When Madden Forrest, 12, and his dad, Steven Forrest, 35, started breaking cards — purchasing and opening the sealed products to reveal their contents — it was just for fun. Pokémon cards were first, followed by football. Then Madden watched TikTok creators who livestreamed the process and sold cards to interested buyers.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Bull Island Breaks. Madden and Steven Forrest.
Madden asked his dad if they could try it themselves, and in October of 2024, the side hustle was born.
“We didn’t know what we were doing,” Steven tells Entrepreneur. “We saw other people doing it. Everyone was ripping this one particular box — it was a Costco