As a kid growing up in the ‘90s, opening packs of trading cards was my zen garden. It didn’t matter what sport — or if the cards were sports-related at all — sitting on the floor in my bedroom and ripping open packs, wholly consumed by the hope and anticipation over what cards might be inside each one, was a rush that could not be beat. I still have my ‘92-’93 Fleer Ultra Shaq All Rookie Series insert I pulled from a pack that season, instantly certain it would be an all-timer.
Then, with wrappers strewn all around me, it was time to sort through the cards based on an endless number of ever-changing criteria. A pile for the best players, a pile for my favorite teams, a pile for the coolest inserts or the cards I’d trade to my friends. I was never good at keeping my room clean or my schoolwork organized, but I always knew exactly which binder page each of my Michael Jordan and Ken Griffey Jr. cards resided in.
Of course, like so many other young collectors, I got a bit older and decided there were better ways to spend my limited funds. And also like so many, I got even older still and realized I had been wrong about that and returned to a hobby that brought me so much joy.
That brings us to something I couldn’t be happier to announce — that I’ll be leading The Athletic’s new sports memorabilia and collectibles vertical. I honestly can’t believe I get to merge my two passions of sports journalism and collecting in this way.
Over the last few years, since the resurgence in popularity of trading cards and other collectibles during the pandemic lockdown, it’s become clear that more media coverage of this industry is not just desired, but necessary. We’ve reached an interesting point in the collecting hobby, which has become a convergence of things that don’t always align with each other. A pastime centered around community and collecting is now receiving a sudden influx of money, corporatization and attempts at consolidation. This is fueling rapid growth, but it’s also making a once simple activity endlessly complex.
That’s what makes expanded coverage so necessary. Newcomers need trustworthy guidance as they navigate a hobby that can quickly get expensive. Established collectors need news, data and in-depth reporting to keep pace with a rapidly changing industry. The Athletic’s collectibles coverage will provide all of that and more.
Thanks to our partnership with eBay, our coverage will include exclusive data and insights from the world’s largest collectibles marketplace, which will be invaluable to every collector. It will also include the stories behind iconic, historically significant items like the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card or Babe Ruth’s game-used equipment, as well as things that hold far more sentimental value than monetary value. It will include analysis on new products and the growing market for women’s sports collectibles. It will bring you inside major industry events like The National Sports Collectors Convention, with insights from a variety of perspectives. It will cut across all sports and types of collectibles. It will also expand on The Athletic’s existing coverage of new uniform and kit releases.
Above all, it will aim to highlight what makes the hobby fun, shine a light on the shadowy corners of the space and make it all more accessible to further grow a vibrant community.
A team devoted exclusively to covering sports memorabilia and collectibles for The Athletic will join me. We’ll also feature contributions from across our unrivaled newsroom, one filled with collectors. This will add further depth to our stories, capitalizing on the direct access to the players and organizations the collectibles universe revolves around, from the writers who know them the best.
To start things off, check out our story on the strangely convoluted rise of rookie cards, tell us your thoughts on the hobby in our collectors survey and be sure to follow our collectibles section in The Athletic app.
We hope you enjoy our coverage just as much as we enjoy producing it.
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(Top image: Getty; Cindy Ord, Chris Hondros/Newsmakers, Authenticated News, Rich Fury, Tim Clayton/Corbis; Design: Dan Goldfarb)