Generational Odyssey: A Father and Son’s Journey from Hobby to Business
Summary
My name is Tom Schaumleffel and I would like to tell you a story that takes place in Ohio, the heartland of America, that touches on the generational similarities and differences unearthed between a father and son as they worked together to attempt to sell thru a half a million sports cards and collectibles, coincidently during a pandemic, that ended with an epic sports card deal.
You will also learn about:
- A Generational Odyssey and the journey between a father and son
- Youth sports and hobbies that turned a child into a man
- Odd jobs, rewarding jobs, and the ball and chain
- Generational Differences between Boomers and Millennials
- A controversial look into which sport is arguably America’s Pastime.
- 2019-2022 Sports card market industry boom, busts, and brick walls
- Listing roughly 500,000 sports cards and collectibles online with basic tools
- Selling sports cards and collectibles through eBay: the good, bad, and the ugly
- The details of an epic sports card deal
This is just the first book in this series. It’s a slow burn as it lays a foundation of a much bigger story. It’s my odyssey, and like Odysseus from Homer’s Odyssey, this journey has taken me longer than I initially thought. For two decades, I have worked in the same place of employment while trying to build a better life for myself. A life that I am proud of. A life that I can grow with. A life that carries my families name through many generations. I have not always got it right. Hell, I have gotten it wrong more ways than I have gotten it right. I believe that those experiences, that confidence to push through the bad times, has benefited me on this journey.
This roughly 350-page book in size 6” X 9” is as rich as it is thick. What you think is one story, is a treasure trove of stories, experiences, with failure and growth. This book has 8 full chapters, each growing in size as you move forward. Even when you think you have reached the end, you find that this is just the beginning.
In the back of this book, you have access to:
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The Glossary - This is a glossary of sports and sports card related terms for additional base education and clarity for those with no knowledge of this world and those just starting out. The sports and sports card industry is growing and change is happening at a rapid pace.
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The Appendix and Reference Links is full of references material that will allow you to diver deeper into some of the material than I was able allocate to as well as music and video podcasts I watched and listen to while sorting and listing sports cards.
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The Index will provide you with quick access to information within this book with hyperlinks in the eBook to link you with the appendix reference materials on the page you’re reading.
This is my first book and it may not be structured quite like your use to when reading a memoir. Part has to do with my lack of experience as a writer and education in the art of writing, the other part is because I feel that this is how the reader should be introduced to the information. Remember, this is a journey and not a sprint to the destination. This book is part how to and part memoir. I try to inform, educate, entertain, and inspire while telling you the first leg of this journey.
The Author
My name is Tom Schaumleffel and I am a hobby reseller and the Owner of the eBay store: Sports_Card_Jungle, that mainly sells sports cards and collectibles. My store has sold over 80,000 sports and non-sports cards as well as hundreds of sports memorabilia and collectibles just in the past few years. I started his collecting journey as a young child tagging along with his dad and siblings to card shops and shows around the country. I also played a variety of sports as a young man in baseball, football, basketball, soccer, and roller hockey, which kept my passion for sports burning hot. I continue to challenge my love of football by competing in a no holds bar family fantasy football league over the last decade, including securing a back-to-back family championship title.
This book Generational Odyssey: A Father’s and Son’s Journey from Hobby to Business will be my first book and the first book in this series, but I have a queue of ideas and notes for other books both in non-fiction and fiction.
I spend my days pouring over sports cards and my nights as the friendly “ghost” watching over a luxury high rise building and the people inside for the past two decades.
I live just outside of Columbus, Ohio in the heart of the sports world tucked between Canton, Ohio where the NFL was founded and Cincinnati, Ohio where the first professional baseball team originated from. The Midwest has a long-storied history of sports, sports card shops, and sports card shows.
Costs
Since I have already taken out this line of credit to pay for this book, this book WILL be produced, so anyone who buys one of the “perks”, will receive what they ordered. If I don’t reach my entire goal, I will use the funds to pay down the credit line and eventually pay the balance off with my own income over time. By fully funding this book, you will give me the confidence and financial reward to help me keep producing quality books for you in the future. I promise I will work on my craft and in time, truly become an artist.
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Graphic Artist - $2,090. Front cover, back cover, spine, one black and white interior picture.
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Copy Editor - $2,226.40. First and second edit for a roughly 90,000 words count main story.
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Indexer - $1,870. Index in back of the eBook, soft cover print book, hard cover print book, and the hyperlink index within the eBook to give you a quick reference for the material on the pages your reading.
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Beta Readers - $1,500. There were six beta readers who read thru the entire manuscript of 273 pages in an 8.5” x 11” word document and gave feedback on 24 questions. One of the beta readers was a published author who read thru my entire manuscript, gave me 8 pages of feedback on a word document, gave me some editorial notes on the introduction, and also spoke with me over the phone for an hour.
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Indiegogo Campaign Video - $450. This was split between my dad and my nephew for putting the video together with me that included playing a role in the video, directing, shooting, and editing.
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Publisher - $3,411.23. Formatting, proof copy, three ISBN codes, print on demand for both my soft and hard cover books, eBook conversion, setting up for distribution and purchase through Amazon and other outlets, Meta data, SEO, and included in the publishing package are 25 soft cover prints and 25 hard cover prints.
Stretch Goals
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$16,547.63 - Audiobook. I would also like to offer a audiobook for those on the road or just for the way they prefer to indulge in a book. The audiobook would take 6 to 12 weeks to be produced (49 total hours for recording and quality control), then 14 days to get it into stores and would cost roughly $5,000.
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$21,547.63 – Limited Edition Autographed Custom Cards of Father/Boomer and Son/Millennial designed by the cover artist, Sean Sweeney. Designs TBA
The Impact
Right now, I work a full-time job that I have held for just over 20 years. I am very grateful for my job, but the only growth for me would be to eventually move into a management just for the money that only comes available once every 10 years.
Like many, I have always wanted to write a book. I have made notes and started on a few over the years, but never fully committed to making it happen. When I started helping my dad sell his cards, I found interesting similarities and differences between our generations in how we collect and how we thought, so I started taking notes. Fast forward two years later and I had pages of notes and was nearing the end of helping my dad list and sell his cards. By that time, I went from wanting to write this book to feel that I must write this book. I then made a plan not only for one book, but a book that could turn into a series. I then had the motivation, the focus on what I wanted to write about, and the fact that this story is so rich, I believe that many other people would be interested in it as well.
I have always wanted to run a successful business so I could enjoy what I do and get paid for what I produce that people value and not just for punching in a time clock. I don’t want the hit the easy button. I want to contribute to humanity with my creations. My eBay store Sports_Card_Jungle sells sports cards and collectibles, but right now I am just breaking even. I am implementing my plans to grow my business, but profitability will take some time. Also, my eBay store has provided this book with important content.
Also, I have always wanted to live forever. My forever was in physical form until the end of time to explore this world’s people, places, and culture, which now would probably be in the body of a robot. How likely this is, I don’t know and even if it would be possible, could I afford it? Then I heard a podcast where a wise man once said “if you want to live forever, plant a tree, write a book, and have a child.” Well, I can check off writing the book! I think once I physically have my book in my hands, then I will go plant a tree. Finding a beautiful woman that I want to have a child with is going to take a little more time…
Fully funding this book would allow me to grow my writing business by giving me the confidence to write more, time and money to improve my skills, and produce high-quality books for decades to come, ultimately, allowing me to leave my full-time job.
Risks & Challenges
The most common risk with crowdfunding writing projects is whether the author will finish the book. My book, Generational Odyssey: A Father and Son’s Journey from Hobby to Business WILL be 100% completed by the end of the crowdfunding time period. This book has gone through several rough drafts, two copy edits, six beta readers, a formatter, indexer, and publisher.
The greatest risk is whether you will like my book. I am a first-time author and although this story is authentic, heart-felt, and rich in content, I don’t have a background in literature or journalism, so my structure and writing style may not fit the memoir mold. If I did what others did, I wouldn’t have been in the position to create this story or write this book. All I ask is for your patience, understand, and willing to read the complete book before determining its value to you. I researched by reading other authors, traditionally and self-published that wrote memoirs, how to write a non-fiction book and to self-publish, and working with top professionals to read, critique, and help me put together this book. This book is roughly 350 pages with entertaining characters, plots, subplots, controversy, strong opinions, famous quotes, and twists that I believe you will make you clamor for more
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help: If you're unable to contribute you can still help and share this project with your friends and networks - helping spread the word across social media would be amazing! Share, post, like, and comment! I'll be posting regularly on both Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to comment or connect with me. You can also use those Indiegogo share tools! Thank you for your time and consideration!