Baseball cards have had an interesting history since first being introduced in the late 1800s as a promotional marketing tool for various chewing tobacco products. They grew in popularity throughout the early 1900s and really hit their peak in the late 1980s. From the 1990s onward the baseball card market steadily declined for over two decades. Now in recent years, there are signs that baseball cards may be making something of a resurgence and comeback.
There are several factors that help explain the decline baseball cards experienced starting in the 1990s. One of the biggest was the rise of new hobbies and collectibles that captured people’s interest, such as Pokemon cards, Magic: The Gathering cards, and sports memorabilia. These new collecting crazes took attention and money away from traditional sports cards like baseball cards. Another major reason was the advent of new technologies. As video games, the internet, streaming services, and social media increasingly captured people’s leisure time, card collecting became less of a popular pastime for many. The sports memorabilia and collectibles market also became saturated with mass produced items, making individual cards less unique and desirable.
At the same time, many of the megastars that drove huge collector interest in the late 80s either retired or were nearing retirement in the 90s, such as Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Cal Ripken Jr, and Mark McGwire. Younger stars coming up didn’t seem to capture the collecting public’s attention and nostalgia in the same way. Also, many felt the kid-friendly boom of the late 80s attracted a lot of casual collectors who weren’t truly dedicated long-term. Once the boom cooled, many lost interest. Meanwhile, large box stores like Walmart also squeezed out the traditional mom & pop card shops that were once a social hub for the hobby. Changes in packaging, with fewer desirable per-pack inserts, also turned people off.
In the late 2010s several converging factors started nudging baseball cards back toward a potential comeback and resurgence in popularity:
A new generation of young stars emerged like Mike Trout, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, and Shohei Ohtani who started attracting fan and collector interest. People were eager to get cards of these up-and-coming aces early.
Nostalgia for 1980s/90s cards grew as kids who collected then were now adults with more discretionary income. Platforms like Twitter allowed rediscovery of passion.
The internet made buying/selling cards much easier vs hunting in stores. It eliminated barriers and opened huge markets. eBay became a hit.
New TV deals and analytics renewed some interest in the sport, which trickled to cards again becoming more visible in stores.
Pop culture intersects like the movie “The Catcher Was a Fraud” helped promote cards to wider audiences beyond hardcore collectors.
Higher profile cashes of rare vintage cards at auction, such as a 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle selling over $2M, sent a signal about potential future value and began luring new investors.
Independent brick & mortar shops specializing in cards began popping up once more, replacing old LCS’s (local card shops) but with a modern online/social presence. Events like the National brought people together.
Companies like Panini and Topps regained relevance vs baseball giants like Upper Deck in the late 90s/00s by securing coveted NFL and NBA licenses and promoting new products appealing to both old/new demos.
The intrinsic nostalgic appeal of uniquely American, visually nostalgic baseball cards remained strong despite decades of ups and downs. People will always want to collect memories of their childhood heroes and the historic players they’ve heard legends about. As long as baseball exists, so will cards.
While online markets for cards have boomed, there are also signs the in-person, bricks-and-mortar card shop side of the hobby may still have room to grow further in certain areas. As pandemic restrictions lift, stores could see traffic shoot up from currently pent-up demand if they can maintain relevance beyond just selling single cards. Events, grading services, breaks, advice & player talk are what built communities in the past. A balance of digital/personal seems key. Vintage/investment cards may continue leading collector interest, but affordable modern sets for kids remain vital too. If baseball itself can maintain or build new young fan engagement, and iconic stars emerge who become widely beloved, baseball cards overall seem to be on an upward trajectory after two decades downturn. The comeback seems to be taking shape.
While several factors contributed to baseball cards declining in popularity from the 1990s onward, there are clear signs in recent years of a resurgence and comeback starting to take shape. Increased accessibility and visibility online, new young stars capturing attention, nostalgia from original collectors who are now adults, intersecting pop culture moments promoting cards, and the intrinsic nostalgic appeal keeping baseball cards relevant even in down cycles all point to the hobby gaining steam again. If shops can maintain their modernized vital role bringing communities together and the sport of baseball continues generating new superstar talents, baseball cards appear likely to continue finding new generations of fans and collectors interested in this quintessential slice of American sports culture and memories. The future certainly looks brighter than the downturn of the previous 20+ years. Baseball cards seem to be making something of a successful comeback after all.
