Fanatics is one of those companies where I keep noticing another piece of the puzzle only after it is already in place. First it was merchandise. Then Topps. Then Fanatics Authentic. Then SportsMemorabilia.com sitting inside the same universe of authenticated jerseys, balls, photos and framed pieces. At some point the question is no longer whether … Read more
Every World Cup creates players who suddenly look much bigger than they looked three weeks earlier. A goal in the group stage, two good games, a dramatic celebration, a few highlight clips, and suddenly the market starts treating a player like he has entered football history. With cards that is already dangerous. With jerseys, signed … Read more
It is almost impossible to write seriously about sports memorabilia without eventually arriving at Tom Brady. Whether you follow football or not, Brady has become one of those athletes whose market extends far beyond the game itself. Jerseys, footballs, rookie cards, game-used equipment and modern trading cards all belong to the upper end of the … Read more
There is a question that comes up surprisingly often among collectors, and the answers are almost always emotional rather than rational. Imagine finally finding the jersey you have been searching for over months or even years. The size is right, the player is right, the price is acceptable. There is only one catch: someone has … Read more
A discussion this week caught my attention because it introduced a brand-new platform that approaches the business from a completely different angle. Instead of charging a commission on every card sold, the seller pays for the audience itself. One example mentioned a three-hour livestream with around eighty viewers costing approximately $74. Another example put a … Read more
Every collector likes to believe that buying sports memorabilia is different from speculation. We tell ourselves that we are buying history, emotion, game-used objects and pieces of sporting greatness. That is certainly part of the story. But over the last few years another narrative has become much louder. Jerseys are called assets. Trading cards are … Read more
Over the past few weeks I became curious about digital card breaking platforms. Courtyard.io is probably the best-known example at the moment, although there are other providers such as Arena Club and Vault-style marketplaces that follow similar ideas. The concept is simple enough. You buy a digital pack containing sports cards, whether baseball, basketball, football … Read more
You can say many things about Zinedine Zidane, but in France he occupies a position that very few athletes ever reach. Michel Platini belongs to the history of French football, but Zidane became something much larger. For many French supporters he remains the greatest player the country has ever produced. That statement may provoke arguments, … Read more
The Chicago Bulls are one of those franchises where the memorabilia market feels almost disconnected from the present. Most successful teams eventually build new generations of stars, new championship stories and new collector markets. The Bulls never really managed that. In many ways, they are still selling the 1990s. That is not necessarily criticism. Few … Read more
Insert cards occupy a strange place in the modern hobby because they are designed to feel special. Different card stock, foil surfaces, unusual artwork, die cuts, holograms and separate insert packs immediately tell the collector that this card is supposed to matter more than a normal base card. Many collectors remember their first insert because … Read more