Collector Q&A: MidLife Sports Cards

Graig of MidLife Sports Cards was one of the card content creators I initially started watching on a regular basis when I started to watch YouTube collector videos, and I got to talk to him briefly at the National. While he’s only uploaded videos since the middle of 2022, he already has more than more than 500 videos on his channel, along with an active community, so I hope you enjoy Graig’s Drawn to Cards Q&A.

What’s your card collecting story (when and why did you start, which sport(s)/card era(s), and do you consider yourself a collecting generalist or specialist)?

I started collecting sports cards in 1987 with the Topps baseball cards. I quickly became all in with card collecting and began attending card shows all over Northern California. Now, I consider myself a generalist and tend to gravitate towards the vintage cards I remember as a kid that I couldn't afford to buy. I love the history behind cards and imagining the story behind what they experienced before making their way to my collection.

Who/what do you personally collect?

While I collect mostly vintage (pre-war and golden era), I also collect some modern cards as well. Much of my collection is the run of T206 Hall of Famers, highlighted by my Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson. I also collect Yankee captain cards, from the first Yankee captain, Clark Griffith, to the current captain, Aaron Judge. I also collect some football and basketball cards. My football collections include Jim Brown, Otto Graham, Sammy Baugh, Gale Sayers, and others.

What’s your favorite card you own and/or what’s your grail card? Tell us why.

As a kid, I really liked Ernie Banks. I loved how he was an ambassador for the game and an all-time great. I always thought his 1954 Topps rookie card was one of the most beautiful cards of all time. At the 2024 National, I finally purchased mine in a PSA 5. My Dad and several friends were there with me when I bought it. A memory that I'll never forget.

Who/what motivated you to start a YouTube channel?

For many years, I coached my daughters in sports: softball, soccer, golf, and others. My youngest daughter is a high school senior, and knowing that my time watching her was winding down, I wanted to find a new hobby to replace that one. Also, because I love sports cards, I wanted to find a community of other collectors to share the love of the hobby. Simply put: I wanted to meet new people to talk cards with.

What’s been the best part of your YouTube experience so far?

I've made a handful of friends that I hope I'll have for the rest of my life. Some of the kindest and most thoughtful people have been introduced to me through my YouTube channel. Quite frankly, I can't imagine my life without many of these friends in it.

If you could talk to/interview any person on your channel (creator, person in sports, person in the hobby, etc.), who would it be and why?

Without a doubt, I would interview Nat Turner. Collectors (PSA) has become so powerful in the hobby that every move they make really affects what happens in the hobby. I have so many questions I'd love to have answered. Would he answer many of them? Probably not. But, I think he needs to hear from more collectors and hear how some of the decisions they've been making are affecting the health of the hobby.

Which three YouTube sports card channels do you think more people should watch?

I've mentioned many channels over the past couple of years. I really like several channels and have shouted out many of them numerous times: Mookie Chillson, Return To Collecting, Iconic Al (Iconic Baseball), Shoebox Legends, and MANY more. There are a handful of channels that haven't gotten exposed to as many viewers and I think they should have:

• I really think Brian at the HighPopProfessor does a great job and don't understand why he doesn't have more subscribers.

• I think my friend Tony at Southern Collector 14 has an incredible collection and shares a wealth of knowledge. He should have well over 1,000 subscribers by now. He has grown quickly, but not quickly enough.

• My friend Brent at Brent Richards and Baseball Cards shows some really awesome cards that I never knew existed. He truly has a joy of collecting and sharing/showing cards. I think his channel is fantastic as well.

What do you think the future holds for your channel and for the hobby in general?

I really don’t know what the future holds for my channel. When I started, like I mentioned earlier, I just wanted to form friendships with other collectors to talk cards with. I’ve accomplished that. I also have really found a new way to spend time to replace my “kids” sports. So, I feel like those goals have been met. Views and subscribers really aren’t that important to me. I want people to participate in the channel if they WANT to participate and view the channel. I understand that I’m not for everyone and not every video will be something that people are drawn to. As long as I’m enjoying making videos, I’ll keep doing it. But, it’s impossible to predict if that will continue for the next 10 years or the next 10 months. Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time.

Regarding the hobby … that’s a good question. I think the hobby is in a really strong place right now. Is it perfect? No. Are there changes I wish that could be made? Absolutely. But, when I got to card shows I see people ranging in age from 5 years old to 90 years old, and everything in between. I see tables with modern cards, non-sport cards, Pokémon cards, and vintage cards. All of the tables seem to draw interest. If the economy is healthy and people have disposable income, I expect the hobby to remain on solid footing. Regardless of what others do, I know that I’ll collect cards for the rest of my life.