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
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.