I dropped out of college to sell Pokémon cards full time. My business made $7.8 million in sales last year alone.
Andres Fernandez dropped out of his business degree in college and built a Pokémon cards had $7.8 million in sales in 2025, mainly from Whatnot.
Andres Fernandez left college in Florida to launch his own Pokémon card business. The company, MintlyCollects, achieved $7.8 million in sales in 2025 and has transformed into a family enterprise. Fernandez, who aspired to become a content creator, dropped out of his business degree program to focus on his venture. Inspired by his love for video games, YouTube, and Pokémon, Fernandez started creating content around Pokémon at the age of 10.
After working part-time at a croqueta bar, he began selling Pokémon cards on Instagram Live and eventually joined Whatnot, one of the first five Pokémon streamers on the platform. Fernandez's company grew exponentially, with his girlfriend, cousin, and close friends joining as employees. Today, MintlyCollects has 10 streamers who stream for over 20-25 hours a day, contributing to a substantial increase in sales from $3.7 million in 2024 to $7.8 million in 2025.
Fernandez emphasizes the importance of gaining real-world experience and not waiting for success to find you.
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