The Hobby Made Me Do It | Justin

I'm Justin, Head of Design at Claw & Crown and co-founder with my awesome teammates, Robert and Greg. 

I've always been pulled in two directions, toward technology, machines, the satisfaction of systems that work, and toward art, design, and the craft of making something that people enjoy. Claw & Crown has been the pinnacle of me getting to live in both worlds at once. Building a brand from scratch, developing our digital sales technology and website, partnering with incredible brands & people, standing next to Major League Baseball players and hearing them talk about how much they love what we're bringing to the hobby, it's been something I couldn't have imagined it would become. At my core, I love telling stories, and the ways those stories are made, shown, and used are integral to everything I do here. It also helps that I've been a collector since I was young. I stepped away for a while, but this company pulled me right back in which, I'll admit, has not been great for my wallet 😬. But it has meant incredible new friends, some amazing additions to my collection, and pieces I'll admire for years to come.

So Why Did We Decide To Do All This

Every great company starts with a moment of recognition, when you notice a problem and think, hey, we can solve that better. For us at Claw & Crown, that moment didn't happen in a boardroom. It happened in the quiet routine of a collector opening a worn box and sorting through cards collected over a lifetime of searching, pack breaks, and patient hunts for grails. We saw all that dedication and wondered: where does this story belong?

Collectors have always understood what their hobby means to them. There's the thrill of the chase, the excitement of finding a rare card, and the satisfaction of finally finishing a set you've worked on for years. But for too long, the products made for collectors haven't truly honored that passion. We started Claw & Crown to change this, to create a place where a collection can really feel at home.

What makes us different isn't just one feature or a clever bit of technology. It's our focus on craft. Every part of a Claw & Crown trading card cabinet or display experience is carefully considered, discussed, and improved together with collectors. People in this hobby are passionate and know exactly what they want, and that's how it should be. We listen closely and hold ourselves to the same high standards they have for their collections. The result is a custom, handcrafted product that we truly believe is the best out there. We do think PSA & Beckett would give us a 10. 

We also believe that modern technology has an important role, not as a distraction from the hobby, but as a way to quietly enhance it. Our digital experiences are made to be smooth and let the collection itself stand out. With careful design and the best tools we have, we want every interaction with Claw & Crown to feel as thoughtful and intentional as the collections we serve.

We're building something we hope will truly make a difference in a hobby we care about and leave a legacy worth having. This is just the start, and we're thankful to build it together with the collectors who inspire us every day.

Justin Kaminsky
Head of Design | Principal Storyteller & Card Addict
Claw & Crown