DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Five years ago, when people heard Eric Burks list off Patrick, Jordan and Fernando, they probably thought he was talking about the kids he taught.

"I love teaching," he said. "But I always wanted to do something more."

Burks moved from teaching kids in Decatur Public Schools to educating them — and their parents — on up-and-coming rookies and sports heroes from bygone eras. That education also extends to the business side.

"There are always going to be peaks and valleys," Burks said. "You have to be smart."

The former teacher opened up his card shop in 2016 — "stepping out on faith" as he likes to say. His business did well, but the pandemic has made it flourish.

"We've got to ride the wave a little bit," he said with a grin.

Sports fans and bettors normally spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on tickets, travel and wagers. Without sports for much of 2020, that money was burning a hole in their pocket — before they began burning through cardboard. Once-dormant collectors and investors began flocking to the hobby, driving demand and prices sky high.

"Kobe Bryant cards...before he passed away, his Topps rookie, '96-'97, you could get for $5 to $10 all day long," Burks said. "Now, that same Topps rookie is like $400."

It's not just Kobe. Michael Jordan, LeBron James and even younger players like Luka Doncic have seen their cards skyrocket in price. In baseball, it's Mike Trout, Fernando Tatis Jr and Juan Soto. In football, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert are king.

But are 4000% growth curbs sustainable? Burks believes the answer is "yes and no." Guys aren't going to go up exponentially forever, but he expects the rookie cars of all-time greats to hold most of their value.

Investing in cards is like any other investment: it carries as much risk as you take on. Investors have seen meteoric rises and quick crashes with Bitcoin, GameStop and plenty of other "trendy" investments. High end rookie cards of young players, some of whom haven't even played a professional game yet, are just as risky. That's why Burks suggests playing it safe to start out.

"Collect what you like to collect," Burks said. "If you like a certain player, start small."

That's what Burks did with his collection — and his business. Burks Sports Cards is moving to a new location at 1303 E Pershing Road. He will open the new location on April 10.

"Our main goal is if anyone calls us on the phone or if anyone comes in this store, we have it," he said.