While baseball cards are primarily collected for their nostalgic value and as a fun hobby, some see them as an investment or way to profit as well. With the rise of sports card investing, especially in recent years, it’s natural for some to wonder if there is a stock symbol associated with baseball cards that would allow investing in them on the stock market. There is no single stock that represents the entire baseball card market. The closest proxy would be companies involved in the sports memorabilia industry and card publishing businesses.

Some of the major publicly traded companies associated with baseball cards and the broader collectibles market include:

Fanatics (Ticker: FAN) – Fanatics is a sports e-commerce giant that acquired Topps (the major baseball card publisher) in a $500 million deal in 2022. While Topps cards themselves aren’t publicly traded, Fanatics stock could potentially benefit from Topps card sales and serve as a way to gain exposure to the baseball card market. However, Fanatics is heavily diversified across many sports properties.

BEP (Brookfield Event Partners) – BEP owns substantial sports franchises and entertainment assets, including Topps trading card company. They acquired a 75% stake in Topps’ parent company for $1.3 billion in 2020. Like Fanatics, BEP is a large diversified company not solely focused on baseball cards.

MSG Networks (Ticker: MSGN) – MSG Networks owns and operates regional sports networks, including the YES Network which airs New York Yankees games. To some degree, interest in following the Yankees could increase baseball card sales and collectibles. It’s an indirect relationship.

Authentic Brands Group (Ticker: AUTH) – AUTH owns media and marketing rights to major brands and properties, including sports legends like Muhammad Ali and sports memorabilia. They could potentially benefit from increased collectibles sales, but baseball cards are not a core part of their business.

Bowers & Merena Auctions (Private) – A leading sports collectibles auction house that sees consignments and sales of rare vintage baseball cards. It’s a private company not publicly traded.

Collectors Universe (Ticker: CLCT) – Provides authentication, grading and conservation services for collectibles like trading cards, coins and memorabilia. Could benefit from increased collectibles demand long-term, but not a pure play on baseball cards.

MJ Holdings (OTC: MJNE) – A cannabis cultivator and brand operator that also owns Collectable.com, an online marketplace for trading cards, comics and collectibles. Collectibles make up a small part of the overall business.

As you can see, while there are companies involved in baseball cards, sports collectibles and memorabilia through various businesses, there is no single stock that directly represents or tracks the performance of the entire baseball card market. Most options provide only indirect exposure since they are larger, diversified companies not solely focused on cards.

For investors specifically interested in the baseball card collectibles market, some alternative investment approaches could include:

Purchasing shares in a baseball card exchange-traded fund (ETF) like the Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF which holds Fanatics stock.

Buying and flipping individual vintage rookie cards of star players that have historically increased in value over time, such as a Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr. or Mike Trout rookie card.

Investing in a baseball card subscription/membership site that acquires and holds a diversified portfolio of cards long-term with the goal of profiting from price appreciation.

Consigning or signing up for auctions of rare, higher-end baseball cards through auction houses like PWCC or Goldin Auctions with the hope the card sells above estimated prices.

Purchasing shares of a privately-held sports memorabilia/collectibles company if/when they eventually go public.

Joining a baseball card investment club or fund that researches the market and makes group purchases of undervalued cards.

While the baseball card market has grown significantly in value and interest in recent years, there is no single publicly traded stock that directly represents or tracks the performance of the entire market. Investors need to consider alternative investment vehicles that provide more specialized exposure to cards if looking to invest directly in the collectibles space long-term. The businesses of larger companies involved are often too diversified away from cards solely. Direct card purchases, consignments, or membership sites may offer more targeted ways to potentially profit from the market.