BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The value of trading cards has skyrocketed during the pandemic -- and one group of guys from the Boston area have been taking the trend to the bank.
Jesse and Burt Deveau, along with Jeff Ferraro, are the co-owners of Freshpullz -- a new sports card and hobby trading store in Peabody. They are the minds behind Matty's Auction Madness -- an almost daily, live event on social media to sell trading cards and sports memorabilia.
"Previous to this, me, Jessie and Jeff have been once to three times a week we drive around to eight to ten card stores from Massachusetts to New Hampshire all the way down to Connecticut, to scoop up all the inventory we can scoop up," Burt Deveau said.
He added that the group has made over $2 million so far in sales during the pandemic through online auctions, in-store purchases and sports card mobile apps.
"First month we did $50,000 in sales, second month we doubled it, third month we doubled that -- and since then we haven't lost traction," Co-owner Jeff Ferraro said.
Jesse Deveau added that all three men have since quit their original jobs to devote all their energy into the sports card collecting industry.
"Now that [the sports cards are] grading cards they're almost giving them an official stamp," Deveau said. "That's what's bringing investors to cards now."
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports.
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Written by Rachel Armany
(Photo: Getty Images)