As a kid in the ’90s, opening packs of trading cards was my Zen garden. It didn’t matter what sport it was – or if the cards were even sports-related – sitting on my bedroom floor and tearing open the packs, filled with hope and anticipation of what cards might be in each pack, was an unbeatable thrill. I still have my 1992-1993 Fleer Ultra Shaq All Rookie Series insert, which I pulled out of a pack that season and knew immediately it would be a perennial favorite.

Then, with the card wrappers scattered all around me, it was time to sort the cards according to an endless number of ever-changing criteria. A pile for the best players, a pile for my favorite teams, a pile for the coolest inserts, or the cards I would trade with my friends. I was never good at keeping my room clean or organizing my schoolwork, but I always knew exactly which binder page each of my Michael Jordan and Ken Griffey Jr. cards was on.

Of course, like so many other young collectors, I got a little older and decided there were better ways to spend my limited funds. And like so many others, I got even older and realized I was wrong and returned to a hobby that gave me so much joy.

And now for something I am very happy to announce: I will The athlete‘s new sports memorabilia and collectibles division. I honestly can’t believe I can combine my two passions, sports journalism and collecting, in this way.

In recent years, since the resurgence in popularity of trading cards and other collectibles during the pandemic lockdown, it has become clear that more media coverage of this industry is not only desired, but necessary. We have reached an interesting point in the collecting hobby where things are coming together that are not always compatible. A pastime that has community and collecting at its core is now receiving a sudden influx of money, commercialization, and attempts at consolidation. This is driving rapid growth, but also making what was once a simple activity infinitely complex.

That’s why comprehensive coverage is so important. Newcomers need trustworthy guidance as they navigate a hobby that can quickly become expensive. Experienced collectors need news, data and in-depth reporting to keep up with a rapidly changing industry. The athleteCollectibles coverage offers all that and more.

Thanks to our partnership with eBay, our coverage includes exclusive data and insights from the world’s largest collectibles marketplace that are invaluable to any collector. It also includes the stories behind iconic, historically significant items like the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card or Babe Ruth’s playing gear, as well as things that have far more emotional value than monetary. It includes analysis on new products and the growing market for women’s sports collectibles. You’ll get inside look at key industry events like the National Sports Collectors Convention with insights from a variety of perspectives. It covers all sports and types of collectibles. It will also cover: The athlete‘s existing coverage of the release of new uniforms and jerseys.

Above all, we want to highlight what makes this hobby fun, shed light on the dark corners of the field and make the whole thing more accessible in order to allow a vibrant community to continue to grow.

A team dedicated exclusively to covering sports memorabilia and collectibles for The athlete will join me. We will also publish contributions from our unrivalled newsroom, which is full of collectors. This will add even more depth to our stories and take advantage of direct access to the players and organizations that make up the collectors’ universe, from the writers who know them best.

First, read our story about the strangely convoluted rise of rookie cards, let us know what you think about the hobby in our collectors poll, and follow our Collectibles section in The athlete App.

We hope that you enjoy our reporting as much as we enjoyed producing it.

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(Top image: Getty; Cindy Ord, Chris Hondros/Newsmakers, Authenticated News, Rich Fury, Tim Clayton/Corbis; Design: Dan Goldfarb)