10/16/2026
From One Pack of Cards to Making Memories With My Boys
It all started when I was 8 years old and my dad, Louie Ule, and I walked into a card shop and bought our first pack of cards together. From there, it became trips to the local shop on payday and ripping packs at home. My favorite player quickly became Manny Ramirez and the Tribe!
When that local shop closed, my dad decided to open his own card shop in the Norton ACME Shopping Center for local collectors and kids. The business took off, and we spent time doing card shows at local hotels and malls. Looking back, the time we spent together and the lessons that business taught me are priceless.
Eventually, my dad sold the business when the card market took a major hit in the 1990s. Like so many others, I stopped collecting. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t! Those Jordan cards we could get for cheap back then are worth a fortune today!
Fast forward to about six years ago, when my oldest, Hunter, started talking about sports cards. I couldn’t have been happier, and just like that, I was right back in the hobby! Ripping packs and chasing cards for our personal collections brings back so many childhood memories and reminds me of the incredible times I shared with my dad.
Now, the boys and I are setting up at shows, ripping packs, building collections, and, most importantly, meeting some amazing people in the hobby.
What started with my dad and me has now become something I get to share with my own boys. The cards are great, but the memories, time together, and relationships we’re building mean so much more. Hopefully, one day, my boys will look back on these moments the same way I look back on mine with my dad.
Here’s to making memories, one card at a timeLouis Ule!
