Sports Car Nation, the hobby is the
people. Weekly news and interviews. It's your number one source. Sports Car Nation, the hobby is the people. What is up everyone? Welcome to episode 356 of Sports Card Nation, part two of my fun and great conversation with my friend and pal Dan Torra. And uh like you heard last week, if you listen to last week's show, he's one of the big reasons that Sports Card Nation exists. And uh we might talk a little bit more about it in part two, but in part two, we're really going to chop up a little more hobby, get into doing shows and what he does and how he got to the point that he's at, uh in his car journey, uh as well. And if you didn't catch the first part, uh make sure you do that. It's a if you ever wondered how did, you know, where did sports car Nation come from? Why is it here? all the kind of the behind the the music, if you will, uh the backstory. Uh that's all explained in the first episode. And today's guest is a big reason uh for all for all of that. So uh with that being said, let's get to the conclusion of our interview with Dan Turra. Here's the conclusion of the interview I did with Dan Tour, my good friend from Dan Tour Broadcast Media. So, let's talk about uh enough of you know uh again we're here like you know the show if you would have told me where we'd be now when I first started I think you're crazy. I'm sure you probably would say that uh with the end to broadcast as well like it's okay to think big but you know there's always that that doubt in everyone's mind right that that that you play tugof-war uh in your mind. So, um, here we are. But, you know, obviously we we we chopped up some cards talking about them. You had some, uh, now we're now we're doing shows together. Maybe not right next to each other, but we're setting up at shows. Kind of talk about you got back into cards in in a in a big way. Um, you know, talk about that evolution as well. You've always collected cards. Yeah. But now coming back sort of full full force full circle and then the decision to hey I can set up and and you know and I I don't want to speak for you but probably like me right a lot of times uh the money you might make at a show or selling a car you're putting it right back into the hobby and and and transacting kind of uh you know ramping up uh your hobby experience if you will. Yeah. I mean, I I always collected and and I've traded for I mean, pretty much if I started collecting at like six or seven, I started trading at like eight or nine. So, I mean, I've been I've been trading for a long time in this world. I mean, selling was the newest part of it. And yeah, I mean, I just kind of was like, you know, I'll give it a shot. I'll go out and I'll see. And I never had any like graded cards. And then I got some graded cards cuz Brendan Murphy like him and I did uh trade night at GG cards and breaks and he had all these I remember not to cut you up then I remember even going on your show for this Friday morning thing explaining what grading was and what it meant and how it worked and and why you should do it or why it's a a good thing. And so here we are. Uh go ahead. I I didn't mean to I wanted just to throw that Yeah. No, I mean, I didn't know anything about it. Like, so, you know, doing this show and I and a bunch of people came up to, you know, Brendan and he had a bunch of higherend stuff and $200 this and $100 that and $300 and whatever. And, you know, I just kind of brought out what I had and I just kind of like showed what I had. and doing that, you know, to me it it was just one of those things where I just kind of thought to myself that, you know, it it was it was I mean, I just kind of took a shot and did the trade night and I was like, "Oh, this is cool to like see that people care about it and people are in the hobby and and so that was nice to see it." And then I was like, "Oh, I'll do another one." I mean, I like the GG cards and breaks guys. I love Josh and Anthony and the team. And so I just kind of started doing it with them and I thought to myself, I have so many cards. I can part with some of these, you know, they're collecting dust. They're sitting here. Like if I make money, it's it's found money. And so I just started doing it. Then I started getting some graded cards. Then I did my first cards that I sent and I got nine tens and three nines and I got very spoiled. And I was told by the guys at GG Cards and Breaks that they do not give a 10 from PSA to clear cards. And I had a Trevor Lawrence rookie card that was like his body and Yeah, it probably down clearly. And it was the first card that I had like had in the grading and it got a 10. And I had a Blake Bortles that Josh thought would get a 10. a draft picks of Blake from UCF. There was a refractor and that got attended. So, like those will always be with me. And yeah, I mean, I just I started just getting into trade nights and then Brendan and I did a show out in Philadelphia and I did really well at the show and then we came back and uh at Fishtown card show and one of the guys was like, "Dude," he said, "I love that you have like a variety and you're always really fair on your prices." And then I kind of went through being around some people that took it way too seriously and they made it not fun. And it kind of made me like, yeah, okay, I don't really want to be like around this and people just critiquing everything that people do and how they do it and what they do and what they price and yada yada yada. So, I took a little break and then I just kind of casually stayed with the trade nights at GG Cards and breaks and I used it to meet people and promote my business and promote my show and and now I've kind of gotten back into the shows and back into just being happy to be there and, you know, I had I did a show I did it, you know, the collector fest and I was across from you and I was there by myself with two tables and I had a record day and I think it's because I genuinely went there to promote my show. meet people, shake hands, and I had I was like, "Hey, if I make any money, it's gravy." And I had like the best day that I've ever had. And I got to do so many cool things. And got to see stuff go home to people. And I try to do like little things that I feel like Georgees did when I was a kid and Twilight. So like one kid came up to me and he said, "How much for this?" And what can I trade you for this? And I looked around and I said, "Hey." And I was like, "Don't tell anybody, but I don't want anything from you." And I handed it to him, and he's like, "Really?" And I said, "Yeah." And I'm just hoping that like that's his 9-year-old memory and that when he's 39 like me right now, that 30 years later he'll go do something for somebody, you know? I just I like I I just I like seeing the passion in other people and then trying to be what George was at George's to me cuz I will always remember that he would know exactly what I wanted. He knew my favorite teams. He was good to my mom. He was good to me. And I would take a bag from him and I know the cards I bought and I couldn't even wait. And I'd get to the car to look at the cards that I just handed him just cuz I wanted to see them. And there would be like another two or three cards in there that he snuck in there that I didn't know about. And um you know, GG cards and breaks, I tell Josh all the time, I never thought somebody would make me feel like George did. And Josh and Anthony definitely brought me back home to the hobby. So it's again, I mean, you gave me credit for your show and I give it back to you. You talked to me about collecting cards and doing shows and I would give it to Josh and Yeah. No doubt. You mentioned George uh uh Georgead back in the day. I'm not sure where he is today, Dan, but he he did something that was crazy at the time. Uh and I don't know how well it did well it did in the over he opened he he did a 24-hour card store. I don't know if that's done anymore. Well, he had a card shop. Yeah. So, he actually blended sports and entertainment. I do with Wake Up Call and Pop and with Dan. So he was a pioneer way back then to do both you and like one room was cards and one room was comic books and I think that even he would like say to me like I think I'm nuts but like looking at like in 2025 I wish people did what what he did now like he did this over two decades ago and I wish people would do it now. I remember I had my store at the time uh with my partner Angelo and uh I remember when he announced like and and we would we knew each other. We were friendly. I would buy stuff for him. I know he bought stuff for me and I remember when he said that he was going to go and stay open and that's just a crazy premise, but he thought outside the box. That was that was what George did. And I'm like I could never do that. And I don't know to this day if there's one out there, somebody who's listening, if you know of a card store that's open 24 hours a day, uh, let me know because I like to give credit where credit's due to. But it was the only one I've ever heard of uh then and since then. I've never heard of I've heard of, you know, people doing like a live stream or something for 24 hours, but I never heard of a store that operated 24 uh7 like that. I thought that was uh pretty zany, but also uh interesting too, right? That to do something that no one else is trying or doing. Uh I don't know, you know, how many sales you're getting at 3:30 in the morning. uh only he only he would could answer that. But the fact that you could you know you can't sleep or you wake up and to use the restroom and you're like I want to open some cards up and you can jump in your car or walk down the street depending on where you you reside and go to a card store that time of day or night really and and uh uh be able to buy cards, right? Uh was just pretty uh you couldn't fathom it. Yeah, I remember he he had a picture and he signed it for me. And there's somebody else in there, too. I forget who it was, but you know, I mean, George, wherever you are, man, like I will always always always have you be part of my story of my passion and my love. Like, I wanted to go to your every day and I love how you treated my family, not just me. And like George is like he he was just he was just so good to me. I just I people like him and I I there's certain people that just stick out to you and they always will and he does for sure and you know I love him like he he just treated me just some kind of way and I I'm just so great like I would have done anything to see him succeed like I had one of his shirt polo shirts I had the autograph thing and all of that for you know he he just he just you know he he knew customer service he he knew how a treat. You're just genuine. And you know, wherever you are, George, just know that the little kid in me thanks you. And the way that you treated me is something that I've never forgotten. And it's because of nice people and nice gestures from people like you that I'm reminded that this world is a lot warmer than we Yeah. Well said. Uh, all right. Going back to your card collecting, right? You're obviously covering these sports. You're covering these athletes. And in many cases, you're covering these athletes on both levels, right? They're I say amateur in college with the NIL. Now, I almost kind of catch myself, but you're covering some of these guys, not only when they're in college and then as they get drafted the pros and then you're seeing them, you you get to know them on a personal level and then you're seeing them on a cardboard and chrome level. How has covering sports and collecting cards, how has the covering sports aspect and getting to know these people on on an individual personal level like influenced how you collect Uh, it helps me get an autograph. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Hey, so many times I wanted to have one in my pocket and just go, "Hey, Trevor, can you sign this jersey?" Uh, but yeah. No, I Man, it's so much fun, you know? It's it's it's so cool to like I mean and this was the crazy thing. So the first I had never gone to an NFL game in my life and the first time I went to an NFL game was 2010 and I was covering the game. So my first experience of going to an NFL game was me getting to cover the Jaguars, my favorite team, going for free, getting a parking pass because I'm in the press box and then I get to go in the locker room and interview the people whose cards I collect. It was right after my favorite Jaguar of all time left, Fred Taylor, which was like really sad. But it was so wild to me and it didn't really hit me until it hit me that I'm standing in and like I didn't even think about it, but after the game I was like, "Holy crap, I get to go in the locker room." And then I'm standing in the locker room and I'm like, "I get to talk to these people who I collect." And you know that that was just so wild that my first NFL experience was as a professional working for my own show which was the Dan Torra show on ESPN 1080 the team in Orlando at the time. And yeah, so I mean that was just wild. But I dude I love it. Like I it's so much fun to to do it and to like lean in and tell the guys like, "Oh, I got one of your cards." or like Trent Dilford. I found his 94 rookie card and him and I are we have like a friendship now and I cover him. I cover UAB inside of the American. So, we were sitting doing an interview and I said, "Dude, I have your rookie card." I said, "Will you sign it for me just because like we we both believe in God, we have a strong faith. Like we talk about everything outside of football. We talk like 70 outside and 30% football when we talk." I said, "I just" He's like, "Of course, man. and I time to hear from one of our great sponsors, but Sports Card Nation will be Hobby Hotline is the Hobby's only live interactive call-in show. Join some of your favorite hobby personalities every Saturday, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 a.m. Pacific to discuss the hottest hobby topics. If you miss us live, catch us after the fact on all major podcast platforms. Follow us on socials at You are listening to the SportsCard So to me, it's it's like collecting your card, like collecting cards as a kid. I guess the best story is Damon Stomire like collecting him at age nine, writing him a letter before social media, trying to find his address somewhere, and then sending it to one of the nine addresses he had, hoping one of them was right, sending him a letter with my mom, never hearing back from him. And then you fast forward to I'm in my 30s and I'm covering the ACC and I'm covering really all of college basketball and I've covered all different conferences and I've covered the NCAA tournament and I've been there and we've gone coast to coast, north to north to south. And Damon Satimer can get hired at one of any of the 360 plus schools in division 1 men's basketball. And he gets hired at Georgia Tech. And Georgia Tech happens to be a team I've covered for over a decade. And my buddy Ross, who's a brother to me, sends me a message and he says, "Damon Satimer gets hired at Georgia Tech." I jumped so high in my kitchen that I almost hit my head on my ceiling. I was so excited and I looked up at God and I said, "Hey, like as long as I'm alive a few months from now, I'm actually going to get to talk to the person who is my favorite player. Like I'm actually going to get to cross paths with Damon Sodomire." and I've waited 29 years at the time to do it. And I said, "No matter what, I'm gonna get to do it." And then the Diamondbacks made the World Series. I was down in Charlotte doing the ACC oper ACC tip off interviewing all the basketball teams. And I said to my dad, "If the Diamondbacks make it, we're going." And they won. And my dad said, "Look up tickets." So I looked up tickets that night. It was right around my birthday. The Diamondbacks make the World Series. And I knew that the next morning I was going to get to talk to Damon. I interviewed Damon in the TV room, asked him a couple questions. Then I walked outside of the room and I said to Damon in the Hilton, Charlotte Uptown, I said, "Hey Damon, just want to say I appreciate you. My favorite player growing up." He shook my hand. He gave me a hug. Shook my hand multiple times. Gave me a couple hugs. Then he did a one-on-one with me on camera together. And then we ended up talking last year. And last year he gave such a long answer to me that everybody in the room he was literally just looking at me and we were talking in this TV room and at the end of it the moderator was like, "All right, Damon, you're done." Like they just kind of laughed like you just literally had a one-on-one with that guy and now now you're all done. And so, I mean, to be collecting cards at 9 years old of your favorite player and you want to grow up and he's number 20 on the Raptors and you want to be number 21, he's 5'10, you're 5'8. You want to play next to this guy and you wait almost three decades and you get to shake hands and hug him and tell the person that you talked everyone's ear off about, including, you know, your grandmas and your mom and your dad. And now you get to actually talk to him manto man and get to meet him and give him a hug and thank him like that. Honestly, that full circle moment is one of the wildest moments of my life and I still don't How was how hard was it not to fanboy? Like obviously you have a job to do and you know, talk about the difficulty to keep it professional, but at the same time let him know what he meant to you, you know, growing up uh as as a collector and as a as a sports fan and I I think it was it was like finding a way to tell him I own 220 plus of your cards without him thinking like I was Yeah. like like just being like, "Dude, I really just loved watching you play and you're he's the reason why I'm a Raptor fan and I always will be." So, because he came in in their inaugural year and he was rookie of the year that year. I mean I mean I had a plaque up of him in my room right by my bed and it reminded me like you can make it. You can do it. You can do whatever you set your mind to. you know, he was Mighty Mouse and he's not a tall guy and I'm not a tall guy. And so, yeah, I mean, I think just talking with him, it was like, how do you pack 29 years of a of just appreciating this man from afar to like getting to talk to him and asking him if he can spend a couple minutes with you? So, I mean, I don't really get like starruck. And it was more to me like I just hope that he lets me talk to him for a few minutes and I hope Georgia Tech lets me do it cuz you never know what SID you're dealing with. And some people must have been bullied in school cuz they're really weird. And so like the guy was nice and Damon was nice and shout out to Georgia Tech. And yeah, I mean it it really wasn't like a like a fanboy moment. and was like I want to tell him that I collected his cards as a young kid with him fully knowing that I'm a normal human being cuz I very much like you know am not like the guy in Happy Gilmore that put the lipstick on and is like crossing names out. So like I I just was like I want to tell him because I feel like my grandmother and my mom would be like you better tell him that you spent a lot of our money on that guy. So yeah, it was just it was just finding a way to tell him that. But yeah, I mean it was a great conversation and I mean I would like to have a friendship with him and get to actually get to know him as a man. So I'm hoping that you know as God crossed our paths in a miraculous way. I'm hoping that you know there will be a time where maybe in a few months or in a month I should say that him and I can you know just kind of sit and talk and I can just kind of pick his brain and get to know who he is as a Yeah, that's awesome. It's very not everyone gets to meet their heroes and but that uh you know you you you've done this long enough you know how to keep it uh profession I'm kind of like you Dan I've met some folks uh along the way doing this and even just going to sporting events and spring training you know someone asked me if if there is anyone like I would meet that would like you know leave me in awe or or speak the only one that first comes to mind for would be Michael Jordan like if I ever yeah, I had to be in the same room with him literally walking like being he walked like right behind my back at at Orlando Pro Summer League and then in Orlando Magic game he walked right toward me with his girlfriend at the time. And I mean I've been in the room with him, Larry Bird. I've interviewed Patrick Euing. Like I it's it's been really crazy to be like I'm sitting in a room with the like the greatest of the greats and like these dream team players. But I mean, yeah, I've been I I was like my producer called me at the time, Nicholas Cisro, and he was like, "Michael Jordan's there." And I'm like, "No, he's not." Actually, I would know if he's there. Like as I'm talking to him, Michael Jordan is walking right behind my back. And everything inside me was like, "Fall backwards so that he can fake fake like a medical emergency. Yeah, I was like either he's going to help you and he's going to get to know you or he's going to walk by you cuz but yeah, I mean I I did get to see him twice and Larry Bird, I mean I was arm with him and Patrick Yuing and I I got to interview Patrick Yuing which is wild to and I will tell you that the Syracuse Georgetown rivalry will never die. I talked to Patrick Euing about a year after Pearl Washington passed away and Patrick I asked him about Pearl and he gave a backhanded compliment about Pearl and I'm looking at him going like he's dead now and he still couldn't just be nice. He had to be like kind of nice but I hate you at the same time. Like Syracuse Georgetown will never die. No. And as it should, it's hopefully it continues. Uh, and they get to play each other. I know they're not in the same uh conference anymore, but they still the biggest rivalry Syracuse has. Yep. Well, Dan, this is fun, man. I'm glad we finally uh got to do it again. This we you wouldn't have got to do this show if it wasn't for you. Uh, so I've never got to totally guess that. So, I get to tell you if it wasn't for you, you wouldn't be on this show because this show wouldn't exist for you to be on. So, uh I appreciate you. We'll we'll have to do it again uh just the same as Yeah. No, I mean again I I appreciate your kind words and you know I think again the credit goes to you and your hard work and your dedication, your belief in yourself. I mean, I I saw something in you and I wanted you to be a part of it and I saw value in you when maybe you didn't see it, but all that you've done that, you know, I mean, I wanted you to know that I valued you. Everything that you did to to make your own brand, like I would never take any of that away from anybody. I wouldn't want anybody take away from me. So, I give you the credit again for doing this show. Well, I was hoping you would just say that without John Newman there'd be no Dantra broadcast. No, I'm kidding. I I would I would say, you know, to me, without John Newman, there there would be a lot colder of a of an environment in this in this media world. You know, I I try to help everyone. I you know, I I'm absolutely here to do that. I would love to. And so, I mean, you're just one of the people that I reached out to and you said yes. And it meant a lot to me. It continues to mean a lot to me. You know, I I consider Jordan a little brother whether I've seen him in 3 years or not. Like, I still consider him family and I consider you family. And, you know, there there's very very few people that have a reoccurring place on my show. And that's because I'm very like like when I when I make a decision and what I'm doing it it does it comes with a lot of thought and just paying attention and praying about it and caring about people. So, I mean, to me, you give me the credit, but the credit goes to you cuz I saw something in you and I saw something in Jordan. And, you know, I just I really appreciate the kindness, the generosity, the kind words, but I'd like to think that God brought us together. I like to think that God brought us back together. And I'd like to think that God will keep us together. You know, I I love I love what you're doing. I love that you're enjoying it. And again, like I dude, I'm so I'm so proud of you and I'm happy for you and I love seeing it. I love seeing you having fun. I love seeing you being successful and just going out and and just paving your own way. Like it's that's so important to me. And like I said, I love seeing other people win. And there's a certain type of character people and there's a way that people are. And I just feel like you care about people. You do things the right way. You have morals and values. you believe in God and you're just, you know, you're good to other people. And I think if you're a good person and you believe in God and you work hard and you chase your dreams, you're going to catch it, you're never going to fail. And, you know, I I just I love that I'm here. I love that I get to be in this studio. And I love I get I love that I get to see it. I'm really honored that I got asked to do it. I think it's a privilege to be on the show. And, you know, I I just it means the world to me that like you would even want me to be here. So, I mean, dude, I'm I'm here anytime you want me to be. But I can't say enough about the fact that I want to make a difference in this world and and I see you. You kudos to you. You know, for seven times seven for your Keep God first. Keep being good to people. You know that I'm always cheering you on and I'm right down the road. All right, man. I don't know how I don't know what to say after that. Thank you, Dan. And we will do it again. No doubt. Of course, brother. Appreciate That was great having Dan on. And uh like I said uh the program you're listening to right now uh doesn't exist uh really without his inspiration. And if you you missed the first part one uh from last week previous uh check that out. But uh uh glad to finally have him on. I know I've talked about him on the show about what he meant to the show, but kind of to to come full circle and have him on the actual show uh was a really a fun blast. And uh I know he had fun uh as well. And I see Dan all the time at shows, at card stores, and uh uh you know, loves loves the hobby, loves sports, love what he does, loves life, loves uh he's a great guy. So uh hope you enjoyed uh both part Time for our Hobby is the people This is Dan Torra of Wakeup Call, which you can watch and listen to worldwide Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, if not longer, on.com and Facebook.com, both and on wakeupalt.podbean.com and all the time, go to wakeupalddt.com. This is my guy John Newman and you need to support him, the sports car nation where you know, I don't get to tell you, but I will. The hobby is the people. If you'd like to be the hobby is the people announcer of the week, do a WAV or MP3 file and send it to sportscardationpc@gmail.com.
