45M
Trading cards sold on eBay in 2020
eBay reported nearly 45 million trading cards sold during 2020, across sports cards and collectible card games.
Source: eBay, published 2021A COLLECTOR’S REFERENCE
Trading card collecting statistics.
Useful numbers are better when they come with the date and the source. This is a plain-spoken reference for writers, collectors and anyone trying to put the modern trading-card hobby in context.
Last updated October 30, 2026. Each number below keeps the reporting period from its original source.
AT A GLANCE
A marketplace that got very busy, very fast.
These figures describe different moments and measures, not one single market-size estimate. Taken together, they show why good record-keeping, clear listings and patience still matter in a hobby that moves between tables, mailboxes and online marketplaces.
41M+
New trading-card listings in 2020
eBay said more than 41 million new listings were created in its trading-card category during the same year.
Source: eBay, published 2021142%
Domestic trading-card sales growth
eBay reported a 142% rise in U.S. trading-card sales in 2020 compared with 2019, an increase of more than four million cards.
Source: eBay, published 202190
Cards sold per minute on eBay
Across the year measured by eBay, the marketplace averaged 90 trading-card sales per minute.
Source: eBay, published 2021119
Cards listed per minute on eBay
eBay also reported an average of 119 trading-card listings created per minute during its 2020 measurement period.
Source: eBay, published 2021$2B
Trading-card sales in the first half of 2021
eBay’s 2021 recommerce report said U.S. trading-card sales on its marketplace reached $2 billion in the first half of that year.
Source: eBay Recommerce Report, 2021A LITTLE CONTEXT
The hobby is bigger than one sales number.
Marketplace figures are helpful, but they only describe activity on one platform during a specific period. They do not tell us how many cards are stored in binders, traded at shows, sold privately or sent through the mail. That is why this page keeps the source and the date beside every statistic instead of turning a moment in the hobby into a sweeping promise.
For collectors, the useful takeaway is simpler: the details are worth checking. Set, card number, condition, photographs, return policy and postage can all matter more than a big headline number. If you are shopping for one particular piece, our sports card singles notes offer a practical place to start.
MAIL STILL MATTERS
The envelope is part of the story.
108.7B
Total mailpieces handled by USPS in fiscal year 2025
That broad total includes many kinds of mail and packages, not only collector mail. It is useful perspective for anyone who still enjoys the ordinary ritual of sending or receiving a card.
Source: U.S. Postal Service, fiscal year 2025For a collector mailing an autograph request, the point is not the national total. It is the reminder to check the current size, shape and postage guidance before sending anything you would hate to lose. The through-the-mail beginner’s guide covers that routine in more detail.
HOW TO READ THESE NUMBERS
Sources and methodology.
This page uses figures published by the organization that gathered them. eBay data describes activity on eBay during the specific periods named. USPS figures describe system-wide mail volume during the stated fiscal year. Those measures should not be added together or treated as a complete valuation of the hobby.
For a particular card, the details that matter can be much narrower than a marketplace trend. Check the exact set, card number, condition, photographs and listing terms before treating any broad number as a guide to one specific card.
- eBay trading-card marketplace data for 2020
- eBay State of Trading Cards report, published 2021
- eBay Recommerce Report, 2021
- U.S. Postal Service total mail volume, fiscal year 2025
Citing this page
Bonin’s Briefs, “Trading Card Collecting Statistics,” updated October 30, 2026, https://boninsbriefs.com/trading-card-statistics. Please link to the specific statistic anchor when one is useful.