AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sports trading cards are booming during the pandemic with record sales on vintage cards, high prices for new cards and an influx in collectors.
“The guys always bring the snacks, and I bring baseball cards. It’s just a fun thing to do,” said Eddie Torres.
Torres has a tradition of watching opening day with his buddies. When he found Walmart and Target were putting limits on sports card purchases, he started asking questions.
“I mean, I didn’t think baseball cards had any value for quite a long time,” said Torres.
Turns out right now, some do.
“This one here is a LeBron James. It goes for about $4,000,” said Kenny Woodall.
At Woodall’s collectables shop in south Austin, business is at a high. He says COVID-19 has more people collecting cards again. As investors, collectors, dads and their kids do so, the value of certain cards is way up.
“Instead of getting cases and cases of retail cards, we may only get two to four boxes,” said Woodall.
At Woodall’s shop, a regular eight-pack of hoops usually goes for $6 to $8, but right now they are going for $30 a pack. Rare finds like Lebron James cards are going for thousands.
“I bought this card for $220 back in 2009, and it’s worth about $14,000,” said Colby Howell.
Howell is an avid collector. Many of his cards are worth thousands now.
“I think a lot of people are taking the stimulus money, and they are investing it, whether that be stocks, gold, silver, ammo, guns or real estate,” said Howell.
Howell says big-time investors like hedge funds are also in on it. They’ve begun buying trading cards as alternative to equities.
“There’s big, big money being thrown this way,” said Howell.
And in turn it’s driving up the prices for the cardboard commodity.
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