If it seems like everyone else just started collecting sports cards again…that’s because they are!
In 2020, more than 4 million sports cards sold on eBay alone (that’s a 142% increase over 2019). With insane numbers like that, we’re seeing a snowball effect—more and more people are looking to jump in.
Currently there are over 52 million listings on eBay for the Sports Trading Cards category.
But why should you start collecting cards? Let’s talk.
Should I Buy Sports Cards? 7 Reasons to Start Collecting
1. Parent/Child Collecting Sports Cards Together
One of my favorite parts about the hobby is hearing cool stories about kids. As a father myself, connecting with my kids is pretty much #1 on my to-do list.
While my kids don’t care about sports (yet), my 5-year-old and 7-year-old love to hand me packs of cards for me to open. The older one will ask why I’m putting certain cards in certain piles and tell me which ones she likes.
Soon, I’m hoping to have full-fledged card addicts on my hands!
I’ve seen enough videos of kids and (usually) their dads opening cards together and seeing the joy that I want that for me, too.
2. Sports Cards Community
We all long to be part of groups, right?
I love the sports card community, and I only interact with a tiny part of it!
I have a favorite podcast, as well as their Facebook page and YouTube channel. Even though what I follow represents a small part of the hobby, I love the little niche that I’m a part of.
3. Follow Your Favorite Team/Player
What’s more fun than going after your favorite players? I think everyone should have something in the hobby that they specifically collect. Makes it more fun!
For example, I’m a big Lakers fan. I keep everything Kobe and LeBron that I pull. The Kobe rookies I have are never leaving my house, and I have some nice LeBrons that make me happy.
When I open packs nowadays, it’s an extra thrill to pull LeBron or Anthony Davis, even if it’s just base cards. I find it adds a lot of fun to the hobby for me.
4. More Invested (Literally) in the Games
One funny that happens when you start collecting is that you’ll find yourself rooting for players you never thought you’d root for!
For example, if you pull a sweet CJ Stroud parallel but you’re not a fan, you soon will be. If he plays well, you’re going to see that card increase in value.
Right now, I’m a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fan…never thought I’d say that!
5. Thrill of the Chase/Nostalgia
And here we are…I think this might be the #1 reason that most hobbyists do this. There’s a childlike thrill involved, and once you get started it’s hard to stop.
Here’s what I’m talking about:
- Opening Packs/Boxes – I will never stop doing this, no matter how many times I tell myself it’s not the most financially sound way to collect! It’s too darn fun! Sure, I’m hoping for a banger, but I also like to see the different sets, the designs, the inserts, and of course, trying to get more LeBrons.
- Finishing a Set – It’s fun to find a new goal each year to try to collect! A lot of collectors like to collect “rainbows” for their favorite player. This means they find every colored variation from a certain set like Prizm. I usually go for a certain insert set (like “My House” from Optic this year).
- Finding Hidden Gems – There’s nothing quite like visiting a hobby shop and finding some card you never knew existed…and you just had to have it! Or, visiting a card show and sifting through their $1 or $5 boxes and picking out several cards that won’t make you rich, but are just plain fun and will make a nice addition to your collection.
- Finding Childhood Cards – Whether this is looking through your old collection or finding a card you loved as a child at a card shop, it’s an awesome feeling.
6. Make Money Now By Flipping Sports Cards
Some people think the hobby is too pure to talk about it in terms like this. “If you get into this to make money, it’s not a hobby” or “What happened to the days of just collecting?”
I’ve heard those from enough people and…let’s just stop okay? If they weren’t worth money, a lot fewer people would collect them. And since they’re worth money, you can make money with them!
(Ahhhh, capitalism!)
For me personally, I try to marry the two. I certainly have my fair share of wins from selling singles, grading cards I pull, flipping boxes, etc.
But I also love to rip boxes or buy cards for my PC (personal collection) that I’m not planning to resell.
If you’re in this purely for flipping to make money, you certainly can. In fact, I put together an entire article about this:
=> 5-Step Guide: How Do You Start Flipping Sports Cards?
In my personal opinion, the most sure way to make money in the short run (from a few months to a year or two) is to hold sealed wax. Buy some high quality boxes (like Prizm or Topps Chrome), hold them for a year, and resell.
7. Make Sports Cards Part of Your Retirement Portfolio
Now that we have decades of history, we’ve seen that buying the right cards can literally fund your retirement.
For example, I’ve heard many industry veterans draw the parallel that buying a card like a Jordan, Jim Brown, or Mantle rookie is like putting money in your 401(k). Those types of cards have gone steadily up for decades.
Sure, there are ups and down, but like a 401(k), it’s going to grow over time.
And during certain booms, you might see a card like that go up 2x or more in value overnight. That’s not something the stock market’s going to do!
Plus…it’s just way more fun to have those cards on hand. Now, I’m not recommending you buy rookies today and expect retirement money from those…that’s extremely risky.
I’m saying if you want another place to invest your money for the long-term, that those all-time cards are a fun way to do it that often produce better results than traditional investments.
