In 2019, I was reintroduced to the hobby that as a child I enjoyed. The hobby of sports trading cards collecting and selling hit a big boom since the pandemic. In the summer of 2019 my older brother, Walter, called me and told me he was going to buy football cards. At this point I was still collecting cards but had not purchased any new product in about two years. He seemed very excited about getting his cards and did some major research on it and how the hobby was skyrocketing. He opened his eBay store and began selling cards online. Every day he told me about how fast the cards were selling and I know I wanted to get in on it. I remember I bought a box of Donruss Optic football cards from Target. It was my first box of cards in a while so I was still a little unclear on some of the value for them. I pulled a Kyler Murray Pink Rated Rookie card and I called my brother right away. He had been trying to pull that card for about a month to no avail. I sold it to him and from that point on I was hooked.

Shortly after that I opened my own eBay store and to this very day it is still open and thriving. This is a hobby that brought my brother and I very close. Currently my brother owns his own business called Quality Sports Breakers. He hosts breaks about four or five days a week online. His Facebook group has been running strong since 2021.

Even my son enjoys ripping packs of cards. I buy him World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) cards and he lights up every time. He has his own binder with the cards inside for his personal collection. It is a great way for us to bond and hopefully one day he and I will look back on those cards and remember the fun times we shared.

I strongly encourage anyone who is thinking about getting into the hobby to check out The Collectors Ward in Oakdale. It is a card and hobby shop that has amazing product and supplies. Not only for sports and sports entertainment but for Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering players as well.

Dennis D. Cruz is a staff reporter for The Oakdale Leader, The Riverbank News and The Escalon Times. He may be reached at drcruz@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 847-3021.