The hushed tones of men huddled over display cases, the deals made in boys’ middle school gym locker rooms, fathers passing down their collections to their sons — sports card collecting has long been seen as a male-dominated hobby. But Anna Kim, La Tonya Hampton, and Alex McFarlane are three women determined to break the stereotypes.
Their knowledge of stats, passion for sports, and sharp eye for undervalued gems rival those of any expert in the field, and eBay has been an integral part of their collecting journey. In their own words, these three women share their experiences.
Anna Kim, soccer card collector and full-time eBay sports cards seller of three year
I’m Korean-American and soccer is a big deal in my family. When kids are younger, most children have played soccer at some point. Typically speaking, girls only have a couple sports offered to them, softball and soccer. So, soccer trading cards are a big interest of mine. A few years ago at card shows, some people were shocked that soccer cards even existed.
eBay is a big part of how I acquire and sell cards. I appreciate how the marketplace offers plenty of overseas buyers. On the flip side, I am able to acquire cards through eBay safely. People trade stocks all the time, but it’s not as fun as sports cards. eBay is the basis for much of the card market prices. No other platform has a better global reach than eBay, especially for soccer.
The hobby has always been male-dominated, and I don’t think it’s necessarily anyone’s fault. I felt like I needed to prove that I know what I’m doing, that I am as active as any male in the hobby, almost like needing to build street cred. I now see more and more female interest at the card shows. I see more little girls coming to the card shows. That’s a good sign of more interest.
La Tonya Hampton discovered a love for collecting sports cards during the pandemic.
Instagram: @shiyabeautiful Credit: La Tonya Hampton
La Tonya Hampton, Formula 1 enthusiast and host of The Apex Takeover podcast
My dad was in the Navy and that influenced me to love anything that went fast. I used to watch NASCAR as a kid, and my brothers and I put cards in the spokes of our bicycles to sound like motorbikes. I always liked fast machines, especially Formula 1 race cars. But I didn’t collect cards until I began my racing podcast during the pandemic. A friend sent me a Pierre Gasly card when he won the Italian Grand Prix in 2020. I was like, wait a minute. What’s going on here? They make Formula 1 cards? That catapulted me into collecting.
Stephanie Travers is the first Black woman to ever stand on top of a Formula 1 podium. So, I did a lot of campaigns shouting her out on Instagram, and she started to see my stories. Then I messaged her, and she agreed to come on my podcast. I really wanted to show my appreciation to her for all her work being a woman, a woman who’s an engineer in Formula 1 and a woman of color. When you make room for women, you make room for everybody.
I’m constantly checking eBay. I use it as a barometer to check the market of the hobby, especially cards I want to purchase. I can compare prices for specific cards while at trade shows. If I like it, I’ll just buy the card on eBay and that’s it.
Alex McFarlane’s enthusiasm for the hobby began at five years old.
Instagram: @alexacollects Credit: Alex McFarlane
Alex McFarlane, sports trading card enthusiast in Melbourne, Australia
I’m 24 now and I’ve been into cards since I was about five years old. My dad really got me into the hobby. It was something we grew together doing. I have fond memories as a child buying individual card packs of our national sport, Australian rules football. At first, it was just for the sake of opening packs. Then, I started watching the NBA and collecting became fun. I took a hiatus from collecting in high school. I amassed quite a lot of cards, hundreds and hundreds, by then.
eBay is my main source of cards for my collection. I have a post box in America where I have everything shipped just to hold cards—the United States is the biggest card market. In Australia, we only have three or four sports card stores in the whole country. When the box is filled, I have everything sent to me in a single package.
I never felt uncomfortable in the hobby as a woman. I just like collecting cards; I never thought I’m sort of outnumbered here by men. I’ve had no negative experiences as well. I know my stuff about cards. I’ve always had positive interactions and never felt any different. Everyone’s been very welcoming. I’m part of a big community, it’s not just a male community and female community. It’s so cliche, but really, just collect what you love.