Reasons to Start Collecting Sports Cards & Pokemon Cards in 2021

April 22nd, 2021 

In an age without the internet and computers, sports cards and stickers were a vivid source of information about exotic teams and players we had not been able to see or meet. Exchanging and finding stickers became a skill, there were limited places where you could swap and exchange them. Even years down the line the technological and information revolution has not harmed the collecting passion and madness that grips us every few years.

We all have hobbies. For some, its running, basketball, reading books, and some people enjoy collecting things and collections. There are people who collect toys from Kinder Surprise Eggs, others collect napkins with different motifs, badges, old money, and many other things. Many also collect sports cards and Pokémon cards. Yes, we know, your first association is a bunch of children in front of the building as they play and exchange cards that will end in an album or just be destroyed over time. Unfortunately, after a few months, that album often ends up in oblivion, even garbage.

Since cards are something that does not take up much space in no matter how small an apartment you live in, we will give you a few reasons why you should keep them.

A memory from my younger days

We assume that for many, this period of card collection is related to childhood. Remember how much money and effort you put into completing the entire collection, are you ready to throw it all away now? Save the album, flip through it from time to time, go back to class in those carefree days when opening packets of cards caused a lot of excitement. Remember the pleasure when you find out you got exactly the one you did not have.

A fond memory we have at North West Cards was the sticker events Panini use to run where you could list the stickers you needed and go purchase them and swap them.

Maybe they have value

Old things often gain in value over the years, especially if there are not many of them in the world or they are unique. Just remember the TV show Pawnshop and what people have kept for years, many of them not even knowing that it has monetary value. It is said that each item finds its customer. There are many collectors of cards and sites in the world through which you can sell them for a nice sum. A great example of this is the 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Card now worth a pretty penny or the 1^st Edition Charizard Pokémon Card. We have all played with these sorts of cards growing up, imagine if you knew what they would have been worth years down the line.

The Sports Cards & Gaming Cards Hobby

The hobby has increased in numbers in the last few years there are multiple reasons for this COVID 19, people flipping cards and making extra money to fund holidays or other hobbies, investors noticing the increase in certain cards and using cards as a hedge and people simply gambling. There are plenty of reasons. The reason we believe the hobby is great is because there is a product for everyone be it £30 or £3000. Yes, some products have a better change of pulling a big name or a limited numbered card but still it is the excitement of ripping the cards and potentially changing your life.

Great way to meet people

Did you know that in many places there are fans of the hobby who traditionally gather at a certain time somewhere and exchange cards in the hope of completing their collection which they will preserve as a valuable memory or sell? In addition to getting rid of duplicates and getting the card you have been dreaming about for a long time; you will also have the opportunity to make new acquaintances with people who share your interests in the hobby. Here in the UK, we do not have any sports cards conventions however there is one in Wolverhampton for the first time this year. This will be a great place to meet like-minded individuals. Panini have run sticker conventions for years so maybe one day we will see more relating to sports cards and Pokémon cards here in the UK.

Why do people increasingly opt for this hobby?

The fact is that this can be an expensive hobby or cheap as you like. But also, it can be profitable. Many choose to collect cards to fulfil their childhood dreams. You know that feeling when you regret something for years, and no matter how much time passes, the feeling is still there. So, it may happen to a small number of people that it is a pity for childhood, but it mostly happens because some people want to meet the needs of childhood. However, for many, it is more an occasion and reason to say, ‘I need it because I didn’t have it once’ than there is a real need for it”. If you ask collectors why they collect cards, they can also say that it is because adults also want to play, because play is something that attracts people no matter how old they are. Then when you stop playing and find satisfaction in the little things, you need to ask yourself if you are on the right track.

Want to Learn More

The great thing about the hobby is that there are plenty of podcasts out there which share information and their opinions on the hobby, new products, and collections. Two of the best podcasts we at North West Cards would recommend our: HFS Heros For Sale podcast and Card Talk by ONE37pm these podcasts are great for people new to the hobby and people who have been around the block. You can find them on iOS, android podcasts, and YouTube.

Final thoughts

Collecting Sports Cards, Pokémon Cards and stickers is a great hobby it can take you back to your youth, you can involve your children and start them on their journey, or you can simply buy and sell cards to make you extra cash. Collecting is here to stay and will always be a hobby for some even though we are in a digital age and must contend with Blockchain cards and NFTs in the next few years. Simply holding a card you have in your hands and which you been after for year is 10X better than logging onto the internet to see your collection. We see the demand for cards will increase in the next few years especially football (soccer) cards. At North West Cards we will continue to bring you cards for the UK audience.

If you are still here at the end, we appreciate you reading our blog and visiting our website.

North West Cards