Sports cards are among the most treasured items by sports enthusiasts worldwide. One card has the ability to raise their status, leading them to future investments. Jason Koonce has been in the game for over 30 years. As the founder of OTIA Sports, he has been traveling the world for shows and events alongside athletes, dealers, agents, Fortune 500 entrepreneurs, musicians, actors, and more in North America.
“Sports are our lives, so you will regularly find us chasing major sporting events in every state. We love this business, so we attend the biggest sports card shows and auctions. Sometimes it’s hard to strike a balance between business and pleasure, but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Jason. Indeed, everyone’s goal is to make a living out of their passion, and Jason is living the dream.
Asked about his humble beginnings, Jason shared how he began buying and trading sports cards at an early age. Eventually, he realized the bigger market that envelopes his hobby and saw opportunities to build his own brand. He began by exploring sports card shows and building relationships with others in the industry, from top agents to prominent athletes. The connections he made allowed his business to go to greater heights and expand to do public and private signings with athletes.
“As the industry has evolved, so has my business. When I started out, I was going to the post office every day after school, sending exact change in the mail for cards and hoping I didn’t get scammed. Now, most transactions are online, and I am doing six and seven-figure deals weekly,” said Jason. “I have also really worked on expanding my social media presence and educating collectors as best I can to help them use cards as an investment opportunity,” he added.
Today, OTIA Sports is the go-to company for collectors and entrepreneurs searching for the rarest sports cards and other memorabilia. Jason ensures that his clients get what they are looking for in as fast as 48 hours. With his connections, Jason and his team work efficiently to acquire whatever their clients ask for, and they will go above and beyond client expectations.
Evolving with the times, Jason is committed to building social media presence to reach more people. He also spends time educating clients on investing their funds toward sports cards and equips them to make the right decisions. He encourages people he works with to look for the rarity in the game and invest in players with potential. From learning his way through the industry, Jason now pays his success forward by sharing his knowledge.
“Through all the ups and downs in the industry over the years, our perseverance through it all has made OTIA Sports into what it is today. I still get just as excited buying and selling cards as when I came into the hobby in the early ’90s,” said the sports card expert. “The current market climate is as exciting as it has ever been before, and our future is really bright because of it,” he added.
Learn more about Jason Koonce and OTIA Sports on their website and Instagram.