From director Morgan Jon Fox comes THE HOBBY, a new documentary offering a fascinating look into the high-stakes and (potentially) lucrative world of card trading, which experienced a huge boom in 2020. The film will be available on TVOD on February 16th.
The documentary tracks the journeys of seasoned collectors and a fresh wave of purchasers. Among them are Josh Luber, co-founder of StockX and Chief Vision Officer of Fanatics Trading Cards, which recently acquired Topps; SuperDuperDani, a Pokémon influencer and enthusiast; Mike Gioseffi from The Ringer’s Sports Cards Nonsense podcast; and Gary “King Pokémon” Haase, featured on a ‘Pawn Stars’ episode showcasing his Pokémon collection, currently valued at over $20 million.
Check out the trailer for the film below.
Official Synopsis: A McDonald’s Happy Meal shortage. A security guard escort. Guns pulled in a Target parking lot. All of these are caused by a common factor: trading cards. In 2020, a new BOOM began. For the first time, large hedge funds, celebrities like Logan Paul and Steve Aoki, nostalgic millennials, entrepreneurs like Josh Luber, and billionaires scrambled to add sports, Pokémon, and other hot item cards to their collections and portfolios. Over the next two years, the hobby exploded — even causing card grading services to shut down due to overwhelming customer service. This documentary is a character-driven feel good deep dive into the high-stakes, eccentric world of card collecting, following buyers, sellers, card shop owners, graders, online streamers, auctioneers, and more, who all participate in the hobby in their own unique ways.
