Daniel Trujillo, owner of The Hoarder Store, a thriving eBay shop focused on pop culture collectibles and apparel, credits his high school graphics design teacher with his small business success.

In 2007 — just months before the global financial crisis —  Daniel’s teacher warned of a recession and urged his students to prepare by starting a side hustle. The teacher offered to help anyone interested in reselling a thrifted book. Daniel was the only one in the class who participated in the extracurricular class.  

Within 24 hours, Daniel sold his first book on eBay. In a few months, with his teacher’s guidance, he made $500, which he reinvested in his business. By the time Daniel graduated high school, he was earning roughly $2,000 a month on eBay — far more than his peers who worked after-school shifts at retailers or restaurants.

Turning Passion into a Full-Time Business

Daniel continued to sell part-time on eBay while attending film school and launching a career in the industry. But in 2020, when the pandemic hit and the film industry shut down, Daniel turned his focus entirely to eBay and never looked back. Today, he runs The Hoarder Store full-time with several warehouse spaces, selling a variety of collectibles with a special focus on what he knows best — items tied to movies, TV and pop culture, such as Marvel toys and Hollywood-themed t-shirts. His inventory reflects his interests – keeping him both connected to the culture he enjoys and in charge of his own time.

“Pop culture is what I know and what I see,” he said. “But buying what you know sells, is the key. I could buy things that I like but that don’t sell, and that doesn’t do any good, so you have to keep a close eye on market trends.”

His business provides him with not just profit, but flexibility too. Even friends with high-income, traditional careers often tell him they’re envious of the freedom and time he has. He said eBay allows him to prioritize the people and passions that matter most to him.

“I lost my dad about 10 years ago, and that cemented the importance of time, and it being more valuable than money – you don’t ever get time back,” Daniel said. “Being able to do this with the little time that I invest in it and have so much return, it is amazing.”

He also enjoys the personal side of the business — seeing who buys his items and what those sales mean to people. Customers even reach out to share how meaningful a toy or piece of merchandise is to them or their kids. 

Daniel has now sold over 3,500 items with a 100% positive feedback rating. 

Getting Recognition 

Earlier this year, Daniel attended a celebration marking the launch of the Congressional Recommerce Caucus, a bipartisan group of policymakers that advocates for policies that support resale. 

Standing in the halls of Capitol Hill, Daniel felt his work was validated for the first time. 

“I do think a lot about myself in 10th grade in that class, and now I'm in Congress, who would have thought?” Daniel said. “I think for the first time, [the launch of the Recommerce Caucus] helped me feel like what I’ve been doing all these years is actually respected.”