Why I Started Moment Deck

I've been collecting trading cards for as long as I can remember.

Growing up, there was always something special about holding a collectible card in your hands. A card showing your sports hero — Michael Jordan — or your favourite Pokemon card. You hold it up, study it, put it on display. Boast about it to friends. If you're a collector, you know exactly what I mean.

For years, my wife supported what she might have called my "silly hobby" from afar. Boxes of cards, sleeves and top loaders. The occasional mag case for something special. She tolerated it with a smile, but I could tell she didn't always "get" it.

Then we had a child, and I made her a collectible card.

The First Custom Card

I wanted to give my wife something meaningful for her first birthday after our child was born. Something that captured a very important time in our lives. Something tangible that we could look back on later with fondness!

I took the very first photo of our small family as well as some of our favourite photos from those first weeks, designed them as trading cards, and printed them. On the back of the cards, I wrote the story of late nights, first smiles, first everything. I slipped the card with our first photo into a mag case and presented it to her as a 1/1 on her birthday.

A one of one! The only one that would ever exist. Just like that moment.

When she held it in her hands and read the back, it wasn't just "my" silly hobby anymore. It became ours. It was a moment we both cherished, captured in a way that felt different from a photo sitting in a camera roll.

That's when I realized: making custom collectibles is special!

More Moments Followed

Once you start, it's hard to stop. Every milestone feels like it deserves its own card.

I went back to our wedding photos. I made cards for our wedding ceremony, the bridesmaids, the groomsmen, with each one personalized with a photo and a message on the back.

Then, our child's first roll. First time standing. First steps.

Each card tells a story. Each one captures a moment that would otherwise fade into the blur of daily life. And unlike photos on a phone or Google Photos that get buried and forgotten, these cards get held. They get shown. They get kept. They're collected!

My wife and I have a growing collection now. Not only of sports stars or rare pulls but of our family. Our moments. Our memories.

And there are many more still to come.

Why I'm Sharing This With Others

I built Moment Deck because everyone deserves to turn their moments into something they can hold, admire, share and collect.

Maybe it's your kid's first season on the team. Maybe it's your dog who's been your best friend for a decade. Maybe it's a wedding, a graduation or a birthday.

Whatever it is, it might deserve to "graduate" from a digital file to a physical collectible.

I'm not promising museum-grade perfection. But what I'm offering is simple: a way to take a photo you love and turn it into a card you'll keep and cherish.

A card that tells a story on the back. One that fits in a sleeve, a mag case, or a frame. One that feels like it matters!

The Back of the Card Tells the Story

Here's something I learned making cards for my family: the photo is just the beginning.

The real magic is on the back. That's where you write your story. The context. The thing you don't want to forget.

When we read the backs of our cards, we're not just looking at a picture. We're reliving the moment. My wife might remember how we felt, I might remember a silly anecdote. The card becomes a trigger for the memory and bringing to life what made the moment special.

That's what turns a card into a keepsake.

Your Moments Deserve It!

I started Moment Deck as a collector who wanted to preserve important memories and milestones. And now I'm sharing the ability for you to make your own cards too!

Moments are worth holding onto. Let's turn yours into something you can hold, gift, cherish and collect.

Start Creating

If you'd like to make your first card, browse our designs and see which one fits your moment. Whether it's for yourself, a gift, or just because, you'll love what you create.

Explore Card Designs →

Thanks for reading! Follow Moment Deck on Instagram for more card inspiration and customer stories.

— Mario Hayashi, Founder of Moment Deck