VIRGINIA BEACH — As a kid, I collected cards like many other kids.
I had a box of baseball, basketball, and football cards.
But when it came time to go to college, I let them go. My mother was moving and didn't want to drag the kids with her, and I definitely didn't want to take my kids to college.
So I sold it for $150. At the time, I thought it was a great price.
Let's go back to last week.
My friend John Lehman invited me to the Virginia Beach Sports Card, Comic Book, Pokémon, and Collectors Expo at the Virginia Beach Fieldhouse.
As I entered the fieldhouse, I was amazed at everything I saw, with over 230 tables filled with all kinds of items.
They range from cards of NFL greats Walter Payton, Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson to cards of Star Wars characters Frank Sinatra, American Idol, Hulk Hogan and former President Barack Obama. It has passed. There were jerseys, helmets, bobbleheads, and magazines.
But what caught my attention was seeing a baseball card I once owned worth four. $150 Each.
All I could do was shake my head.
But I learned I wasn't alone.
Sports card dealer Bill Waite has been selling cards since 1995.
“Like anything, it starts innocently enough. Back in the 1970s, I bought a 10-cent pack and tried to put together a set,” Waite said. He is originally from Buffalo, New York, but has lived in Hampton Roads since transferring to the Navy in 1993. “This was just the next step because I was buying so many products. But it's something I've always enjoyed. Hobbies went wrong and I didn't want to come to this side of the table. It happened.”
Like me, he wishes he knew what he knows now, what he would have known then.
“I would have taken better care of them. But that's not what we did in the '70s,” he said. “I would trade Hank Aaron for someone because I needed that card in my set. It wasn't about value, it was about trying to build a set.”
That's one of his big regrets.
“I sold some Patrick Mahomes cards when they first came out cheap,” said Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, who has won three Super Bowls and appeared in four since becoming the starting quarterback in 2018. He said of the quarterback. “They're worth a lot of money now.” However, in the same situation, he once sold cards for $100 each. Now you can't buy it out of the dollar bin because no one wants it. So don't lose sleep over it. ”
I sat and listened as Waite and Lehman considered a “package deal” for Cards.
Lehman acquired four cards of NBA legend “Pistol” Pete Maravich at a high price. He wanted those cards because he remembered watching Maravich play firsthand.
He also signed Hall of Fame football players Gale Sayers, Bart Starr, John Unitas, Marlin Olsen, Dick Butkus, Fran Tarkenton, and Joe Namath.
Lehman said opening a box of new cards or acquiring a valuable card is like opening a present on Christmas morning.
“It's a thrill. It's very exciting,” he said. “When you draw a really cool card, you get that same feeling. And it's a little bit addictive. If you haven't opened a card in a while, you get high. I'll admit that. And here I am. Everyone will tell you the same thing.”
Waite's collection is in the “several millions.”
He's a big Buffalo Bills and New York Mets fan and has binders and binders of those players. He also has more than 60 cards of former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, including a rookie card from the USFL.
Among his favorites is former Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo's rookie card.
“I'm not a Bears fan, but I saw this movie on TV when I was a kid,” he said. “The story was great and the movie was great.”
Another favorite piece of memorabilia is a photo from the 1986 World Series where the Mets defeated the Boston Red Sox.
“It's the play when the ball goes through Bill Buckner's legs. It's signed by Buckner and Mookie Wilson,” he said. “I met Buckner probably 12 or 13 years ago on the base. He's such a nice guy. The great thing about that photo is that he and Mookie became very close friends just because they did a play together. .”
Waite said he enjoys coming to card shows.
“For me, it's more of a social event than a way to make money,” he said. “I like talking to people, and the money comes with it.”
As I discovered after speaking with Steven Hirowitz, this is also big business.
The 28-year-old Landstown graduate owns B&B Sports Cards in Virginia Beach.
He became obsessed with selling cards when he was young.
“I played sports when I was younger. Then I just collected cards,” he said. “As I got older, I learned the business side of buying and flipping cards. Then COVID-19 happened and cards really exploded. We've been there for about a year and a half and that's what we do. We travel all over the country and sell cards and now it's become a big deal. ”
Mr. Hirowitz likened the sale of cards to the stock market.
“The market is changing every day. It's going up and down,” he said. “Players get hot and their cards go up. Like (NBA player) Anthony Edwards, his stuff is on fire right now.”
What brought me to Hirowitz's table was that Lehman told me he had a 1994 Upper Deck autographed insert card of Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr. .
When I looked at the price, it said $10,000, so I had to look twice.
“It's crazy. Some cards are up to $1 million now. I wish I had some of those,” Hirowitz said. “But the market is so crazy. It's crazy to think he's worth $10,000 on this card. But there are people who buy. Cards that cost $1 up to $50,000. You can get it.”
But Hirowitz insisted it's not all about the money.
“It’s meeting people and making friendships,” he said. “It's crazy how things made of cardboard and other materials attract people now. It's fun to make money, but it's also fun to meet and talk to people. Little kids… It’s so cool just to see them get excited when they go through the box.”
Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
