Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year in the United States as retailers offer massive discounts and deals to kick off the holiday shopping season. While Black Friday is usually associated with deals on electronics, appliances, toys and more, it has also become a major event for collectors of sports memorabilia like baseball cards.
Over the past decade or so, Black Friday has grown into one of the biggest days of the year for releases of new baseball card products and exclusive deals from the major card companies like Topps, Panini and Leaf. Retailers like Target, Walmart and hobby shops offer deep discounts and doorbuster deals on new and vintage baseball cards to attract collectors looking to find a great deal.
Some of the biggest Black Friday releases in recent years have included exclusive parallels, autograph editions and memorabilia cards that are only available during a short window around Thanksgiving. For example, in 2019 Topps released a special Black Friday “Black Gold” parallel edition of their flagship Topps Series 2 baseball cards in limited quantities. These parallel cards had an ultra-rare gold foil treatment and sold out almost immediately.
Another popular Black Friday tradition is “repack” products – boxes or packs that are assembled from a mixture of various older series and include hits from past years. Companies like Topps, Leaf and Panini assemble these “factory sealed repacks” specifically for Black Friday that allow collectors a chance to find older rare cards from different eras at a lower price point than buying individual packs or boxes from those years.
While the main Black Friday releases tend to focus on the current year’s flagship products, vintage collectors also have reasons to shop on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Many local card shops and online retailers hold massive sales on older wax boxes, unopened packs and individual vintage cards from the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Prices on some older sealed wax can be slashed by 30-50% for Black Friday, enticing collectors to take a chance on ripping packs from the past.
Many online auction sites like eBay run special Black Friday promoted listings and offer discounted rates for sports memorabilia sellers to list cards and other items. This leads to a surge of great vintage and modern baseball card listings at lower prices than usual as collectors and shops use eBay as an outlet for deals. Savvy vintage collectors can find great bargains on key rookie cards, autographs and rare sets if they shop eBay’s baseball card Black Friday sales.
While the initial product releases and doorbuster deals tend to sell out fast on Black Friday itself, the sales and promotions in the baseball card hobby continue through the weekend and often even onto the following “Cyber Monday.” Retailers work to clear out remaining inventory, and eBay auction prices remain low as sellers try to unload items before the end of the extended shopping weekend.
Savvy collectors learn that the best Black Friday baseball card deals may not all be found at opening time on the actual Friday – keeping an eye on restocks, later weekend sales and Cyber Monday promotions allows patient collectors to still find discounts even if they miss early morning doorbusters. Planning budget and wish lists in advance helps collectors maximize the savings potential during the busy Thanksgiving shopping period.
In recent years, as the popularity of Black Friday card releases has grown, some retailers like Target have begun offering “pre-sales” or limited early access releases in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. This allows the most eager collectors a head start on grabbing new products, but can lead to sellouts before Black Friday even begins. Industry insiders advise staying on top of announcement and release schedules from the major card companies to have the best chance at Black Friday baseball card deals.
While Black Friday shopping is synonymous with crowded stores and long lines, the baseball card hobby has adapted many of the best deals and promotions to online formats that allow collectors to shop from home in their pajamas. With a combination of new product releases, repack boxes, individual card deals and auctions on sites like eBay, dedicated baseball card collectors have plenty of opportunities to find great Black Friday bargains without ever having to brave the in-person retail rush. With a little planning and flexibility, any collector can take advantage of the holiday weekend’s deep baseball card discounts.
In summary, Black Friday has truly become a major event on the annual calendar for baseball card collectors and retailers. From limited edition parallels to vintage wax box sales, the day after Thanksgiving offers deep discounts that collectors look forward to each year. With preparation and patience, savvy hobbyists can stretch their dollars further during baseball cards’ biggest shopping weekend.
