About the Show

Your Home for the Hobby

The Collector Nation Podcast is a weekly conversation about sports cards, Pokémon, and TCG — hosted by two lifelong collectors who talk about the hobby the way collectors actually talk about it. Market moves, grading debates, big pulls, bigger regrets, and the guests who are shaping where this all goes next. No script, no filter, just the hobby.

The Hosts

Ryan Alford

Co-Host · Founder, Collector Station

Ryan has collected since the mid-’80s, starting with the icons of the era — Michael Jordan, Roger Clemens, Darryl Strawberry, Mark McGwire — before chasing the legends: Bo Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas. Like a lot of collectors, life happened and the collection ended up in a closet for years.

It came roaring back when his four boys got into the hobby and the family started collecting together — a rekindled passion that ultimately led Ryan to open Collector Station in January 2026: a flagship trading card store in Easley, South Carolina. It’s built to be a true experiential destination — collectors shop high-demand singles and sealed product in a sports-bar atmosphere, with the podcast and content studio built right into the middle of the store.

Mid-’80sCollecting since
4Sons collecting with him
Jan ’26Opened Collector Station

Brian Ludden

Co-Host

Full bio coming soon — check back shortly for Brian’s collector history and background.

Beyond the Show

Visit Collector Station

The store behind the studio. High-demand singles, sealed product, and the sports-bar energy the podcast is recorded in the middle of — in Easley, South Carolina.

Shop Collector Station