Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryant Berdugo
Hi bryant, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Born in “Money Earnin’” Mount Vernon New York, I moved to Los Angeles in 1994. I used to frequent Sunset Boulevard and Melrose, all in search of affordable yet fashionable clothing to wear to the club; Florentine Gardens, or Peppers were my favorite places. Stores like Aardvarks were scattered with vintage clothing, 1940s Levi’s, I instantly became a fan. I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1996 and went to Boot Camp where I lost my identity for over 20 years. I worked and focused on family, self and country, in that order. Something inside of me wanted to rekindle something from past, maybe memories to make me feel at least a warm safe place, like I had when I was younger. I started collecting again In 2016 as I was deployed and alone, but my entire childhood I had been collecting sports cards. I collected since I was 9 years old, particularly the New York Mets but during my time in the Marines I stopped. Shortly after my deployment I rekindled my love for the hobby and began buying cards again. Mainly Jordan, Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant, Messi, and Ronaldo. In 2018 I had already been collecting a lot but I was collecting graded copies of cards that were serialized, limited, a little bit rarer and harder to find. This became expensive but a way to add a little bit more value to my collection. Back then it was an affordable hobby and one that a knew much about. A connoisseur of collectibles. In my military career I was also making T-shirts for my units. I would research the shirts that I already owned like Guns N’ Roses to see why actually loved wearing them. I would try making the unit shirts to the same specifications. I would use brands that were made in the United States like Screen Stars which were bought out by Fruit of the Loom. I was a fan of the 50-50 polycotton blend which is a polyester cotton blended material known to retain its form even after a lifetime of washes. I also noticed that all the best shirts that I would wear at least the ones that felt really good on my skin were made in the USA. I also noticed that the concert Tees had some kind of publishing date stamped into the actual design; small enough yet legible so that you could still make out. I applied that detail to all the shirts that I would make for my units. I quickly remembered my time before the Marines in LA and I begin searching thrift stores, flea markets, and eBay. I was a fan. Fast-forward to 2018 and oblivious to the financial crisis and how that worked. The greed on Wall Street and with the big banks being too big to fail yet getting bailed out, I knew I had a gold mine in clothing but I soon came to realize that I also had a gold mine in what now are considered high collectibles. I helped my family out as much as I could during this time; we will call that time the “pre-Covid” but for shortly time after I found myself alone during the Covid pandemic. I was alone and remained alone for over a year if not longer. I fell into bankruptcy but I continued to strive for my children. I had also purchased a home in 2017 and expenses began to accumulate especially credit card debt. I began to sell off a lot of my collection before the boom caused by the Fed printing money. I managed as best I could but I never stopped dreaming and I never stopped collecting. Ever since then I’ve always been on a hunt in boutiques, Goodwills, garage/yard sales, estate sales, etc. Some of my luckiest pick ups have been local here in San Diego. I also took a cross country trip to New York in 2021 where stopped along they way in places like Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, New Jersey and Long Island. I continue to collect and these are the items that I continue to put up for resale on eBay, Poshmark, and local consignment stores like Clairemont Sports Cards and All-Star Cards in Santee. Is it a business or is it a hobby? I don’t know I can’t tell you, but I can tell you that I haven’t missed a child support payment, I can tell you that I pay my mortgage on time every month, and that I’m alive. I remember the opening remarks at the 2023 DAVOS meeting where Klaus Schwab says that we’re living in a fragmented world. I took the message and applied it to my microscopic view of my own reality. I noticed one thing that, which is in America our value is in our inventory, it’s inside of our homes, it’s in the streets, you just have to find them, consolidate them, and resell them. Every bit counts, every single one. That is my business; finding the “Gucci Americana”, collect what you’ve loved and never stop dreaming.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
– Military Career over 20 years
– Divorce
– Child support
– Bankruptcy
– Mental Health
– High Inflation
– Low paying civilian job options
– Family health
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My background in the military was accounting and Logistics. I feel that my accounting background along with my logistics background have helped to manage and navigate on a smaller scale, my business without the funding of a bank. Traditionally, a small business would have to be approved for a small business loan of some type which can also be very costly. Saving your own money and starting small can help you make the necessary steps to improve. It’s important to manage what you do have through continuous maintenance and inspection. This will maintain your health. Children are expensive but they are priority. Homes are expensive but they are a necessity. Making money is important but there are different ways to make it. Not every employer is the same. Live your life; quality of it depends on you. Start early because it’s necessary to do things while you’re young, but it’s never too late.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
School isn’t everything but you will need to have knowledge. Go with your gut. Never burn a bridge but if you do, may they light your way into your dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ebay.com/usr/jwberdugo1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetcards_sweettees
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/groups/782059555696985/
- Twitter: @bryantberdugo
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/YikYzHUYQLQ
- Other: https://posh.mk/Pya8nEx87Mb
Image Credits
All photos of me except for one with my daughter Olivia Renee Berdugo
