In case you haven’t heard, the collectibles industry has been on quite a tear as of late. We’ve seen a lot of action in the sports memorabilia, video game, Pokemon—you name it—categories in the last several months, and sports cards, one could argue, might’ve jump-started this entire trend.
Just how hot is the sports card market, currently? Well, the two most basic indicators I like to use for this are buzz around the National Sports Collectors Convention and recent sales of the industry’s most iconic cards. This year’s “National,” for instance, just recently ended and was a massive success. I’ve yet to see any hard numbers on it but it felt like the biggest one ever held, and everyone I’ve spoken to about it had an absolute blast.
Secondly, there’s the recent sale of a legendary card—the Honus Wagner T206—which might just be the most coveted card in the entire hobby (historically, that is). On Sunday, the holy grail of the sports card industry sold for a record $6.6 million, making it the most expensive one ever sold.
I think it’s safe to say that once again, the industry’s trending up.
But what do you need to get in on the action? What does it take to start a sports card business at home? In this article, I’m laying out all the essentials. Not necessarily the intangible things you need in order to form any legitimate business (like account software, a business bank account, or an LLC—all still important), but the tools that'll help you thrive in the sports card space.
If you’re starting a sports card business at home, here’s what you need: