130. He Sold 100,000 Cards to Move Abroad... And Then Started Over

What happens when a lifelong collector turns his hobby into a business and then moves to Turkey?In this episode of Global Card Collectors, we sit down with Jake, a collector and card dealer we first met at Collectors Fest in Istanbul.Jake takes us through his collecting journey, from destroying a box of 1989 Bowman as a kid and owning a beat-up Ken Griffey Jr. rookie, to rediscovering the hobby as an adult and eventually building an eBay inventory of around 300 slabs and 100,000+ cards.And then comes the story that every collector will feel in their soul…Jake pulled Patrick Mahomes rookie cards in 2017 — and sold a Prizm rookie for just $10.We talk about the lessons he learned from that mistake, the difficult balance between being a collector and a dealer, and the painful reality that sometimes you have to sell cards you genuinely love if you want the business to keep moving.We also dive deep into the Turkish card market after Jake's first experience selling at a card show in Istanbul.Why are Turkish collectors so focused on PSA, autographs and patches? Why are some incredible inserts and parallels still misunderstood? And how can American sellers find cards that are undervalued in the US but potentially much more desirable in Turkey?Jake also shares what it's like trying to introduce his 9-year-old son to collecting — including the unexpected decision to get into Pokémon because his son isn't interested in sports cards yet!There's plenty of discussion about buying and selling across international markets, grading cards from Turkey, finding bargains on eBay, the future of the Turkish hobby, and what the next generation of collectors might look like.A really enjoyable conversation about collecting, dealing, family, international card markets — and some very painful lessons along the way.What was your biggest card-selling mistake? Let us know in the comments.