Soccer Slabs see Surge in Price and Popularity
With all eyes on the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship (Euros), Beckett graded soccer cards have seen a spike in demand. One of the greatest of all time, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, and France’s poster boy, Kylian Mbappe, are two of many European stars seeing their cards increase in value. These two heavily sought-after players have made major impacts for their respective countries and aim to make a run in the tournament. As of now, France has locked in their spot to move on from Group F, the group of death, while Portugal is fighting for their spot in the knockout rounds. Expect demand for their cards to continue to rise, regardless of how far both players make it in the tournament. Soccer cards, in general, are growing in popularity and with the Euros ongoing and the World Cup on tap for 2022, expect to see collecting, trading, and grading increasing in the sport.
In April, a 2018 BGS 9 Kylian Mbappe Gold World Cup Sticker slab sold for a 170% increase over another Beckett Grading Services (BGS) 9 of the same sticker, only a few days apart. As values appear to be increasing rapidly, soccer collectors are leveraging Beckett to ensure the most value is generated from their cards.
Video game figureheads are turning their attention to the hobby as sports cards spill over into gaming. Edwin Castro, also known as Castro1021, is one of the premier FIFA YouTubers and Twitch streamers. While he primarily streams the popular FIFA series, he has recently started opening packs of soccer cards on his channel. When discussing cards on a stream recently, he mentioned a BGS graded Ronaldinho card that his friend had purchased, noting Beckett as “the best there is.” It is widely known throughout the sports card hobby that BGS is a premier grading service when it comes to cards, stickers, tickets, etc. BGS graded card values continue to climb, and it doesn’t hurt that streamers and YouTubers promote Beckett and acknowledge Beckett’s expertise.
With the recent release of 2020-21 Panini Impeccable English Premier League Soccer and 2020-21 Panini Chronicles Soccer, the soccer card market should see a spike in new, high-end cards. The Premier League’s best and brightest stars are featured in these sets. Collectors and traders will be eager to get their new Impeccable and Chronicles cards graded and protected.
