Zazay of The Card Plugz joins ‘The Chase’

By David Yarger

Co-Host “The Chase”

Happy hump day everybody. Another loaded episode is in the books and what a show it was. The crew had Faisal Zazay, the CEO of The Card Plugz, on the broadcast. Zazay’s company just recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. 

The Carad Plugz is based out of Canada and is looking forward to the upcoming Toronto Sport Card Expo, which “The Chase” will be live from on Friday. 

Zazay also helped us note some differences between Canadian and American shows and collectors. 

Additionally, Zazay gave us a glimpse of how hyped collectors in Canada are for the TSCE. 

The collecting interest has always been there since he was a kid, but as far as a business it began coming to fruition during the COVID pandemic. 

Zazay became the youngest person to own a franchise of Subway’s and during the pandemic, the restaurant had to close. From then, Zazay said he began looking into something he was passionate about, which ended up being cards. 

He added a funny story of how he got back into the hobby after he saw a first edition Charizard card sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Upon hearing that, Zazay said he looked at his brother and questioned if that was one of the first cards they ever had, which started the process of looking through old cards, to no avail. 

“After 10 months of being shut down, the restaurant was not there, it was time to start looking for other ways providing an income and that’s where I started looking into stuff where I had a passion for, I had an interest in and that’s when I started picking up my old collection and diving into some of the new products that are out there,” he said.  

In comparing Canadian and American shows/collectors, Zazay said the big difference is the availability of product. Additionally, he said, depending on where the show is, the hot topic sport is different. For example, at a show in Las Vegas he said the big sport was football and baseball, whereas in shows on the east coast he noticed basketball was a big sport. In Canada, he said hockey is the big sport and basketball and soccer are also emerging north of the border, as well. 

Another big difference between Canada and America Zazay noted is show presence. 

“Being in Dallas and going to the Marriott in the lobby at 2 a.m. and just seeing, I kid you not, hundreds of people still trading. We don’t see that up here. … What I notice is the love for the hobby itself is blind at some of those shows we’ve been to in the U.S.,” Zazay said.

Another thing that Zazay mentioned is a factor for Canadian collectors is the exchange rate. He said when he goes to shows in the U.S., he has to adjust his eBay to the American eBay, because the card comps are different on the Canadian eBay site.  

Moving forward to the upcoming Toronto Sport Card Expo, Zazay said there is a lot of hype surrounding the event and that’s really because, for most, it’s one of, if not the last card show of the year. 

“This is really the final hoorah of 2022,” Zazay said. “There’s no better way to do it than Toronto Sports Card Expo. Four days, two halls – it’s going to be massive. They’ve got a ton of alumni out there for signings, and (I’m) just looking forward to seeing all things familiar and the new faces, so it should definitely be a good show.”

Zazay’s Card Plugz also just turned one year old, and he said the company’s growth has been incredible and he credited the rise to the Mint Collective that he went to, which connected him with a ton of faces in the hobby. 

To view the full interview with Zazay, click here. 

Additionally, to check out everything going on with The Card Plugz, visit their Linktree.

Also on “The Chase” …

“The Chase” has a very busy schedule coming up so here’s the easiest way to break it down:

• Tonight, we have our 2022/23 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey rip party, which will be live on the DACW Twitch stream from 5:30-7 p.m. EST. 
• Thursday, we have an Ask Me Anything segment with NHL Hall of Famer and legendary goaltender Dominik Hasek. This will also be featured on the Twitch stream at 11 a.m. There’s still time to submit questions to the dominator! Email them to [email protected] or send us a message on social media @DA_TheChase. 
• Friday, the crew will be live for a special episode of “The Chase” from the Toronto Sport Card Expo. This will also start at 11 a.m. EST and be featured on the Twitch stream. Our special guest will be Brad Hartlin of PSA Canada. 
• Lastly, Sunday the Buffalo Bills are at home, which means we’ll have another tailgate break from the Wings of Hope tailgate lot. Steve and I will be breaking football products dating from 2015 to 2022, while Alaina will be out at the tailgate checking out the scenes and interviewing some fans. The break starts at 10 a.m. on Twitch and spots are still available on the DACW Live website!

Lastly, the crew ripped open some of the new release 22/23 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey. We had seven (7!) young guns come from the product, including Buffalo Sabres No. 1 pick Owen Power. On top of all the hits, these cards can be yours by commenting on the YouTube video who will win the Calder Trophy in the NHL this season. A winner will be announced on Monday morning’s episode. 

For more information on everything Dave & Adam’s Card World related, visit dacardworld.com or visit all the social media platforms here.