For partners

Partnerships

Editorial-first curation of the 1984–1993 trading card era.

Junk Wax Museum is a curated editorial museum of the 1984 to 1993 trading card overproduction era. We rank the fifty most iconic cards of the decade (the Junk Wax 50), catalog the era's most collectible sealed wax (The Sealed Wax), publish long-form editorial on the era's history and mechanics, and track live raw pricing via the JW50 Index. If you are a card supply company, a grading service, an auction house, a specialty retailer, or a media partner, this page is where we describe how we work together.

The audience

Serious collectors of the 1984 to 1993 trading card era, across baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and non-sport. US-focused, primarily 30 to 55 years old, the cohort who opened these packs as kids and is now buying back their childhood at current prices. Buy-intent traffic arrives from search queries like "junk wax era," "PSA vs BGS," "how to protect baseball cards," specific card names ("1989 Upper Deck Griffey rookie value"), and set-level queries ("1989 Score football rookies").

Junk Wax Museum is early stage. The site launched recently and traffic is currently growing off a small base. We publish the numbers honestly with any partner during discussions, and we can share Google Analytics access on request. The opportunity for partners at this stage is early-mover pricing and premium placement while inventory is available. As pillar SEO matures and the newsletter launches, both traffic and rate cards will move.

Editorial standards

Three commitments protect the credibility of the museum and, by extension, the partners who work with us:

The rankings are not for sale. The Junk Wax 50, The Sealed Wax, and Inserts 10 are editorial curations. No card or box gets added, removed, or moved for money.
All affiliate links carry FTC-compliant disclosure. Sponsored content is always clearly labeled, both inline and at page level.
We only recommend products we would use ourselves. The supplies index and the protection guide list the industry-standard picks per category. Partners can supply better options with real editorial support, but placement is not automatic.

The methodology page documents the site's full editorial and affiliate policy.

Partnership types on offer

Affiliate programs

Junk Wax Museum runs affiliate partnerships across the hobby. Amazon Associates and the eBay Partner Network are live. We are actively interested in partnering with:

Grading services (PSA, BGS, SGC, CGC):referral programs on the protection guide, card-specific pages, and the "should you grade this?" content
Auction houses (Heritage, Goldin, PWCC, Robert Edward, Lelands): promotion of consignment services and current auctions on the relevant card pages
Specialty retailers (BlowoutCards, Dave & Adam's, Steel City, Steve Novella):cross-promotion on set and wax-box coverage
Card supply direct programs:beyond Amazon Associates, direct partnerships with Ultra Pro, BCW, Cardboard Gold, Card Saver, and related brands

Product placement in the Curated Starter Kit

In development for a Q4 launch: a Junk Wax Museum branded starter kit combining sleeves, top loaders, storage box, and a printed JW50 checklist book. Partners can supply components at wholesale for co-branded placement. Details available on request.

Newsletter sponsorships

A Junk Wax Museum email newsletter is planned for launch in Q3, targeting the most engaged subset of the site's audience. Sponsor slots will be available once the newsletter reaches meaningful list size.

What we do not do

Paid inclusions or paid rank adjustments in the JW50, The Sealed Wax, or Inserts 10
Undisclosed sponsored content
Product reviews without editorial independence
Cryptocurrency, NFT, or "grading investment" schemes

Contact

Partnership inquiries: affiliate@junkwaxmuseum.com

General inquiries: hello@junkwaxmuseum.com

Response within three business days. Please include the type of partnership you are interested in and, if relevant, a brief on the product or program you are proposing.