Stephanie Garcia is a passionate sports fan and collected trading cards while growing up. They were a way for her to connect with her favorite players and teams. Her passion for The Hobby was reignited in 2020 when she had more spare time—and that’s when the story of her now successful eBay business began.
Check out her store, https://www.ebay.com/str/mamabreaks?_sop=1.
7 Questions with Stephanie Garcia of MamaBreaks
- How did you start selling on eBay?
I was on eBay one day in 2020 and looking for a sports card for my stepdad. I noticed a few selling for thousands of dollars and was intrigued. I played softball in school and was a huge Dodgers fan. Looking back, that’s when I discovered sports cards. No one I knew collected cards—especially not girls. After hours of research, I finally decided to buy a player’s card from Michigan State since my stepdad went there. My experience on eBay was wonderful and the cards were so beautiful. I was working from home due to the pandemic and had more time on my hands, so I decided to take on this hobby. I started selling on eBay when I collected so many cards that I didn't know what to do with them.
- What’s your process for sourcing merchandise?
I look for specific cards on eBay but source most of my merchandise at card shows. I think trading cards as a hobby, especially during quarantine, turned into such an online activity. We’re missing that face-to-face interaction and card shows are great for getting together in person. We’re there to buy and sell, but trading is an important aspect of it. We have that sense of camaraderie and make sure the next generation of card collectors have the best experience as well.
- What does community mean to you and your business?
Community is everything for my business. Putting myself out there on social media helps build trust and increases traffic to my page. There are so many different sellers on eBay, so it's important to set yourself apart and be an active member in the community. I'm a collector so I also purchase cards for myself—and I’d rather buy from someone who I know on eBay.
Card collecting or The Hobby as we like to call it can be a very male-dominated industry. I was the only woman at a lot of the card shows I went to. Many others in different cities felt the same, which is why a Facebook group called Women in the Hobby was created. It’s meant to be a safe space where we can get together to share our experiences. We're passionate sports fans first and also love cards. I’ve made so many friends through it and I realized that just because I'm the only woman at a card show, doesn't mean I'm the only one collecting cards.
- What advice would you give yourself, if you could go back to when you first started your business?
I’d tell myself to do my research on the prices that I set for my cards. A good price point will get them sold the fastest. Terapeak on eBay is a great tool to check the value of a card and what it was last sold for. I use it to not only determine the price I should list at but also to decide if I should hold on to a card.
- What’s your secret selling superpower?
My superpower comes from having a tight-knit community on Instagram. I have a lot of people who I interact with online. I let them know when I’m going to have an auction ending or which cards I'm ready to sell on eBay.
- What’s your favorite quote—motivational or otherwise? Why?
Not exactly a quote, but in one of Kobe Bryant’s last interviews, someone asked him what separates the greats from everyone else and he said, “Absolute complete love for what they do.”
- Who inspires you?
My kids inspire me, and I always remind myself that they’re watching. I want them to see me succeed while doing something that I love—because that’s what I hope they do in the future. I need to make this happen for them.
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This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.
