College Baseball Card Market Heating Up for 2023 Season
The market for college baseball cards is growing rapidly as the popularity of the sport increases across the United States. While nowhere near as large as the market for professional baseball cards, collectors are showing more interest in obtaining cards featuring their favorite college players and teams.
Several factors are contributing to the bigger focus on college baseball cards. First, the NCAA Baseball Tournament, better known as the College World Series, continues to draw huge TV ratings. Last year’s championship series between Mississippi State and Vanderbilt averaged over 2 million viewers per game on ESPN. With more exposure for the top college programs and players, collectors want cards to commemorate star performers.
Secondly, the autograph card market has taken off in recent years. Fans and investors enjoy obtaining autographed cards of prospects they hope will succeed in Major League Baseball. Since most top draft picks and amateur free agents only play one or two years in college, their autographed rookie cards from that time hold significant value. If a player makes the majors and becomes an All-Star, those college autograph cards can appreciate greatly.
Individual player popularity is a big factor. Superstar college sluggers like Adley Rutschman of Oregon State, Henry Davis of Louisville, and Jordan Lawlar of Vanderbilt developed huge followings over their college careers from 2019-2021. Their cards from those seasons now command high prices. As more elite talents sign autographs and produce rookie cards at the college level, interest in collecting and investing in those products increases.
Topps is the dominant manufacturer of college baseball cards, releasing annual sets under the BBM brand. For the 2023 season, BBM is expected to produce its largest and highest quality college set to date. Here’s a preview:
Base cards: The standard base cards will feature over 350 top players and coaches. Photography and design will be sharply improved over past years. Parallels and short prints will be inserted.
Autograph cards: BBM secured autograph deals with over 75 of the top draft prospects and college stars for 2023. Rated Rookie autographs will be 1:24 packs.
Memorabilia cards: For the first time, BBM will include Patch cards with swatches from popular college uniforms. Relics will be approximately 1:36 packs.
Insert sets: Special subsets will highlight the Top 50 Draft Prospects, Preseason All-Americans, Home Run Leaders, and more.
Extended collegiate coverage: In addition to Division I, the set will feature standouts from Division II, Division III, NAIA, and Junior College ranks.
Oversized cards: BBM produced a small number of special oversized cards featuring the biggest college stars.
While BBM holds the college license, other manufacturers are finding ways to stay involved. Panini Donruss usually includes a college subset in its Diamond Kings box-loader products. Leaf produces limited college memorabilia cards outside of the Topps agreement. And individual schools like Texas and LSU have partnered with Fanatics for exclusive autographed card programs.
As for value, the top-end college cards remain affordable compared to pro products. Rutschman’s 2019 BBM rookie autograph sells in the $100-150 range. But cards for breakout stars can see huge jumps. Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker went from a $20 card in 2020 to $150 after being drafted #3 overall last summer. And super-prospects continue gaining value as the draft approaches.
The market for college baseball cards is white hot entering 2023. With more coverage, improved photography and redesigned sets from BBM, collectors have never had better options for following their favorite players from the amateur ranks. Savvy investors are taking notice of the profit potential from cards issued before prospects sign their pro contracts. It’s an exciting time for this growing segment within the larger baseball card collecting community.
