O/T: Employment in the hobby

rhettyeakley · #1 02-03-2010, 08:30 PM

Short of becoming a successful full time dealer there aren't too many jobs that would allow one live a fairly comfortable job. However, everyone's definition of comfortable is different.

I am a dentist and if I could find a job in the hobby with a guaranteed pay at what i am currently making I would cease to be a dentist!

-Rhett

Robextend · #2 02-03-2010, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

Short of becoming a successful full time dealer there aren't too many jobs that would allow one live a fairly comfortable job. However, everyone's definition of comfortable is different.

I am a dentist and if I could find a job in the hobby with a guaranteed pay at what i am currently making I would cease to be a dentist!

-Rhett

I hear what you are saying. Before I got a "real" job I worked in a local oldies record store for 4 years. That was the most fun I ever had working...and I always say that if I could make the same money doing that as what I do now, I would never have left that job.

mintacular · #3 02-03-2010, 09:12 PM

might want to think about even IF you could work in the hobby, your passion for the hobby might become dilluted. It is much more fun to work a day job and enjoy the hobby on the side...

bbcard1 · #4 02-03-2010, 09:26 PM

I once had a job interview with Beckett, but Rich Klein didn't hire me...;-)...all worked out for the best, but truedat

Orioles1954 · #5 02-03-2010, 10:26 PM

Rob,

I've been employed as the Senior Writer for Huggins and Scott since 2006. It really started off as an accident. I was at a card show in Virginia and signed up for the H&S catalog. While reading it, I noticed multiple spelling errors. When I consigned my first items to H&S, I casually mentioned to Bill Huggins if he might be looking for somebody as a proofreader. We subsuquently agreed that it might be a good idea for me to write on a very PT basis. After four months I quit my corporate job and was hired by H&S full time. I really like our catalog and staff and am thankful for the four years I've been there.

James

kylebicking · #6 02-03-2010, 10:33 PM

If anyone in Chicago has any openings, send me a message! Going on one year, one week without employment... sigh.

-Kyle

Robextend · #7 02-03-2010, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

Rob,

I've been employed as the Senior Writer for Huggins and Scott since 2006. It really started off as an accident. I was at a card show in Virginia and signed up for the H&S catalog. While reading it, I noticed multiple spelling errors. When I consigned my first items to H&S, I casually mentioned to Bill Huggins if he might be looking for somebody as a proofreader. We subsuquently agreed that it might be a good idea for me to write on a very PT basis. After four months I quit my corporate job and was hired by H&S full time. I really like our catalog and staff and am thankful for the four years I've been there.

James

That is a cool story James, that is the kind of situation I was thinking would be ideal for me. Catching on P/T somewhere, proving myself, and then eventually land a F/T gig.

smtjoy · #8 02-04-2010, 12:02 AM

I really think a lot of it boils down to how much money would you need to earn. I would bet if you are in the market for entry level stuff then you would have a chance. The grading companies would be at the top of my list then the auctions houses. See if you can find something of value that they might need, like James and his writting. Heck I would say talk to PSA about the SMR, that thing needs tons of work and imo if done right really could be a credit to the hobby and not the current joke pricing.

As far as being a dealer, as other have said start small. You will need a couple important things, capital and inventory. You need capital/cash to be ready to puchase good deals when they arrive and inventory to have stuff to sell.

In my own side card business I carry about 40 cards worth around 5-6k in my ebay store, I sell about 5-10% (2-4 cards) each month. Thats only about $250 - $500 of revenue a month, I do make a nice margin on most of the items about 25% (after fees) but that means I make a profit of only about $62-125 a month. The good side is I put all my profit back into inventory and it has doubled in 2 years ago.

My suggestion is save up some cash and start buying/selling in your area of expertise and work your inventory up.

For me I would need to grow my inventory another 80 times what it is now or about $500,000 for me to consider doing it full time, haha, guess I am sticking to the full time job for another 20 years.

Good luck!

JamesGallo · #9 02-03-2010, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mintacular

might want to think about even IF you could work in the hobby, your passion for the hobby might become dilluted. It is much more fun to work a day job and enjoy the hobby on the side...

Although I don't exclusively do cards, I have sold collectibles (comics, action figures, cards) my whole life. That is what I did in collage and when I got out. I am still doing it now, almost 10 years.

It isn't all it's cracked up to be believe me. When your self employed there are a lt of issues you don't think about and you will get jaded.

Once you have seen, sold or handled all the "rare" stuff what else is there. I think you would find out that your hobby quickly becomes a job, maybe slightly more enjoyable but the pressure of never know if a sale will come, putting out a lot of cash for inventory and lack of a steady income can totally ruin a person.

I have seen a lot of dealers burn out and I think the only reason I still can do what I do is that I move into different areas both in dealing and collecting. That still keeps things fresh and interesting and when I enter a new hobby I am not the aged veteran but the young gun again.

I would love to get a job for a company in development, always new and fun, might get boring at times, but everything does.

I think the big trick is to see what is around you and work at it. If your close to Topps or another card company try to get your foot in the door and see where it goes. Tough road but I wish you well.

James G

Rob D. · #10 02-04-2010, 07:55 AM

Edited because of a case of mistaken identity on my part.

Leon · #11 02-04-2010, 07:59 AM

My problem is that I am a die hard collector, first. It seems that many times I am buying a card for inventory, I get it and like it, and it goes into my collection. I guess it's not a bad problem but it's still a problem. I think what Barry said is fairly spot on. A possibe thing to do would be to keep your day job and practice the art of buying and selling on a small scale, to start with. See how that goes (it's not quite as easy as one would think, to make money) and then progress from there.....or not

. Good luck....

nebboy · #12 02-04-2010, 10:05 AM

With in insurance background apply to the top insurance company that insure personal sports collections. There not hard to find in any hobby pub. Maybe even something you could do from home (Partime at first) as a data analyze for the the insurance hobby market - underwriters need good data on pricing, condition info.

glynparson · #13 02-04-2010, 05:39 PM

James basically said everything I was going to say and pretty much word for word. Except I have never done comics, but certainly have delved into other fields.

Rich Klein · #14 02-04-2010, 07:31 PM

In that I realized in college that sports collectibles *WAS* my primary interest and I've been able to spend most of my "adult" life in sports or sports collectibles. Not everyone is so lucky,....

Rich

ethicsprof · #15 02-04-2010, 09:31 PM

You certainly have had some very important positions in the hobby and have done a remarkable job along the way!!
all the best, ole friend

barry

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