Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Emano and Peter Ginter.
Hi Daniel and Peter, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Emano: Peter and I met while working in customer service full-time back in 2017. We had security and comfort, but, for me (Daniel – everyone calls me by my last name Emano) there always felt there was a void to be filled. Pre-pandemic, I made music and hosted a podcast network. Once COVID struck, it became difficult to arrange face-to-face interviews and although I could make music, there wasn’t much going on in life to inspire my craft.
The void grew more until one day Peter informed me of a trend making a comeback; collecting sports cards. Not only that, but, Peter was interested in starting a collectibles business with The Hobby’s rapid growth. I dove into the rabbit hole and my inner child was woken up. I was reminded of how impactful collecting was in my younger years from the first Pokemon cards that ever came out in the 90s, to sports cards, and playing in Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments at my local shops.
However, collecting was taking a new form with apps that hosted live streams for shops and well-known brands to host what was called breaks where multiple collectors buy spots into a set of boxes, and any cards pulled for their assigned teams are ripped open life and shipped to them directly from the breaker. I was instantly hooked (I even went as far as getting a 2nd job in a card shop for a bit) and asked Peter if he was serious about starting a new business surrounding the collectibles industry.
In our first year, we kept things simple and only hosted breaks part-time for some side cash. As we were headed into our 2nd year as a business, we decided to begin setting up card shows to network and sell inventory to the local Hobby community here in South Florida. We were quickly met with 2 challenges; there was only one show south of West Palm at the time and they refused to allow us (and other new upcoming vendors) to set up. They even went as far as posting us in negative ways on social media for a few days, but the promoters of this show didn’t realize they had intrigued people to reach out to us and inquire if we planned to host our show.
My internal lightbulb went off, I called Pete and we agreed to host our card show. Not just a card show, but, one inclusive of industries that our likeminded to ours; sneakers, vintage clothing, comics, vinyl records, and beyond. Hobbies such as these also exemplify what Miami and South Florida as a whole are all about. Wynwood and Downtown Fort Lauderdale are some of the very best art districts in the country and home to some of the best businesses in these industries. We felt sports and trading cards were a natural fit for the live event space down here. Hobby Slam was born.
In September of 2022, we hosted our first event at the Scott Galvin Center in North Miami with a sold-out 120 tables, over 50 vendors, and over 1000 attendees between 2 days. However, we wanted to cement South Florida as a staple for card shows, and last year for Hobby Slam 2, we relocated to the Miami Airport Convention Center and increased our numbers to over 300 tables, over 100 vendors, and nearly 2000 attendees between both days. Along the way, we had the opportunity to go full-time with our business and now we host breaks and offer media services to shops and brands around the country.
This year, we were set to go back to the Miami Airport Convention Center with over 350 tables and are set to have vendors from all over the country (potentially a couple internationally). To spread the word about the show, we’ve also established our Hobby Slam Trade Night Tour, a first-of-its-kind event that highlights 5 of the best shops from Wynwood to West Palm and hosts their local communities for a night of networking, trading, and overall good vibes, to connect these smaller communities into one larger and unified community.
It kicked off with our first-ever Art Basel event at Loupe Sports Cards in Wynwood which was truly an exciting opportunity for not just us, but to have our industry included in such a monumental weekend. We’re excited about what 2024 has to await Hobby Slam!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Emano: No road is ever smooth. I-95 and the Palmetto have been under construction as far as I can recall and I turn 32 in a couple of months. When you work for a company, they say check your personal life at the door and save it for outside of work. When you become the owner/face of a company, your work consumes you whether you’re prepared or not. Both business and personal life begin to merge in some way or another. Maybe not entirely, but their paths inevitably cross.
Peter currently is preparing for the birth of his first child, a baby girl. I can tell at times he feels guilty (for lack of a better term) for having to work as much as we need to rather than being able to relieve his wife of any work or stress leading up to the due date. A lot of credit to his wife, Jessica, by the way, because she truly is supportive of Peter and sees his vision but I can only imagine that being a struggle for not just him, but for both of them. I genuinely respect their system because the love and support they provide each other is rare to find these days.
For me, I was raised by a single mother so I became very close with my uncle Jeff and my cousin Joey who would watch me some weekends. They became more like a 2nd father and big brother. In our first year as a business, within 6 months, both Jeff and Joey passed away. Jeff passed of cancer while Joey took his own life due to his struggles with mental illness. This is amid the pandemic which made it even worse for me. Thankfully, my girlfriend at the time was beyond supportive and would push me to do more of what I loved to cope with everything going on. In specific, the year after for my birthday she planned a full trip around Florida so I could attend certain card shows and shops as well as even open cards at a baseball game. That trip taught me to carry Joey and Jeff’s spirits rather than mourn their absence in the physical world.
On a business level, we see struggles but more like daily challenges rather than actual struggles. No business operation is smooth 100% of the time. Hiccups and unexpected roadblocks pop up often but you have to embrace them. The inevitable. You can’t have good without the bad. It’s nature’s form of balance. We’ve learned if you embrace the daily challenges your business presents you, it’s only easier to resolve them and be better prepared when they occur again. If you avoid them or act like they don’t exist, they’ll only grow worse. Embracing struggle only fortifies you for the future.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We’re a live events and media company in the collectibles industry better known as The Hobby.
What do you specialize in? Hosting the most unique and inclusive Hobby events in South Florida.
What sets you apart from others? 95% of shows in our industry have a simple bare minimum basis; set up as many tables as possible and sell cards. We seek to breathe life into the space and highlight the unknown beauties of The Hobby. This industry grows greater each day as bigger companies, athletes, and celebrities become more involved in The Hobby. Our shows and content will only help show and shape the future of this industry.
The community, we’ve helped connect and continue to expand. Whether it’s a child opening a box only to find a card of their favorite athlete or someone older who has been in the business for decades, the love and passion for collecting are all the same.
Hobby Slam is the premier community-styled trade show in Miami showcasing only the best from sports cards, trading cards, comics, memorabilia, vintage clothing, sneakers, and more industries. We also offer social media promotional services for companies in those industries.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
When it comes to collecting, don’t allow market trends and profits to solely determine your path.
Those things are still important but conducting your business based on your love and passion for what you do is more crucial toward finding the path of success that best suits you. I could tell you about things I wish I knew in the past that I know now, but, if I told myself those things I wouldn’t be here sharing our story with you.
In other words, embrace the journey you’ve been down, the one you’re currently on, and the one that awaits you for both the ups and the downs.
Pricing:
- 1 Day General Admission Tickets – $5
- 3 Day Weekend Pass – $10
- All Access VIP 3 Day Pass – $40
- Vendor Tables – $200-400 based on location.
Contact Info:
- Website: Hobbyslam.org
- Instagram: Instagram.com/hobbyslam
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHobbySlam?mibextid=DlZzXU
- Twitter: Twitter.com/hobbyslam
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@HobbySlamOfficial?si=c-7C-0q9m0CT88y3
Image Credits
@Kraig305 (Kraig 305) and @breeezy___(BRZYFLMZ)
