3 days ago
Miami Pokémon Card Seller Builds ₹74.4-Crore Business After Dropping Out
Andres Fernandez liked Pokémon video games and later became interested in Pokémon cards.
He bought a $5 pack for his cousin and saw a card worth nearly $100 inside.
This made him think cards could become a business.
He left business college after one semester and started selling cards full-time.
At first, he streamed, packed, and shipped orders mostly by himself.
His audience grew on Instagram Live, and he later joined Whatnot in late 2020.
He borrowed $150,000 to buy more sealed products and hired friends and family to help.
His company reported $7.8 million in sales in 2025 and expects more than $10 million to $11 million this year.
Andres Fernandez left business college after one semester to sell Pokémon cards full-time.
His company, MintlyCollects, reported $3.7 million in 2024 sales and $7.8 million in 2025 sales.
MintlyCollects operates two Whatnot accounts with about 500,000 combined followers.
Fernandez took a $150,000 loan to buy sealed products and now works with 10 streamers, including relatives and friends.
He began selling after finding a nearly $100 card in a $5 pack and later moved from Instagram Live to Whatnot.
- Who
- Andres Fernandez, founder and CEO of MintlyCollects.
- What
- He left business college and built a Pokémon card business that reported $7.8 million in 2025 sales.
- Where
- Miami, selling through Instagram Live and Whatnot.
- When
- Fernandez left college after one semester and joined Whatnot in late 2020; the company reported its 2025 sales in the article.
- Why
- He pursued card selling after discovering the potential value of Pokémon cards and building an online audience.
Key facts
- Founder and CEO
- Andres Fernandez
- Company
- MintlyCollects
- 2024 sales
- $3.7 million
- 2025 sales
- $7.8 million, described in the article as approximately ₹74.4 crore
- Projected sales
- More than $10 million to $11 million this year
- Whatnot following
- About 500,000 combined followers across two accounts
- Expansion investment
- A $150,000 loan for sealed products
- Current team
- 10 streamers
Quotes
Andres Fernandez
Miami entrepreneur and founder and CEO of MintlyCollects
“Now, my girlfriend works for me. Her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend work for me. My brother works for me. My girlfriend's cousin works for me. My childhood best friend also works for me. Today, I have 10 streamers. We can stream more than 20 hours a day on one account and 15 hours a day on another, with both accounts running simultaneously. In 2024, we did $3.7 million in sales. In 2025, we did $7.8 million, and we're on track to do more than $10 million to $11 million this year.”
livemint.com
“People aren't going to like to hear this, but being comfortable doesn't equal success nine out of 10 times. People think, "Oh, I'll go to college, and it'll all work out." No. You should be doing internships. You should be working. You should be gaining real experience.”
livemint.com
Sources
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