(NEXSTAR) — During the pandemic, many seemingly found themselves picking up new — or old — hobbies. For some, that meant collectible cards.

Collectors were frequently seen waiting to buy armfuls of card packs at a time. Professional grading companies, important to those looking to make a profit on their cards, reported backlogs as millions of submissions filed in. During the first half of 2021 alone, eBay reported $2 billion in trading card transactions on its site, averaging one sports trading card purchase per second.

“In the last three years, our industry has really exploded,” Mike Provenzale, a production manager with Heritage Auctions, told Nexstar in 2022. While other hobbies have been cast aside (when was the last time you made sourdough?), the same can’t be said for collectibles.

Collectors are ‘sticking with it’

Joe Orlando, executive vice president of sports at Heritage Auctions, told Nexstar that the collectibles market is still thriving.

“A good portion of the people who entered the hobby at that time are sticking with it, and that is an excellent sign for the long-term health of the industry,” he said.

eBay’s success has also continued. Its trading cards volume saw double-digit growth to end 2024, Adam Ireland, eBay’s vice president and general manager of global collectibles, shared with Nexstar.

“The pandemic reignited a passion for collecting that continues to thrive today, and we’re seeing generational talents – like Caitlin Clark and Shohei Ohtani – inspire excitement and bring new people into the trading card hobby,” he added.

A more accessible........

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