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Hawaiian collector showing passion for hobby
Dylan Davis was bitten by the collector's bug early, and he still has some of his vintage toys on display from his childhood.
Born and raised in California, he now resides in Hawaii, and yes I'm jealous.
The hobby bug bit him in 1985-86 and he's been hooked ever since. However, due to demographics and other variables, the hobby was something he mainly enjoyed individually. He started buying and selling on eBay in 2001 and enjoyed moving inventory and acquiring cards he wanted to add to his collection. He dreamed of the day when the hobby potentially could be a full-time venture.
Dylan is also active in another passion — surfing, a sport he almost competed in professionally and which his wife actually did. His wife, also a talented artist, is the biggest supporter of his hobbies and endeavors.
Hawaii, while beautiful, is not known as a hobby mecca. Dylan’s nearest LCS is an hour away and doubles as a toy store. The shop does hold a monthly card show with ... brace yourself … four tables to peruse.
Dylan is a vintage guy but vintage cards can be hard to find on the island. He had to branch out to build his collection and his hobby community as well.
He is an avid listener of podcasts and audio books and some of the content he consumes is about baseball heroes he admired and collected. Once he discovered hobby content in both audio and video, he was drawn to it like a moth to a flame and couldn't get enough. He was enlightened, and his hobby world grew quickly.
I've met a lot of passionate collectors in my 40 years in the hobby, but Dylan's passion jumps to the top of the list and is contagious. He often wondered if he could share that passion on-screen like the many collectors and content creators he watched and enjoyed.
It didn't happen right away, but one night after watching the movie "42" and having an adult beverage or two, he took the plunge and launched his YouTube channel and his first video.
Show Calendar: Find a card show near you
I always say passion can't be faked or held down. It's evident in Dylan’s toy room, his surfboard room, and, of course, his card room, which is visible in his video content. His card room is something else, to say the least, as he is all about preserving his collection and goes to great lengths to do so. The display cases were all cut by hand and the cards are displayed behind specially ordered museum-grade glass. The windows are tinted and/or painted to prevent sun damage and the temperature is monitored constantly. (Dylan will be joining me soon for an episode with tips and techniques to preserve the cards we love.)
He's done well enough selling collectibles that he's been able to cut back his hours on his pond maintenance and Koi and Turtle business. Through his content, he's become a great hobby advocate and ambassador.
He also just launched a bi-monthly video podcast, “Turn Back the Clock,” with Adam from Splendid Sports. His YouTube channel can be found at @DoubleDVintageBaseballCards.
— John Newman is a collector, dealer and the host of the Sports Card Nation podcast. Catch his Hobby Quick Hits on Monday and his guest interviews on Friday on your favorite podcast platform. You can reach him at sportscardnationpc@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ sportscardnati1
John Newman is the host of the Sports Card Nation podcast
