Sports trading cards have become the ultimate collectable, and now you can get in on the action

This article was written in partnership with eBay Australia.

From the grassy field to the card, our most popular sports stars have become icons on cardboard, with trading card versions of fan favorites trending in the last few years. Perhaps it was driven by people wanting to feel more connected to the game while we sat at home behind our screens during the COVID lockdown or people wanting a piece of their favorite stars in their own hand?

Once upon a time, sports trading cards were just novelties that young sports fans might trade with their friends. But their popularity has skyrocketed in recent years to the point where they dominate the collectibles market.

Collectors are going wild for these cards, reaching record sales, with NBA cards being some of the biggest sellers. One single NBA card has gone for a wallet-busting $35,000 on eBay Australia, and that’s far from unusual. It pays for those who can pick a player early, without foresight on their career trajectory, but back a young rookie and nab one of their cards on eBay.

Now, trading cards are more popular than ever, with cards from your favorite AFL stars like Hawthorn player Luke Breust selling for over $6,200 on online marketplaces like eBay Australia.

But it’s not just about the money. Whether you’re into the NBA, AFL, or soccer, trading cards offer a chance to connect with your team and own a piece of that sport. That $35,000 card? It’s an autographed card containing a piece of NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s rookie jersey. That is a highly sought-after double whammy, as far as collectors are concerned. It’s a rookie card, marking the beginning of a pro player’s career, and a game-worn card, thanks to that piece of jersey. You can bet some Milwaukee Bucks fan is over the moon to have that trading card on their wall.

Take David Beckham as another example. The soccer star rose to fame in the ’90s and retains his popularity with a PSA 9 Auto 10 Card going on eBay for over $4,300. Soccer is the No. 1 sport worldwide, and while Australia’s own league still has a way to go to catch up to the popularity of the English and European Football Leagues, we’re seeing stars from the Women’s league start to take off like Sam Kerr also fetch top dollar with an auto card selling for over $6,200. Start collecting the legends or the latest players—the choice is yours!

If you’re a sports fan and looking to get started with your collection, here are our top tips for buying sports cards.

The rise of grading is another reason the collectibles market is seriously booming. Want to be sure your David Beckham card is the real deal? Choose a card that’s been professionally graded so you know exactly what you’re getting. Grading verifies a card’s authenticity and condition and helps preserve it by encapsulating it. Keep it in that state, and you could be looking at a serious investment asset. Some reputable graders include PSA, which uses a ten-point grading scale and is the most popular globally, with an official partnership with eBay.

But where do you start? Whether you’re buying for investment, filling in the gaps in your collection, or starting from scratch, eBay Australia is the ultimate marketplace for sports trading cards, and you can nab those graded cards, too. If you’ve been hunting high and low for a card, chances are it’s on eBay; you’ll find everything from vintage cards to numbered inserts to sealed packs and more. Whether hunting for a local release or some international rarity that never made it to Aussie shores, eBay Australia is your one-stop shop. 

It’s super easy to find what you’re after, too; forget just typing in an AFL player’s name and crossing your fingers. eBay Australia’s trading card marketplace offers a huge range of cards, giving you the confidence to find exactly what you’re after with minimal fuss. You can filter by sport, by graded or non-graded, and more. 

If you’re buying for resale, eBay Australia’s sold items search feature and Product Research tool will help you figure out what’s hot in real-time. Above all, eBay’s protection policies make it the safest way to trade sports cards online, whether you’re a buyer or a seller.  

So, whether you’ve got an eye for investing or want to take your sports trading card collection to the next level, head over to eBay and get your hands on the ultimate collectibles.