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The global appeal of collectible sports trading cards

Tan Ai Leng

Published Fri, Mar 3, 2023 · 03:00 PM — Updated Thu, Feb 22, 2024 · 11:31 AM
    • Sports card collectors are willing to spend thousands or even millions of dollars to obtain rare cards of their favourite players.
    • Collecting basketball cards was first popular in the US, and the hobby soon spread to other parts of the world, including Asia, roughly three decades ago.
    • Brandon Tan, a co-founder of the Malaysia’s Basketball Card Collectors Club's Facebook page, says there are more younger collectors joining the group these days.
    • Trading card collector Fariheen Faroukh with some of his many graded cards. Having the cards graded by a professional company preserves their condition and raises their value.
    • The global sports trading card market was valued at US$1.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach US$2.2 billion by 2028, according to Proficient Market Insights.
    • This Lebron James trading card, with game-used and worn NBA logos from his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, is one of the most expensive basketball cards in the world today.
    • Sports card collector and trader Joey Nukoon Parachatnon regards the hobby as a side gig that helps him to earn some additional income.
    • Last November, a signed one-of-a-kind card by NBA player Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks was sold at auction for US$3.1 million.
    • Sports card collectors are willing to spend thousands or even millions of dollars to obtain rare cards of their favourite players. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: SIMON ANG
    • Collecting basketball cards was first popular in the US, and the hobby soon spread to other parts of the world, including Asia, roughly three decades ago. PHOTO: TAN AI LENG
    • Brandon Tan, a co-founder of the Malaysia’s Basketball Card Collectors Club's Facebook page, says there are more younger collectors joining the group these days. PHOTO: BRANDON TAN
    • Trading card collector Fariheen Faroukh with some of his many graded cards. Having the cards graded by a professional company preserves their condition and raises their value. PHOTO: FARIHEEN FAROUKH
    • The global sports trading card market was valued at US$1.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach US$2.2 billion by 2028, according to Proficient Market Insights. PHOTO: TAN AI LENG
    • This Lebron James trading card, with game-used and worn NBA logos from his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, is one of the most expensive basketball cards in the world today. PHOTO: REUTERS
    • Sports card collector and trader Joey Nukoon Parachatnon regards the hobby as a side gig that helps him to earn some additional income. PHOTO: TAN AI LENG
    • Last November, a signed one-of-a-kind card by NBA player Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks was sold at auction for US$3.1 million. PHOTO: USA TODAY

    TRADING cards have been around for decades. Collectors from all over the world fork out big bucks for packs or even entire boxes of these cards – everything from basketball and football, to Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering – as they try and form a complete set, or to obtain a rare card with the autograph of a star athlete or artist.

    For some collectors, these are more than just a hobby, but a lucrative investment too. One avid collector whom The Business Times spoke to has gone so far as to keep his most valuable sports cards locked up in two black briefcases at home.

    “I’ve told my wife that if anything happens to the house, forget about everything else. Just take the briefcases and run,” says Brandon Tan, a 43-year-old engineer who currently works in Singapore.

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