Talking The Hobby | A Chat with Basketball Card Guy

Building Hobby Community Through Basketball Cards

John, AKA Basketball Card Guy, has been in The Hobby for years. A lifelong passion led him to build a presence online, particularly on Instagram (@basketballcardguy). He’s dedicated to collecting and creating content to engage collectors of all levels, and to educate the next generation of about the joy of The Hobby.

We had a chance to talk to Basketball Card Guy to get his thoughts on collecting and the state of The Hobby.

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RIPPED: Can you tell us your focus in The Hobby as Basketball Card Guy, and your origin story — how you got into The Hobby? 

BCG: I’ve been collecting forever. My main platform is Instagram, but I also have a website (basketballcardguy.com) which shares a lot of my personal collection. Occasionally I put a card up for sale — usually if I have too many of a certain player.

Like a lot of people, my dad collected cards when he was a kid. When I was seven or eight, he gave me his vintage baseball cards. He had a couple of Mantles in there, Topps from ’59 to ’63. It was really neat, and watching him glow when he talked about the players and the memories — I saw something in there that was more than just cardboard.

That still resonates today. These are not just pieces of cardboard. They let you access a memory — the moment pictured, or a moment in your own life from when you pulled or found the card. Or the emotion of a player you saw in person.

RIPPED: How did you get started?

BCG: I was a huge Jordan collector. I still have over 4,000 Jordan cards. Most of them I pulled or traded for in the ’90s. At 15, I got my first job at a card shop in Mount Kisco, New York. There were three card shops there at the time. This one was in a small mall — my first retail job. I was the night manager. Tons of fun. My focus quickly became basketball.

My dad gave me the baseball cards, but once I realized they made basketball cards — and since I was a much bigger basketball fan — that became my focus.

I started collecting seriously in 1992 at age 11. I had every Shaq card known to man. By the time I got the retail job in ’96, it was the Iverson, Kobe, Ray Allen rookie class. I collected a ton. I didn’t have the kind of money kids have today at shows. Every paycheck I got became store credit. I never left the shop with money. I always spent it on packs or singles.

RIPPED: What is Your Favorite Topps Basketball card?

BCG: That’s super hard to narrow down. Probably one of my Jordan Refractors. I love the Michael Jordan Finest Refractors. I set out to get every one of them. It’s a long process that gets harder by the day!

RIPPED: What’s the focus of your collection?

BCG: My main collection now is autographs and memorabilia. Game-used and autographed stuff became more available, which I was drawn to. I’m also a huge set collector. Tons of Topps, from the ’90s especially. Beam Team was a major one. Also the entire 1993–94 Finest Refractor set — the very first Refractors ever in basketball. Then the 1996–97 bronze Refractors, including the Kobe rookie.

I’ve built a lot of Refractor sets. I gravitate toward sets that became templates for future design, like the 1993 Finest paving the way for Chrome.

I love one-of-one-style items — not just serial-numbered one-of-ones, but things that become unique because of how I participated in creating them. When I met Dennis Rodman, I had him inscribe a quote I could display in my office: “Don’t let other people decide who you are.” That’s personal. That means something.

RIPPED: What do you do in The Hobby and online as Basketball Card Guy?

BCG: I try to get people to appreciate cards for what they are — not just their value. My fear is the commoditization of The Hobby. Too many kids come up to me and ask about value before anything else.

I collect these instead of stocks because I enjoy looking at them. They hold memories. And I want young collectors to see that side of it, too. Online, I model that: I post meaningful cards, unique stories, not transactional content. I’ve made real friends through Instagram. I answer every DM.

RIPPED: What’s the best way for a new collector to get started?

BCG: Pick cards because they speak to you — design, team, player, memory. That’s how you learn. For kids, ask for wax as a gift! And for adults, find sets or designs that resonate. Learn card design and numbering.

RIPPED: Who’s a player you collect who isn’t a legend or superstar?

BCG: I collect Thomas Bryant heavily. I have over 2,500 of his cards. He grew up near my wife’s hometown and had a perfect NBA shooting game — he went 14-for-14. He runs a basketall camp in Rochester, so I donated 200 of his rookie cards so every camper left with one.

When I gave them to him, he cried. I also made him a custom card. The kids’ reactions were incredible. Those cards will mean something to them forever.

I also gravitate to collecting people I like, beyond just as players. I’ve started collecting Dylan Harper, for example. At Topps Hobby Rip Night at Citi Field, he was there. He was incredibly genuine. Same with Duncan Robinson and Grant Williams — guys who treat fans well, no ego. That pulls me toward their cards.

RIPPED: Where do you think The Hobby is now that Topps has the NBA license again?

BCG: I think Fanatics and Topps are putting real effort into community-building — Hobby Rip Nights, Fanatics Fest, NBA Store releases, athletes participating directly. Seeing players break packs with fans creates excitement. It’s more “on the pavement” involvement than we’ve had in years.

RIPPED: What’s your hope for yourself in The Hobby going forward?

BCG: My main goals in The Hobby are to complete meaningful sets, support new collectors, and keep the focus on the stories and memories behind the cards.

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