Meeting Matthew At The National

One of my favorite parts of going to the National is the ability to meet up with fellow collectors from Facebook, Instagram, the blogs, Skype, etc.  I have used it as an opportunity to do some in person trades with these guys, and just hand out searching boxes with guys who are just as interested in cards as I am.

One of the people I was able to meet with at this year's National was Matthew.  I met Matthew through a Facebook trading page several years ago when he was only 10.  I believe one of the first trades I ever actually completed with him was for a Jose Fernandez chrome RC (but Matthew may have to confirm that).  I helped him get his collection started by also sending him some care packages and introducing him to blogging and other Facebook card pages.  Matthew actually started a few of his own trading pages and would Skype regularly with my son, Chris, since they are really close in age.  It stuck with Chris so much, that he asks about Matthew all the time, even though the don't have the time to chat any more.

So, I met up with Matthew and his dad at the National and he had this great Hunter Harvey auto from 2015 Bowman Inception.  He gave me the card "just because" which I thought was really nice of him.  I always enjoyed how appreciative Matthew was of the care packages I sent.  I now see his instagram page and enjoy all of the super high end cards that he has acquired since our introduction.  I'm happy to see that his collection has grown by leaps and bounds, and also how he himself has grown into a well respected member of the card community.  I see articles all of the time that spell the death knell of the hobby, but with kids like Matthew, I feel like it is alive and will carry into the next generation of collectors just fine.

Thanks so much for the awesome card, Matthew!