Showing up Charizard…. Fanatics and LeBron James teamed up for an exclusive trading-card contract. Sports merch master Fanatics pays 300+ teams and brands for the right to sell official jerseys, caps, and koozies. In 2022, it bought trading-card legend Topps for a reported $500M to sell MLB, NBA, and NFL cards. LeBron and Fanatics’ first card (signed by the MVP and his son Bronny) will kick off the collab when it goes on sale January 19. Demand’s hot:
Buzzer-beater: In 2021, a signed LeBron rookie card sold for $5.2M, while in 2022 a one-of-a-kind LeBron “Triple Logoman” card was auctioned for $2.4M.
Switching sides: Though deal #s are under wraps, experts say Fanatics could be paying LeBron $5M/yr. It ends a long partnership between LeBron and trading-card biz Upper Deck, which began sponsoring the NBA star in 2003.
Collectibles score big… Sports trading cards have shattered sales records as fans piled into the hobby during the pandemic. Even as the collectibles market cools, six-figure sales for vintage sports cards surged 14% last year. It's not just sports fans adding to their trophy room: cards have become hot alternative investments. Michael Jordan’s famous “Flu Game” sneakers sold for $105K in 2013, and a decade later were auctioned again for $1.4M.
“Blue chip” players can stay green for longer… Memorabilia featuring greats like Jordan and Babe Ruth can hold value more consistently since those MVPs already solidified their careers over decades, kind of like blue-chip companies. But legends still in the game, like LeBron, can keep gaining star power as they notch new milestones. The global market for sports memorabilia and trading cards is expected to 6x to $227B by 2030.