How do I buy sports cards for my kid?
If you're a parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparent, chances are you have a kid in the family who's obsessed with Caitlin Clark. Or Steph Curry. Or some other superstar from the world of sports: Shohei Ohtani, Angel Reese, Travis Kelce (also known as Taylor's boyfriend), etc.
The great news come birthdays, Christmas, graduation, or other special events is that these kids are incredibly easy to shop for. Gift wrap the right pair of sneakers, the right jersey, or some game tickets and you achieve instant "favorite relative" status. (Not that it's a competition, but still...)
At the same time, none of these gifts have the staying power of trading cards. Think about it. Kids outgrow shoes and jerseys almost as fast as they can try them on. And while (hopefully) producing memories to last a lifetime, the games themselves are over in 2-3 hours tops. Trading cards, meanwhile, are forever.
Collect @CaitlinClark22's hand picked highlights from her basketball journey in her exclusive Panini trading card set!
— Panini America (@PaniniAmerica) July 8, 2024
Chase Inserts like On Campus, Autographs and Parallels. Available now at select retailers.
More info here: https://t.co/vl55aMuTFg#WhoDoYouCollect pic.twitter.com/KFxjoVf8YX
Now, here's the bad news. If you're not yourself a collector, buying trading cards can be a pretty intimidating exercise. Good chance when you were a kid, it was as simple as heading to the local 7-Eleven or drug store and picking up some packs. Nowadays, good luck even finding trading cards at most of these places! What's more, if you do luck out and stumble upon some packs, exclusive licenses (yes, that's a thing) may mean that Caitlin or Steph or Angel won't have any cards in that particular product.
Head online, to eBay for example, and you encounter a whole new set of issues. How do you tell a real card from a fake one? (Sadly, counterfeits are a problem for the most popular athletes.) How do you know a good price from a bad one? What do all these random words in the listings even mean? "POP 6?" "Platinum Fire?" "Statue of Liberty Parallel?" Huh?? Make no mistake: the Starbucks effect has hit card collecting!
Fortunately, there are three simple solutions for getting the right cards at the right price with relatively little hassle.
Head to a card shop - Though not as prevalent as they once were, trading card shops can be found in most cities. (Find your closest ones here!) Furthermore, these shops will almost always carry a nice selection of cards when it comes to the most popular players. Even for mega-stars like Caitlin or Shohei, some may cost as little as a dollar while others will happily suit higher budgets. Just let the person behind the counter show you some options, whether individual cards or unopened packs that offer a shot at a particular player.
Phone a friend - Many adults collect cards these days that you may well have a friend you can turn to for assistance. Absent that, one of your friends may have a kid who collects and can offer advice. When buying trading cards, there's never the need to go it alone. And if you have a friend like Mr. Garcia (below), you may even come away with a matching shirt!
CAMERON BRINK Autograph on my designed card! Then I turned it into a #tshirt 🤩
— GarciaStudios (@GarciaStudios) September 8, 2024
🏀🎨 #GarciaStudios
#lasparks #cameronbrink #stanford #stanfordwbb #la #losangeles #wnba #wnbadraft #womenshoops #wnbaallstar #graphicdesign #sportsedits #basketball #basketballcards #nba pic.twitter.com/rseCO2P8oU
Just ask - Though you lose the element of surprise, sometimes the best way to buy cards for a kid is to ask them two simple questions: which cards do you want, and how do I buy them? How easy is that!
Without a doubt, the modern trading card universe is complicated and complex to navigate. "Too many choices" is great for the seasoned collectors out there, but it makes it almost impossible for non-collectors to get in on the action. Still, the tips I've provided should be enough to get you through the process with both your wits and your wallet intact.
Best of all, and here's the truth, there really aren't many smiles to match that of a kid who just nabbed cardboard of their favorite player. In fact, I'm hearing a result has just come in. The award for favorite relative goes to...
YOU! (At least as long as Uncle Bert doesn't ever do this again!) 🐶
JASON SCHWARTZ
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.