By Jeff Peterson, editor-in-chief, PostPress
The trading card industry continues on a positive trajectory. Just the sporting trading card industry alone expects to reach over $2881.7 million by 2028. The industry was strong before the pandemic, but COVID-19 sparked a resurgence that has continued today and is expected to continue well into the future. Other trends that have sparked growth include NFT (non-fungible tokens) integration that offers a novel digital experience, increases in special editions and autographs, and the overall online marketplace that has facilitated the ease of buying and selling trading cards.
At the core of the design of today’s trading cards is the use of specialty embellishments to help create differentiation and value. The creativity and application of metallics, specialty UV coatings, laminates and other embellishments continue to grow and prosper.
At the recent 2024 Print Embellishment Conference (sponsored by FSEA), one of the panels included a group of experts involved in the production of sporting and gaming trading cards. With the conference taking place in Dallas, Texas, the epicenter for trading card production in the US, the event provided a perfect landscape to bring sources together from different sections of the production process. The panel included Brandon Lesley, Fanatics; Jim Singer, Brodnax 21C Packaging; Stefan Congram, Cartamundi; and Doug Fontana, Xplor Group.
