The $5 Hustle That’s Fueling the Hobby: How Jared Bray Built Tresamigos Sports Cards on Passion, Packs & Purpose

This time we’re joined by Jared Bray — owner of Tresamigos Sports Cards, and one of the most community-driven sellers in the hobby. Jared got back into cards during COVID after a 25-year hiatus, and what started as a personal collection turned into a full-blown business built on buying, selling, trading — and most importantly — giving back. From building out low-end stacks for budget collectors to handing out over 15,000 free cards to kids, Jared is redefining what it means to run a sports card brand with purpose. If you think the hobby is only about hits and comps, think again — this episode is for the grinders, the givers, and the storytellers.

Not all hustles are high-end — and Jared Bray wouldn’t have it any other way.

In this episode of Behind the Breaks, we dive deep with Jared, owner of Tresamigos Sports Cards, to explore the undervalued power of low-end cards, community building, and doing things differently. From $0.50 stack sales on X to giving away thousands of cards to kids, Jared’s journey proves you don’t need to chase slabs to make a big impact in the hobby.

We cover:

• 💥 How COVID brought him back to the hobby after 25 years

• 💸 Why he built his business on $0.50–$5 cards — and loves it

• 🧃 The stack sale secrets he’s learned from grinding on social

• 🛒 What it really takes to scale a low-end business model

• 🎁 How he organized 15,000+ card giveaways at minor league games

• 📈 The difference between flipping high-end cards and building real community

• 🐾 The behind-the-scenes stories of Hulk and Ace, his two hobby-famous corgis

• 🔁 And the grail card story that reignited it all: a 1968 Nolan Ryan rookie

This episode is a reminder that not every card needs to be a banger to matter — sometimes, all it takes is a little cardboard and a whole lot of heart.

Follow Jared:

• Twitter/X: @Tresamigos858

• Instagram: @Tresamigossportscards