One of the hobby’s most well-known road warriors is on the move but this time it’s to settle down a bit.
After nine years as the head buyer for Baseball Card Exchange, Reed Kasaoka is returning to Dave & Adam’s as Director of Acquisitions, a similar role to the one he held from 2004 through 2010.
“I heard a rumor that Reed was planning to go out on his own and start a new company,” said Adam Martin, owner of Dave & Adam’s in Buffalo, NY. “The leadership team of my company and I decided we absolutely needed to have him back at Dave & Adam’s.
“We essentially considered him a ‘free agent’, who would be pursued by many companies very quickly, and didn’t waste any time making him an offer to re-join the company.”
While working for Schererville, IN-based BBCE, Kasaoka was on the road for much of the year. He maintained a residence in Buffalo, adding even more miles to a yearly total that would make some traveling salesmen blush. Recently married, he’s cutting that mileage total by a few thousand each year.
“It’s been a wild last couple of months working out the transition, but it’s wonderful to be back with Dave & Adam’s,” said Reed Kasaoka, who still resides in Buffalo. “I’m excited about this new challenge at this stage of my career, and look forward to expanding our reach across several different product lines. Most importantly, my wife will be happy to have me home more often, now that the office is only a 15 minute drive away.”
Kasaoka has enjoyed a one-of-a-kind 30- year career the sports card industry. He began setting up at shows in his native Hawaii as a teenager in the late 1980s. After working for a local card shop throughout college, he opened Best of the Best in Sportscards and ran it for seven years before being named Director of Purchasing at Dave & Adam’s in 2004. He now rejoins the company that first put him on the national stage. Kasaoka will still be traveling all over the country year-round, acquiring collections full of unopened product, vintage sets and singles, and autographed memorabilia.