Certified Trading Card Association, Inc.

08/14/2026

🦈 WELCOME TO THE CTCA, SLAB SHARKS!

We’re excited to officially welcome Slab Sharks as a Founding Industry Member of the Certified Trading Card Association!

Built for Canadians, by Canadians, Slab Sharks has grown into the #1 eBay consignment business in Canada, creating an end-to-end solution that helps collectors sell cards and collectibles while reaching buyers around the world.

From its customer portal and weekly auctions to secure processing, global shipping, transparent payouts, and support for sports cards, TCG, memorabilia and other collectibles, Slab Sharks represents exactly the kind of growing hobby business we want involved in shaping the future of our industry.

Their addition also represents something bigger for the CTCA: our continued expansion beyond the United States and toward becoming a truly international industry association. 🌎

Welcome to the movement, Slab Sharks. 🦈🤝

Safer. Smarter. Stronger.

Learn more about Slab Sharks: slabsharks.com

To join CTCA visit www.thectca.org/join

Collectibles

08/13/2026

IS YOUR BREAKER CERTIFIED? 🛡️

Starting 9.1.2026, that’s the question collectors should be asking before buying into a break.

The CTCA Certified Breaker Program is about raising the standard for breaking across the hobby — creating greater transparency, integrity, consumer protection, responsible participation, and accountability.

Certification isn’t just a badge.

It’s a commitment to doing things the right way.

For breakers, it’s an opportunity to demonstrate that commitment.

For collectors, it’s another tool to help make informed decisions about who they trust with their money, cards, and hobby experience.

A safer hobby. A smarter hobby. A stronger hobby.

🛡️ CTCA Certified Breaker Program
📅 Launching 9.1.2026

Is your breaker certified?

08/13/2026

👑 CARDBOARD KINGS: THE HISTORY OF TRADING CARDS 👑

Every card has a story.

Before the million-dollar grails, breaking, grading, parallels, and packed convention floors, there were more than 150 years of innovation, obsession, competition, and community that built the hobby we know today.

Cardboard Kings: The History of Trading Cards tells that story — from the earliest cards of the 1800s through the iconic eras that followed and into the modern hobby explosion happening right now.

This isn't just a book about cardboard.

It's about why we collect. Why we chase. Why certain cards become cultural artifacts. And how a simple piece of cardboard became the foundation of a global community.

📖 Coming Holiday 2026.

The story behind the cards we chase is finally being told.

Join the early access list at www.historyoftradingcards.com

08/12/2026

🎙️ THE HOBBY IS ABOUT TO GET A VOICE.

Coming September 1, 2026 — Voice of the Hobby (VOTH), hosted by Nick Jarman & Alladan Flinn.

This isn’t just another trading card podcast.

We’re bringing together collectors, creators, executives, entrepreneurs and some of the most influential voices across the industry for meaningful conversations about where the hobby is today — and where it’s going next.

🔥 The people shaping the hobby
🎙️ Conversations that go beyond the headlines
📈 Trends transforming the industry
🤝 Trust, innovation and collaboration
🔮 The future of collecting

Different perspectives. Real conversations. One hobby.

VOICE OF THE HOBBY.

📅 Premiering September 1, 2026
📺 YouTube
🎧 Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon Music • iHeartRadio
🌐 VOICEOFTHEHOBBY.COM

The conversation starts 9.1.26.

08/12/2026

08/12/2026

🚨 COMING 9.1.2026: STATE OF THE HOBBY 🚨

The hobby moves fast. Now CTCA Members will have a new way to stay ahead of where it's going.

Introducing STATE OF THE HOBBY, the official newsletter of the Certified Trading Card Association — created exclusively for CTCA Members.

📰 Industry insights & analysis
📈 Trends shaping the future of collecting
💡 Innovation and emerging technology
🤝 The people and businesses moving the hobby forward
🛡️ Trust, transparency & consumer protection
🔮 A look at what's coming next

This isn't another newsletter telling you what's hot this week.

State of the Hobby is about understanding where the hobby is headed next.

The inaugural edition arrives September 1, 2026.

Not a CTCA Member yet? Join the movement.

www.thectca.org/join

Safer. Smarter. Stronger.

08/11/2026

There seems to be an unfavorable news story coming out each week lately having to do something with the hobby. Well, seeing as the hobby does so much good for so many, we thought an article discussing the positives of the hobby deserved to be written and here it is. "The Magic Inside a Pack of Cards: Why One of Our Oldest Pastimes Still Matters More Than Ever." By Nick Jarman, Founder & CEO, Certified Trading Card Association.

https://thectca.org/oped-magic-inside-pack

08/10/2026

Joining the Certified Trading Card Association (CTCA) is simple. The value of being part of what we’re building is much bigger.

Become a Founding Industry Member and help shape the standards, programs, and initiatives designed to make the trading card industry Safer. Smarter. Stronger.

Founding Industry Members aren’t just putting their name on a membership, they’re getting a seat at the table as the industry continues to grow and evolve.

And joining takes just a few minutes.

Be part of the foundation. Help shape what comes next.

www.thectca.org/join

08/10/2026

🚨 WELCOME SCALEBREAK TO THE CTCA!

We’re excited to welcome ScaleBreak as a Founding Industry Member of the Certified Trading Card Association (CTCA).

Built by collectors and proven entrepreneurs, ScaleBreak is creating next-generation commerce, data, and logistics infrastructure designed specifically for the collectibles industry.

ScaleBreak and CTCA share a vision for a hobby that is more connected, transparent, trusted, and built for sustainable growth.

This is exactly what the CTCA is about, bringing innovative, collector-founded companies together to help build a Safer. Smarter. Stronger. hobby.

Welcome to the CTCA, ScaleBreak!

Join ScaleBreak and many others as a Founding Industry Member today at www.thectca.org