How does an online trading card business work?

In today's episode, Dave talks to Brett Sammeroff of Hockey Card World, an e-commerce business that specializes in sports cards, trading cards, and collectibles for nearly three decades.

Brett explains how the business evolved from in-person trade shows to online marketplaces, especially for a business that started before eBay launched. He also tells us what the common pitfalls are for an uncommon business like this, and how the trading card business model works.

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Timestamps

• 00:00 – Why a hockey-card business is an unexpected e-commerce case study
• 06:28 – Brett’s nearly 30 years in cards and the shift to online sales
• 09:13 – How Upper Deck’s distributor model works
• 10:24 – Pack, box, and short-print pricing
• 13:17 – Million-dollar one-of-ones and the economics of individual cards
• 14:03 – Buying estate collections and making singles worth listing
• 18:16 – Building a reputation that brings sellers to you
• 21:24 – Managing cash flow and avoiding excess card inventory
• 24:20 – What’s fueling the trading-card boom
• 28:24 – Collecting, chasing hits, and the gambling comparison
• 30:11 – How Temu brought Hockey Card World new customers
• 34:03 – Temu pricing, fulfillment costs, and marketplace visibility
• 40:14 – Seller authorization and Brett’s hockey trade prediction

Resources

• Quiet Light Brokerage
• The Exitpreneur
• On-Ramp Funds
• Link My Books
• Hockey Card World

As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested.

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Thanks for listening!

Until next time, happy selling!