About HobbyMart

HobbyMart started from a pretty simple observation.

A lot of collectible trading in Malaysia still happens through Facebook groups, WhatsApp, Telegram and direct messages. That works, but it can also be messy.

Buyers have to figure out whether a seller is trustworthy. Sellers spend a lot of time answering the same questions. Auctions can be difficult to manage properly. Shipping is often discussed separately. Payment is usually handled outside the platform.

And somehow, almost every conversation eventually includes:

“Boss, best price?”

We felt there was room for something better. So we started building HobbyMart.

Not because we thought the market needed another general e-commerce platform, but because collectibles have their own way of being bought and sold.

A raw card is different from a graded slab. A graded slab is different from a booster box. An auction is different from a normal sale. And someone selling a few cards from their personal collection has very different needs from a hobby shop with hundreds of listings.

HobbyMart is our attempt to bring all of that into one place.

What We're Trying to Fix

The problems are actually quite straightforward.

• Buying from strangers takes trust. When most of the transaction happens through private messages, buyers often have very little information beyond screenshots, references and reputation.
• Selling takes too much admin. Sellers repeatedly answer questions about price, condition, shipping, availability and payment before a sale is even confirmed.
• Listings are scattered everywhere. Collectors often have to search through multiple groups, pages and chats to find what they want.
• Auctions are difficult to run manually. Tracking bids, closing times and last-minute offers through comments or messages can get confusing very quickly.
• Collectibles need more flexible shipping. Shipping one raw card is not the same as shipping a sealed case or several items in one order.

None of these are huge problems on their own. But if you buy or sell regularly, they add up. That is what we want HobbyMart to make easier.

The People Behind HobbyMart

HobbyMart was started by three people who look at the business from very different angles.

Samuel Tan — Founder & Managing Partner

Samuel started the conversation that eventually became HobbyMart. It began with:

“Why don't we just build one?”

Which sounded much simpler at the time.

He looks after the overall direction of HobbyMart, the platform and what gets built next. He is also usually the person responsible for adding something new to the plan just when everyone thinks the plan is finished. The phrase “Actually, I have another idea…” comes up quite often.

Simon Tan — Chief Operating Officer

Simon deals with the practical side of those ideas. How does the order process work? What happens if there is a dispute? How should sellers ship different types of collectibles? How do we make the platform simple enough that people actually want to use it?

Samuel normally asks “Can we do this?” Simon usually asks “How exactly are we going to do this?” Both questions are necessary.

Thang Kha — Finance & Strategy

Thang looks after the numbers and the longer-term business strategy. Whenever we come up with something exciting, he is normally the person asking:

“How much is this going to cost?”

Sometimes that leads to a better version of the idea. Sometimes the idea disappears completely. Also useful.

His job is to make sure HobbyMart grows in a way that actually makes sense, not just in a way that sounds good during a meeting.

What We Want HobbyMart to Be

We are not trying to replace the hobby community that already exists. Facebook groups, shops, events and collector communities are a big part of what makes the hobby enjoyable. We simply want HobbyMart to become another useful part of that ecosystem.

• A place where someone can sell a duplicate card.
• Where a collector can find something they have been looking for.
• Where a hobby store can reach more customers.
• Where an auction can be run properly.
• And where buying from someone you have never met feels a little more structured and a little less uncertain.

We are starting in Malaysia and improving the platform as we go. There will be things we change. There will be things users tell us we got wrong. And there will definitely be more:

“Actually, I have another idea…”

For now, the goal is simple. Make buying, selling and auctioning collectibles easier.

Buy. Sell. Auction. HobbyMart.