Why I started Cardboard Sports Kingdom
The Past
I've collected sports cards, particularly baseball cards, virtually my entire life. I remember the joy of walking into a mini-mart, picking up a pack of Topps wax packs for just $0.35, and ripping it open. Those days when a local card shop was present in every neighborhood were some of my favorites, as I could hardly wait to get out of school and have my mom take me to the shop so I could spend my allowance on trading cards.
The Present
The current sports card market, particularly for baseball cards, is geared toward heavy spenders and breakers who rip open boxes of trading cards online for donations and make money opening wax packs that I wish I could open. Not everyone has hundreds or thousands of dollars to enjoy what once was a hobby but is now a business focused on a smaller, high-spending market.
The Present Continued
Local card shops are becoming increasingly hard to find, and the few that exist often lack a diverse inventory of baseball cards or other trading cards. Instead of being able to just buy one pack of Topps wax packs, you typically have to purchase an entire box. This means that unless you're willing to spend as much on shipping as you would on a single pack, enjoying the hobby of collecting vintage sports cards is a challenge. Instead, collectors can only access the current year's releases, which usually also require buying a hobby box instead of just a single pack.
The Future
At Cardboard Sports Kingdom, I am passionate about sports cards, especially baseball cards, and want everyone to have access to affordable options. My goal is to bring back the local card shop feel with the convenience of online shopping. That’s why I started this site: to give more people access to individual packs of their favorite sets from the past, including popular brands like Topps. I aim to revive the joy of ripping open wax packs and collecting trading cards featuring your favorite players and sets, because collecting is not just for the breakers.