Hobby Insider Accused: The Drew Herndon Card Theft Scandal

Drew Herndon, a former moderator of the original Scammers Exposed Facebook group, faces accusations of stealing valuable cards from his former employer, Jared Landress.

Landress shared on Facebook, “I have been waiting for almost 4 months on the state to arrest Drew. I am tired of waiting, and I also need to ensure I make things public so Drew does not steal from anybody else.”

According to Landress, Herndon had worked for him for many years. During the 2024 National Sports Collectors Convention, Landress sent Herndon home after a concerning incident involving inventory transportation. Landress suspected that Herndon might have been under the influence of narcotics.

Following his dismissal, Herndon set up a table at a local show and shared photos of his display online. Landress noticed some of his own cards in Herndon’s display cabinets and promptly contacted the police. Herndon allegedly claimed to authorities that he "accidentally" picked up the cards, unaware they were not his. However, not all disputed cards have been returned.

It's also alleged that this LeBron James card was stolen and posted on Herndon's eBay account. 

Landress also claimed on Facebook that Herndon’s father contacted and threatened him.

Herndon had established himself as a prominent figure in the hobby, co-hosting the Hobby Hotline Show and the "Lemme Get That Podagraph" podcast.

He also worked with breaking company Vintage Breaks.

A representative from Hobby Hotline informed Sports Card Radio, “Pretty unfortunate stuff. Drew himself hasn’t been a part of Hobby Hotline for a few months now, so nothing to change there.”

Meanwhile, other victims have come forward with similar claims against Herndon. One alleged victim stated he is still owed a Kobe Bryant Atomic Refractor card. Herndon would use his role as a Vintage Breaks grading submitter to steal cards. 

Vintage Breaks did not respond to our request for comment.  

Herndon posed this to Facebook shortly after the allegations were made public. 

The situation is compounded by Herndon’s connections to other controversial figures within the Scammers Exposed Facebook group. Many of the group’s original members have been embroiled in scandals.

Chris Gilmore, another moderator of the Scammers Exposed group and a breaker for Vintage Breaks, failed to deliver on a PSA group submission in 2020, angering customers.

In 2022, Sports Card Radio highlighted Gilmore for taking packs of cards off-camera during a break.

Ron Steven Marion, another administrator of the Scammers Exposed group, in 2021 was arrested for running an illegal online raffle for a Dodge Challenger.

Despite once positioning themselves as watchdogs, Herndon, Gilmore, and Marion allegedly exploited their roles for personal financial gain. Companies sponsored the Scammers Exposed Facebook group to protect their reputations within the hobby.

Nathan Burns, the disgraced shop owner of Grand Slam Collectibles, broke 25 cases of Heroes of Sport—a product containing trimmed cards from convicted felon Will Jaimet. The scandal exposed card trimming practices and led to an FBI investigation.

However, Burns was an advertiser on the Scammers Exposed Facebook group, shielding him from scrutiny on the platform.

When asked about Herndon, Burns claimed he did not know him but added a bizarre comment about his purported wealth.

Other breakers similarly used advertising dollars to influence the group.

Stephen Michael, owner of Filthbomb Breaks, reportedly sold a trimmed Mickey Mantle card to a collector. When the collector posted about the incident in the group, the post was deleted because Filthbomb Breaks was an advertiser.

In 2024, Filthbomb was accused of stealing over $20,000 worth of cards during a group break.

When contacted for comment, Filthbomb demanded compensation for providing additional information.

You see this use of subtle influence continue today. 

Vintage Breaks, which employs Gilmore and Herndon to this day, advertise on YouTube programs who will offer a soft landing space in case controversy arises.

With Herndon's role as a podcast host, coverage of the "pack dipping" that occurred at Vintage Breaks in 2022 was handled with care. 

We seemingly get emails every month about something over at Vintage Breaks. The company has done an effective job advertising and drowning out any negative voices, in part, because of Hernon's role in the hobby media.

Herndon continues to post to social media, sell cards, and conduct breaks as the news about the alleged scam was breaking on Facebook.