Baseball card collecting is a huge hobby that millions of people around the world enjoy. While it can be difficult to obtain an exact figure for the number of current baseball card collectors, various industry sources provide estimates that give a good sense of the size and reach of the collecting community.
According to the Sportscard and Memorabilia Dealers Association (SMDA), there are currently an estimated 6-8 million active baseball card collectors in the United States alone. The SMDA conducts an annual “Hobby Industry Report” survey of thousands of dealers, distributors, manufacturers and hobby shops to gauge market trends and collectors’ behaviors. Their estimates indicate that while the overall number of collectors has declined slightly from the heyday of the 1980s and 90s, modern technological innovations and a renewed nostalgia for the sport has kept interest in collecting strong.
Some additional perspective on the size of the collecting base comes from research conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the Collectors Universe. Their 2018 study found that 1 in 10 American adults (approximately 25 million people) consider themselves sports memorabilia collectors. While this encompasses collectors of all sports, not just baseball, it still provides a sense of the scope and popularity of sports-related collecting as a whole.
Looking beyond just the United States further illustrates how baseball card collecting has truly become a global hobby. National Sportscard Grading services like PSA and BGS annually grade millions of cards submitted from collectors in over 100 countries worldwide. Major trading card manufacturers also distribute their products to hobby shops and mass retailers across Europe, Asia and Latin America, in addition to North America.
Online communities centered around card collecting and trading have hundreds of thousands if not millions of members worldwide. Platforms like forums at TradingCardDB.com see hundreds of thousand of posts per month from collectors of all experience levels. Even individual team-specific collecting Facebook groups can have 50,000+ members actively buying, selling and interacting. These digital connections help spreading the reach and passion for the hobby far beyond any single country.
Beyond purely quantitative estimates, there are some additional contextual factors that provide a sense of why baseball card collecting has remained such a widely popular and accessible hobby for decades:
Nostalgia and childhood memories: For many lifelong collectors, their passion started as kids exploring the thrill of opening packs of cards and learning about their favorite players. This early fondness sticks with many into adulthood as they relive and share those feelings.
Accessible and affordable: While some highly valuable vintage cards require serious investment, it’s still possible for anyone to get involved in collecting relatively inexpensively. Newer products have kept the hobby inviting to new generations.
Connected to our national pastime: With over 175-year history, baseball is deeply woven into the cultural fabric of communities and families across North America and beyond. Card collecting offers a fun channel to experiences and remember that history.
Endlessly customizable: There are so many player, team, set and insert categories that every collector can curate their personal experience. Whether focusing on rookies, parallels, autographed memorabilia or more, finding the right niche is part of the appeal.
Thriving reseller market: Whether buying and selling on eBay, COMC or via smaller local shops, the ability to liquidate old collections or build new ones keeps the pipeline flowing. This supports the financial as well as sentimental aspects.
When taking all of these factors into consideration—from quantitative surveys to contextual cultural elements—it’s clear to see how baseball card collecting has continued engaging many millions of people worldwide for generations. And with new audiences of fans being brought into the sport each year, the community and passion for collecting cards looks poised to stay strong for years to come.
