ANKENY, Iowa — Since 2020, the hobby of trading cards has been on the rise, and many Iowans are turning that hobby into a source of income.
“There’s a lot of money in this now. It’s definitely still a hobby. We love it. We want people to be involved in the hobby, but there’s tons of money involved in this hobby,” said Michael Rauen, owner of Mr. Iowa Cards.
Rauen operated a booth at the Uptown Garage card show in Ankeny. Traveling to card shows is a crucial part of his business, and to make a profit, he has to have a stock-like approach.
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“Let’s just say, for example, Caitlin Clark were in Iowa, right. I like to buy her cards when they’re down right now. You know, because in a month after month or two, whenever the season starts, you know, they’re going to go right back up,” said Rauen…