Welcome to Trading Card Insights

I wanted to create this newsletter to provide a better understanding of the trading card market and help people navigate this burgeoning field. Each week, I'll discuss various aspects of the trading card market, from grading to recent high-value sales, and from the UK market to acquisitions in the space. I hope you enjoy what these articles have to offer. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

This newsletter will cover 3 topics:

1. The current state of the UK market
2. 3 significant eBay sales
3. Why people grade trading cards

The UK Trading Card Market

According to Technavio, the sports card market is set to grow by several billion dollars in the next couple of years, with 44% of that growth coming from Europe. Trading cards are extremely popular in the US and have been a part of their culture for decades. In the UK, our experience of the industry has mostly been with Pokémon cards and stickers. Swapsies and trades were common when I was growing up; we did it for fun. In the States, trading cards have long been seen as a viable alternative asset.

Having had the fortune to attend the NSCC (the world's largest sports trading card event), it's not uncommon to see kids (aged 10-15) with card collections worth tens of thousands. It's amazing to witness. They fully understand that cards hold extrinsic value and that people are willing to pay cash for liquid cards, or for that one card needed to complete their collection or rainbow.

We're not quite there in the UK, but the market has developed significantly in the last few years. There are regular trade shows and large auction platforms available where you can buy and sell cards at the touch of a few buttons. What we lack in the UK (and Europe) is a fundamental understanding of how a market operates. We lack the knowledge of how to value cards and price them appropriately for smoother trading and selling.

It's been a learning curve, but I've witnessed the UK grow and learn over the past several years. I remember being a part of a conversation with D.J. Kazmierczak , who is the Senior VP of operations at Panini America, one of the biggest manufacturers of trading cards. He explained that Europe is around 10 years behind the US in terms of how the market operates, but that Europe has the biggest potential to accelerate the market. This conversation happened a few years ago, and so far, he's been spot on!

As a collector and a business owner in this space, I'm extremely excited to watch the growth, and 2024 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for sports trading cards. Watch this space.

3 HUGE Recent eBay Sales

Why Do People Grade Cards?

Grading in Europe is a relatively new phenomenon. As previously mentioned, viewing trading cards as an asset is not a familiar concept for us. However, the US has been doing this for a few decades, and now the leading grader of cards is Collectors . One of their companies, PSA, is on track to grade over 13 million cards this year. But back to the main question: why do people grade cards? There are multiple reasons, but the top three reasons people use our middleman service to grade their cards are:

1. Increased Value: Graded cards typically sell for higher values than if the card were to be sold raw (not graded).
2. Authentication: This is especially prevalent in Pokémon, where there are millions of fake cards floating around the market. People are willing to pay good money to ensure their collection is genuine and authentic.
3. Protection: Cards are flimsy, and getting them encapsulated protects them for life, allowing them to be shown off without getting damaged.

People in Europe are beginning to witness the power of getting their collection graded. In further newsletters, I'll dive into more detail about grading cards and where the best places are to get your cards graded and authenticated.

I hope these insights have been useful I'm looking forward to helping you understand this market. Please like, subscribe and share!

Best,

Aaron