Baseball segment suffers sharpest decline, while basketball cards post big gain
The sports card market took another jolt in 1993, as millions of collectors dropped out of the hobby. A recent survey, commissioned by card-maker Action Packed and conducted by the NPD Group, found that 5 billion fewer cards were bought, a 30% decline to 11.7 billion. Because cards are more expensive, sales fell just 6% to $1.7 billion.
Among the four sports, the biggest --baseball-- showed the largest slump with 39% fewer cards sold. Football and hockey recorded smaller drops, while basketball cashed in on the Shaq attack with a 22% gain.
Many of the ex-collectors appear to be investors 'who thought they could make a quick killing in cards during the boom years,' explained Randall Chuck, director of market research at Action Packed. 'They discovered this is not the way to get rich quick.'
One problem caused by the slump is that some retail outlets have stopped stocking cards, making it harder for a parent to pick up the first pack that turns a child into a collector.
On the plus side, Chuck told PLAYTHINGS, half of the collectors are still under 14. Often, their first exposure to cards comes at food or drug stores, as well as toy stores, he noted.
Another market survey, conducted by Skybox Intl., found that total trading card sales topped the $2 billion level in 1993. This research indicates that the overall market for trading cards has held steady since 1992, but individual market segments have changed significantly.
The fastest-growing segment, according to Skybox, was basketball cards from a percentage (plus 45%) and dollar (plus-$125 million) level. Closely behind were trading cards based on comic characters (plus 41.5%) and other entertainment (non-sports) figures (plus 36.5%).
The recent surge in consumer collecting of basketball cards has been attributed to the growing interest in the sport because of the entry into the NBA of exciting, high profile players and personalities.
The growth in market share of comic and entertainment cards coincided with a dramatic rise in comic book sales, and an increase in the number of entertainment properties now featured on cards.
The Skybox research also indicated an overall decline in the 1993 retail sales of both baseball and football cards. Hockey cards experienced a modest sales gain. Skybox said its market survey was based on a combination of public records and surveys of distributors and retailers nationwide throughout 1993.
Skybox has released a trading card series inspired by Disney's latest animated feature film, 'The Lion King.' The cards were timed to hit the market two weeks before the movie release in June. The Lion King cards include story cards with gallery-quality art from the film, character cards highlighting each of the memorable characters, and two subsets. In addition to the 90 regular cards, packs will include three levels of bonus cards.
Skybox has also issued a 90-card series based on 'Home Improvement,' a prime time show on ABC-TV. The company also has released a 100-card set based on the making of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' and a 100-card 'Seaquest DSV' series.
Artist Dave Dorman has been commissioned to provide the artwork for a 90-card series featuring all the heroes and villains from the Ultraverse, due for August release.
In conjunction with the release of the Warner Bros. and Icon Productions' feature film, 'Maverick,' CARDZ Distribution will produce a special trading card set based on the movie and the original TV series. The 60-card set is produced under a license from Warner Bros. Consumer Products. The eight-card packs are made to retail for $1.49 each.
CARDZ has also published 'The Return of the Flintstones,' a 60-card set featuring that 'modern, stoneage family' in their original cartoon form.
Another 60-card set from CARDZ features characters from Tiny Toon Adventures, a popular TV cartoon show.
Pat Summerall's Best of the NFL subset and new Tekchrome II technology highlight the 336-card Playoff NFL cards out this month. Sportscaster Summerall has chosen the best 28 players of the 1993 season. The new printing technology is used on action shots of NFL players.
Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan stars on her own 88-card Topps series called, 'Nancy Kerrigan, My Diary.' The set includes family photos, Nancy skating from age 6, early championships, and highlights of her performances at the 1992 and '94 Winter Olympic Games. Each 10-card pack sells for $1.
Topps has also tipped off its first-ever Basketball's Finest set. The 220-card series includes 180 player cards, plus a 40-card subset featuring 10 of the best players in each of the NBA's four divisions.
Topps' 1994 Baseball's Finest will include two series of 220 cards each with no duplicates. The 440-card set features two 20-card subsets in each series.
Series I will include 20 of the top 1993 rookies and 20 superstars, while Series II will include 20 of the top 1994 rookies and 20 superstars.
In July, Topps will release the 682-card Bowman Baseball set. The set features the hottest prospects, rookies and the game's biggest stars.
Classic Games, in exclusive association with Midway Mfg. Co., has come out with Mortal Kombat trading cards based on the video game.
The 100-card set features playing tips for mastering the Mortal Kombat game, as well as graphic depictions of its characters in action. In addition to the basic set, Classic is randomly inserting preview cards of Mortal Kombat II with player tips for the newly released arcade game.
Classic is also kicking off its 1994 NFL Draft Picks. The 105-card series features the first licensed cards of 93 NFL Rookies, including Cincinnati Bengals #1 draft pick Dan Wilkinson, QBs Heath Shuler of the Washington Redskins and Trent Dilfer of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Indianapolis Colts RB Marshall Funk.
Collectors get their chance to 'Trade for Babe' via a special in-pack promotion offered in the Ted Williams Card Company's 1994 Series One baseball release. This 'Trade for Babe' special in-pack offer features 9,999 redeemable sets of a nine-card Babe Ruth collection. It can be secured by obtaining a special 'Trade for Babe' card which will be randomly inserted in foil packs.
The 224-card set, licensed by MLB Properties, includes minor leaguers, former Major League stars, Negro League greats, players from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and two current stars, Tim Salmon and Cliff Floyd.
Donruss has announced that its Leaf 1994 baseball cards will be issued in two series of 220 cards each. Production will be limited to less than 19,000 20-box cases. This is the lowest total production since the Leaf Set's debut in 1990 and represents a 25% decrease of last year's production. Frank Thomas, the Chicago White Sox star, continues as Leaf's spokesman.
Collect-A-Card plans an early June release of the second series of Power Rangers cards. The company reports a sellout of the first series, including the 72-card regular set and a 72-card subset of Power Foil etched cards, plus a 10-cap Power Caps subset.
Spectrum Holdings has introduced 'Thomas the Tank Engine & Friend' cards for children. The cards are available in a blister pack with 27 different cards and an interactive play card kit. The set includes: story cards, question and answer cards, character cards, how-to-count cards, sticker cards, and coloring cards.
Dizzy Dean and his brother Daffy, Lloyd and Paul Waner, and other famous brothers who played in the major leagues are featured in the 1994 edition of The Sporting News Conlon Collection, now available from Megacards. The 12-card subset is part of the fourth edition of The Conlon Collection, which consists of 330 black and white cards.
In addition, colorized cards of five baseball greats are randomly inserted in foil and blister packs of the cards. Hall of Fame players included are: Hal Newhouser, Hughie Jennings, Red Faber, Enos Slaughter and Johnny Mize.
