About Us
Only Greats was born in February 2020, coincidentally just before a major pandemic and right in time for a boom in card collecting.
Our goal is to dive deep into the world of card collecting and bring long-form, educational content that’s missing from today's quick-scroll world of social media.
Brief History
Historically, the collecting hobby has always had steady and growing interest, and just like any other market, it's had its fair share of booms and busts.
The most recent major setback was the financial crisis in 2008-ish, where the hobby stalled for several years.
Like many collectors, I had taken a long hiatus from cards after high school anyway (early 2000s). With college around the corner, and Michael Jordan having retired for what felt like the 19th time, I turned my focus to adulting with a career in technology (software primarily).
Fast forward a few years to the mid-to-late 2010s, you can tell there was growing momentum with sports cards again. Values started to increase, and demand was bubbling on eBay. Fortunately my career was doing well, and I finally started to buy some of the cards I always wanted as a kid but just couldn't afford.
I bought my first Michael Jordan 1986 Fleer rookie and have held it ever since.
Modern Day
I felt as the market expanded, new collectors would likely have trouble keeping up with the fast-paced hobby to learn:
- how to buy and sell cards
- what to buy
- the importance of rookie cards
- understanding how to grade cards
- buying wax boxes, or into box breaks
- and the process of collecting or investing in sports & trading cards
The site -- with its focus on long-form content -- is all about digging into the details, sharing knowledge that helps both newbies and seasoned collectors. Our articles and guides aren't just quick reads; they're comprehensive deep dives that aim to explain, and hopefully inspire.
And we are by no means perfect, nor the only voice in the card community. It's important to follow and read a variety of sources to learn from differing perspectives.
You'll notice our blog content has a tilt towards GREAT players, usually of the Hall of Fame variety. It's how the name was born. We also feature exciting new rookies and superstars that could blossom into HOF players.
Finally, we tend to feature basketball card content more than other sports, but that's simply because my collecting roots start with basketball cards. Even so, you'll find plenty about baseball, football, hockey, UFC, and even Pokémon TCG cards.
Thanks for visiting, reading, subscribing, and/or buying from our site :) Happy collecting!
Zaia Gilyana
Only Greats
X: @zgilyana
About me: I grew up in Chicago during the Bulls dynasty years, so I'm a big time MJ fan. Once Jordan retired, I found myself lost and relocated to sunny California. I mostly collect goats across basketball, baseball, and football, or otherwise strange or rare collectibles that pique my interest.