FAQ

I'm by no means an expert in the trading card industry, nor do I fashion myself one of those fancy "influencer" type folks. But what I lack in motivation for everyone to like me, I make up for in longevity. Sticking around in the hobby is becoming more and more of a rarity but the longer you stay, the more you learn from its ebbs and flows. Through the years I've been asked many, many questions by readers of the blog, other collectors, and listeners of the Puck Junk Podcast. 

Here are some that get asked more often than not.

How long have you been collecting cards?

1985 was the first pack I bought with my own money. I collected for many years after that and have been in and out quite a few times for various reasons, mostly financial. I have been at it pretty much full time since about 2004. 

What kind of cards do you collect?

As a general rule, Pittsburgh sports teams. I grew up in the Pittsburgh area and am a fan of all three major sports in town. I have personal team collections for Pirates, Steelers, and primarily Penguins. 

Why hockey?

I love it. Plain and simple. To me it's the most exciting sport to watch both live and on television. There is nothing boring to me about hockey, even if it's a 0-0 stalemate at the end of 60 minutes. I feel that hockey players are the most conditioned and toughest athletes in all the major sports and while I respect any athletes' commitment to being the best, I believe hockey players actual are. Having just a little piece of that on cardboard is weirdly satisfying.

Do you collect basketball?

No. When Charles Barkley retired, I was done with basketball. I don't like the way the sport has devolved and I think the current state of the league fails to remember it's past or pay tribute to any of the generations that paved the way for them to be able to profit as they do today. Most of the other major sports do a fair to top-notch job at this but not the NBA. However, if anyone wants to kick a few Sir Charles cards my way, I won't complain. But I don't actively pursue anything basketball related.

Do you have any players you collect?

Because I am a team collector first, it's difficult for me to jump all in on any players. But if they have a card in my teams uniforms, inevitably they will end up in the collection at some point. My longest running exceptions to this rule are Bill Guerin and Eric Tangradi. Both have played for a host of other teams but something about both of those guys that have always stuck. 

Do you buy, sell, or trade cards?

Buy? Absolutely. Too much so in fact. Sell? Not like I should but I'm not opposed to it. I'm just opposed to the work that has to be put in to be successful at it. It's a hobby, not a full time job for me. Trade? Again, absolutely. They are called trading cards for a reason. It's become a lost art.