Friday Feature: Q & A with Kevin aka DaCaptain37 aka “The Tom Brady Guy”

[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]If you’ve been to a Sports Cards and Collectibles Show in the last few years and found yourself pouring over the inventory of mid to high end Tom Brady and Peyton Manning cards of a seller likely donning a Raiders hat, then you’ve probably run into Kevin AKA @DaCaptain37 (Instagram). Based out of Rhode Island, Kevin is a school teacher by day and is known around New England and the hobby as “The Tom Brady Guy”, and rightfully so. We ran into Kevin at the Shriner’s show in Boston, took a video of his Tom Brady cases, pulled our jaw up from the ground and caught up with DaCaptain.

DaCaptain37? Talk to me about that name.

Well, “DaCaptain” was a nickname from college. There’s a story there… but that’s for another time. 37 was the number of my first apartment with my buddy in college.

How’d you get involved with the hobby?

I’ve been collecting since I was a little kid. My parents used to take me to Force Play in Franklin, MA every Friday after school. I would get 10-20 bucks and be able to buy some packs (back when packs were actually affordable for kids) and some singles. I always loved sports, especially football and basketball, so a love for sports goes hand and hand with this hobby. Toward the end of my high school days and into college, collecting took a backseat. Once I got out of school and had more time on my hands, I jumped right back in.

At what point did you go from collecting to selling and how was that transition?

After college is when I really started selling cards. Those student loan bills weren’t cheap for a kid making 32K at his first teaching job, so I tried to find another way to make a little money. There’s a local show in Mansfield, MA that runs monthly, and I started to set up there occasionally. My buddy’s dad actually took us as kids, so it was pretty cool setting up at a show I had attended my whole life. I was surprised at how well I did, so it just kind of took off from there. I still set up at that show to this day. I wouldn’t say I’ve fully made the transition from collecting to selling…I’m still very much a collector. I have a huge Peyton Manning PC, and a nice little stash of Tom Brady stuff. However, the Peyton PC has slimmed down a ton. I would say it’s probably a 70-30 seller vs. collector breakdown for me right now.

Being a Raiders fan, how did Tom Brady (and Peyton Manning) fit into your business model?

When you look up the word “loyal” in the dictionary, it’s a picture of me in my Raiders cap. Boy has it been tough being a Raiders fan! Peyton Manning is my favorite football player of all time. I followed him back to his days in college. I just always appreciated his mental superiority when it came to the game. I don’t sell a ton of Peyton…I’m mainly a Tom Brady seller. At the local show I referenced earlier, I would set up, have strictly football, and the first cards I would sell were always the few Tom Brady cards I had. So, I decided to sell pretty much all other football I had and convert it to Brady. This was right before the Falcons Super Bowl, so I timed it pretty well. From there, I became “The Brady guy.”

Do you stick with selling just Brady, or do you spread your focus a bit?

Within the last year I started to expand a bit, mainly to basketball. The market there is so much different, and so much bigger. I’ve become close with some of the bigger dealers out there, and I saw firsthand how well they did with basketball. So now, at shows, you’ll see 2-3 showcases of Tom Brady, but you’ll also see a showcase with some other football and basketball.

You are pretty active on Instagramand have a loyal following of Tom Brady and high end collectors. Was it challenging to grow that following or is it a classic example of “If you build it, they will come.”?

I’ve never been a big social media guy by any means. I don’t even have Facebook. However, before I set up at the National a couple years ago, it was suggested to me to create an IG account to help get my name out there. I didn’t really know where it would take me. However, once I started posting pictures of the goods, I quickly realized how beneficial IG can be. I’ve done a ton of deals on there, and it’s pretty cool when people come up to me at shows, look at my showcases, and say “oh you’re dacaptain from IG!!” After my first National, things kind of took off in regard to my IG account.

So I met you at the Shriner’s Show in Boston. Where else can people run into you? What’s the plan for the rest of 2019 and 2020?

It was great meeting you there and so many other great collectors and people. This is still very much a side gig for me. I’m a high school teacher and a high school basketball coach. Being able to sit at a show and talk sports and the hobby with people is something I truly enjoy, whether I have a good day of selling or not. I’m still very much a trader as well…I love getting trades done with people. I’m always set up at the Mansfield, MA show every month. I also set up at the Shriner’s show in Boston in both November and April. I’ll also be setting up at the Chicago Sports Spectacular November 22-24. And, of course, you’ll find me at next year’s National in Atlantic City.

OK so lay it on me. You’re a Raiders fan but you make your money selling Tom Brady cards, therefore you’ve got to be conflicted. So, should the “Tuck Rule” have been a fumble or did they get it right?

Full disclosure: I disliked Tom Brady and the Patriots for most of my life, which kind of makes sense being a Raiders fan who collects Peyton Manning. As I’ve gotten older, however, I definitely have an appreciation and respect for what he’s accomplished. There’s no denying who the GOAT is, and anyone that tries to (like I did for years) just sounds foolish at this point. Thank you for opening up an old wound with the Tuck Rule…OF COURSE IT WAS A FUMBLE!!!!

If you made it this far in the blog post and haven’t looked at Kevin’s Flickr account or Instagram posts, good for you. There is some amazing stuff on those links. Thank you Kevin for taking the time to talk about your collection and side hustle. If you are headed to the Chicago Sports Spectacular November 22-24, go to the monthly Mansfield, MA show, and/or will be headed to Nationals in August, swing by Kevin’s table. You will NOT be disappointed in the cards available and the great conversation![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”102904″ img_size=”full”][vc_single_image image=”102906″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_single_image image=”102911″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text el_class=”blog-callout”]Like what you see here? Keep checking back every Friday for the latest and greatest #FeatureFriday as we showcase collectors and sellers around the hobby, as well as any other cool stories or trending topics we feel should be brought to light.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

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