# Bizarre Chemistry of Card Collecting

> Grant Cleland finds hockey's culture in trading cards.
- Title: Bizarre Chemistry of Card Collecting · Adweek | Shortify
- Summary: Grant Cleland finds hockey's culture in trading cards. Grant Cleland, a creative director at Fuse Create, describes card collecting as a mix of culture…
- Keywords: grant cleland, fuse create, trading cards, hockey, card collecting, wayne gretzky, autographed cards, Bizarre, Chemistry, Card, Collecting, Adweek
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/agencies/bizarre-chemistry-card-collecting-fuse-create-grant-cleland
- Author: Eva Kis
- Published: 2026-10-07T16:48:34+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: grant cleland, fuse create, trading cards, hockey, card collecting, wayne gretzky, autographed cards
## Hockey Roots
Grant Cleland grew up in Port Elgin, Ontario, where hockey was part of the culture.
## Card Collection Tradition
Cleland collected trading cards since childhood, trading with teammates and school friends.
## Early Collection
He earned money through chores on his family's beef farm and worked at Saugeen Golf Club.
## Growing Collection
Cleland's collection reached over 2,000 cards but now includes about 800 graded cards.
## Card Events
He attends about 20 events yearly to buy, sell, and trade cards across Canada.
## Pandemic Impact
Card collecting grew during the pandemic and was further popularized by Netflix's King of Collectibles.
## Bizarre Chemistry
Cleland describes collecting as a mix of culture, history, design, investing, gambling, and treasure hunting.

> It’s a mix of culture, history, design, investing, gambling, treasure hunting.
## Key takeaway

Grant Cleland, a creative director at Fuse Create, describes card collecting as a mix of culture, history, design, investing, and gambling.