​An August 2025 New York Times article covered current trends in sports memorabilia, including the rise of women’s memorabilia. While women have participated in sports since the 1800s, they have not received the same recognition or achieved the same prominence in sports or the memorabilia market. However, in 2025, women's trading sports cards can sell for $500,000.

The first female athletes appeared on trading cards in the 19th century, depicted wearing attire associated with tennis or golf. Hattie Stewart, a Virginia boxer, became the most well-known athlete appearing on sports trading cards. When women began participating in the Olympics in 1900, the public became interested in women's athletes. Athletes such as Mildred "Babe" Didrikson facilitated a wave of female athletes appearing on trading cards. After this, women occasionally appeared on Topps and Panini sports trading cards. By the end of the 20th century and into the new millennium, women’s memorabilia, including trading cards, began to gain traction.

According to trading card trader Mike Metzler, his WNBA cards outsold those of players in the MLB, NHL, and NFL at his last show. Furthermore, when Metzler visited popular retail outlets like Walmart and Target, he could not find any WNBA trading cards, not because these outlets did not carry them, but because they had also sold out. Unlike previous times, when a card featuring a woman on the front might fetch a small sum, the figures are in the hundreds of thousands.

The data support the increased interest in female trading cards. eBay data shows that WNBA searches rose by 480 percent between January 2025 and April 2025. Between 2020 and 2024, trading card sales grew by 650 percent, and WNBA jersey sales increased by 170 percent from 2023 to 2024.

Many in the trading card industry credit Caitlin Clark with raising the profile of women’s basketball trading cards. A top WNBA player, Clark’s rise in basketball has garnered considerable attention for the game. According to figures from analytics company Mondo Metrics, Clark’s cards reached 10 of the top sellers on eBay in 2024, outpacing the sales of her male counterparts. Her Prizm Silver PSA 10 card garnered a higher value than the combined value of all five top NBA rookies. She has done for women’s sports trading cards what Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Wayne Gretzky did for the NBA and NHL.

While Clark served as the catalyst for garnering more attention, companies have laid the groundwork to bring women to the forefront for the last three decades. Upper Deck, a trading card company, has produced cards featuring Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Cheryl Miller, Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka for years, providing entry points for collectors interested in purchasing trading cards with women on them. 

The rising popularity of women’s cards has led many in the trading card industry to experience a paradigm shift. Male sports and athletes have traditionally received the most attention and focus, but now, with female athletics gaining momentum, businesses have recognized the value of female trading cards. One outfit, Valcano on WhatNot, sells most cards featuring WNBA players, over 90 percent, causing it to shift its sales strategy. Furthermore, with the rise in popularity of female sports cards, some believe it might also open the door to other types of memorabilia.

​Sports card collecting has evolved from a childhood pastime into a sophisticated market where collectors and investors seek rare and valuable pieces of history. Once prized purely for sentimental reasons, high-end sports cards have become alternative assets with substantial investment potential. As the industry adapts to shifting collector preferences, technological advances, and increasing demand, it continues to present both opportunities and challenges. Recognizing these developments is key for anyone looking to navigate this evolving market and capitalize on new opportunities.

The evolution of sports cards reflects broader industry shifts. Early tobacco and gum-packaged cards introduced the concept of sports memorabilia, while the mass production boom of the 1980s and 1990s led to saturation and declining values. This forced manufacturers to rethink their approach, leading to the introduction of serial-numbered, autographed, and relic cards that restored exclusivity. Today, vintage cards from the pre-1970s era remain among the most coveted, with condition, rarity, and historical significance driving their value. At the same time, modern limited-edition releases attract serious collectors, merging tradition with innovation.

The performance and legacy of athletes significantly impact the value of high-end sports cards. A record-breaking season, a Hall of Fame induction, or a major championship win can send prices soaring. Investors track rising stars, anticipating which players will leave a lasting mark on their sport. A recent example is a one-of-a-kind autographed card featuring a jersey patch from Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes, which sparked intense auction interest. Meanwhile, legendary figures such as Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle continue to command top prices, their cards serving as both nostalgic artifacts and investment assets.

In the United States, high-end sports card collecting revolves around major professional leagues and college athletics. The National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL) drive most of the market, with limited-edition rookie cards, autographs, and game-used memorabilia drawing intense interest. College football and basketball also play an important part, as top prospects entering the professional ranks create speculation-driven demand. Collectors and investors closely watch emerging stars from powerhouse programs like Alabama, Duke, and Kentucky, anticipating which players will make the biggest impact at the next level.

Technology continues to transform how collectors buy and sell sports cards. Blockchain-based digital collectibles, such as NBA Top Shot, offer new ways to own and trade memorabilia. While some embrace the shift, others stay committed to the tangible experience of physical cards. Meanwhile, online marketplaces and auction platforms have made high-end cards more accessible, fueling broader interest in the hobby.

Despite the rise of digital collectibles, physical high-end sports cards remain premier investment assets. Vintage cards and premium modern releases continue to set record prices, appealing to both seasoned collectors and investors. As demand grows, major sports leagues and card manufacturers are expanding exclusive releases, driving further interest in the market. Whether through digital innovation or traditional collecting, sports cards continue to captivate enthusiasts and investors alike. With increasing interest from global buyers, their long-term value remains resilient, reinforcing their status as a highly coveted collectible.

​The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event in the United States. It's the most-watched event in any category, with 19 of the top 20 most-watched US TV programs being Super Bowls. Super Bowl LIX broke all previous ratings records in 2025, drawing an average audience of 127.7 million for Fox. Unfortunately for fans of competition, the game held little intrigue and was all but over before the halftime whistle. As a silver lining, Kansas City's late-game 16-6 fourth quarter prevented the team from suffering one of the biggest defeats in Super Bowl history.

The least competitive Super Bowl in NFL history took place in 1990. The 14-2 San Francisco 49ers entered Super Bowl XXIV as defending champions, facing the 11-5 Denver Broncos. After a competitive first quarter that ended 13-3, San Francisco dominated the rest of the game. The 49ers outscored Denver 14-0 in both the second and fourth quarters, finishing with a 55-10 victory—the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history.

San Francisco's win eclipsed the Chicago Bears' record for the most dominant Super Bowl victory ever, which the Bears had set just four years earlier. The two games followed a similar pattern, with the 15-1 Bears winning a 13-3 opening quarter against the 11-5 Patriots before a 10-0 second quarter blew the game open for Chicago. Unlike the Broncos, the Patriots did not score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, cutting Chicago's lead to 34 points. Chicago closed the game out with a safety for a final score of 46-10.

Three years after San Francisco's record beatdown of the Broncos, the Dallas Cowboys flirted with history. The 15-3 Cowboys would win three of four Super Bowl games between 1992 and 1995, and the 14-5 Buffalo Bills were their first victims. The opening half was somewhat competitive, with Dallas taking a 28-10 lead into halftime. Buffalo managed to cut the deficit to 14 points after three quarters, but a Troy Aikman pass and an Emmitt Smith rush put the Cowboys up 45-17. Ken Norton, Jr., capped off the historic win by running a fumble return back nine yards for the final score of the game, which ended 52-17.

The Seattle Seahawks tied the Cowboy's 35-point margin of victory in Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seahawks defense suffocated quarterback Peyton Manning, who only managed one score in the final seconds of the third quarter. Seattle won the game 43-8 for the third-largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. Unlike most Super Bowls on this list, Seattle and Denver entered the game with identical 13-3 records.

Denver has the unfortunate luck of featuring in three of the five most lopsided Super Bowl games, with the Washington football team defeating the Broncos 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII. Denver led the game 10-0 after the first quarter, but Washington responded with a dominant 35-0 score in the second quarter.

While no team has ever been shutout in a Super Bowl game, two teams have been held to just a single field goal. The Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins 24-3 in the sixth Super Bowl, while the New England Patriots won a low-scoring 13-3 game over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.

​Investing in sports cards is a strong investment for those who have a keen interest in sports or for individuals who have unique sports cards or vintage sports collectibles and intend to make a profit from them. Sports cards are also important because they allow sports fans to reconnect with the old American tradition of keeping sports memorabilia.

Creating a reasonable budget is one of the first steps to maximizing your returns on sports cards. A reasonable budget involves not spending more than you can afford on sports cards. This means that you should not spend money that you do not have while trying to purchase sports cards. It's crucial to stay within your budget.

Also, to maximize your sports card investment, you need to know when to buy and when to sell. Determining when to buy and sell will depend on your investment goal or objective. Do you have long-term intentions with your sports cards such that their value is significantly appreciated, or do you want specific short-term gains? You can also confer with experienced market analysts to advise when and when not to sell your cards.

You also need to be cautious of fads. From an investment perspective, a fad is any trend that goes beyond logical reasoning. So, you should be cautious of sports card investing trends that do not align with the basic principles of investing.

​A 2022 MagnifyMoney survey found that around 61 percent of Americans view themselves as a collector of some kind. About 9 percent of respondents enjoy collecting sports memorabilia, with an additional 12 percent collecting various trading cards. Sports memorabilia enthusiasts often seek out rare trading cards from the four major leagues in North America.

The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular professional sports league in the United States. One of the rarest cards in NFL history is the 1935 Chicle Bronko Nagurski rookie card from National. The fact that Nagurski’s rookie card is nearly 100 years old is enough to make it a collector’s item, not to mention the fact that the mass production of trading cards was rare at the time, further contributing to scarcity. Most importantly, the Canadian fullback enjoyed a Hall of Fame career, winning two championships.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the second most popular sports league in the US. The league’s rare cards have characteristics similar to National’s Bronko Nagurski. The 1948 George Mikan rookie card from Bowman, for example, is over 75 years old, and only a handful are believed to exist. Mikan not only enjoyed a Hall of Fame career but became one of the sport’s first true superstars, driving mainstream popularity of the game in the 1940s and 1950s.

Major League Baseball (MLB) ranks third of America’s four major pro leagues. That said, it is a sport many collectors associate with trading cards, partly because baseball produced cards before the other major sports. There are numerous candidates for the single rarest baseball card, but the title usually goes to the 1909-1911 Honus Wagner T206. No more than 50 copies exist, each with an estimated value of over $3 million.

The National Hockey League (NHL) is America’s fourth most popular pro league. Several Wayne Gretzky cards are highly valued by collectors, including the 1979 O-Pee-Chee Base Wayne Gretzky No. 18, which has sold for $3.75 million at auction.

​Wayne Gretzky stands as the undisputed greatest of all-time player in hockey. Due to the unparalleled respect for the Great One, sports cards featuring Gretzky command the most value in hockey cards, becoming a prized highlight in any collector's assortment.

Gretzky rookie cards are available in Topps and O-Pee-Chee card versions. O-Pee-Chee, a Canadian company, collaborated with Topps, an American company, to release sports cards specifically in Canada. The front side of the 1979-80 Gretzky card, identical in both versions, displays Gretzky in his Edmonton Oilers uniform, denoting him as the team’s center while on the ice. Due to lower-quality card stock and print standards, O-Pee-Chee cards are notably more challenging to find in superior condition than their Topps equivalents.

Estimated to be worth $465,000 US in PSA 10 gem mint condition, the 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky rookie card is one of history's most valuable hockey cards. The 1979 Topps #18 Wayne Gretzky rookie card also commands a high price of approximately $200,000 US in PSA 10 gem mint condition.