Hockey cards have long captured the hearts of fans, allowing them to enjoy the thrill of the sport and the excitement of collecting something of great value. These cards are cherished the most because they capture memorable stories of moments and players. With the growing popularity of hockey, the demand for hockey trading cards has increased significantly, making them valuable investments as collectibles.
Explore the reasons why hockey cards are worth collecting, the value factors, and helpful tips to make the right choices.
Why Everyone Loves Collecting Hockey Cards?
People have many reasons for collecting hockey cards. For many, it is a way to feel a deeper connection with the game and its history. However, there are many more reasons for collecting hockey base cards, insert cards, rookie cards, game-used cards, parallel cards, and autographed cards. And these reasons can make these collectibles more valuable:
- Supporting Favorite Players & Teams: Cards collection is a great way to show your support for your favorite players and teams.
- Meeting Other Fans: Collecting cards also creates exciting opportunities for meeting other hockey fans. Meeting other like-minded fans can help you learn new secrets of the sport.
- Investment: With the growth in popularity and demand, the price of these cards follows a positive trend. Once you know how to find the right cards and hold them for the right amount of time, you can generate significant profits.
Collecting hockey cards is also a great way to introduce your friends and families to the sport.
Hockey Cards & Their Value Factors
If you want to make the most of hockey card collection and investment, it is important to understand the value factors involved. The most influential factors include:
- Popularity of Player: Cards having players such as Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky tend to attract higher prices due to their greater fan following.
- Rarity: Cards available in small numbers tend to have greater demand and appreciate in value faster.
- Condition: A card’s physical condition also has a significant impact on its value. This is why there is so much emphasis on protected storage techniques to maintain card condition over the long term.
- Market Trends: Player and team performances, the latest events, and market shifts, all can affect card values.
Tips for Hockey Card Collectors
It is recommended to follow these tips if you want to turn hockey card collection into a lucrative investment practice:
Understand the Purchases
Make sure to do your research and stay up-to-date on players, teams, trends, and trades. Be clear about the reasons you will be purchasing cards. This can include reasons such as:
- You are a big fan of a player or the player plays for your home team
- You like to collect goal scorers because they tend to attract a lot of attention
- You notice a trend
- A certain player has suddenly become ‘hot
Whatever the reason, it is important to know why you are buying. This can help you assign a rationale to your decision and the value the card carries.
Consider Players Who Have Reached a Milestone
As a general rule, players who have achieved a certain milestone in their careers become highly collectible. They are referred to as blue-chip prospects among investors. Milestones have the power to strengthen card values over time, making them less volatile and more reliable.
Consider Your Price Range
As a smart investor, it is important to understand your price range and collect cards within it. You should emphasize affordability when planning out your purchases.
- Always try to stay within your budget
- Avoid being driven by your passion for the hobby
- Try to find and buy the best hockey card that is within your budget
- Do not follow your peers who are buying more advanced cards
It is recommended to build a collection around a certain theme. For example, you can consider collecting 500 goal-scorers in the NHL. Look for themes that are rare and so will be the cards. So, make sure to follow the above-mentioned tips if you want to become a great investor in hockey cards.
