There are several different types of buyers for baseball cards in Kansas, including collectors, dealers, and investors. Both amateur and professional collectors can be found throughout the state that purchase cards to build sets, add to their personal favorite player collections, or acquire rare and valuable vintage cards. Some of the groups that collectors in Kansas may belong to include the Kansas City Baseball Card Collectors Club and Wichita Baseball Card Collectors Association which help facilitate card trading and sales between local hobbyists.
Baseball card shops are common places where collectors can buy and sell cards in Kansas. Major card shop chains with locations in the state like Sportcards Unlimited and Dale’s Collectibles attract buyers daily. Independently owned card specialty stores like Topps Cards in Topeka, Hoosier Cards in Olathe, and Wichita Sports Cards also see steady business from collectors purchasing new releases or digging through boxes looking for something to add to their collections. These local card shop owners become familiar with the main customers in their areas and assist serious collectors in tracking down harder to find vintage and star player cards.
In addition to collectors, dealers are also active buyers of baseball cards throughout Kansas. Dealers purchase large collections and individual rare cards with the goal of earning a profit by reselling what they acquire. Many dealers regularly attend card shows, auctions, and trade events in Kansas City, Wichita, and other cities to build their baseball card inventories. Notable Kansas-based baseball card dealers include Pristine Auction, Heritage Auctions, and Grey Flannel Auctions who buy collections that will be resold on their online marketplaces or through organized auctions. Other smaller full or part-time card dealers can be found advertising purchases through websites, Facebook groups, and local hobby publications.
Investors represent another type of baseball card buyer active in Kansas. While collectors are motivated more by enjoyment of the hobby, investors view cards as an alternative investment asset with long-term appreciation potential. They research the card market trends, monitor elite player cards from star rookies and Hall of Famers, and acquire cards to hold with the intent to sell years later for a profit. Due to growth in the sportscard business in recent decades, individual baseball cards, complete sets, and collections that were purchased by savvy Kansas investors years ago have increased tremendously in value – sometimes upwards of 10x or more their original cost. This has attracted more mainstream investors to the Kansas card market, including those that may not be avid baseball fans or collectors themselves.
Among the cities in Kansas where the highest concentration of baseball card buying activity takes place are the Kansas City metropolitan area, Wichita, and Topeka. The Kansas City region is home to numerous large vintage and modern card shows each year that draw buyers from throughout the Midwest, such as the Kansas City Sports Collectors Show. As the state’s largest city, Kansas City is also supported by multiple large card shops in addition to the dealers and investors previously mentioned being based there. Wichita has a very active collector scene centered around shops like Wichita Sports Cards and their large annual card show. And Topeka – as the capital – benefits from both individual collectors as well as some dealers operating out of the city. Demand from these varied Kansas buyers ensures that baseball cards remain a very popular and liquid hobby asset class within the state.
Buyers of baseball cards in Kansas include collectors looking to build sets or find favorites to add to their personal collections. They network through local hobby groups, shop frequently at card stores across the state, and attend card shows. Dealers travel Kansas purchasing complete collections or individual rare cards to resell for a profit. And investors view cards as an alternative investment to acquire and hold long-term with the goal of future appreciation. The major metropolitan areas in Kansas that see the most buying activity are centered around Kansas City, Wichita, and Topeka due to local collector communities, retailers, and trade events that take place in those cities. Demand from all levels of buyers helps create a very robust baseball card market that exists statewide in Kansas.
