Introduction
Often, some things that people do for leisure or hobbies turn out to be valuable in one way or another. Some things that may seem to be time waste and childish could be treasures when their potential is properly unleashed (Mulligan et al.). One such item is the sports cards most kids might have grown up collecting in their childhood boy due to their passion for sports.
Sports cards have for a long time been deemed as mere leisure items mostly associated with sports enthusiasts who wanted to keep pictures of their favorite athletes (Huigens 33). Most people do not see any other value attached to the cards with the pictures of prominent sportspeople apart from entertaining the collectors who have their idol’s pictures in their photo albums. However, with proper exposure and attending several national sports collectors’ conventions, you’ll realize that sports cards are valuable collectibles, not just pieces of paper.
Sports Card Value
The history and culture of the sports cards have an important effect on their value. According to Rogers, the first sports card was printed by Allen and Ginter in the US in 1886 to advertise their tobacco. The evolution of sports cards has seen the art change over time as various sports have emerged, attracting diversified audiences. The idea behind using sports cards for advertising was driven by the fact that sports have large audiences with many fans who would die to have images of their favorite players in the albums or cabinets. Therefore, the manufacturers of the sports cards designed them for advertising various products by exploiting the leisure aspect of the cards, which would attract a huge fanbase. For example, a product manufacturer would package their products by wrapping their goods with sports cards containing pictures of a famous sports team player which would attract fans to purchase the products to get the cards. In the process, manufacturers’ sales would increase as more products would be sold to sports enthusiasts.
Additionally, sports cards were also used as event tickets to attract a large audience into buying them even if they were not interested in the events. As a result, event organizers would make huge ticket sales by using sports cards as tickets. Over time, sports card use has changed into a commercialized purpose, especially in baseball, which has significantly improved its value. The rich history of producing cards for advertisement purposes and the culture of using sports images that attracts a huge audience has made sports cards an important trading tool (Beard 216). The incorporation of sports cards into the commerce platform has commanded huge financial interest from investors who see the potential of the cards in generating great revenue.
Sports Card Market
Sports cards are a large global market, and the trading volume increases every year. In 2019, the global sports trading card market was estimated to be valued at USD 13.82 billion. With the assumption that the growth rate remains constant, its valuation is projected to be around USD 98.75 billion by the end of 2027 (Verified Market Research). Over the years, sports cards have gained popularity and have registered significant stock trading growth due to the increased number of shares being bought by investors. As a result, economics and business professionals have predicted the sports cards franchise to be one of the highest revenues generating businesses in the future.
Additionally, the strong growth of the sports card enterprise has been attributed to the significant technological evolutions in the sports card business. The digitization of the traditional manual cards has seen the card trading market expand and diversify to reach larger audiences than before. With digital sports cards, audiences from various parts of the world with access to reliable Internet can easily get integrated into the sports cards trading franchise. In addition, the introduction of blockchain technology into the trading platform has revolutionized business operations, thus enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations. The sports card trading field’s growth has seen an increase in the number of sports leagues signing deals to partner in the trading business. Additionally, some leagues have increased the number of trading-card licenses to attract and cover the huge population audiences who attend various sports matches. With sports cards originally being associated with basketball, its growth has seen other sports, such as soccer, also get into the business.
Sports Card Authorization
The sports card can only be published with the authorization of the official sports league or an international organization which gives each card a special meaning. Like other businesses, sports card trading activities need regulation to ensure that malicious business people do not exploit the opportunity for profiteering. Business licenses play a great role in ensuring that the traders operate within the precincts of the law and do not exploit the customers. In sports card trading, one of the renowned licensors of the business is Panini. It has the Premier League, NBA, and FIFA tournaments (Panini). The allocation of the licensing responsibility to an independent body ensures that it provides a fair platform for all parties taking part in the sports card trading while also protecting the audience’s interest. The availability of such regulations and restrictions makes sports card trading a legal and acceptable investment because its activities take place under conditions similar to those of other businesses. With such rules and policies being involved in the sports card field, it makes the activities not just a mere undertaking but a serious business venture.
Moreover, the growing rate of the field to make it one of the largest trading platforms requires proper monitoring from non-partisan organizations, thus making the cards an important undertaking. Ultimately, such conditions and terms of operation build customers’ trust in the trading venture, attracting more investors and partners. Additionally, the field’s continued growth will lead to the amendment of the current policies to accommodate the emerging technologies that play a significant role in the sports card field. Finally, it means that it will be operating under internally recognized rules and regulations with time because the business is bound to diversify in the future.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although sports card trading seems to have a promising future, there are bound to be challenges that would hinder its growth and disadvantages that would result from the trading venture. With sports card trading being a valuable collectible and attracting great interest in the future, it remains vulnerable to criminal activities that would curtail its growth (Engelberg et al. 471). Like other high revenue-generating ventures, the field would be infested by cartels whose sole interest is to profiteer at the expense of other investors. However, with reforms and the enactment of proper regulations and policies, sports card trading would turn out to be one of the most lucrative investments.
Works Cited
Engelberg, Joseph, Linh Thompson, and Jared Williams. “Stock market anomalies and baseball cards.” Financial Review, vol. 55, no.3, 2020, pp. 461-479.
Huigens, Brent. “From hobby to investment.” Financial History, vol. 126, 2018, pp. 32-35.
Mulligan, Robert F.; Grube, A. J.; and Jarrell, Stephen B. “Baseball Card Pricing Model: A Demonstration with Well-known Players,” Visions in Leisure and Business: vol. 21, No. 1, 2003.
Panini. Panini America Online Store-Shop Exclusive Trading Cards. n.d. 2021. Web.
Rogers, Chris. A History of Baseball Cards- All Vintage Cards. n.d., 2021. Web.
Beard, Fred K. “A history of advertising and sales promotion.” The Routledge Companion to Marketing History, Abingdon: Routledge, 2016, pp. 203-224.
Verified Market Research. Sports Trading Card Market Size, Share, Trends, Opportunities. n.d., 2021. Web.