Sports Cards Prices Are Soaring

Sports cards that were once collected as a part of a hobby are now an exceptional billion dollars industry.

You heard it right! The sports cards industry is thriving at an exceptional rate. The cards that were once sold for a few bucks are now being sold for millions of dollars. Fans, investors, and sports enthusiasts are passionate about it. This in fact is crazy and impressive at the same time.

No one ever thought that their hobby can later prove as a profit yielding investment option. However, there are some issues as well that needs to be addressed. As not all sports cards are worth millions of dollars.

Sports Cards Changing the Flux of Time

The value of sports cards today is at new heights. The worth and value are soaring and ready to drill holes in the pockets of the investors and buyers. But the significance of sports cards today remained the same ages back as well? Absolutely not!

Sports cards were first introduced in the 1880s. It was the first time when a piece of cardboard got colored printing of a player. Whether it was NFL, MLB, or NBA, every player was featured. This was introduced by a tobacco company to pay a tribute to the star sports players. They were also offering some loyalty to them for using their faces. But the core reason was to support the extremely flimsy packaging of the cigarettes. And cards did a great job in protecting the cigarettes intact.

Then in the 1930s, the hobby of collecting sports cards got some attention. This time the printing businesses started adding some incentive in the packet. This evoked repeated purchases from kids and teenagers. Why? Because the sports cards packets contained bubble gums and at that time these chewing gums were style symbols.

Finally, it was the 1980s when the trading cards company witness a boom. The adults who were once kids and teenagers started feeling nostalgic for the legendary players of their time. They started purchasing sports cards as a symbol of love and appreciation for their phenomenal game.

The industry remained good throughout, especially after the 1980s. But it was 2020 that completely changed the history of the sports cards industry. It rewrote the fate of the industry where the future now seems brighter than ever.

The Soaring Prices and Interesting Future of Sports Cards Industry

Today, the prices of sports cards have reached the next level. Ask your parents or grandparents! They can tell you the prices in their time were never above $80. But today the story is completely different. Sports cards in mediocre condition are being sold for more than $8000. Whereas, the completely mint-conditioned ones are sold for a whopping price of $4 million and more.

Luka Doncic from Dallas Mavericks sports cards from 2018 – 19 Panini National Treasures Basketball sold for $4.6 million. 1952 Topps Micky Mantle baseball card auctioned for $5.2 million. Patrick Mahomes II card sold for an exceptional price of $4.3 million. A record-breaking sports cards sale was witnessed with the Honus Wagner T206 card. It was auctioned for $6.6 million, making history of the most expensive sports card sold ever.

These monstrous rates indicate the love and passion of fans and enthusiasts for their beloved players. Some are purchasing these sports cards for themselves. While others are purchasing to resale it. This happened with Michael Jordan’s rookie card. During the soaring prices season, the card was initially sold for $215,000. The price is already too amazing to believe. However, only two weeks later, the purchaser resold it and the price he got is remarkable. He sold the Michael Jordan rookie card for $738,000 right after 14 days. This is a 243% hike in the rate.

The sports cards industry must thank the COVID-19 pandemic for such a sudden surge. People were bored out of their minds and looked for something fun to do. And this is what they found more interesting. Getting hands on their favorite legendary sports player cards.

Then the industry must thank the investors and social media influencers as well. They created the hype which took the industry by storm. The influencers created a marketing stir while the investors started investing everything they had. The result? Soaring prices that are continuously breaking previous sales records.

Is Selling Sports Cards That Easy?

While cleaning the homes, many people found their lost hobby wrapped in the dust. However, with sudden surges and raging prices, everyone wants to dive in and sell sports cards. There is no harm in earning some great cash while sitting at home! But it’s not as easy as it seems.

Before you list your Micky Mantle, Honus Wagner, or LeBron James cards anywhere, make sure they are graded by the professionals. You must take your cards to Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) to get them rated and graded. The highest graded are called gems in mint condition. This means the cards should not be stained, without any damage. The sides must be crisp, the image must be centered, no overwriting, no printing error.

Don’t forget how you obtained these cards. Either in cigarette packaging or with bubble gum. The stains can be there. Secondly, the legendary player cards were printed in an era where misprinting was common. It’s too hard to find a perfectly crisp vintage card laying around the home.

Then the investors must also think about certain things before continuous investing. They shouldn’t forget Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry cases. Instead of going to the Hall of Fame, they were sent to jail. Their sports cards who were once worth thousands of dollars are now worthless!

But this doesn’t mean the craze is going to die. The hopes are high, and the industry is soaring every single day. People are still able to find crisp cards. You can look here for Hank Aaron baseball cards to check the best. Who knows, you find the perfect card for your collection today!

Author Bio:

Scott Trick has collected sports cards since the early 80’s and because of his love for collecting he started the website https://sportscardsauthority.com.  His favorite players are Robin Yount and Hank Aaron, but he cherishes all sports and all cards like they are art.