Nick Maness has had a lifelong passion for baseball cards that began at a very young age. Born in 1978 in rural Kansas, Nick grew up on a dairy farm where every spring and summer was dedicated to chores, school, church, and, of course, America’s pastime – baseball. His father was an avid Kansas City Royals fan who passed down his fandom to his son. By the age of 5, Nick had amassed his first meager collection of cards mostly from wax packs and random trades with other kids at school and church. Though modest in size, that initial collection sparked a fire inside young Nick that would burn for decades to come.
As he grew older, Nick began to understand the history and stats behind the players on his cards as well as appreciate the beauty of the vintage designs from the early years of the hobby. He spent hours organizing and categorizing his collection by year, team, position and just about any other parameter he could think of. Sometimes his mother would catch him staying up late at night meticulously sorting and resleeving his ever-growing collection under the beam of a flashlight so as not to disturb others in the house. Baseball became not just Nick’s favorite sport but a true obsession, and card collecting was the vehicle that fed that obsession on a daily basis.
When Nick entered his teen years in the early 1990s, the baseball card market was red hot as investments in stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr, and Barry Bonds skyrocketed. Though not focused as much on monetary value yet, Nick enjoyed hunting for these hot rookie cards at local shops and shows. He mowed lawns and helped out around the farm to fund his growing habit. By his senior year of high school in 1996, Nick’s collection had swelled to over 25,000 individual cards neatly stored in countlessFactory-sealed boxes that were carefully archived in his bedroom.
After high school, Nick chose to attend a small agricultural college in Nebraska to study animal husbandry, hoping to one day take over running the family farm back in Kansas. Though early on he found college life took him away from his cards for stretches, Nick made sure to still attend card shows within driving distance whenever possible. It was at one such show in the fall of 1998 that Nick had a transformative experience that set him on a new career path and took his card collecting to an entirely new level.
At this particular show was a renowned vintage baseball memorabilia dealer from Chicago named Walter Gibson. Nick had long admired Gibson’s impressive inventory of pre-war tobacco cards and other ultra-rare pieces showcased in his glass display cases. On this day, Gibson had put out a tattered 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card that immediately captured Nick’s attention. Though in terrible condition, there was no doubting the iconic cigar-smoking shortstop staring back from under the faded backdrop. Nick had only seen such a historic piece in magazines before and found himself unable to walk away. He emptied his meager life savings and put the Wagner on layaway, knowing it would take him years to pay off but would be an asset to hold onto.
This leap of faith planted the seeds for Nick to change his destined career path. Over the next few years of college, Nick worked various side jobs while becoming more involved in the sports collectibles industry. He began buying and selling cards online through the emerging eBay marketplace to build up his finances. By graduation in 2002, Nick had amassed a decent inventory of vintage cards, autographs, and game-used memorabilia much of which he displayed at local and regional shows on consignment. He discovered a real knack and passion for the business side of the hobby that lined up better with his new goals than farming ever had.
After college, Nick took a part-time job at a vintage sports store in Lincoln, Nebraska to learn from the owner while growing his own business on the side under the name Maness Memorabilia. Within a few short years, he had established himself as a respected buyer and seller known for his meticulous grading standards as well as obsessive cataloging of each and every item that passed through his inventory. He realized his deep card collecting roots provided a unique credibility and expertise that was valuable in the ever-evolving marketplace.
By the late 2000s, with online auction sites booming and television shows glorifying the profitable aspects of the hobby, the sports collectibles industry had fully emerged from the 1980s bubble. This golden era provided Nick the opportunity to take his business full-time. He decided to relocate to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2010 to pursue his passion on a larger scale with more shows, connections, and like-minded clientele in the region. Nick rented a small shop downtown and really focused on honing his skills as an authenticator, grader, and elite dealer of the rarestFinds.
Over the next decade, Nick built Maness Memorabilia into one of the most well-respected and trusted sources for all things vintage baseball. His personal collection continued expanding as well with prized additions like a 1916 Baltimore News Babe Ruth, 1933 Goudey Jimmie Foxx, and even the exceptionally rare signed 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner proof sheet. Nick’s uncanny ability to constantly uncover incredible pieces long thought lost or destroyed gave him a larger-than-life aura within the industry. With each new major acquisition, his nationwide client network and online engagement continued growing exponentially.
At 42 years old in 2020, Nick has clearly found his calling as a full-time student and scholar of the earliest years of sports cards and related collectibles. Though the physical and economic toll has prevented him from continuously adding to his own impressive holdings in recent years, Nick takes great pride in cataloging each new discovery from his customers. His lifelong passion still burns brightly as he shares knowledge and pitches rare Find after rare Find to an eager global marketplace from his shop in Colorado. Nick’s journey from a farm boy to leading expert exemplifies how far dedication to baseball cards as history, art, and investment can truly take one.
