In Episode 19, Matt Ham from Ham House Sports sits down to share his journey from selling a small junk-wax lot to building a six-figure hobby business rooted in faith, family, and smart entrepreneurship. Matt breaks down the “business as a machine” framework, how he and his son built a thriving operation, their Bowman prospect strategy, and the principles that guide their decision-making. This conversation dives deep into liquidity, risk tolerance, verticals inside the hobby, and how living with purpose shapes how he collects, flips, and mentors others.

00:01 Matt Ham introduction and shared values

00:48 Business as a machine and scaling decisions

06:36 How Little Matt became the engine behind Ham House Sports

09:03 Managing inventory, liquidity, and quick flips

14:14 Early hobby mistakes and learning curves

18:27 Prospect tiers and the Ham House strategy framework

19:54 Flipping to fund long-term PC goals

21:44 Smart tax planning and turning hobby into a real business

26:29 Future milestones and the $50k Mantle goal

28:23 The RICH framework and applying it to the hobby

• Treat your hobby like a machine that scales with trust and process

• Liquidity and speed matter more than holding long-term on most cards

• Build a strategy around tiers of prospects and diversify risk

• Flipping can fund a high-end PC without touching personal money

• Relationships lubricate the business machine

• Confidence grows when you move up price tiers with discipline

• Teach your kids business early and make them part of the journey

• Gratitude, humility, and generosity will always return value

#sportsCards #cardHobby #BowmanBaseball #entrepreneurship #cardFlipping

TimestampsTakeawaysKeywords

🎙️ Episode Summary

In this episode of the 1000 Card Project Podcast, Ron sits down with Charlie Wolpert (@chitown2354), a night-shift medical professional, father of four, and one of the most authentic voices in the hobby. Charlie breaks down how he built a thriving live-selling business on Whatnot while juggling family life, faith, and a demanding schedule. He shares his sourcing playbook, why he tracks every regular buyer, how he creates consistent demand through low-end liquid strategies, and how vulnerability, community, and intentionality have shaped his brand. Whether you’re new to selling or scaling up your operation, this conversation gives you a clear window into the mindset and habits that drive Charlie’s success.

00:00 — Charlie’s Introduction & Life Behind the Scenes

01:38 — Breaking Down His Hobby Business (Whatnot, eBay, Collects)

04:27 — How Charlie Sources Inventory & Feeds the Live-Selling “Beast”

07:53 — Strategies at Every Level: Low-End Liquid to Autos & Numbered

11:17 — Economics of $2 Starts, Margins, and Bulk Buying Mistakes

14:07 — Growing an Audience on Whatnot & TikTok Promotion

31:55 — Faith, Vulnerability & Reaching People Beyond Cards

35:39 — What’s Next: Goals for 2026 & Building Multi-Platform Presence

• Building a hobby business is easier when you focus on relationships, not just revenue.
  

• Live selling requires a constant supply of fresh, well-bought inventory.
  

• Tracking regular buyers (teams, players, patterns) is a superpower for repeat sales.
  

• Low-end liquid can be a consistent, profitable strategy with the right sourcing.
  

• Bulk buys can burn you if you don’t have storage, organization, and a plan to unload.
  

• Cross-platform growth (TikTok → Whatnot → private sales) strengthens your brand.
  

• Vulnerability and faith help build trust, loyalty, and deeper community connections.
  

• Consistency—showing up, responding, and engaging—is Charlie’s biggest advantage.
  

#SportsCards, #WhatnotSeller, #CardFlipping, #HobbyCommunity, #1000CardProject

⏱️ Timestamps📌 Key Takeaways🔑 Keywords

In this episode of the 1000 Card Project Podcast, Ron McKeefery sits down with Reed Kammerman (@synergycards) — one of the most respected voices in the hobby when it comes to grading, gem rates, and building a sustainable sports card business.

Reed breaks down how he turned a $500 seed collection into a thriving grading operation, the analytics behind choosing the right raw cards, and the systems he uses to consistently generate profit one submission at a time. He shares how to start small, how to build confidence, how to bankroll grading fees, and how to avoid the most common mistakes new graders make.

We also dive deep into timing the market, the best sets to grade across sports, how to liquidate low grades, how to build relationships with reliable sellers, and why understanding data is the ultimate cheat code in this hobby. Reed also opens up about the tools he’s created — including his grading guide and web app — and his long-term goal of going full-time.

If you’re looking to grow your grading strategy, scale your hobby business, or learn from someone who has mastered the raw-to-grade model, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Takeaways

• Start with the cheap stuff.

• GameStop now allows PSA submissions.

• Submitting one card is possible.

• Once a month is a good rule of thumb.

• Reinvest profits to scale up submissions.

• Five cards a month can lead to growth.

• The snowball effect is key in card collecting.

• Avoid stockpiling too many cards at once.

• Starting with low-value cards is effective.

• Gradually increase submissions over time.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro: Why Reed Is One of the Best in the Grading Game

01:01 – Icebreaker: Reed’s First Ever Submission (1990 Fleer Jordan)

02:14 – How Reed Became Analytical With Gem Rates From Day One

02:50 – What Reed Is Focusing on in the Hobby Right Now

03:34 – When Reed Realized Grading Could Become a Real Business

05:00 – Building Confidence With Early Submissions & Seed Money

07:17 – How Much Capital You Need to Start Grading Consistently

08:41 – Structuring Monthly Submissions to Create a Snowball Effect

09:31 – Liquidating 7s, 8s, & 9s Without Losing Your Mind

10:49 – How Reed Evaluates Profit on a Per-Order Basis

12:12 – Handling Bad Listings, Returns, and Condition Issues

13:28 – How to Build Relationships With Trusted Sellers

15:17 – What Paying “Strong” Really Means (Reed’s % Breakdown)

16:30 – How Reed Manages Time, Research, and Seasonality

18:49 – The Most Consistent Grading Windows Every Year

21:13 – What Happens When a Set Is Not Gradable? Adjusting Strategy

22:56 – Best Baseball & Basketball Sets to Grade (By Sport)

25:22 – How Topps Taking Over Football Might Change the Game

26:52 – Can Anyone Dethrone PSA? Where the Market Is Headed

28:46 – AI Grading, Turnaround Times, and the Future of Slabs

29:44 – What Tools You Actually Need to Grade Cards Properly

31:13 – How Reed Measures Profit Per Card & Scales His Numbers

33:25 – Why Graded Cards Move Faster—Even in Lower Grades

34:14 – Reed’s Business Model: 90% Raw-to-Grade

34:56 – Other Marketplaces Reed Uses Besides eBay & Facebook

35:39 – How Reed Built a Web App & Guide to Help the Hobby

37:48 – Scaling Content, Discord, and Tools While Staying Organized

38:29 – What’s Next: Reed’s Plan to Go Full-Time in Cards

40:05 – Submission Goals: Working Toward 50 Cards Per Week

40:17 – Reed’s PC: Why Tennis Cards Are His True Passion

41:46 – Ron’s Tennis Story (Jumping the Net!)

43:22 – Where to Follow Reed and Final Thoughts

#gradingcards, #PSAgrading, #sportscardflipping, #gemratestrategy, #1000CardProject