Most days in business aren’t thrilling — they’re about patience, discipline, and small wins. Kool Collectibles reminds me that slow progress may feel boring, but it’s what builds something real to last.
Sometimes, building a business feels like the emotional equivalent of eating your vegetables. Necessary, good for you, but not exactly exciting. There’s no rush of “big results.” Just steady, unglamorous consistency.
Some weeks go by and we don’t sell a single slab. That quiet stretch can feel endless in a world that celebrates hustle culture — all adrenaline, action, and quick wins. But the truth is, time is the secret ingredient. You can’t rush a stew; you’ve got to let it simmer.
I wrote about this before here: there are ways to celebrate the small moral victories along the way, the process-related numbers that eventually compound into the results you want.
For example, with Kool Collectibles, our goal is simple: sell one slab a day. That should net about $2,000 profit a month. But right now, with an average turnover of one slab every six days, I’d need about 170 slabs in inventory at any given time to make that happen. Today, I’m 97 slabs short. At an average of $75 each, that’s $7,275 in working capital I don’t have — and won’t add, because I refuse to take on debt.
That’s the grind. Every sale is a win, but it’s also a reminder: not only do I need to replace what sold, but I’ve still got a long way to go. It’s a slow build. Three to four years of steady buying, selling, reinvesting.
And honestly? That can feel discouraging in the moment. But when I zoom out, I know in three or four years I’ll want that extra income. My kids will too. So my job is to keep my eye on that long-term prize, even if today feels uneventful.
Tracking the Process
The one thing that keeps me motivated is that I actually enjoy the process of growth. I track everything in a very detailed Google Sheet — not because I’m obsessed with spreadsheets, but because it keeps me accountable and helps teach my kids that business is about more than passion. It’s about having a plan and managing to the numbers.
Some of the KPIs we track:
🏆 Total Slabs Sold
🏆 Slabs Sold in 2025 (YTD)
💵 Avg Profit Per Slab Sold
💵 Total Profit For Current Month
📈 Storewide ROI %
🔁 Est Monthly Inventory Turnover %
📅 Slabs Sold per Calendar Month
🕒 Avg Days to Sell a Slab
📦 Current # Of Slabs In Inventory
🔥 Markdown Candidates (Aging/Stale/Very Stale + Unsold)
📦 Total Slabs Needed to Sustain 1 Sale/Day
💰 Slabs to Sell Monthly to Hit $2,000 Profit
📦 Inventory Needed to Support $2,000 Profit
💰 Avg Unrealized ROI (Unsold Slabs)
💸 Total Projected Profit (Unsold Inventory)
📦 Estimated Inventory Value
📦 Current Quarter Net Inventory
Those numbers are the mile markers that make the boring part meaningful. They’re how you know all the vegetables we’ve been eating are working.
Playing the Long Game
Of course, I control what I can control in my business. I mark down stale inventory and focus on buying cards I know will move. But when you’re playing the Buy-It-Now game (higher ROI, slower turnover) instead of the auction game (faster cash flow, lower ROI), patience is the cost of admission.
So I do the boring thing: I wait. I take walks. I cook dinner. I let the business grow at the only pace it can with the restrictions I’ve set.
As John Wooden said, “It’s the little things that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
Slow progress isn’t glamorous, but it’s how something real gets built to last.
Postscript
Right after I wrote this, two sales came through: a 1975 Topps Mini Fred Lynn RC PSA 9 that cleared 28% profit after fees, and a 1959 Topps Eddie Mathews PSA 6 at our Buy It Now price with 32% appreciation in just 90 days. Proof that even in the quiet weeks, patience pays off.
A new bike, a little umpire money, and the lesson that time does the heavy lifting. Here’s how I’m teaching my kids that saving before 20 is the real snowball effect — with a simple tool to show the magic of compounding.
Some months feel like steps backward. Sales dip, streaks stall, and losses pile up. Gratitude and process are what keep me steady — even in the hard times.
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