Collector Stories | The Ultimate Aaron Judge Collector

Inside Dr. Len Tau’s Massive Judge Collection

Aaron Judge added another epic chapter to his storybook career after winning his third MVP in 2025. For collector Len Tau, Judge’s 2025 AL MVP award is further confirmation of his foresight in focusing his collecting resources on the Yankees slugger.

Tau’s collection has to be seen to be believed: more than 400 Aaron Judge one-of-ones and Superfractors, all tracked down piece by piece through years of patience, timing, and a love for not only baseball and his Bronx Bombers, but The Hobby.

“I’ve been in this since I was a kid, running my own card business and chasing Don Mattingly cards because he represented everything good about baseball,” Tau says. “Aaron Judge carries that same torch today. My 400+ 1/1s and Superfractors aren’t just rare pieces, they’re reminders that greatness like Judge’s can be built on humility, hard work and character. That’s what keeps me collecting and looking for more grail cards.”

A High School Entrepreneur

Tau started collecting young, running a business called L&M’s Lineup with help from his dad while in high school. “He gave me a $10,000 loan, and I paid him back in three months,” he says. The business was named as a nod to Lenny and Mort (his father’s name), but after paying off the loan, he rebranded it as Lenny’s Lineup. “We’d go to shows, buy and sell cards, and I learned early that this hobby rewards passion and patience.” 

In the years that followed, Tau focused on his dental practice, and more recently, helping other practices maximize their online reputation, marketing, and social media strategies based on his first-hand experience. Tau found himself drawn back into The Hobby when he saw Judge’s rookie season and started collecting again with his son — a full-circle moment that rekindled the same spark he had as a kid.

“In 2017, my son Aidan and I went to the Yankees Insider Experience at spring training,” he says. “We met Ron Guidry, Greg Bird, and a rookie named Aaron Judge. I told my son right then, ‘This is the guy who’s going to take it to the next level.’ Sharing that with my son brought everything back — the excitement, the connection, the reason I fell in love with collecting in the first place.”

One of Tau’s most prized possessions is a 2017 Judge Topps Dynasty Rookie Logoman. “I bought that card early on for $25,000,” he explains. “I was most recently offered $375,000 for it.” He’s holding firm, believing the card’s valuation could soon reach “half a million.” According to the oddsmakers, Judge is a minus-325 favorite (76.5% chance) to win his third MVP in November. He led the American League in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging, while playing solid defense. 

In 2021, Aiden brought home a box of Topps Gypsy Queen cards and that collecting spark turned into a flame. “It had been so many years since I ripped a pack,” Tau says. “I just thought, wow, this is still fun.”

A few years later, Tau met fellow collector Mark Plesher, and his Hobby focus sharpened even more. Together, they opened Home Field Hobby Shop in Coral Springs, Florida.

“Mark’s the heart of the shop,” Tau says. “We’ve built something that feels like a community. People come in to trade, talk cards, and share the same passion that got us into this in the first place.”

At home, Tau’s Judge collection continued to grow. He shifted from quantity to high-end quality, focusing only on rare pieces that carried real meaning. “It became like a treasure hunt,” he says. “Finding one card at a show could make my week.”

The Judge Chase Continues

Tau’s current fixation is an elusive short print in the 2023 Topps Cosmic Chrome Planetary Pursuit set, a Judge Venus card. For him, every card marks a checkpoint in a lifelong chase, a reminder of where passion can take you.

When Tau talks about Judge now, it’s with the same reverence he once had for Mattingly as a kid.

“Judge represents everything I admired about baseball growing up,” he says. “This collection is proof that the chase never really ends.”

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