Collecting Sports Cards with Brian Pirrip
When I was a child, I loved collecting sports cards. I never got so into the hobby that I would seek out individual cards, but few things brought as much joy as cracking open packs of baseball cards, basketball cards, football cards, and even the occasional hockey booster.
Brian Pirrip has taken that joy of card collecting and turned it into a wildly successful media empire. Brian has driven from Los Angeles to New York, sharing his love of collecting with the world. He’s amassed a community of followers on TikTok — though they’re not all card collectors themselves, they love Brian’s passion and storytelling, which comes across in his content.
With the MLB season starting this weekend, Brian sat down with Good People, Cool Things to chat about his hobby, why collecting cards holds special significance, and one of the wackiest things he’s seen along the way.
Why is building this collection so special to you?
Cards are a perfect blend of so many of my interests. It brings together nostalgia from my childhood, memories of old friends, increased knowledge of my favorite sports and players, the best of Americana, a way to connect to people across the country who share the same interests, an outlet for my need to collect and organize, a way for me to share and display cards as art and, finally, a way for me to invest cash into a financial instrument that has outpaced the stock market. In my mind, cards are like little pieces of fine art, and I treat them as such. Many cards — even the cheapest of them — are priceless to me.
Do you remember the first card you collected that truly got you excited?
I remember finding a 1987 Topps Jose Canseco Topps All-Star Rookie card when my mother took me to buy my first pack of cards one day after a soccer game. I was hooked — it felt like I had won the lottery.
What's a card that holds special significance for you? How about a goofy one you enjoy?
My 1990 Frank Thomas Rookie card. It’s a thing of beauty and a great picture of one of my favorite players. It was a card I could never afford as a kid, but when I restarted collecting at age 30 I was able to open packs that contained it until I found it, in the same Portland, Oregon shop I saw someone else do the very same thing 20 years prior, and it brought back all the memories of my childhood. Frankly, it’s just the perfect card of a fun era.
No card is goofier, or more controversial, than the 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken card. When I first saw that card at 10 years old, I was in shock. I learned a lot about baseball players, and the real people that they are!
Do you have a favorite store or two that you've come across along your journey?
I’ve been to hundreds of card shops, and it’s amazing how each has a very different take on the hobby. My current favorite is MM7 in Oklahoma City. It has everything I like to collect all in one place — Mickey Mantle cards of every kind, old vintage packs and, most importantly, card owners who love the hobby as much as I do — they are great guys and I could stay there for hours!
I also love The Sportsroom in Beaverton, Oregon. It’s the original store I grew up going to. Additionally, I love MVP Sportscards in Laguna Hills, California. They have so many vintage boxes, and the couple who have run the store (since 1990) are some of the classiest and warmest people in the hobby.
Why is TikTok such a great avenue for sharing your story?
I’m a storyteller, and there’s no better way to express myself than being able to post daily stories. Even though I’ve shared nearly nine months of daily content, I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I plan to share next!
What's next for you?
I’m building a new company that is dedicated to the display and protection of high-end cards. I am on a quest to root out counterfeiting and dishonesty in the hobby while making aesthetically beautiful new ways to display one’s collection!
Want to see some more wacky cards? I got you covered.