How a “Fake” Game Store Made $3 Million with Peter Kuhlman | Ep 86

Peter grew up around DuPage Industries, his family's appliance-installation-parts business. During COVID, with DuPage performing well, Peter and his brother wanted to diversify and learn business-to-consumer marketing.

Their idea was simple: open a “fake game store” and use it to learn.

Then MinMax Games did more than $1 million in sales its first year and roughly $3 million the next.

Peter explains how an e-commerce-first strategy helped MinMax grow, why the company doubled down on Flesh and Blood when competitors pulled back, and why investing directly in players, tournaments, and community became more valuable than traditional sponsorships.

Then the conversation goes deep into the trading-card economy.

Peter breaks down why opening packs combines elements of collectibles, investing, lotteries and FOMO; how influencers can move markets; whether cards should really be considered investments; and why he believes parts of the grading and resale ecosystem can artificially push prices higher.

They also discuss high-end collectors, buyback mechanics, market manipulation, PSA and Beckett grading, and what happens when people put serious money into collectibles they may not fully understand.

• Turning a “fake” game store into a real business
• $1M+ in first-year sales
• Why e-commerce changed the game
• Finding a niche with Flesh and Blood
• Community-building vs. affiliate marketing
• The psychology behind opening packs
• Trading cards as investments
• Influencers and collectible markets
• Grading, resale fees and rising prices
• When collectibles start looking like gambling
• Why execution matters more than a powerful brand

If you're into entrepreneurship, e-commerce, Pokemon, Magic, Flesh and Blood—or simply fascinated by markets where cardboard can be worth thousands—this one gets wild fast.