sports cards: is the hobby losing sight of its roots?

Modern collectors are more interested in money than a collection

SPORTS | December 2025

Whatnot is a live-streaming marketplace app where consumers can buy and sell items through live shows. With virtual auctioning apps like Whatnot, it has become easier to obtain and sell sports cards at high rates. The auctions are often fast-paced and are sudden death, meaning there is no cool down time between bids. Viewers swipe to bid and the person who pays the most amount before the timer is done gets the item. The app has some positives and negatives; a buyer could potentially purchase a card for lower than its market value. However, there is a chance of being scammed.

Whatnot has a feature that allows a seller to cancel a sold item so they are no longer obligated to ship it. The app also recently reformed the policy regarding mystery packs (“repacks”), blocking sellers from creating their own packs and requiring them to buy from another party. This does not address the issue of sellers posting fake ceiling prices. For example, a seller could value a pack's most expensive card at $300, when in reality, the worth of the highest-value card is only $100.

Another issue centers on popular vendors. Viewers watching live streams may see a common dynamic of high-status streamers pressuring their buyers to "bid up" or pay over "comps," price comparisons to similar cards. Due to the fast-paced nature of the app, it's impossible to know the true price of a card, making overpaying a common occurrence.

Instead of being an exciting hobby full of collecting favorite players or teams, sports cards are becoming more like a stock market. Now, collectors buy players when their market is highest as opposed to purchasing cards of a player or prospect they admire and appreciate. For example, in 2019, rookie cards of the Knicks' RJ Barrett were a hot commodity, and his Prizm Silver, in a PSA 10 (perfectly graded by Professional Sports Authenticator), was selling for over $900. As of October 2025, the same card could be purchased for around $28.

YouTuber, sports card seller, collector, and former member of the Filipino National Basketball Team, Troy Rike, known online as Trike Sports Cards, has found the balance between being able to appreciate the collecting and the selling aspects of the hobby.

When did you first feel that the hobby was shifting away from pure collecting to money-driven flipping?

When I was a kid, the hobby was very much driven by collecting, which was really nice. However, when I got back into cards in 2020, during the COVID era, it was very money driven, and that’s where a lot of people left the hobby. After more people left, it found a better balance, and today, I think there's room for both. Obviously, I'm biased, and maybe I don't have the best collecting perspective because, ever since I've been an adult, it's been money-focused, and cards are my full-time job.

Do you think new collectors today are missing something older collectors grew up with?

New collectors are missing that pure innocence. When I was a kid, all I cared about was collecting. I wasn't really thinking about money or making money. I think that kids these days and newer collectors have a lot more options, a lot more products and they're just more knowledgeable. When I was a kid, I was a pure collector, but I also got ripped off a lot. I like to think it doesn't happen to kids as much now. There's a lot of sharks in the water, and these kids know what they're doing.

How do you balance enjoying your collection with knowing its financial value?

For me, the balance is really simple. I basically don't care about the monetary value at all. I collect John Collins, I collect Wake Forest, I collect some soccer cards, and if someone told me those cards are all worth $0 right now, that wouldn't bother me one bit because I like those cards. They bring me joy, and I didn't spend a ton of money to get them. Then I have my investments, which is technically a collection. When you're buying and being like, “Okay, this is something I know isn't going to hold its value” versus something that's an investment can help a lot. When the lines blur, that's when you get into trouble, and you can get upset about things and potentially lose money.

What’s one card in your collection that captures the spirit of why you collect, not because of its price, but because of its meaning?

The number one card in my collection is definitely the John Collins 2017 Flawless Wake Forest 1/1 Auto. That card encapsulates my whole journey. I got into the hobby because I wanted to collect John Collins, my former Wake Forest basketball teammate, and that is his best card in a Wake Forest jersey. If I could have any card in the hobby, it'd be that one. It connects me to a time I had in college and great memories with a great friend. It also just sums up why I love collecting. I feel like that card is literally made for me, and it's in my collection, which is great.

Do you worry that repacks are pulling the hobby away from its roots?

Repacks, especially for kids, concern me a little bit. I wish that they just had time to enjoy collecting a little more, but there's always going to be negative aspects of the hobby. It obviously is more prevalent now, but I am hopeful because I think, if you want to be a true collector, you can do it. Even though there's all this other stuff going on, there's a very big lane for you to do what you want and just focus on collecting.