Debt Dumpers 2026

[FreeTime]

We did for the most part. Gas-tolls and groceries went higher than normal. So I adjusted the budget for this upcoming month, and that means we should be good to go.

As far as the sports card market, the market is absolutely booming, more than ever. People are not taking a backseat. Every show I go to is packed shoulder to shoulder with people buying, selling and trading. The card market is very strong, speaking from the experiences of what I see. The people that have the money to spend in it are younger and aren't caring about retirement or the future. They want to buy cards. And here's my year-to-date numbers as proof:

January: Spent $154 on cards. Sold those cards for $389. Profit of $235 after all fees and shipping.
February: Spent $232 on cards. Sold those cards for $515. Profit of $283 after all fees and shipping.
March: Spent $345 on cards. Sold those cards for $524. Profit of $179 after all fees and shipping.

Total for the firs quarter of 2026: Spent $731 on cards. Sold for $1428. Profit of $697 after all fees and shipping.

I say all those numbers to show the sports card market is super strong, the strongest it has probably ever been.

Something to consider, how much time are you spending shopping by for cards, then how much time on the selling and shipping side? Take the amount of profit and divide by the number of hours. What is the hourly rate you would have made? If it is low, may be better to get a part time job for those hours.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

Can I ask where you live that gas is only up 20 cents a gallon? It’s up $1.30 a gallon in the last month by me. It’s up went from $2.64 to $3.95.

I live in southeastern PA. Gas just went up another 20 cents/gallon yesterday. It's now sitting at $4.19/gallon. If I cross the border into Delaware, it's $3.89/gallon. So yes, I drive 10 minutes across the border to get gas and then do shopping while I'm there.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

We're up over $4 here in New England. Had to get gas this morning, ugh.

 

[piglet1979]

Gas here in Ohio is only $3.86. It has been slowly going up for several months now.

 

[afan]

We're up over $4 here in New England. Had to get gas this morning, ugh.

Got gas Saturday. It was 5.49 a gallon so with my fuel points I paid 4.49 which is almost a dollar more than I paid with my dollar fp last month.

I don't remember the last time I saw gas under 4 before fp.

 

[Tygerlilly]

Gas here is $3.15. Not as bad as most states, but really sucks when your side hustle involves a lot of driving.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Something to consider, how much time are you spending shopping by for cards, then how much time on the selling and shipping side? Take the amount of profit and divide by the number of hours. What is the hourly rate you would have made? If it is low, may be better to get a part time job for those hours.

Interesting. I've never thought of it this way. But honestly, I'd be doing cards anyway, whether I had a part time job or not. It's my hobby. I've been collecting since 1987. So, I won't stop, even if I get a part time job (and I've been trying to find one).

 

[Willow Ufgood]

Interesting. I've never thought of it this way. But honestly, I'd be doing cards anyway, whether I had a part time job or not. It's my hobby. I've been collecting since 1987. So, I won't stop, even if I get a part time job (and I've been trying to find one).

Your sales on eBay would probably classify you as a "hobby seller" as far as the IRS is concerned. But you could also be considered to be a "business seller" if your volume exceeds a certain level and there are tax implications for both. Keep careful records and report all of the income from your sales. You should pay income tax on all profits that you make, regardless of how little the amount is, and maybe even self-employment taxes (i.e. Social Security and Medicare contributions on income). You might want to look into to this more deeply if you plan to buy low/sell high on a consistent basis.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade because I think you've found a niche side hustle. But I do want to warn you that the IRS doesn't fool around and will go after you for unpaid taxes...with interest and penalties! So it's best to report what you make.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Your sales on eBay would probably classify you as a "hobby seller" as far as the IRS is concerned. But you could also be considered to be a "business seller" if your volume exceeds a certain level and there are tax implications for both. Keep careful records and report all of the income from your sales. You should pay income tax on all profits that you make, regardless of how little the amount is, and maybe even self-employment taxes (i.e. Social Security and Medicare contributions on income). You might want to look into to this more deeply if you plan to buy low/sell high on a consistent basis.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade because I think you've found a niche side hustle. But I do want to warn you that the IRS doesn't fool around and will go after you for unpaid taxes...with interest and penalties! So it's best to report what you make.

Thanks. Yes, I've been dealing with that for a while. I got a form last year because they dropped the threshold to $600. But it went back to $20k in 2025, so I didn't get any tax forms. I'm not that big of a seller. I might have $2k-$3k in sales per year. And I sell a lot on Facebook and not as much on eBay (I don't have any luck on eBay ofr some reason as none of my stuff gets views). Plus, on Facebook, you typically get paid a lot quicker. But I have been keeping an eye on it.