The biggest event in all of card collecting, The National, is just a week away. As it turns out, the team at Mantel aren’t the only ones excited about the show.
On Saturday, August 1st, YouTube star (and avid collector) Jesser will virtually bring his millions of fans to Chicago via Upper Deck’s eBay Live stream, giving collectors and sports fans alike a front-row seat to one of the weekend’s most anticipated moments.
Alongside Upper Deck President Jason Masherah and two NBA legends—Doug Collins, Jordan’s former coach and longtime Birdman fan, and Ron Harper, Jordan’s title-winning teammate and the father of rising star Dylan Harper—Jesser will help auction off 10 premium Michael Jordan collectibles valued between $8,000 and $15,000 each. The (live) show within the show will transform what would otherwise be a traditional, albeit jaw-dropping, collecting moment into an interactive experience where fans can engage, watch, and bid in real time, even if they can’t make it to the NSCC themselves. And for those at The National, the collection will be on display throughout the convention in the eBay Arena, bringing these iconic pieces of sports history directly to attendees.
Ahead of his eBay Live show during what is arguably The Hobby’s biggest weekend, we caught up with Jesser to talk about the MJ collection, his own path into the hobby, and what collecting means to a new generation of fans.
Q: As a Bulls fan and a collector, how cool is it to work on something like this MJ opportunity?
Jesser: It’s super cool. When eBay first brought me this opportunity, obviously it’s Michael Jordan, even I have an MJ autographed jersey and cards, so getting the chance to go live with my audience and showcase this stuff is huge. It’s basically the top of the collectibles space in the NBA. Jordan autos are so hard to get, and to do it on eBay Live at the Nationals, one of the biggest hobby events, in Chicago, it’s the peak. It doesn’t get better than that.
Q: Those MJ cards aren’t cheap. What can everyday fans who can’t afford the auction expect from this?
Jesser: For everyday fans at the National, there’s such a large amount of accessible memorabilia. But what’s cool about our stream with Doug Collins and Ron Harper is that even if you can’t buy one of the MJ pieces, you get to hear their personal stories—what it was like in the locker room, things like that. That’s a big part of collecting: the history and the stories behind the pieces, on top of the auction itself. All of that together is really the biggest experience.
Q: It’s a bit like The Last Dance in that way, getting closer to the team, the players, the history.
Jesser: Yeah, that’s exactly it—it makes you fall in love with the game, fall in love with everything. I never watched Jordan play growing up; it was actually The Last Dance that did that for me, that’s when I could really understand his greatness. Having Doug and Ron there to share those stories with the audience does the same thing for a new generation of collectors.
Q: Can you take me through your experience as a collector, how did that start?
Jesser: It actually started through eBay, funny enough. I wanted to do a video where I opened $10,000 worth of NBA boxes, so I got a bunch of different boxes on eBay. This was back in 2017. We were chasing the Luka Doncic rookie card and I pulled a Jalen Brunson instead, I was pissed because I thought I’d gotten a bad box, but it was fun. That was the beginning. Eventually I even started my own trading card company, called TruCreator, we made a blaster box, signed cards, did the whole thing. That was really when I first got introduced to the hobby.
Q: What’s it like having your own card?
Jesser: I’ve been fortunate to have my own card through a few different opportunities, and making it myself was super fun. But the coolest part is running into people in person, like at the Nationals or eBay Live, who have one of my cards and want me to sign it. I recently ran into someone who had a 1-of-1 of me and asked me to sign it. Those are the special moments, seeing fans genuinely hyped about it.
Q: The National can be sensory overload. How do you approach an event like that as a collector, what’s your prep to avoid buying everything you see?
Jesser: Honestly, my main focus is being on the stream with Doug Collins and Ron Harper, talking through the 10 Michael Jordan collectibles and ripping some packs. I’m also going to pick the Upper Deck president’s brain; he knows everything about collecting, OG Upper Deck, all the classic Jordan cards. That livestream, bringing people at the convention together with people watching online, is really my main priority. As for buying for myself, I’m going to show some serious restraint and stick to a few packs.
Q: You talk to a lot of younger collectors, how do you think collecting has impacted the game, bringing kids closer to generations they might not have experienced?
Jesser: I see it all the time at my local card shops, there are always kids in there, still in their jerseys after practice or a game. That’s where a lot of them really fall in love with the game. It’s kind of like a real-life pack of trading cards mixed with 2K, honestly; you learn about older players you’ve never heard of by reading the backs of their cards. I’ve pulled soccer packs where I don’t know 99% of the players, but reading the card backs teaches me about them. It’s a huge way to build knowledge about a sport, especially for kids.
Q: You recently partnered with Goldin and Karl Anthony Towns to hunt for grails. How cool is it to see the players themselves get involved in the hobby?
Jesser: It’s super cool. I’m actually curious to ask Doug and Ron when we’re on stream whether they collect their own cards, or their kids’ cards. It does feel like more players are getting into it lately, maybe even lurking on eBay themselves. It feels more popular now than ever, especially with where card values have gotten to. And when it happens on a stream, watching someone chase their own rookie card while ripping packs, that’s super cool to watch.
Q: Last one, who’s someone you haven’t ripped cards with that you’d love to?
Jesser: I recently found out Cooper Flagg is a big collector, and since I’m a fan of his game and he’s such a young rookie, it would be so sick to chase his rookie card with him.
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