- Joe Dasquale sells online sports cards under the brand “Joe Hollywood”.
- Last year, his company made more than $ 5 million in sale.
- He wants to use his wealth to give his children the resources needed to succeed.
This essay as strong is based on a conversation with Joe Dasqual, the founder of Joe Hollywood the brand is edited for length and clarity.
Growing up, I didn’t have much. My father was involved in drugs, and my mother fought with a mental illness that sometimes made her even difficult for her to even go out. It was a really difficult atmosphere. I remember returning home one day for foreigners in our home; It was the local church that overthrew the donations for us.
My possessions were my sports cards. My grandfather bought my first package when I was 8 years old, and I absolutely appreciated the cards even when I got old. I went to college in Manhattan and lost many classes because I was buying cards for 5 or 10 cents in the corner of the street.
Eventually, I left the college to get a job in finance, doing $ 200 a week. That job felt like a bridge between the place where I was and where I could be. I got up on the corporate stairs, eventually reaching the leadership at my finance company. But I never felt completely financially secure, especially seeing the first hand of how shocked the market can be.
I started selling sports cards worth millions
All the time, I was still buying commercial cards until I had more than half a million of them. I rented a storage unit to keep everyone. In 2022, I moved from New York City to Atlanta for my finance work. I had my dream home and decided to bring my cards home. They almost filled my basement, so my wife, Dori, suggested it was time to sell some.
My oldest son, Joe Jr., was 10 at the time. He was excited by the idea, so we started selling cards online and eventually on Whatnot, a direct market. At first, we were filming in the basement basement room; The show would end when my phone battery died. As they sold more, we moved to the train of my little boy and eventually on the ping-pong table.
Soon, we exceeded it and I could justify turning a bedroom into a house office for sales cards. Last year, my company did more than $ 5 million in sale in whatever.
I take each of my children on individual trips
I don’t like to talk about my personal wealth or net worth. But it is clear that my three children, who are now 13, 10 and 6, are growing very different from me.
We like to travel as a family, including a recent Thanksgiving trip to the Bahamas. Dori and I also make smaller trips with only one of our children at a time. We are preparing to take Joe Jr to Disney – he has never been, and neither. Last fall, we took our daughter to New York City and did everything she wanted, including seeing Rockets. Our youngest wanted to eat grilled cheese on the beach, so we brought it to Turkish and Caicos.
Because of my success, I can spend a quality time with each of my children. This is the fact that my amount of time is sometimes limited as I transmit for 24 hours every Friday to Saturday. I still reserve on Sundays for faith and family, anyway.
I want my children to have resources
I want my children to have access to every source they need to succeed. Joe Jr. He loves basketball, so I pay for every basketball team or clinic he is looking for. Whether they are dancing or tutorial lessons, I am willing to spend on it. I want my children to work for their success, but I will be right on their side just like them.
I know the changes that resources can make. My mother had no money, but she wanted me to attend a private high school. She asked my grandmother to pay my education; In return, my mother took nothing in the testament when my grandmother died as education was her legacy. I am lucky to not make difficult choices like this, but I am motivated to give everything I can for my children.
More than anything, I want my children to grow up in a positive, encouraging environment. They will have to work hard and be leaders, but I want them to know that life is not just money; About to be a good person.