In the day and age of NFTs and digital collectibles, the 34-year-old Amit Doshi, who works as a Business Unit Manager (UK and Africa II) at Meril Life Sciences, is one of the leading collectors of physical collectibles in India. Despite working full-time in the corporate industry, Amit is one of the biggest collectors of Topps products in India, having a wide range of collectibles ranging from Cricket Attax, Match Attax, Marvel Attax, Slam Attax, and other Disney products.
Developing interest in collectibles at a young age
Amit Doshi was 7 years old when his uncle brought him a pack of WWE trump cards. At that point, he was already a big sports enthusiast with cricket, football, and WWE being his favourite sports to follow. Amit developed a fascination with collecting cards. Seeing the statistics of his favourite WWE wrestlers, on cards that he can carry in his own hands, was a memorable childhood experience for him.
From then on, Amit started collecting all forms of sports memorabilia, which came along with packets of chips, or soft drinks, etc. He also started collecting newspaper cut-outs of all his favourite athletes.
Growing up with Collectibles
At his school and college, Amit started indulging in auctions for his collectibles. He also started hosting exchange zones for the collectibles with his peers who had the cards he needed to finish his albums. Amit continues to do so to this day and is always on a hunt to find rare products.
Currently, he is also mangaing WhatsApp community of collectors and has an Instagram page where collectors from all around the world can communicate with each other. “I believe the physical collectibles are allowing people of the same mindset, hobbies, and interests to come together and form a community,” Amit says.
Rarest of rare Collection
Amit currently owns the rarest of rarest collections belonging to Sachin Tendulkar, M.S. Dhoni & Virat Kohli, including one of the oldest flicker books of Sir Don Bradman from 1930.
He has the oldest Topps WWE collection launched in 1987, including rare memorabilia of WWE superstars Bret Hart & The Undertaker, as well as a rare TOPPS card of Cristiano Ronaldo. His other collection includes certified authentic autographs, of Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni, and arguably the biggest autograph collection of Sir Don Bradman in Asia.
He loves collecting memorabilia associated with Cricket World Cups. One recent treasure he has added to his collection is the authentic game ticket of the first 1996 World Cup Cricket match that took place at Motera, Gujarat which is now known as Narendra Modi Stadium.
He is also a big time Star Wars fan and recently he became the first person in India to complete the Topps Star Wars Mandalorian set.
Family Support
While Amit had a tough time as a kid convincing his parents regarding his passion for collectibles, they have seen the positive benefits of the same by now. His parents have seen how it is a means of relaxation for him from his high-pressure work life.
Amit also receives a lot of support from his wife regarding his passion for collectibles. His wife, who works at JP Morgan, is, too, an avid Marvel fan, and was impressed to see his TOPPS Marvel collection, which became a way for them to grow closer when they initially met.
Why physical collectibles are still relevant
“Physical collectibles have a magical ability to teleport one as they transcends time and instill a sense of nostalgia in the person collecting it,” Amit says. “The collectibles become a part of you,” he adds.
Citing Abdul Kadir, one of the biggest collectors in the world, Amit said – “When you open your collection, you feel young. You go back in time, you become a child, and you relive some of the best moments in your life.”
Amit also compares the act of collecting and exchanging cards to a form of treasure hunt, where the cardholder is searching for the missing piece of the puzzle with which he/she can complete the entire set of collections or albums of that genre.
Collectibles for kids
Amit Doshi advocates for more parents involving their kids in the world of collectibles, especially to bring them off screens in the post-pandemic world.
‘It is a good way to get kids off their screens and indulge in a more productive form of entertainment. The kids can play with these cards and a group of kids can also form a group of their own communities at a young age. It also helps in driving passion for sports or cinema among kids from a young age, which also leads to a positive growth in the future.”
