On the Bench with Indy Card Exchange

Give us some background on your current involvement in the hobby.  Describe your business, your mission etc.

AA: I’ve been a collector for over 31 years and started in 1988 with a box of 88/89 Fleer basketball cards that my grandmother purchased for me as a Christmas gift.  From that point on, I was hooked and never stopped collecting, buying, selling, and trading.  In 2001 I moved to Indianapolis and struck a friendship up with the original owner of my shop.  I became one of his best customers for almost 12 years because of my love for high-end basketball cards.  In May of 2012, I acquired the shop and became the proud owner of the Indy Card Exchange.

We are a full service brick and mortar card shop, serving a very diverse population of collectors, investors, breakers, flippers, and box busters.  Our mission is to provide a relationship based business that can’t be matched by anything online.  I couldn’t do this business without the undying support of my wife, Samantha and the dedication of my team starting with my General Manager Jake, and our staff consisting of Dave, Glenn, Matt, and Mindy.  Our customers rely on our expertise to guide them in the direction of what suits them best.  If they are investors, we give them the best investment advice we can possibly provide.  If they are set builders, we provide them inventory for them to complete their sets.  If they are looking to get trading cards graded, we consult with them on which cards are the best grading candidates.  If they are busting boxes, we help advise them on the best bang for their buck.  If they are looking to sell, we provide them with the most transparent and most current market values of their cards, in order to determine a fair purchase price.  Obviously there are many more facets of the business, but the bottom line is RELATIONSHIPS.  That is the foundational principle I’ve stood on my whole professional career, and that will continue to be the basis for the success and growth of Indy Card Exchange for years to come.

What’s your earliest memory of Trading Cards?

AA: As I said in the previous question, my earliest and fondest memory has to do with the box of 1988 fleer basketball my grandmother bought for me.  I still have the original 88 Fleer Michael Jordan and Jordan All Star cards from that box in my collection.  Those will be the hallmark of my collection for the rest of my life, because they ignited the passion that I still have today for the trading card hobby.  Basketball cards have always been my first love to collect, and growing up in Indiana, basketball is king in every way.  A couple years ago, I was able to acquire a sealed box of 88/89 Fleer basketball in order to commemorate the reason for why I started.  This will be another iconic piece of my collection right alongside the original Jordan cards I pulled from the box in Christmas of 1988.  41 year old Andy is still as excited about sports cards as 10 year old Andy was.

How did you get started in the Hobby? If you took a break, how did you get back in?

AA: From the business aspect of the Hobby, I first started in High School when I was attending local/regional card shows to buy/sell/trade for Michael Jordan cards.  I graduated high school in 1997, so my senior year was exciting because I took a liking to buying Kobe Bryant Rookie cards as well.  The combo of Jordan inserts and Kobe rookies helped fuel my love for the business side of the hobby even more.  Many people I talk to today tell me of their stories of getting out of the hobby during their high school and college years, but for me, it was a passion I couldn’t stop pursuing.  Everywhere I went, I would look for a local card shop to visit, and once I graduated college and planted my roots in Indianapolis, the passion took off like a rocket. 

Who are you currently investing in? Is there a specific card of theirs you are investing in? Why?

AA: I am currently investing in Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant 90s insert cards.  I have been an investor of those cards since the beginning, and I continue to pursue the rare inserts any chance I can get my hands on them.  In regards to my modern market investments, I always balance things out by investing in the blue chip players, such as Lebron, Trout, Brady, Durant, Giannis, Graded Vintage cards, etc.  But I love the high risk/high reward aspect of the hobby lately as well.  For example, I spent around $20,000 each on Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker their rookie years.  Those investments have definitely paid off, as they have grown nearly 6 to 8 times their initial values.  The advice I can give investors is to study Population Reports and invest in the cards that will always have the higher demand over current supply.  Base prizm cards are obviously a safe investment, but if you are truly looking to make money on the hobby, search for the unique prizm cards of your favorite players that will have a low graded population long term.  For example, Numbered Hobby Color parallels, Photo Variations, Inserts graded Gem Mint, etc.  Those are just a few of the suggestions I try to give to my local customers when discussing the “investment” aspect of the market.  Keep a balanced portfolio of Blue Chip cards and High Risk/High Reward modern cards.  Not every active modern player is going to pan out, so make sure you continue to pursue the Jordan, Mantle, Aaron, Gretzky, Brady, LeBron, Trout cards in order to create a soft landing when things don’t work out on certain investments.

What is the biggest hit you’ve ever pulled?

AA: The the most valuable hit I ever pulled was back in 03/04 when I pulled the true rookie auto of Lebron James #3/250.  I got it graded immediately, and it came back as a BGS 9.5/10.  I kept it for nearly 2 years, and in my stupidity, I sold it for around $2,000.  Today’s value of that card is now pushing nearly $100,000!  My biggest sentimental hit I ever pulled was in 1996/97 when I pulled the Flair Showcase Hot Shots Michael Jordan insert, which to this day is still my favorite Jordan card in my collection.