From Wax Packs to Airport Vending Machines: How Card Collecting Has Changed I’ve been collecting trading cards since 1973. Over more than five decades in this hobby, I’ve seen cards stored in everything from shoe boxes and binder sleeves to locked safes and color-coded storage bins. I’ve seen the rise of junk wax, certified autographs, digital breaks, and online marketplaces. But walking through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a recent trip, something stopped me dead in my tracks. Standing right there in the terminal was a full-sized, glowing trading card vending machine—a "ShopAll FANS" unit filled with packs and boxes of Topps, Panini, and Pokémon. The "ShopAll FANS" trading card vending machine spotted at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. I’ve seen these automated card dispensers online, and I know they’ve been rolling out in airports and malls across the country. But seeing one in person for the firs...