Over the past couple decades, the popularity of collecting and trading baseball cards had been on a steady decline, with the heyday of card collecting generally considered to be the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. There are signs that baseball cards may be experiencing a renewed surge in popularity amongst both new and nostalgic collectors.
Several factors have contributed to baseball cards regaining some momentum. For longtime collectors who used to frequent their local card shop or card shows in the 1980s/1990s, the retro nostalgia surrounding that era has captured their interest again in recent years. Cultural touchstones like the hit TV show Stranger Things have featured card collecting elements that triggered warm memories for Gen Xers and older Millennials. Meanwhile, the surge of interest in athlete memorabilia and collectibles more broadly has trickled down to include baseball cards again.
The growing popularity of online auction sites like eBay has made finding and trading specific cards from collectors’ wishlists much more tenable compared to solely relying on in-person means. This has helped cards remain a viable hobby even for people in more rural areas without easy access to brick-and-mortar card shops. During quarantine in 2020, the shutdown of many other forms of entertainment also led some people to rediscover their old baseball cards, fueling renewed appreciation.
From a business perspective, sports card companies who had scaled back production in the late 90s/early 2000s saw an opportunity to reignite the market. In the past 5-10 years, brands like Topps, Panini, Leaf, and Donruss have released flashy sets with short printed parallels, auto/relic cards, and higher end products aimed at adult collectors chasing rare cards of stars like Mike Trout, Christian Yelich, and Shohei Ohtani. These premium sets sell at higher price points compared to basic commons/uncommons from the 1990s boom.
Upper Deck even acquired the coveted MLB license in 2020 after years of no new baseball card release from the company that dominated the early 90s market. Their re-entry to baseball cards generated significant hype amongst collectors. These manufacturers have also embraced more robust digital/web-based components like Topps NOW cards, created moments after big MLB performances, that expanded the market beyond physical cards.
The performance of star players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Fernando Tatís Jr., and Juan Soto have captured the imaginations of both new and old fans, driving interest amongst younger collectors seeking cards of today’s biggest names. With the rise of streaming services like YouTube that cater to a younger audience, “breaks” where packs/boxes are opened on video garner hundreds of thousands of views, exposing the thrill of the hobby to a new digital-native generation.
Partnerships between major sports leagues and card companies have aimed products squarely at this youth market through initiatives like MLB’s “Cards for Kids” program that provides packs to students. National conventions hosted by the major card brands also generate publicity by bringing collectors together for autograph signings and exclusive product releases. All of this helps expose new potential fans to the allure and speculation of cards, aiding growth.
Secondary peer-to-peer marketplaces centered around live Instagram/Twitter auctions have taken off, bypassing traditional brick-and-mortar shops and card shows to facilitate easy buying/selling online. Popular Auction Houses like PWCC, Goldin Auctions, and Collect Auction have hosted multi-million dollar single card sales on sites like eBay, enticing more collectors by demonstrating the immense value certain vintage/investment-grade cards can accrue over time.
The activity level on these secondary platforms has been a strong indicator of the steadily climbing enthusiasm for cards. Industry sales data reflects this growth, with Sports Card Investor reporting baseball card sales rose 26% in 2021 to $2.2 billion industry-wide according to industry sources, representing a near full recovery from pre-pandemic levels and the highest sales total since the late 90s boom. While still well below the peak, ongoing expansion hints that baseball cards remain an increasingly popular collectible investment in today’s economy.
Nostalgia, access to larger markets online, product innovations, star player popularity, youth initiatives, publicity events, and demonstrated high-value card investments have collectively reignited broad interest in baseball cards amongst both long-time and new fans. While the level of fervor may not reach the unsustainable heights of the bubble era, reliable data shows continuing sales growth that suggests baseball cards are most definitely enjoying renewed popularity after years of decline. The future remains bright for the appeal of collecting and speculating on cards featuring the legends and current stars of America’s pastime.
