Pick a card, any card!

Pick a card, any card!
BY MATTHEW KAPLOWITZ

If you watched the last Ultimate Fight Night a few weeks ago, you might have noticed a strange sponsor on some of the fighters shorts (hopefully you did not look too long as you would have been staring a hole through Nate Quarry’s butt). Being a nerd and collector of all things MMA, I decided to reach out to this unusual advert. Iowa City native Robert Olinger has become the source of knowledge on MMA trading cards on his site, buymmacards.com. I got a chance to pick his brain and rummage through his collection to learn more about this collector and the unique market that he is in.

- How long have you been an MMA fan?
Since 1994, when a co worker let me borrow UFC 3 on “vhs”

- What got you hooked on MMA?
I’ve always loved watching any kind of one on one competition. I loved the occasional fight at school, and I was always wondering who was the toughest kid in school. In MMA, I got to see who was the best and I always appreciated the guys shaking hands or hugging at the end of the fight. The UFC videos only came out once or twice a year back then, and I was always asking the video clerks when the next was to arrive. Today, 30 days until the next UFC event drives me nuts.

- Give us a rundown on what your collection is like
I only collect MMA trading cards. I have tried to get the rarest of the rare in Topps UFC Round 1. I have many of the 1 of 1 Parallels including: Red Foil Parallels of (Anderson Silva, GSP, Penn, Liddell, Forrest, Franklin, Kampmann, Serra). I also have the 1 of 1 Red Mat Relics of Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida as well. I currently have the Red autograph (only 25) of GSPx2, BJ Pennx2, Anderson Silva x2, Forrest, Bisping, and many others. I also have the hard to find Ultimate Gear Red Autographs of GSP and Royce Gracie.
On top of that, I bought quite a few Donruss Americana Ring Kings Cards. I have quite a few GSP autographed Materials, and a wide variety of the other guys included in that set. I also grabbed a couple of cards that came out a few years ago including a very rare Randy Couture 2006 Allen and Ginter Autograph. I’ve found 2 of those so far and looking for more. Once you start, its hard to stop. Series 2 will be just as fun for me.

- What was the first piece card you bought?
When I first started seeing these on ebay, I just started buying everything because I did not know anything about the product. I knew they were going to be a hit, and was waiting for them to hit the streets. Cases were going up by a couple hundred dollars a day, so I just jumped in and bought as many as I could find. I wish I would have bought more. Then I just bought every 1 of 1 card that came up for sale.

- What do your friends think of your card collection?
Its amazing how many friends I’ve made from collecting these. The other guys who buy these cards absolutely drool over my collection. Most say my collection is the best they’ve seen. I think I have to agree. Anyone who watches UFC loves them when they see them for the first time.

- Do you buy everything related to MMA like a completionist or only for certain fighters or shows you like?
I have never collected anything before other than basketball cards when I was a kid. When I saw the ad for these during a PPV, I said to myself that I was going to buy as much of those as I could. I knew they would sky rocket.

- Do you collect for value or for the thrill of the hunt?
Both. Since I’ve followed MMA since 1994, I really like guessing which guys will be the future champs. I love buying up cards of guys that are 2 or 3 fights from a title shot. In that sense, I collect as an investment and a gamble. But I also want to own the 1 of 1′s of the best fighters in the world. In this case, I love the thrill of the hunt. I love putting in that max bid that only a crazy man would try to outbid me.

- Whats the one item that you regret not buying?
I regret not buying the Anderson Silva Red Foil the first time I lost in a Ebay war. I didn’t know what cards were the best and didn’t even know what a 1/1 was. I could have got it for $230, but ended up paying $960 later on. But even at $960, no regrets now.

- What is the holy grail of cards that you do not have yet?
The holy grail that I want more than anything is Anderson Silva’s Victorious Debut 1 of 1. I also want Machida’s Base Red Foil and Victorious debut 1 of 1.

- What is the most expensive piece in your collection?
Right now, I’m sure it’s the GSP Red Foil Parallel. Some say it would be the GSP Ultimate Gear Red Autograph, but there are 25 of those. GSP has 4 other 1 of 1 cards in the Top Ten Fights, but I really like the one I have. At first, I thought my Chuck Liddell was the most expensive, but he lost a few times since I got his 1 of 1 card. He has no other rare card in Round 1. Chuck may have the largest fan base and many Hollywood Stars love him. So that card could still have the potential to bring in the most. This is all my opinion. It all depends what someone would pay I guess. I’d never pay a million dollars for some Honus Wagner guy who I never knew, but there are people who will. By the way, If Shaq or Mandy Moore want this card that bad, by all means, give me a call.

-What is the most valuable piece to you?
Probably BJ Penn’s 1 of 1. I”ve like him for so long. I really like the ground game in MMA. It’s just as exciting to me as a stand and bang. But really, I like all of my 1 of 1 cards about the same.

- Best purchase you ever made for an item (like getting something very cool for a low price or stumbling onto something by accident)?
By far, getting Chuck Liddell and BJ Penns 1 of 1 for around $200 each. I don’t think people knew what the red foil was when they first hit the market. I think I jumped on those early. Getting 5 cases for $1800 each seemed like too much at the time, but now they sell for over $6000.

- Do you collect any other types of cards?
Not at all. I like MMA too much and don’t even have time to follow anything else. This is why I built a site tailored to guys exactly like me. My favorite guys on my site are Crazy MMA fans. I feel like I’ve known them forever. The sport is what gives us our bond, more than just the trading card hobby. I actually have a hard time relating to most card collectors. I can’t spend too much time on most forums because it’s just a different vibe than the one I get from long time MMA fans. Most of the guys spending the most money have never bought cards before in their life. I know at least 5 guys who have similar collections as mine. They send me texts and pictures when they are at live UFC events. So no, I don’t collect other types.

- Any funny stories of having a fighter sign something for you?
Well, no one has signed my man boobs. That could be funny. Coolest thing is that Josh Neer is giving me his Shorts he wore at UFC 101. I sponsored him for that fight and we are both from Iowa. Most of my stories are more cool than funny. I have a lot of deals I include in sponsorships for autographs. Its a way I can afford to sponsor fighters and put money in their pockets as i get the word out about Buymmacards.

- Are there any plans for your collection such as selling them, making a museum or just keeping them in your house to enjoy?
The best ones are in a Safety deposit box. I don’t think I should keep some of them in my house. I’d love to be able to sell them for an outrageous price some day in the distant future. I’ve always wanted to invest in MMA, and there are limited ways to do it. Trading cards was my way to go all in. I would like to see what the investment does as the sport grows and legends go down in history. I think the 1 of 1′s from Round 1 will blow us all away.

- How is the market for trading cards right now?
For most trading cards, I think it is really bad currently because most people don’t have any money. I think the market for MMA trading cards has huge potential. This sport is growing and is globally friendly. Everyone knows what fighting is. Everyone fights. The rules are not difficult. Just beat the other guy. With that, I think the first few series of MMA trading cards will be priceless. Overproduction could kill it, so I’d like to see it stay limited. But right now, the average kid can’t get any. If they keep the hobby product very limited and spread out around the country, and they go wild on the retail production so kids can have some, I think these can be successful for a long time to come.

- What can cause prices to fluctuate for cards?
No doubt, the fighters last fight! I think guys that everyone loves will be ok, even if they lose. As long as they don’t lose like Forrest did at UFC 101. I think when people get their head around the production run and rarity, this can cause prices to spike as well. Some times its hard to figure it out. Sometimes two people have a bidding war on the same card, and now everyone thinks that card is awesome. Then you see that card sell for more for a few weeks. So many things cause fluctuations, but I think the fighters performance will affect it the most. Tim Credeur lost, but got fight of the night at UFN 19. I think his card should go up based on that performance. Some guys win, but in a boring fashion.

- If these cards end up becoming worth very little, would you regret investing in them?
Less so than losing in the stock market. It seems like every stock I pick plummets. At least I’ll have the cards. I feel like Wall Street knows how to manipulate the common investor, and find a way to make his investment worthless. I think these cards give a person who follows the sport a chance to do very well if they pick the right guys to collect. Most of these cards will probably be worthless as guys get beat and are no longer in the UFC. But the guys who create a legacy will multiply and hopefully make up for all the duds. I will not regret the ones I have. I really like mine. They are priceless to me.

- Any tips for other collectors?
Yes! Stick to rare. Stick with Champs and future champs. And ask yourself this question. “Is the fighter loved?” This question qualifies the guy who can lose a fight and the fans still thinks he’s awesome. And as always, buy low, sell high. If you miss the sell high, you could be stuck with cardboard in your attic.

To learn more about Robert or to purchase any of his cards or just look at his collection, head to www.buymmacards.com or you can email him at info@buymmacards.com