Hello all, this is Kyle Elliott owner and operator of Maverick Autographs and Collectibles. I am writing my very first blog to expand on the section of my website called “About Us”.
Yes we are a company out of Edmonton Alberta Canada and yes I did start out as a passionate sports fan. I grew up in Toronto and Calgary. Every year when living in those cities, for my birthday, my dad would take me to as many sporting events that we could go to on my birthday weekends. I grew up attending Toronto Maple Leaf, Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Blue Jays, Buffalo Bills, Calgary Flames, Calgary Stampeders and Seattle Seahawks games. If I wasn’t attending games I was playing sports: soccer, hockey, rugby. Heck I even worked at Maple Leaf Gardens and later at Northlands Coliseum (now Rexall Place). Sports has always been my passion and it continued on into adulthood.
How much of a passion are road trips and sporting trips to me; well glad you asked. Just the other day I tallied up every NFL stadium that I have ever been to and I have been to 17 out of the 32 teams. If you asked me which NFL team provides the best game day experience I would have to say (and it pains me to say as I am a Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks fan, I can explain why later) the Kansas City Chiefs. I just visited Kansas City for the first time this year to watch the 2015 NFL season opener against the now Super Bowl Champions Denver Broncos. The whole experience from walking up in the am, to the whole town shutting down for the game, to the tailgating, to the game itself and then there’s the noise of the crowd; it gives me goose bumps just thinking about. As for other sporting events that I have been to: 13 NHL stadiums to watch games, 10 MLB stadiums to watch games and just this past year 2 NCAA football games. If you would like to know more about any of the other sporting cities that I have been to just drop me an email. I would be happy to share with anyone my experiences or give advice if you are going to a game.
How did I become involved in sports memorabilia then? I always knew I wanted a Sports Fan Cave. So when I bought my first house the collection began and continued to grow. The collection became so vast that friends of mine no longer wanted to go to sports bars, they wanted to come to my place and watch the game. Looking back when I worked at Maple Leaf Gardens I was always getting autographs for other people, but never for myself. When I worked at Maple Leaf Garden the players were so accessible and so easy to get close to. Now in adulthood I was paying for these same player autographs that I could of got then for free 🙂
How then did I take my collection from a collection to a business? Well people that I knew were either asking me for donations or were asking for me to get items for them. My wife then stated that because I was always so busy with these request that I should just start a business and viola it took off from there. I am not sure if she knew what she was getting into. She jokes with me that everyday around the house is like Christmas, as there is always new items being delivered to us (we currently are a home based business). While I do agree with her, its great opening all these items, my Christmas day is when the NFL announces their schedule for the upcoming year. I am immediately on the phone to her and to friends advising them of where we are going to go next. The passion for all things sports will never fade in my lifetime it will always burn bright; both professionally and personally. Please feel free to comment or tell me what you think. Thanks for taking the time to read over this. Until next time that’s all sports fans, Kyle.
PS I feel that I will do this blogs on a weekly basis, please feel free to drop me a line if you would like for me to address any topic within the sporting, memorabilia or pop culture world.
Mouthing Off By Mav Autographs 