COLLECT?
Before the algorithms told us what to like, people just browsed the web until they found something that connected. This is one of the old places — a love letter to the spirit of the early internet, built by two guys who are intrigued by collectors and the things they surround themselves with. → Visit the About page for more...
Before there were algorithms and recommendation engines, there were trading posts. A place you had to know about to find. A place where people with specific obsessions found each other, swapped things, shared what they knew, and left with something they didn't have before.
That's what this is.
more connection, more conversation, more of all of us together.
★ Insider notes from Nate & Jay
★ Early guest announcements
★ The Question Pipeline
★ The Shelf — send us something
★ Collector of the Month
★ Join the Show-and-Tell
tip your hat to us.
One time. Any amount.
No strings attached.
The Collector Trading Post is the back room of the What Do You Collect world. The main show is for everyone outside. This is for the people who want to be on the inside.
It runs on Patreon. It costs five bucks a month to get in the door. And it's hosted by two people who have spent a combined 30+ years building communities on the internet and somehow never got tired of it. Come hang out with us!
Nate built the territory. He draws the maps, designs the systems, and keeps the whole operation running smoothly. He's been building things on the internet since the early days — communities, platforms, tools that bring people together. In the Trading Post he shows up whenever Jay's not hogging the spotlight ;)
Jay runs the Post. He knows everybody, makes the introductions, checks the P.O. box, and will absolutely spend three hours talking to you about your collection if you let him. He spent 17 years building one of the most beloved communities in personal finance, and is starting over again here.
Here's everything you get for your five bucks a month:
Once a month, members jump on a live call together and show us something from their collection. Nate and Jay react in real time. You're on the show now!
Send us a piece or two from your collection, and they live in our video backgrounds for a while. Every new arrival gets 30 seconds on the show — who sent it, what they collect, where it lives now.
We announce upcoming guests to members first. You submit questions. We ask them on air with a Trading Post credit. You're part of the show from behind the scenes.
Jay reads the directory, figures out who should know each other, and makes the introduction. No algorithm. Just Jay paying attention.
No Discord. No groups to manage. Nate and Jay post there and hang out in the comments. This is where the conversation lives.
Jay picks someone from the directory and writes them a personal spotlight. Trading Post exclusive for now.
The P.O. box is real and Jay checks it. Whether you're a Trading Post member or not, we love surprises, so send us something! Small enough to ship. Weird enough to be interesting. (Only members get a shoutout on the show, though.)
P.O. Box 1234
Fredericksburg, VA 22406