From a Family Store Trip to the Studio: Ryan Alford’s Return to the Hobby Sparks “Collectibles on SI” Partnership
It started on a regular Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina. While Ryan Alford and his wife, Nicole, were making a quick run through a big-box store, their four boys, Clayton, Hudson, Hogan, and Nash spotted a fresh stack of trading-card blasters. One spur-of-the-moment buy later, the Alford kitchen table was covered in wrappers, and Ryan was back in the hobby he loved as a kid, this time with a global marketer’s eye and four teammates eager to rip packs.
That family moment has grown into a partnership with Sports Card Nonsense (SCN), the go-to source for the hobby. SCN brings the market chops and a loyal collector base; The RAD Collective adds storytelling savvy and the playbook from Ryan’s top-ranked marketing and business show Right About Now. Together they’re launching a weekly podcast that mixes news, on-air pack breaks, product talk, and conversations with industry leaders, athletes, and hobby influencers.
Mike Gioseffi, who co-founded SCN, says Ryan is a natural fit: “He connects culture, commerce, and community and the fact that he collects with his kids keeps it real. His content team and credentials are world class, we’re pumped to have him and The RAD Collective on board.”
What You’ll Hear Each Week
- Fresh market headlines and honest takes
- Live pack-ripping with Ryan and the boys
- Interviews with athletes, sharp investors, and well-known hobbyists
- Behind the scenes at national and local shows
Episodes drop on the on SI platform, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and more. Listeners can also jump into exclusive eBay Live breaks. If the crew talks about a set, you’ll see them open it, make decisions on grading, and then determine keep or flip in real time.
Quick Q&A with Ryan Alford
What should readers know about you and your background?
I am a proud husband and father with a wife that is a middle school principal and 4 boys that collect and play every sport imaginable. I come from humble beginnings in a small South Carolina town but have built an incredible life being a hybrid marketer and media disruptor working with brands that include Verizon, Apple, The NFL, Lexus, and Microsoft. My business podcast has been #1 on Apple Podcasts for nearly 2 years.
How did that store run change things?
Ryan: When the boys cracked those packs, it took me straight back to 1989 and Griffey Jr. rookies at the lunch table. Cards are an amazing way for me to teach the boys supply & demand, how to speak with adults, and negotiation tactics, now it’s something we all share.
Why link up with SCN?
Ryan: Nobody covers the market like SCN, and their reach is huge. Combine that with our content team and storytelling and we can inform, entertain, and even help people make a trade all in one place.
What sets “Collectibles on SI” apart?
Ryan: We don’t just talk; we show. You’ll get the data, hear from big names, then watch us put those insights to work on air. You will also see and hear about innovations in the collectibles industry as our show will be produced for both audio and video.
“RAD RIFFS”: Ryan’s takes on the hobby here on SI
Every week on SI.com/collectibles, Ryan will post “RAD RIFFS” quick reads on industry news, behind-the-scenes notes, and things that he and his 4 boys are seeing in the market. More is on the way: live events, brand tie-ins, and a studio that digs into the business of collecting, one pack at a time. “Collectibles on SI” premieres August 25, 2025, with Ryan and Mike talking from The National in Chicago where they filmed the episode.
Expect plenty of nonsense, in the best way possible.
Ryan Alford is the unapologetic force behind RIGHT ABOUT NOW, the top marketing podcast on Apple. A disruptor of stale media, he’s built The Radcast Network into one of the fastest growing podcast networks, launched billion-dollar campaigns for brands like Apple, Verizon, and Lexus, and is now rewriting the rules of influence, brand authority, and attention. A childhood collector turned hobby rebel, Ryan is back in the trading card game—ripping packs with his 4 boys, creating content, and hosting a Collectibles on SI podcast. If it’s not RAD, it’s not Ryan.