the hobby, not one-off transactions. The right partners grow with us.
Inquiry Received

Thank you for reaching out. Ryan reviews every brand inquiry personally — you'll hear back within 48 hours with ideas tailored to your goals.

The Hobby Awaits

Your Brand.
Their Passion.

The collectibles audience is passionate, loyal, and waiting for brands that get them. Collector Nation is the platform that gets them — and gets results for you.

Partner With Collector Nation Learn About the Platform