Baseball card industry booming thanks to e-commerce and young superstar players
Baseball cards have evolved to meet the desires of a new generation of collectors, who are collecting a new generation of players.
Insane prices for vintage cards, direct to consumer products, and a bevy of talented players who have just recently begun their careers have combined to produce one result; the baseball card industry booming.
Vintage (generally the 1960s and earlier) cards in premium condition continue to appreciate in value. A pristine 1956 Roberto Clemente single commanded over $100,000 earlier this year. That trend isn’t likely to end any time soon.
“It seems like these cards just set new records every time they get sold,” Susan Lulgjuraj, a marketing communications manager for Topps, said.
That willingness to spend on specific cards that are in stellar condition has started to trickle down to more recent cards. A gem mint Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card is currently listed at just under $3,000 while a Barry Bonds RC in similar condition lists at just under $1,400. People who grew up during the primes of players like Bonds and Griffey Jr. are now coming to an age where they have expendable income and a desire for some nostalgia. Baseball cards fill that desire to re-connect with one’s childhood perfectly, and that’s one of the angles that Topps’ direct to consumer products is utilizing.
Every Thursday, Topps offers a new “throwback” set to consumers, only available for purchase off its site. The direct to consumer line of products is Topps’ best innovation in the hobby, allowing it to instantly react to moments and trends in baseball and thrive despite the continuing pattern of brick-and-mortar stores closing.
“We’re always looking for ways to make our product better. We were the leaders in trading cards apps and special cards available for purchase off our website. We also sell boxes and packs off our site, and other companies have started doing the same things we are, but we were the first,” Lulgjuraj explained.
Other than Throwback Thursday offerings, Topps also offers consumers the Topps Now line. When a moment on the field in a game that Topps believes is memorable enough to design a card to memorialize occurs, a picture of the card will be placed on the web site the next day, giving fans 24 hours to purchase their own copy or copies of the card. Topps only prints as many cards as it receives orders for, making the product more profitable.
“Topps Now allows us to take advantage of moments in baseball and gives fans a piece of history that is special to them. Like with Manuel Margot, for instance, instead of having to wait months to get a rookie card of him, fans were able to get a Margot card the day after he hit two home runs in his first two at-bats at Petco,” Lulgjuraj elaborated.
For fans who prefer to keep clutter to a minimum or for whatever reason prefer an electronic version of a card, Topps Now e-cards are also available for fans in the Topps Bunt application. The app is just another way that Topps has diversified baseball cards to appeal to a diverse customer base.
“We have different products and sets because there are several different types of collectors. Our stickers and Opening Day set are for the casual buyer who just wants to have fun ripping some packs, while Allen & Ginter and Gypsy Queen have a retro look to them, and we have higher-end products for the fans who like to chase the big hits,” Lulgjuraj stated.
Regardless of whether customers are buying boxes that cost $30 or $300, the chase is what it’s all about. The difference in price point differentiates whose cards, and how many of them, are available to be chased. Most of the chases in Topps’ recent products are centered around an up-and-coming group of superstars like Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor who are following in the footsteps of hobby heavyweights like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.
“Collecting cards is different now than when I was a kid,” Lulgjuraj said. “Collectors are going after autographs and relic cards of their favorite players. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, those cards didn’t exist on the same scale.”
While the allure of the cards as investments is legitimate, the thrill of collecting is something that Lulgjuraj believes draws people into and keeps them involved in the hobby.
“There’s nothing like opening that pack and seeing the players pop out at you,” Lulgjuraj commented. “We market all of our products with that in mind. We want consumers to know that the hobby is still here and it’s still fun.”
With the support of Major League Baseball, its players and millions of collectors across the world, baseball cards will continue to deliver that thrill of the chase for decades to come.