Hi, I’m Sylvain Cormier.
I’m a hockey card dealer, vendor, and the voice behind this ongoing “Confessions” series on the Hockey Cards Gongshow podcast. I am also Private Collection Insurance’s Ambassador on the East Coast.
Chapter One talked about my origins. Basically, how I stumbled back into the hobby and turned it into a career, Chapter Two shared what life looked like once the dust settled: the summer slowdowns, the deals that worked, the ones that didn’t, and the lessons I’ve picked up after four summers in this fun and booming business.
For Chapter Three, I wanted to dig into what a summer in the hobby really looks like when you’re trying to make cards a full-time business: the grading wins, the painful misses, the auction strategy, and the mindset that separates collectors from dealers.
My focus was simple:
- Keep inventory moving at a healthy pace.
- Be selective on new buys.
- Aim to break even on bigger plays before the season kicks off.
That means holding a stock of affordable slabs in the CA$50–$300 range for local shows, using eBay and consignment auctions for higher-end pieces, and preparing for a packed fall calendar
A Big Win: The Zach Hyman Lot
In Chapter Two, one of the highlights I spoke about was my Zach Hyman lot. I picked up about 40 cards, graded 22 with PSA, and came out with results better than I had expected:
- All silver foils and clear-cut Young Guns came back PSA 10!
- Four of eight regular Young Guns also landed PSA 10s!
- Overall gem rate: roughly 70%.
- Grading bill: about CA$800.
- Total spend: close to CA$6,000.
- Profit at that point: CA$4,600 — with more to come.
That gem rate was a huge win, and the sales confirmed an important lesson: eBay’s reach matters. At shows, the Zach Hyman cards stalled at my sticker prices. Online, those same cards consistently sold for 25–30% higher. Needless to say, the higher fees were worth the broader audience.
Why I Stagger Auctions
So, instead of flooding eBay with every high-end Hyman at once, I spread consignments across multiple auction windows. This is a strategy I typically employee because this keeps prices from competing against each other and gives each piece space to attract bidders. The result: better realized values and more predictable cash flow.
Timing and Ethics: The Patrick Laine Story
I also had a timely play with Patrik Laine Young Guns. I was sitting on six graded Young Guns when news broke of his trade to Montreal last year. The market reaction was immediate.
I could have pieced them out for a little more profit, but I listed all six as a lot for CA$999 and accepted an offer at CA$900. Hours earlier, they were worth CA$350–$400 combined!
A vendor later offered CA$1,000 privately, but I stuck with the original eBay buyer. Why? Because reputation matters — and because it’s okay to take the win, even if its not as big as it could have been.
Lesson learned: if five people are making offers within minutes, trust your instincts and hold your line. The right offer will come along and with multiple offers, you are in the driver’s seat.
Losses That Teach
Not every move lands. My spreadsheet showed plenty of small dents — $30 here, $50 there — and a few bigger ones. One example: an Auston Matthews PSA 10 deal that ended about CA$500 in the red.
Part of that deal came from a trade that included a rare and obscure Connor McDavid die-cut rookie card, graded a BGS 9.5. This was a tough one to comp out and price as there had been no recent sales of that card in that grade, me and the other party both ended up over valuating that card, I auctioned it off immediately after taking it in and it sold for $325.
Key takeaways:
- Rare doesn’t always mean desirable.
- Auctions can be the fastest way to discover a true market value.
Dealer vs. Collector Mindset
As a dealer, my focus is velocity. I’d rather move cards often at modest margins than sit on one speculative piece hoping for a windfall. Young Guns and Future Watch autos are my bread and butter: they’re liquid, comp-driven, and easy to flip.
Collectors can afford to be patient. Dealers can’t. For me, 15 modest wins beat one moonshot that might never land.
Mental Frameworks I Lean On
Here are a few rules I remind myself of daily:
- Avoid ‘the sunk cost fallacy’. Don’t let past money cloud new decisions.
- Take the win. Don’t chase the last 10–20% if it means higher risk.
- Let comps guide you. Liquidity matters more than rarity for rarity’s sake.
- Be selective. I don’t try to “time” the whole market — I buy when the deal makes sense.
Thoughts on Long-Term Holds
People often ask me about decade-long holds: cards like Nathan MacKinnon Young Guns. My view: only specific cards (Cup RPAs, early high-end parallels, low-population pieces) have the staying power to age like fine wine.
Generic Young Guns? There is too much supply, and therefore, too much risk. If you want to play that game, make sure you truly understand scarcity and can afford to lock away that capital.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one theme in all of this, it’s intentionality. Whether you’re flipping to make a living or just building your personal collection, the same principles apply:
- Value liquidity.
- Take wins when they come.
- Don’t be afraid to cut losses.
- Build relationships that last.
I love this grind. I love dealing with the everyday collectors, the $50–$300 slab buyers, the repeat customers who come back show after show. Velocity and relationships win the long game.
Stay tuned for more recaps and reflections on my Hobby Journey.
