In short
Tony Bruno opened the eBay account behind Texas Vintage Collectibles on October 10, 2001. Twenty-five years later it is the same account, with 99.6% positive feedback over the last 12 months, and this site now runs alongside it. We asked Tony how it started and which pieces he is proudest of. His answers follow in his own words, lightly edited, along with his advice for new collectors.
It is quite a milestone to make it to 25 years on eBay. A lot has changed in that time. Technology is a lot different, and there are certainly a lot more options available to buyers and sellers. Fortunately, eBay has tightened up some of the areas where fraud had become rampant, and made the platform the world leader in collectible reselling.
How it started
When I started on eBay 25 years ago, I was simply interested in a convenient way to find some of the things that I was having trouble locating. Soon I realized that it was a really great platform for collectibles, and I started to really dive back into my childhood toy interests and began developing a collection. Like so many things, the hobby became an obsession, and a business soon followed.
A hobby, then a business
I don't consider myself a dealer, especially in the sense of someone who purchases new product and resells it. But nonetheless, I do purchase vintage product and resell it for a profit. It has been a great way to continue building my own personal collection while also profiting on the side through selling off odds and ends that I didn't value.
Fast forward 20 years and you have a legitimate, incorporated business that now has its own website. I can honestly say that it is my pleasure to call this work, and I only wish that I could focus all my attention on this business. Unfortunately, I have a construction business that is the main source of my income, which also helps support this hobby business today, called Texas Vintage Collectibles.
Favorite pieces
In the past 25 years I have carried an extensive collection of Babe Ruth cards, and I think my favorite piece was a Bone Saw McGraw costume worn by Macho Man Randy Savage in the original Spider-Man film. I also fancy myself to be one of the premier Rocky Marciano and Hulk Hogan collectors in the sports memorabilia game today.
Advice for new collectors
If I could give one piece of advice to a new collector, I would say buy what you like. I started out buying Hulk Hogan figures and cards, which was my childhood passion, and I had no idea what it would blossom into. That being said, it has been that way with a lot of different items that I have purchased based on my personal interest in baseball, football and combat sports. Collecting is about doing the things you like, not following market trends.
Last and most important: if you are trying to make money at this, profit is made in the purchase, not in the sale. What I mean by that is you must purchase something at a reasonable price. If it comes to pass that you have to let go of it later, you have to at least be able to get what you paid for it in order to not drown.
I see a lot of these new age collectors treating the hobby like gambling. I am not that new age collector, but rather a vintage sports history enthusiast.
From the vault
Three pieces from the collections Tony names are listed right now: a 1932 U.S. Caramel #34 Babe Ruth, a 1959 Hokus-Pokus Rocky Marciano graded SGC 7.5, and the Hulk Hogan WWF LJN resin prototype. The rest of the vintage baseball, combat sports and wrestling lanes are in the catalog, and the eBay store is open under the same name.
About the author: Tony Bruno runs Texas Vintage Collectibles and has sold vintage cards and memorabilia on eBay since 2001, with 99.6% positive feedback over the last 12 months. His collector guides, including the Ted Williams rookie card guide, are on the guides page.