Real estate so yesterday? Investing in old sports and game cards is suddenly the rage
From a Wayne Gretzky rookie card to a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, to first edition Pokémon sets, memorabilia lovers are paying astounding sums to get their hands on coveted items.
The collector craze began around the start of the pandemic, and has been gaining momentum ever since. And despite the hit to the economy, the value of coveted memorabilia keeps climbing.
Ken Richardson, owner of Pastime Sports and Games in Langley, B.C., says he was preparing himself and his business for the worst when the pandemic hit. Instead, he said it’s been his most successful season in 30 years in business.
“It has exceeded expectations,” Richardson said. “We are definitely at a high point of interest, and hopefully we can keep that interest going.”
He pointed to the recent auctions of rare Wayne Gretzky rookie cards as an example. One sold in December for US$1.29 million. Five months later, another sold for $3.75 million USD.
Among his vast selection of collector items, Richardson has a Gretzky card for sale. It’s in good condition but not the much sought after Gem Mint 10. Just like his “low grade” 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, it would fetch a pretty penny, but not in the millions.
Just about everyone is spending a lot more time at home, and may be going through old boxes and finding past treasures which they then put up for sale.
Richardson said what’s in demand is cyclical. At the moment, soccer, basketball and Pokémon cards are hot.
There are many theories for this collectors gold rush. Those who still have work aren’t spending as much money on shopping or going out to eat, and may have extra cash to spend. Others are simply looking for new ways to invest.
“Many people were looking to diversify their assets and put them into things that were non-traditional,” Richardson said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.