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Inside the Making of Cards and Collectables Australia – Q&A with show creator & director Lennon Cooper
- Cards & Collectables
- May 26
- 6 min read
Cards and Collectables Australia was fortunate enough to catch up with the show’s creator and director, Lennon Cooper. We asked him a whole series of questions about the show — questions we’re sure many of our followers have been wondering over the past 12 months of production.
We hope you enjoy this chat, and don’t forget to catch the premiere of Cards and Collectables Australia on June 22nd at 3pm on 9Go!
Lennon, where did the idea for Cards and Collectables Australia come from?
In 2017 I was lucky enough to direct a film for ESPN called 'Cardboard Addicts' about sports card collectors in Australia. I remember at the time, ESPN said during the 12-month window they could only guarantee to air a show like that twice, but if it got a positive reaction, they might air it a few more times.
Fast forward a year or two later — ESPN had aired Cardboard Addicts over 100 times! To me, that showed just how under-served the collecting community really was. Even now, some 8 years later, rarely a month goes by without someone mentioning that film or a collector featured in it to me.
Not long after, I realised there was so much material left on the cutting room floor from that film that it really deserved a full season of TV to properly tell those types of stories.
From there, the idea expanded beyond just trading cards into all types of collectables. Cards and Collectables Australia was born and has been in my head for over five years now.
How did it go from an idea to Channel 9 telling you to produce it?
Firstly, we knew we needed a partner that believed in the idea and also wanted to genuinely grow the collecting hobby across Australia.
I asked Matt and Ben from Sports Card World out to dinner one night and pitched them the idea. They didn’t hesitate — they jumped at the opportunity to support the project and give back to a collecting community that’s supported them for over 30 years.
From that dinner, they funded a pilot episode. We created that using a mix of brand-new content and some key parts from Cardboard Addicts, then sent it off to Channel 9.
Honestly, I thought it would be months before we heard anything back, if ever. But within 45 minutes of uploading the video, Kieran Pittard from Channel 9 responded saying he loved the idea, loved the pilot, and wanted it for 9Go and 9Now!
He told us to go ahead and produce a full 10-episode season.
Obviously, from the point where Channel 9 greenlit the show, we needed to find more partners to get a production budget that would do this show justice. We reached out to some hobby-related businesses that couldn’t have been kinder in their belief of the show and also their willingness to contribute to making a show for their community.
Companies like Team Coach, Select Australia, 130 Point, Tyson Beck, The Hobby Australia, and Gimko all wanted to help make this show a reality. Without their involvement, the show never would have got past the pilot stage. So we’re forever thankful to those guys.
What is Cards and Collectables Australia actually about?
Simply put, the show is ABOUT collectors, FOR collectors, and PRODUCED BY collectors.
We want collectors to tell their own stories — to explain why they collect these things that some might see as “just pieces of cardboard” or “old toys.”
Each episode features multiple segments where a collector shares their story, plus an informative segment with industry experts about different parts of the hobby — things like card grading, what happened during the COVID boom, card licensing, and more.
We also have short, fun segments sprinkled throughout the episodes:
Laine Pearce from 130 Point talks about record-breaking collectable sales.
Matt Maloney from Sports Card World hosts “Who Remembers?”, a nostalgic flashback to the awesome things from our childhood.
Select Australia brings us a weekly collectable quiz.
Each episode runs for about half an hour, and there are 10 episodes in Season 1.
What types of collectors feature in Season 1?
Well, every episode features a card collector — remembering that this show is only possible thanks to card-related partners like Sports Card World, Team Coach, Select Australia.
We’ve tried to show as much variety as possible — F1 Cards, AFL Cards, Modern Cards, Vintage cards, early 90s Futera Cards, and more.
But beyond cards, every episode also features a pop culture collectables collector. These include collectors of LEGO, vintage toys, Hot Wheels, film and TV memorabilia, Star Wars items, autographs — and many more.
How did you decide what collectables to feature in Season 1?
Once you go down the rabbit hole of how many collectables there are out there, the list is endless!
I made a list of things that felt nostalgic and important to the collecting hobby, and then found Australian collectors who could represent each collectable with passion.
These collectors not only tell their story but also explain to the average Aussie why these items matter, and how values have evolved over the years.
Of course, there’s still dozens of things we didn’t get to — but if the show continues, I can’t wait to explore even more.
Personally, I was stoked to include Ninja Turtles — that’s something that really resonates with my own childhood.
Are you a collector yourself — and if so, what do you collect?
Yes, I am! I collect NBA cards.
Like a lot of adult collectors, I started as a kid, was told to “grow up” and threw it all away — and regretted it ever since.
Eventually, I started collecting again, focusing mainly on Joe Ingles — an Australian NBA player who actually played at the same junior basketball club as me and I have over 100 Ingles cards in my collection at present.
How have you tackled the stigma that all collectors are nerds?
Honestly, I think that outdated stigma is gone.
We purposely chose collectors that reflect that change too.
In Episode 1, you’ll meet Jake Ellis — a Pokémon card collector. He’s a boxing promoter, he’s tough, he’s cool, he’s funny — definitely not what the old-school stereotype of a collector looks like.
With people like Drake and Logan Paul getting into the hobby, collecting now has a real “cool factor,” and we’ve found collectors who represent that.
Are there any misconceptions about the show that you’d like to clear up?
Yes, absolutely!
First — people often ask if this show is like Pawn Stars. Haha, no!
People aren’t bringing items into Sports Card World for Matt to buy at a reduced price. This show is about collectors telling their personal stories.
Second — some think it’s only about the biggest, most valuable collections. It’s not.
While we do have some world-class collectors, we have more collectors with low-value collections.
To us, it’s all about passion, not price tags.
What do you hope audiences take away from the show?
If you’re already a collector, I hope you love seeing the collectables and connect with the stories — and that it encourages you to keep collecting, knowing there’s a big community out there.
If you’re not a collector, I hope it brings a wave of nostalgia. Maybe it even inspires you to track down that old He-Man figure or Hot Wheels car you had as a kid!
If people want to be on the show in Season 2, how do they do that?
Easy! Just head to the Cards and Collectables Australia website.
There’s a tab that says “Apply for the Show.” Fill in your details — it comes straight to us.
We’re already building a spreadsheet of potential Season 2 collectors, so don’t hesitate!
You mentioned future seasons — will there be a Season 2 (or more)?
We would love for this show to continue for many seasons — there’s definitely enough amazing collectors across Australia to keep it going!
But ultimately, it all comes down to ratings and audience support.
So, if you watch an episode and love it, please share it on your socials and tell your friends how to watch it. The bigger the audience, the more chance we get to keep telling these amazing stories!
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