My collecting story starts in 1986, when I pulled a Michael Jordan rookie sticker card out of a Fleer Premium Basketball pack. I still remember the feeling — that's the moment I became a lifelong collector.

I was born into an entrepreneurial family. As the son of immigrants, I watched my grandparents run their own Chinese restaurant, Dragon's Palace (Eagan, MN), and later my parents had their own, Yee's Cari-Out (Golden Valley, MN). 

My first taste of running my own business came in high school, working at the Miller Mart, our school store. I partnered with the owner of a local card shop, who consigned his sports cards for me to sell. It was a small setup, but it planted the seed.

Fast forward to December 2014. I was searching for a business to buy when I came across AAA Sports Memorabilia LLC — a drop ship operation that had run its course. Rather than walk away, I kept the vendor relationships and rebuilt around what I actually knew and loved: trading cards. In 2025, I renamed the business CardCore Kai, after my son. 

My mission is to build a collecting community and keep the hobby affordable as it continues to grow. I want something that I am proud of and continue to be successful until Kai and his older brother, Landon, are ready to take the reins. Watching them rip packs and light up over a good pull is exactly what this hobby is about: creating new collectors and passing the torch forward, well beyond my own lifetime.

— Michael Yee, Owner