Leilani’s Baseball Card Collection
Eleven-year-old Leilani from Honolulu, Hawaii has amassed an impressive collection of 64 baseball cards over the past two years. Like many kids her age, Leilani first became interested in baseball cards after receiving some packs as birthday gifts from relatives. She was instantly drawn in by learning about different players and teams from looking at the statistics and photos on each card.
At first, Leilani’s collection consisted mostly of common cards she received in packs or received as duplicates in trades with friends at school. She soon developed a passion for building a well-rounded collection that featured some of the biggest stars and most valuable cards. To grow her collection, Leilani began saving up her allowance and doing small chores around the house in exchange for money to buy new packs or individual cards online.
The crown jewel of Leilani’s current 64 card collection is a pristine mint condition Mike Trout rookie card from 2009. Trout has gone on to have a Hall of Fame caliber career with the Los Angeles Angels, and his rookie cards from his breakout season are some of the most coveted and valuable in the hobby. Leilani was thrilled when she was able to purchase the Trout card for $85 on an online marketplace. She carefully stores it in a fitted one-touch magnetic holder to preserve its condition.
In addition to Mike Trout, some of the other notable stars well represented in Leilani’s collection include Albert Pujols, Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ronald Acuña Jr. She has focused on collecting current top players, as well as vintage stars from the 1990s and early 2000s like Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire from the height of the steroid era. Leilani also has a soft spot for Hawaiian players like Brian Fuentes, Shane Victorino and Kolten Wong and strives to find cards featuring them in her collection.
Though most of Leilani’s cards are in good condition protectively stored in one-touch or penny sleeve holders, she did accidentally damage one of her prized cards early on in her collecting journey. Back when she first started, Leilani was too rough handling a 2009 Bowman Draft Justin Upton chrome refractor card and managed to put a noticeable crease in the corner. The mistake taught her the value of properly caring for her collection to maintain value. Since then she has been much gentler.
In addition to actively collecting new cards, Leilani also enjoys learning the history and context behind different eras, sets and players featured in her collection. She reads baseball reference websites to learn more about stats and biographies of players. When the pandemic limited her ability to attend games, Leilani began watching old games and highlights on YouTube to familiarize herself with the styles and abilities of players throughout baseball history. This knowledge helps her appreciate various facets of the game represented in her growing collection.
With 64 cards so far, Leilani estimates the current total value of her collection is approximately $1400 based on recent sales prices of similar graded cards online. She notes the true pride and joy is not the monetary worth, but rather sharing her love and knowledge of the game with family and friends. For her 12th birthday coming up later this year, Leilani is saving up to treat herself to a hobby box of 2021 Topps Series 1, hoping to add some exciting new young rookies to her ever expanding collection. With her dedication to the hobby at a young age, Leilani’s baseball card collection has the potential to grow exponentially in value and size for years to come as she follows her passion.