A hobby turned into a highly profitable investment saga.
You guessed it right! Collecting baseball cards was an old hobby that has now turned into a million dollars industry. No one ever dreamt of such a thing happening ever! Even the card manufacturers and printing companies never thought of it.
It is hard to believe that initially, these cards had zero percent value. They were practically forced into the market in the 1930s with some incentives involved. Without a humble beginning, how does an industry become a champion so quickly? It is a question that haunts many minds!
Even the critics were left speechless with the sudden surge and rise in collecting baseball cards. This unpredictability caused a stir in the market, attracting millions of investors. To date, investors are investing in baseball cards and making it impossible to achieve cash.
Let us get into the details and evaluate what caused sudden changes, disrupting the complete norm.
History of Collectable Basketball Sports Cards
As mentioned earlier, the worth sports cards have today was not always the same. The sports cards were first introduced in the 1880s by the American tobacco company. They are the pioneers in introducing sports cards into the market.
The reason for coming up with such cards was to protect the star product, i.e., cigarettes. Back then the packaging of the cigarettes was flimsy. And to protect them from breaking, a card was inserted at the backside. The need was there, the idea was missing. American tobacco company identified the need and came up with the idea of bringing sports into the cards.
As per the sources, the players who were on the card were also given some royalty. Fast forward to the 1930s, independent printing companies started producing sports cards. The market was still unaware of it and never felt the need to purchase them. Therefore, to ensure sales, the companies started inserting a piece of bubble gum as an incentive.
And you won’t believe it, the sales did take a good turn. The response was nice as compared to the 1880s. It was solely because of the piece of bubble gum. Finally, the 1980s was the game changer. It evoked a feeling of nostalgia for former and veteran players.
Adults who were kids back in the 1930s were all grown up in the 1980s. It was a reminisce period for them. They introduced sports cards to their kids and other family members. Thus, the sales reached new heights, and sports cards manufacturer claimed it was an all-new sensation. Little did they know about the 2020 and the boom.
It was 2020 that set new records. In fact, it also broke records over records every day. The sales skyrocketed every single day. What’s more appealing was that the investment in the industry made a hundred and thousands dollar industry into a million dollars industry.
Pandemic and The Change
Great baseball cards and other sports cards were being produced for many years. However, when the pandemic hit in 2020, the world went into a major crisis. People were forced to stay inside their homes. The movies were stopped filming. The tv-shows were put on halt. There was no new content hitting the television screens. People were going crazy while sitting at their homes – idle with nothing to do – alone and bored out of their minds.
Some people started deep cleaning their homes. While others started meddling over multiple ecommerce sites. While cleaning their homes, some people found their lost and forgotten love. The flame of the love reignited an old basketball sports cards were recovered. Kids and adults started purchasing sports cards through online forums.
At this point, the industry was booming when other sectors were declining. The investors, who were also stuck at home, saw an opening. They started investing, reselling, and trading these basketball cards. The result achieving was unbelievable.
The cards that were bought for instance, for $1,000 were resold in two months for 1 million dollars. This lit the whole industry on fire and people started trading their cards for instant payout and hard cash.
The Valuation of Baseball Cards
In 2016 Honus Wagner card printed by an American tobacco company was sold for an astonishing amount of $3.2 million. It’s vital to note that this is pre-pandemic time. The same card appeared for auction in 2021 and sold for $6.6 million. This means, the person who bought it for $3.2 million, sold it for more than double the profit in mere 5 years.
1909 T206 Honus Wagner card was the most expensive card sold ever. The second most expensive card sold belongs to a baseballer again. It was a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card. It auctioned for $5.2 million. The next most expensive cards sold in the baseball category was 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth auctioned for $4.2 million.
1968 Topps Nolan Ryan card was sold for $600,000. 1948 Leaf Jackie Robison card auctioned for $329,400. And the list goes on. The exceptional sales are still going on. The 30 years old Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout is a top player in recent baseball. His 2009 Bowman Draft Mike Trout card was auctioned for $3.9 million.
The love and craze for baseball cards started in 2020 and are still in full swing. Let’s see how far it goes. Or would it die like a fad soon!
Final Verdict
Baseball is already one of the most loved and enjoyed sports in America. With the baseball sports cards, the fans can celebrate the former and present players every day. It doesn’t let sports and its love die at all.
With the incredible value of the sports cards and their trading value, many people are again collecting baseball cards. They are hopeful to invest and earn as well with old players’ cards, as well as, new players. New cards are less expensive after all! Sooner or later, the sports cards industry will provide them with a good return on investment.
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.