“COVID made sports cards explode!”, I hear from a new customer who comes into my retail store, Pop Culture Archives located in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.
I answer, “sort of but not really”.
The pandemic forced people to stay home, bored. For a while we didn’t have any sports to watch. Which also means there is nothing to gamble on. People turned to eBay and online box breaks (opening a box or a case of card in which multiple people pay to get a part of the singles) to rediscover a hobby they likely had when they were a child.
I had been running K-BID.com auctions out of a retail store; Absolute Sports Cards in Savage, Minnesota since April of 2019 while planning to open my own store. When I got the keys for Pop Culture Archives on January 1, 2020, it was already a struggle to order new product to put on the shelves. Almost everything was sold out.
Then COVID hit and everything went bananas. We are seeing box prices of product that was $150 three years ago sell for over $2000 now.
In the last 6 months we have also seen explosive growth in Pokémon cards as well.
So, if it wasn’t COVID then what was it?
“The hobby” as collectors like to call it has been heating up noticeably since 2016 but I would argue that it didn’t get the attention of the mainstream until February of 2019 when a 1997 Fleer Metal Precious Metal Gems Michael Jordan card went up for auction and sold for $350,000. Part of what shocked those who were not active collectors is that they thought all cards made in the 1980s and 1990s were worthless. While most cards made in the 80s and 90s don’t hold significant value, there are a number of them that do and are coveted by collectors, especially when graded (sealed in a plastic case with a numerical condition grade).
Recently we’ve seen sales of:
July 2020: 2003-04 Upper Deck Upper Deck Exquisite Patch Lebron James Graded 9.5 – $1.85 Million
August 2020: 2009 Bowman Chrome Mike Trout Superfractor 1/1 - $3.94 Million
December 2020: 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Graded 10 – $1.3 Million
January 2021: 1999 Base Set 1st Edition Charizard Holographic Graded 10 - $360,000
January 2021: 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Graded 9 - $5.2 Million
These big news events in the hobby have created massive attention on the hobby. As sports cards mature as a hobby it is also creating mainstream acceptance as a legitimate investment, a nostalgic rediscovery and a great activity to do with a child.
We’ve seen significant interest in our store, on eBay and on K-BID.com where the owners of Absolute Sports Cards and I have been building a great following of sports cards and memorabilia collectors who look for our auctions to go on K-BID.com usually twice per month.
It’s a great opportunity right now regardless of where you stand. Those who are holding on to collections in the past who want to liquidate are in a great position to get top end value for their collection. Those who want to rekindle their love for cards will find a new world in the hobby but a great amount of entertainment and investment opportunities.
Regardless of where you are, do not hesitate to contact me at Pop Culture Archives for advice on how to sell or to buy sports card and collectibles. We can purchase collections outright or put a large collection on K-BID.com for liquidation. I’ve been collecting and selling sports cards since I was 9 years old in 1987.
We'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about the sports card market and give you some tips for getting involved. Keep an eye out for our K-BID auctions here or visit our retail store in Columbia Heights, MN.
John Anderson -
Pop Culture Archives
4110 Central Ave, NE
Columbia Heights, MN 55421
john@popculturearchives.com