Ever worked in the card industry?

[HockeyBrawler]

Do we have any members who have worked in the trading card industry before? Not as card store owners or anything like that, but on the actual production side.

The reason I'm asking is there are a couple positions open with one of the major companies (not naming any names) and I'm considering applying. So has anyone worked with any of them before? What did you do with them? Was it enjoyable, or not? Anything to watch out for?

 

[gumscards]

A long time ago (1994-95 ish), I worked at Upper Deck as a temp in their card replacement division. It was a low-level temp job, so not really applicable to your situation probably, but once you got over the awe of seeing an entire room filled with 1994 SP Holoview Die-Cut Alex Rodriguez's and the like, it wasn't a great place to work. They didn't treat their employees very well and seemed to think everyone was a thief-in-waiting, which is ironic considering all the product their higher-ups back doored out. Considering your location I'm assuming you want to work for Panini. I wish you good luck if it's something you want to pursue.

Robert

 

[HockeyBrawler]

A long time ago (1994-95 ish), I worked at Upper Deck as a temp in their card replacement division. It was a low-level temp job, so not really applicable to your situation probably, but once you got over the awe of seeing an entire room filled with 1994 SP Holoview Die-Cut Alex Rodriguez's and the like, it wasn't a great place to work. They didn't treat their employees very well and seemed to think everyone was a thief-in-waiting, which is ironic considering all the product their higher-ups back doored out. Considering your location I'm assuming you want to work for Panini. I wish you good luck if it's something you want to pursue.

Robert

Yeah, it's Panini. It's 2 hours from where I live now, so the wife and I would be moving to the DFW area. The job is a photo editor-- basically sorting, ID'ing, cropping, and editing photos, mostly hockey and baseball. It pays more than my current job and working fewer hours. I figure it's worth a try.

They also had print assistant and memorabilia inventory manager positions open as well, but I have zero experience in those areas, but at least am good with Photoshop, player identification, and sorting.

 

[Clemson2012]

i wish you the best of luck and hope you enjoy it. if photo editing is something you enjoy i think you will love the job. best of luck scooter

 

[HockeyBrawler]

I've been playing with Photoshop since I was in college, so I'm pretty familiar with it. I won a custom card making contest at a site a few years ago, and have replicated nearly every Topps baseball card design for use in making my own custom cards to get signed. I also make a card set every year for the junior hockey team I work for. So I hope I have a little bit of an edge on other applicants with that, haha.

Keeping my fingers crossed, I'm going to call up the HR guy down there today.

 

[HockeyBrawler]

If anyone was wondering, I was interviewed last week, and officially offered the job today!

 

[DaNotoriousNIC]

congrats now just don't spend all your paychecks at work lol

 

[valediction]

Congratulations! I hope it leads to even better positions down the road

 

[dp33]

Nice! Now you'll get to crop the tops off of the heads of everyone in 2013 National Treasures Baseball! In all seriousness, sounds like an interesting job to me, so I hope you enjoy it.

 

[OriolesFan8]

Congrats! Don't be sneaking any funny stuff into the pictures.

Todd

 

[HockeyBrawler]

Thanks everyone! Not blowing the paycheck at the company store will be the tough part. Though really most of my collection is IP and TTM autograph-related now so I'm not too worried. And best of all the apartment we're looking at is a mile and a half from the Ballpark in Arlington, so I should be able to hound a lot more. Just a short bike ride away.

Plus there's two golf courses within 3 miles, a library and Post office each a mile away, gas, groceries, and Starbucks within a half mile... I've really missed living in a significant metro area!

 

[mj23bullsfan]

awesome!!!

hope it all works out for you and it's an enjoyable job. maybe you'll get a chance to walk around and check the whole place out on your down time, see the runnings of card production.


paul

 

[bullrat]

Congratulations - sounds like a fun job. Do you have a graphic design degree or was photoshopping just a hobby?

 

[David K.]

Congrats on getting the job! Best regards, David

 

[bigalbert]

Congrats on the new job! Will your wife be able to find work in the area as well?

 

[HockeyBrawler]

bullrat-- I have a journalism degree with a decent degree of Photoshop experience for my current job. Most of my job though will consist of sorting and cataloging photos and selecting them to go on cards, so little to no 'shop experience is needed for it.

bigalbert-- Probably eventually. She just got a new job in Wichita Falls and her ear doctor is there (she'll need surgery on her ears in the next few months), so she wants to stay up there for a bit, but I'll be able to go back every few weeks at least. But eventually we're sure she can find something and move down.