Interest -- and profits -- around sports trading cards have soared during the pandemic.
Trading cards are a special memory from many people’s childhoods, but enthusiasts say they’ve seen a change since March.
“Sitting at home, without a lot of entertainment options to go nostalgia hunting and digging into their closets or their parents’ basement for some memories, that’s really sparked a renewed interest,” Ryan Holland, owner of Real Sportscards in Champlin, said on Hey, It’s Cory Hepola on WCCO Radio.
It’s also been a way to find community online when people have been isolated, a place where many collectors host live streams to unbox or unpackage.
“It’s more than just the cards,” Holland said. “We’re live 10 to 12 hours a day opening cards on social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, you name it. It’s the community. We get to hang out, we’re talking about sports and I think one of things that made this pick up a little bit in the pandemic is sports were having abbreviated seasons, fantasy sports weren’t as big. People could come in, we’re talking about sports and what’s happening out there, having fun, joking around with each other while enjoying the trading cards.”
The nostalgia and new connections are one thing, but many are also increasing their interest for the financial benefits. Collector Kyle Ratke said it’s a little like gambling.
“I sold a Luka Dončić card during his rookie year for like $500,” he said. “That same card just sold for $14,000.”
But it can pay off big time. Ratke was laid off due to the pandemic last summer, just a month before closing on a home.
“Not great timing at all,” he said. “But I was able to make like $7,000 to put toward a down payment on our house by selling a bunch of my old cards.”
Ratke has been collecting off and on since he was a kid, fondly remembering picking up a pack at the grocery store or gas station. Getting in on the game now without a preexisting collection is pricey. Enthusiasts say card companies dialed back supply after the 90s when overprinting caused value to drop, and now boxes can cost at least a couple hundred dollars.
“There’s two ends to the spectrum of a collector,” Ratke explained. “It’s horrible because it’s ruining how people get started collecting because families and kids aren’t able to afford these. It helps because it’s driving up the prices and it’s making card collecting a place where you can make money if you do it right.”
Ratke said he’ll keep selling to assist his upcoming wedding, and he’s got around 200 cards out being graded by a professional service, but there are some he holds onto, particularly Minnesota athletes: a Tony Oliva and Rod Carew autograph, and a Randy Moss rookie.
There’s no saying when or if the bubble will burst.
“I do think it’s fun, but I do hope it gets back to where...a family could buy cards at an affordable price and start collecting like I did when I was young. It just kind of breaks my heart to think that if my kid wants to collect cards and I have to basically spend the same amount I would spend on a PS5 or a new TV to get a box of cards. That seems silly to me,” Ratke said