Based Trading Cards Founder Alladan Flinn Is Building a Different Kind of Trading Card Company

With 100% transparent card runs, serialized hobby boxes, premium print quality and some of the strongest rare-pull odds in the hobby, Based Trading Cards is redefining what collectors should expect from modern releases

(SACRAMENTO, CA) JULY 7, 2026 - Based Trading Cards, the premium collectibles company founded by Northern California entrepreneur Alladan Flinn, is quickly standing out in the trading card market by doing something increasingly rare in the hobby: putting transparency, scarcity, quality and collectors first.

Based Trading Cards

Flinn has built Based Trading Cards with a different mindset than the traditional trading card model. Rather than relying on vague print runs, endless product waves or a labyrinth of chase structures, Based Trading Cards gives collectors a clear understanding of what truly exists, what they are chasing and how limited each release truly is. For Flinn, the mission is simple: create and print better cards, respect the collector and release a product that feels worth holding onto.

“At Based Trading Cards, transparency and authenticity is everything,” said Alladan Flinn, founder of Based Trading Cards. “Collectors deserve to know what they are buying, how limited it is and what they are chasing. We are not here to flood the market. We are here to build something real, premium and made for people who still believe in the physical hobby.”

That philosophy is at the center of Orange Pill in a Pack Series 4: The Simulation, the company’s latest release and one of its most ambitious collections to date. The series is limited to only 21,000 packs and 875 serialized and number-stamped hobby boxes, giving collectors full visibility into the size and scarcity of the release. Each hobby box is individually serialized, reinforcing Based Trading Cards’ commitment to accountability and verifiable product runs. Hobby Boxes for Season 4: The Simulation are now completely sold out, with only loose packs currently available. Full boxes can now only be found inside the limited S4 Experience Box, which is also selling quickly.

Based Trading Cards

Beyond transparency, Based Trading Cards has also earned attention for creating some of the strongest rare-pull opportunities in the hobby. With limited chase cards, numbered parallels, specialty variants, high-value inserts and a structure designed to give collectors meaningful hits, the brand has built a reputation for making every rip feel exciting. The result is a product experience that combines the thrill of the chase with real scarcity and long-term collector appeal.

Flinn’s approach is also reflected in the quality of the cards themselves. Produced in partnership with RRD, one of the world’s leading printing and packaging companies, The Simulation features premium card stock, real artists, specialty finishes, raised textures, Cast & Cure holographic effects, glow-in-the-dark elements, thermal and light-reactive inks, hot foil stamping and anti-counterfeiting features. While the technology adds visual impact, Flinn sees it as part of a larger commitment to creating cards that feel different the second they are held in hand.

That commitment was recently recognized at the 33rd Annual Gold Leaf Awards Competition during the FSEA Print Embellishment Conference in Nashville, where Flinn and Based Trading Cards received a Gold Leaf Award for Excellence in Foil Stamping & Embossing. The award honored the brand’s Cast & Cure specialty print work on The Simulation, including standout cards #93 “Octopus” and #27 “Common Sense.”

For Flinn, the award is a meaningful milestone, but it is also validation of a larger vision. Based Trading Cards is not trying to copy the legacy brands or follow the usual formula. The company is built around real artists, true scarcity, collector education, premium manufacturing and a community that values transparency as much as the chase.

That difference has helped Based Trading Cards gain momentum across the hobby and secondary market, where collectors continue to rip, trade, grade and resell cards from the brand’s limited releases. From eBay activity to collector livestreams and private sales, Based Trading Cards has become a brand that collectors are watching closely.

“What we are building is bigger than a single release,” said Flinn. “This is about raising expectations. Collectors should expect honesty. They should expect quality. They should expect limited runs to actually mean something. That is what Based Trading Cards stands for.”

As Based Trading Cards continues to grow, Flinn remains focused on building a company that puts principles before shortcuts. While still in the promotion cycle for the The Simulation, Based Trading Cards is preparing for the release of their next collection, Satoshi’s Heroes, with pre-orders kicking off latest this Summer.

With transparent production, premium execution, strong chase structures and a collector-first mindset, Based Trading Cards is proving there is still room in the hobby for a founder-led brand built with conviction.

For more information, visit https://basedtradingcards.com.

Alladan Flinn - Owner of Based Trading Cards

About Based Trading Cards: Based Trading Cards is a premium collectibles company focused on restoring trust, transparency and quality to the trading card industry. Built around real artists, limited product runs, verifiable scarcity, serialized hobby boxes, specialty printing and collector-first design, Based Trading Cards creates physical collectibles that combine art, education, culture and craftsmanship. Inspired by the “Based” philosophy of standing firm in one’s convictions, the brand is committed to creating trading cards that feel meaningful, premium and built to last.