Josh Luber

It's about being a part of that live marketplace that's happening at that moment in that place. That's why they're there. It's almost like the old trading pits, you know, the New York Stock Exchange.

It's about being a part of that live marketplace that's happening at that moment in that place. That's why they're there. It's almost like the old trading pits, you know, the New York Stock Exchange.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, like all of us, right? I mean, I collected cards as a kid. I am 46, so 1991 was my bar mitzvah, and as my bar mitzvah present from my parents was 1952 Topps, Willie Mays. So that was kind of like the peak of my childhood.

Yeah, I mean, like all of us, right? I mean, I collected cards as a kid. I am 46, so 1991 was my bar mitzvah, and as my bar mitzvah present from my parents was 1952 Topps, Willie Mays. So that was kind of like the peak of my childhood.

But I was like everyone, collected cards during the junk wax era, et cetera, put them all away when I went away to college, and kind of always sat in the back of my parents' closet. At StockX, we launched in 2016, blew up at the end of 2017. 2018 was about growth. 2018 was about, okay, what other products can we put on this site to grow the business?

But I was like everyone, collected cards during the junk wax era, et cetera, put them all away when I went away to college, and kind of always sat in the back of my parents' closet. At StockX, we launched in 2016, blew up at the end of 2017. 2018 was about growth. 2018 was about, okay, what other products can we put on this site to grow the business?

And so I was just always looking for what other products. We added collectibles that year, we added bare bricks, we added... Supreme, Streetware, and I started looking at trading cards. I started looking at cards myself, personally, and for the business.

And so I was just always looking for what other products. We added collectibles that year, we added bare bricks, we added... Supreme, Streetware, and I started looking at trading cards. I started looking at cards myself, personally, and for the business.

Being in Detroit, I had been talking to all the people in the industry, and Steve Sloan, who at the time I think was the president of PSA, says, oh, you're in Detroit? You gotta meet this guy, Jason Koontz. He lives in your backyard. And you obviously know him well. And he became my Sherpa back into the industry. You know, he'd obviously been collecting cards this entire time.

Being in Detroit, I had been talking to all the people in the industry, and Steve Sloan, who at the time I think was the president of PSA, says, oh, you're in Detroit? You gotta meet this guy, Jason Koontz. He lives in your backyard. And you obviously know him well. And he became my Sherpa back into the industry. You know, he'd obviously been collecting cards this entire time.

And I was like a kid in a candy store again to just like get back into cards. I started like opening up packs of cards at my desk in meetings at StockX. Everyone thought I was nuts. And so I started collecting stuff myself. But really, it was like got serious when we were trying to figure out, can this be a real category in StockX for growth?

And I was like a kid in a candy store again to just like get back into cards. I started like opening up packs of cards at my desk in meetings at StockX. Everyone thought I was nuts. And so I started collecting stuff myself. But really, it was like got serious when we were trying to figure out, can this be a real category in StockX for growth?

And I was just very fortunate to be ahead of that curve a little bit. So then I started buying cards myself and those things snowballed.

And I was just very fortunate to be ahead of that curve a little bit. So then I started buying cards myself and those things snowballed.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pre-pandemic, it took me about a year. So back up. The summer of 2019, we do our billion dollar round. I also stepped down as CEO. We bring in a professional CEO to start moving the company towards an IPO and growth. And it took me about a year to realize that just because I started the company doesn't mean I can't leave. Sure.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pre-pandemic, it took me about a year. So back up. The summer of 2019, we do our billion dollar round. I also stepped down as CEO. We bring in a professional CEO to start moving the company towards an IPO and growth. And it took me about a year to realize that just because I started the company doesn't mean I can't leave. Sure.

And so that whole next year, which obviously then leads in the pandemic, you know, I was sort of feeling my way around. I'm still looking for other products, other categories. And I really wanted to try to grow sneakers, excuse me, trading cards at StockX. But it just wasn't a priority for the sort of crazy ideas that I had about, could we go out and get licenses? Could we make trading cards?

And so that whole next year, which obviously then leads in the pandemic, you know, I was sort of feeling my way around. I'm still looking for other products, other categories. And I really wanted to try to grow sneakers, excuse me, trading cards at StockX. But it just wasn't a priority for the sort of crazy ideas that I had about, could we go out and get licenses? Could we make trading cards?