Is It Getting Harder to Make Money Flipping Cards? James, Gorilla Breaks | 3rd Down Pulled

This week, Ben is joined at London Card Show by Dan, the self-proclaimed better half of Midas Breaks.Dan talks about the stage auction that went a bit off-script, what it's like being on the other side of the bidding, and the big stream with former Spurs player Jamie O'Hara. He explains why famous guests love the hobby as much as the rest of us, and tells the story of a young collector from Bermuda at her very first card show who pulled a £1,200 Messi auto on stage, and the lovely message her mum sent afterwards.He also opens up about his Zola PC, his new collection of any card numbered 21, why the best cards are the ones with a story behind them, and how watching 3rd Down grow over five years shows what hard work and consistency can do in the hobby.Follow Dan on Instagram @midas.dan and Midas Breaks @midasbreaksChapters00:00 The better half of Midas Breaks00:24 Who won the stage auction?00:58 Bargains from the other side of the bidding01:35 Live with Jamie O'Hara02:29 Why famous guests love the hobby03:56 A £1,200 Messi on her first day05:23 Today's plan and a 1/1 Zola05:49 The Zola PC06:45 The 21 collection07:36 Cards with a story behind them08:17 How 3rd Down started08:46 Hard work and consistencyFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben sits down at London Card Show with James from Gorilla Breaks, one of the hardest-working people in the UK hobby.James started out selling football shirts, found cards on eBay and was buying and flipping by 16, at one point sitting on 28 row boxes of singles while still at college. He's never had a "proper job" since. He talks about trying to explain what he does to older relatives, the early days of the UK scene, the charity stream with Ben, and his personal collection of Callum Wilson and niche United cards.He also shares his advice for your first show (walk round first, then buy), why he thinks making money in the hobby is getting harder with so many sets and so many sellers, why he'd start on Whatnot with £1 auctions to build a community, and the worst pickup of his life: a Garnacho 1/1 Superfractor auto that had offers of 15 grand and ended up selling for 1.5.Follow James on Instagram @gorilla.breaksChapters00:00 The hardest-working man in the hobby00:27 From football shirts to flipping cards01:13 Explaining the job to the family01:38 The charity stream02:11 What he's buying at London Card Show02:36 His collection: Callum Wilson and niche United03:17 Germany, Card Mania and the French fries card03:48 Tips for your first card show04:43 Is it getting harder to make money?06:36 Selling on Whatnot and £1 auctions08:10 The worst pickup: a Garnacho 1/108:42 Wrap-upFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben sits down with Holland from Baseball Island at London Card Show.Holland's collecting started with a single box of 1990 Topps under the tree on Christmas morning, which led to Little League, college baseball and a lifelong love of the stats behind the game. He explains why baseball is the most analytical sport to collect, how the London Series grew the UK baseball group from 800 to 3,000 people almost overnight, and why breaking is the way into the hobby for collectors chasing teams like Forest.He also talks about running his collection out of a one-bed flat in Islington, collecting image variations rather than teams, playing college ball with Paul Goldschmidt, a big deal that came down to a coin flip with his wife's lucky penny, and his plan to grow Baseball Island into an American sports archipelago. Plus his tips for your first card show: it's a marathon, not a sprint.Follow Holland on Instagram @hwtexasbreaksChapters00:00 Why Holland00:13 Christmas 1990: one box of Topps01:23 Why only baseball?02:28 The UK baseball hobby and the London Series03:38 Forest cards and why breaking matters04:15 Building breaks the right way04:53 Cards in a one-bed flat in Islington05:52 Image variations and niche collections06:14 Cubs, Cardinals and Paul Goldschmidt06:49 The collector who only wants bubble-gum cards08:12 Chasing Haaland08:46 Friday at the show and a coin-flip deal10:30 Building Baseball Island12:13 Tips for your first card show13:21 Wrap-upFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben catches up with Poki Dean at London Card Show. Poki Dean was the first hobby influencer Ben ever met, and he now runs his own shop, Collectors Card House.He talks about collectors travelling from all over the world to visit the shop, what it means to meet the people who watch on YouTube, and how London Card Show has grown from a school hall to ExCeL. He also explains why collectibles of every kind cross over at a show like this, from Pokémon and NFL to Dragon Ball.Poki Dean shares his advice for anyone thinking about making content ("what's the worst that can happen?"), how he went from a FIFA channel in 2015 to Pokémon, why he brought in an editor, and what it's really like opening and running a card shop, with the aim of making it a hub for the community.Follow Poki Dean on Instagram @pokedean_ and Collectors Card House @collectorscardhouseChapters00:00 The first influencer Ben ever met00:12 How fast the hobby is growing00:44 Visitors from all over the world01:10 Meeting your YouTube audience in person01:53 From a school hall to ExCeL02:18 How's the show been?02:47 Collectibles cross over: Pokémon, NFL and Dragon Ball03:38 Advice for new creators04:18 From FIFA to Pokémon, and getting an editor05:21 Opening Collectors Card House06:05 Making the shop a hub for the community06:31 A social but antisocial hobby07:10 Wrap-upFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben sits down with Coby from Edition One at the end of a busy London Card Show, fresh from seven cities in four weeks.Coby explains why the Dallas Card Show is his favourite in the world, how Edition One grew out of years of collecting far more than sports cards (comics, rare books, VHS and anything that matters to him), and why he thinks the modern Disney market is running too hot while true vintage is undervalued. He shares his theory on vintage Simpsons ahead of the new film, the true Snoopy rookie, and why vintage baseball can't be comped like modern cards.He also talks about vending on the ground floor at The National, kids at US shows with jaw-dropping collections, an Invincible first issue someone drove three hours from Wales to deliver, balancing family life with travelling three times a month, and his advice for anyone walking into their first card show: go slowly, buy what you like, and learn before you buy.Follow Coby on Instagram @cobybull and Edition One @editiononecollectChapters00:00 The people in the hobby00:26 London Card Show and backing the UK market00:35 Seven cities in four weeks01:03 Dallas: the centre of the card world?01:57 Where Edition One came from03:06 Is the Disney market sustainable?03:33 Why he's buying vintage Simpsons04:35 What will it take for vintage to catch up?06:05 Snoopy's true rookie card07:12 Vintage baseball and why you can't comp it the same way08:10 Vending at The National08:53 The US market and kids with huge collections09:52 What's next for Edition One10:31 Family life and travelling12:02 An Invincible first issue, delivered from Wales12:47 A memorabilia day13:28 Advice for new collectors15:22 Niche collectors16:40 Wrap-upFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben catches up with Phil from Stateside Sports at the end of a long, hot weekend at London Card Show.Phil talks about getting his wife into women's football cards (and how it's now doubled the spending), Stateside doing singles at a show for the first time, and the haggling that comes with it: one more card in, one card out, cash or no cash, until you've lost track completely.He also explains why Stateside's laid-back approach works for them, what's next for the stand, and why he thinks content and cards can't be separated any more if you want to grow in the hobby.Follow Phil on Instagram @stateside_phil and Stateside Sports @statesidesportscardsChapters00:00 Getting the wife into women's cards01:00 Doing singles for the first time01:22 "If anyone wants to rob me, just do that"02:16 Laid-back and easy to deal with02:44 Branding and a tablecloth next03:16 Getting the team on camera04:12 Why content and cards go together now04:50 Wrap-upFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben is joined live at London Card Show by Charlie from Aces Sports Cards, a seasoned vendor and a familiar face in our content.Charlie takes us through how he gets ready for a big show: hours in a waiting room just to get a table, then six to eight weeks of buying stock he won't sell anywhere but at the show. He explains why he steers clear of the trends and goes for the GOATs, why an old Big Man on Court insert is worth having on the table even if it doesn't sell straight away, and what's happening with Wembanyama, Zion and Yamal.He also gets honest about the side people don't see: pricing until 2am the night before, sourcing cards from America into the early hours, and the myth that vendors are making loads of money. Plus how his first table at London started with cards from breaks, his tips for anyone thinking about vending for the first time, and the oddest corner of his PC.Follow Charlie on Instagram @aces_sportscardsChapters00:00 The smoothest man in the hobby00:34 Getting a table and building stock01:03 Regulars, not trends01:48 Going for the GOATs02:19 Base cards as fire starters02:49 Stocking something different03:32 The Big Man on Court insert04:39 Legends and a stable market05:06 Wembanyama, Zion and buying the hype06:44 Yamal and the World Cup dip07:38 Pricing until 2am07:59 It's about the people08:51 The vendor money myth10:02 His first table at London10:53 Tips for first-time vendors12:22 Streamers who never go to shows13:12 Weekend goals and a very odd PC14:00 Taylor Swift, a Titanic card and the wrapFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben is joined live at London Card Show by Ben Placito from Plute Collects, who went from streaming FIFA on TikTok to breaking cards full-time.Ben tells us how a trip to the show with his old school mates got him into cards three years ago, why he gives so much energy on his breaks, and how he approaches a show like this as a vlogger. He's honest about burnout after four years of full-time content, and why switching off is so hard in the hobby.We also get into his personal collection (Raphinha, Leeds and Barcelona, and a Raphinha Superfractor 1/1 off for grading), the PSA 10 he bought for a tenner as his first graded card, why he's desperate to get to The National, the breaking mat 3rd Down made for him, and the Ronaldinho autograph he's saving for next.Chapters00:00 Intro: from FIFA streaming to full-time breaking00:49 Bringing the energy on TikTok breaks01:50 Winging it: vlogging at the show02:30 Burnout and switching off03:24 The PC: Raphinha, Leeds and Barcelona04:14 Collector first04:30 A PSA 10 for a tenner04:56 What host Ben collects: Disney and more05:48 The National and the American shows07:08 The 3rd Down breaking mat07:47 Sunday deals and an £80 budget08:19 Saving for a Ronaldinho auto08:43 Wrap-upFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben is joined live at London Card Show by Liam Stokes, better known as Stokesy, from Stateside Sports.Stokesy tells the story of how Stateside started: his business partner Planty sold his car to fund their first NFL box break, and they didn't take a penny out of the business for six years before both going full-time this year. They talk about vending singles for the first time, a Disney Sapphire buy that paid for itself, and why getting content out is the hardest part of the job.Fresh back from The National, Stokesy shares his tips for first-timers, from staying in downtown Chicago to clearing US immigration in Dublin. He also covers the passport that went through the washing machine, an accidental trade night in the hotel bar, the vintage hall, and how he blew the weekend's budget in the first hour.Follow Stokesy on Instagram @stateside_stokesy and Stateside Sports @statesidesportscards for their next NFL night.Chapters00:00 Welcome, Mr Stateside00:19 Content and the editing bottleneck03:06 Vending singles for the first time04:13 The Disney Sapphire buy that paid for itself06:37 How Stateside started: Planty sells his car09:23 First vs second National11:02 An accidental hotel trade night13:22 Doing The National as a business15:28 Tips for doing The National17:44 The passport in the washing machine20:37 Dealing at The National23:54 The vintage hall25:39 Tables for the weekend at London Card Show26:23 Blowing the budget in an hour27:55 Wrap-up and the Stateside NFL nightFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.

This week, Ben is joined live at London Card Show by Arunas (@arunasb_ltu). He grew up in Soviet Lithuania with nothing to buy, not even chewing gum, and now he turns up at The National with Jordans and Curry rookie autos.His first cards came from neighbours visiting from America: two packs of Hoops shared between eight kids, two cards each. He still has his Don Nelson coach card, and explains why it means more to him than any Jordan rookie.He talks about buying hobby boxes every payday while living in London, hitting Steph Curry rookies, grading, and why he'll happily upgrade a card and sell the lower grade. He also gives a tour of the European show scene, from the Nordic Card Show to Poland, France, Spain and Germany, and shares his advice on buying basketball cards, the lessons from buying the Luka hype, and the sealed Prism case he's saving for his birthday.Follow Arunas on Instagram @arunasb_ltuChapters00:00 Intro: the International Man of Mystery01:06 Growing up in the Soviet Union02:48 The Don Nelson card and 199204:58 Hobby boxes in London and Curry rookies07:31 Grading, upgrading and the US mindset10:04 Grails and sentimental value11:10 Card shows across Europe16:02 Getting to UK shows17:20 Selling Jordans at The National18:20 Where to start with basketball cards20:16 Buying the hype: lessons from Luka22:05 Saving a Prism case for his birthday23:03 Wrap-upFollow us on Instagram @3rddownuk for more from the UK hobby.