1985–1995: Collecting as a Kid
Like many kids, I grew up in the '80s and '90s collecting baseball cards. I spent every chance I got at baseball card shops. Mainly Talkin' Baseball in Danville, California, buying packs and building my collection. I still remember getting the 1989 Upper Deck Complete Set for Christmas when I was 10 years old - my most memorable Christmas gift ever.
After graduating from UC San Diego, I started applying for jobs. I happened to notice a listing for a computer programmer at Upper Deck, which was based right here in San Diego. Just getting an interview and walking into the Upper Deck building was pretty much a dream come true.
I ended up landing the job and helped build an internal system for creating and tracking card sets and managing memorabilia and redemptions. I have so many great memories of working at Upper Deck and of the people there. It was a fun atmosphere, and who wouldn't love going to an office filled with sports collectibles? They even had athletes like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James visit the office and give motivational speeches. Best of all, I met my wife while working there!
Fast-forward another 20 years, and I still have stacks of cards and memorabilia lying around, but I'm no longer collecting. My daughters love playing sports, but they aren't collectors, so it doesn't really make sense to pass everything down to them. I thought about selling my collection, but it seemed like a hassle. I also kept hearing complaints about the PSA grading system and other negativity around the industry.
So I had the idea:
Why not just give it all away?
and here we are.
After my time at Upper Deck, I was fortunate enough to build my own software company (TubeBuddy) which was acquired in 2020 by a company owned by Bill Gates. Because of that, I feel like I'm able to give back more, and the joy I'd get from giving away a card is worth more to me than the money I would earn by selling it.
I hope everyone has fun in the process and this brings some goodwill to the trading card community. Good luck!
-Phil
Want to get in touch? Contact me.
TL;DR:
- I have loads of cards and memorabilia from both my childhood and my years working at Upper Deck, all sitting in bins and not being enjoyed by anyone.
- I don't want to go through the hassle of grading and listing everything for sale, and the money wouldn't change my life.
- So, I'm giving it all away for free, through a series of random drawings.

