Sara Layton didn’t plan on getting into the Sports Card business, but when she did, her passion for the business shined through in everything Layton Sports Cards does. Based out of Apopka, Florida, Sara and Rich Layton run the renowned Layton Sports Cards hobby shop and online break group. Here is her story:
“When my husband Rich proposed the idea of starting Layton Sports Cards, I was very adamant that this would be his business and I was going to continue my career in Healthcare Administration. I was not a collector, but this business (that I initially wanted nothing to do with) had me captivated. I loved the thrill of getting huge cards out of the group breaks and talking to the collectors in our chat rooms. We were based out of New Jersey for three years before relocating to Florida. When we moved, I left my healthcare career behind and joined the LSC Team full-time.
“I have been Operations Manager of Layton Sports Cards for six years. I’ve always loved opening cards, but didn’t get into actually collecting until 2019. My collection is small and all over the place. Growing up in South Jersey, I focused my collection on the Sixers, Phillies and Flyers as well as some more obscure things. My favorite piece in our collection is an Upper Deck Authenticated Tiger Woods signed 30×40 photo of the 13th hole at Augusta National Golf Club. I am also very fond of our Entomology set from 2011 Goodwin Champions. Here are some of my favorite items:
Now THIS is an impressive collection! Very seldom you see this many Entomology cards together from the 2011 Goodwin Champions set.
“At the 2019 National Sports Collectors Convention, Tai Fauci of The BullPen LA, and Susan Lulgjaraj of Goldin Auctions approached me with the idea of starting a Facebook group for female collectors. I immediately jumped on board as there is a definite need for a safe space for women in the hobby. We wanted a place where women can share their collection and ask questions without fear of being ridiculed. We have around 250 members in the Women in Cards group from all aspects of the hobby who are willing to help each other.
Tai (left) and Sara (right) are two female forces in the hobby that everyone seems to appreciate!
“I have not been in the hobby as long as some incredible women that I am lucky to call my friends, but I plan to be here for a very long time. My goal is to help this hobby become more inclusive for women, people of color and the LGBT+ community. We were fortunate to have a breakout session at the Industry Summit this year and I hope we are able to expand these sessions to all hobby related conferences.”
Sara Layton with basketball star Mo Bamba at the Upper Deck Certified Diamond Dealer Conference.
Thanks Sara! We appreciate the efforts you are making to help the hobby be more accepting of everyone while also having a ton of fun in the hobby with everything you do at Layton Sports Cards. Thank you for being an agent for change and inclusion in our industry.
