If you think the sports card boom is just a fluke that’s going to be forgotten soon, you’re in for a rude awakening.
eCommerce giant eBay recently stated that sales of trading cards on its platform jumped up to 142% last year. In its State of Trading Cards report released last week, the company pointed out that there have been four million more cards sold in 2020 than in 2019. The report also said that the biggest gainers in this field are soccer and basketball cards, which grew by 1,586% and 373%, respectively.
The biggest names to benefit from this card boom are all NBA players. These are Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and last year’s number one pick, Zion Williamson. The most famous athlete outside of the NBA on eBay last year was Mike Trout. Moreover, the country with the largest growth in terms of eBay sales in China, with a whopping 205% of sales there.
There were some very interesting stats in the @eBay 2021 “State of Trading Cards” report that dropped yesterday, including the fact that 4 MILLION more cards were sold on eBay in 2020 compared to 2019.
Which stat was most surprising to you? pic.twitter.com/rTe0qhwVYU
— CardTalkPod (@CardTalkPod) February 12, 2021
This is a welcome development, especially for sports card enthusiasts. Despite the negative effects of COVID-19 on the global economy, this report serves as validation that the card market is indeed growing. While there is no sole reason for this upward trajectory, the surge in growth is expected to continue in the coming months.
It remains to be seen what the card market on eBay will look like once 2021 is over. If recent explosions in price and demand are to be taken under consideration, it’s safe to assume this year can equal, if not exceed, 2020’s impressive growth rate.
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