Life is a Lot Like Baseball

In life, every day is a new opportunity, and that’s the way baseball is, with a new game every day. You can choose to build on yesterday’s success, or put its failures behind and start over. You can always be the worst player on the field for eight innings, and still come through and win the game for your team in the ninth.

For our Founder, Chad Hartvigson, every important moment in life has always tied back to baseball. It all started in 1982. The Kirkland National Little League team was stepping up to bat at the World Series. Little did they know, they were about to make history. Against 7000:1 odds, the ragtag crew of Washington kids toppled longtime champions Taiwan 6-0. The odds were never in their favor. They gave it their all anyway.

And it was that Kirkland underdog spirit that fueled Chad in the years to come. He continued on with baseball, pitching at the UW, taking home two PAC 10 Championships. He was then drafted by the San Francisco Giants and went on to play for Minor League teams all across the country. But in baseball, like in life, things don’t always turn out as planned. It soon became clear that following his dream meant living off of just a few thousand dollars a year.

Luckily, Chad had been brought up as an athlete. And while sports teach you discipline and perseverance like nothing else, they’re also a crash course in failure, adaptation, and reinvention. They encourage you to correct course and deliver your best pitch, no matter the risk. And Chad was officially ready for a new ball game. Having come from a long line of salesmen, for his next venture, he wanted to tap into his entrepreneurial talents.

Way back in college, Chad, and his brother, also a UW baseball player, had noticed that most High School sports didn’t have much available in terms of logo sportswear, for players or for fans. The idea stuck with them through the years. In 2003, a shift in technology and the rise of the internet made the pair decide to take a leap. They started Prep Sportswear in their parents’ garage, and with perseverance and a whole-family effort, the brand grew and grew, appearing on the Inc 500|5000 list of the fastest growing companies from 2009-2013.

But in life, like in baseball, greatness doesn’t always come from satisfaction. It comes from the quest for perfection. In 2017, Chad created another business, adding his love of sports history to his apparel manufacturing roots. Outside of business, Chad had always had a passion for collecting vintage sports memorabilia. He didn’t see them as just memorabilia—but as something with more potential. As memories of times that had the power to connect people to shared history, to tell stories, and to bring communities together.

As for right now? Chad’s working tirelessly to make Vintage Brand the best it can be, and to build the world’s largest collection of historic sporting tickets, programs, and decals. We can’t wait to see where Chad goes next—and we hope you’ll join along for the ride.