I started trading sports cards in elementary school. I have always loved sports, but I became especially interested in the players themselves after a family friend introduced me to the football players at the Division 1 university where he worked. At the time, I was also involved for several years in a local charity where I was able to meet many professional athletes in Dallas. Some of my favorite sports cards are signed by athletes I have watched from the sidelines and spoken to personally.

​

Over time, I grew from collecting cards to creating an online card trading business. I naturally keep up with players and teams in a variety of college and professional sports. I love learning about all the variables that impact the card trading market. I have also had the opportunity to interview James Beckett, the founder of Beckett Grading Services, and Don Spence, a PSA Hall of Fame Collector whose world-class collection includes the "Lone Star Collection" of all 21 major Mickey Mantle cards. Mr. Spence compiled the greatest collection of PSA-graded cards in existence, including many sought-after sets that have been displayed nationally. 

 

Although I have mentored and helped other collectors informally over the years, I have mainly run my business for my own purpose: to make a profit and learn in the process. Now I am offering my expertise to help others make the most of their collections. Contact me to discuss your needs, and I can estimate my charges, which will typically be a percentage of the card transactions. 

 

Any card trader has a few favorite cards and stories, and here are some of mine:

​

Most Valuable Card I Pulled from a Pack of Cards at Target 

Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas Cowboys 

2018 Panini Prizm, Red White Blue, Rookie

A couple of years ago, I went to Target most Friday nights after dinner with friends. I would buy a couple of packs of cards for fun and to see if I found anything I could re-sell. One Friday night, I opened a pack with this card . . . and then immediately drove home to protect it with a case. It graded a perfect Beckett's 10 Black Label, and it is the only card of its kind. This made valuation tricky. I received offers of more than $1,000 for the card, but decided to trade it for several graded Luka Doncic cards that I thought would have a better long-term pay-off. I'm already a Luka fan, and now I have an extra reason to cheer for him.

​

Most Profit on a Single Card ($1800)

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

2019 Panini Prizm Rookie, BGS 10

I bought this card ungraded after a long search for a high-quality Williamson card that would have the potential to grade well. After personally examining the card, I sent it to Beckett Grading Services. It graded a 10, and I was able to sell it for $1800.

​

Most Valuable Card (that I no longer own)

Patrick Maholmes, Kansas City Chiefs

2017 Panini Prizm Blue Wave Autographed Rookie, PSA 10

I purchased Maholmes' card for a couple hundred dollars. I chose to sell it, along with several other Maholmes cards, in 2017 to create a cash flow that I could use to grow my business. Although it's painful that the card later sold for $15,000, the money I made at the time allowed me to move into bigger card trades and to keep learning about the card trading business.

​

Timing is Everything

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

2017 Topps 1987-Style 30th Anniversary Rookie, Auto, BGS 9.5

I invested in Judge's card at what turned out to be the height of his explosive, breakout season in 2017. Unfortunately, the card took a long time to grade and we left town for a family trip right before it was ready. By the time I got the graded card back, Judge had fallen into a second-half slump almost as extraordinary as the first half of his season. I still turned a profit on the sale of the card, but nothing like what could have happened with better timing! This was my first big lesson about how quickly a card's value can change.

​