Story by Coleman Robbins, reporting from the National Sports Collectors Convention.
CHICAGO—When the doors opened at the 45th annual National Sports Collectors Convention—held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL—tens of thousands poured in, but one thing stood out: this wasn’t just a gathering of longtime hobbyists. Alongside autograph signings from legends like Albert Pujols, Reggie Jackson, and Mariano Rivera, an exciting new chapter emerged: the youth collector movement took center stage.
This year’s National Sports Collectors Convention debuted the Youth Collectors Clubs Initiative, a partnership with former MLB star Curtis Granderson’s Chicagoland Baseball and Educational Academy. Designed to cultivate a new generation of enthusiasts, the program seeks to “ignite a passion for the hobby in young collectors while guiding them through lessons in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, negotiation, design, and community building skills that can shape future career paths.” –Baseball America
“A packed trading pit at the 45th National Sports Collectors Convention in Rosemont, where the next generation of collectors—many still in their teens—bartered, swapped, and built their collections with the same intensity as industry veterans.”
The energy of the young collectors was palpable across the convention floor, groups of teenagers and young adults sat cross-legged in circles negotiating deals and running quick comps on their phones. The convention floor has transformed into a hub of nonstop action, driven by young hobbyists who treat card dealing with the same energy as fantasy sports or stock trading.
“The Whatnot ‘All-Star Weekend’ stage brought live streaming into the spotlight, with giant leaderboards, giveaways, and streamers ripping packs open to thousands of fans online in real time.”
Just steps away from the fierce negotiations, the Whatnot All-Star Weekend stage became a centerpiece of the convention. Giant digital leaderboards tracked live contests, raffles, and card breaking (“breaking refers to the practice of opening multiple boxes or cases of a product at the same time, and then distributing the cards to a larger group of paying customers”.-Topps) , while influencers streamed the action to thousands watching online. Just as impossible as it was to miss the youth movement, it was equally clear that influencers—streaming themselves ripping packs open live to thousands of fans—have become a central part of the convention.
Whatnot, Drip, Fanatics Live, and other platforms have blurred the line between in person and digital participation, allowing collectors who couldn’t travel to Rosemont to still join the action. In turn, expanding the audience beyond the convention walls, while also giving young collectors a sense they’re part of a massive connected community.
Across the convention, content creators and influencers were impossible to miss—whether live streaming deals, opening packs, vlogging the show floor, or simply talking shop with fans, they attracted swarms of kids in jerseys eager for selfies and shoutouts.
“Influencers mingled with collectors on the show floor, drawing crowds of teens eager to meet their favorite online personalities in person.”
For many young collectors, meeting their favorite streamer rivals, meeting Hall of Fame athletes—for the next generation, digital personalities can hold just as much importance as retired legends.
“It wasn’t just sports cards drawing attention—Pokémon and other trading card games made a major showing, with collectors even carrying backpack display cases to show off their prized Charizards and grails.”
While sports cards still dominate the convention, Pokémon and other trading card games carved out a major presence this year. The crossover has been accelerated by livestream platforms, where a rare Charizard pull can generate the same hype as a 1-of-1 rookie patch auto. The sight of collectors carrying backpack display cases filled with graded Pokémon cards became a familiar one on the show floor—a walking showcase of the hobby’s expanding reach.
Ross “Coop” Cooper is a Pokémon card collector from Virginia who goes to card conventions and gives away cards for free while live streaming to his followers. Coop runs the YouTube channel Coop’s Collection, amassing 1.05 million subscribers and 532 million views on YouTube. Coop posted on his Facebook after attending the convention this year, “Had a great time at The National Sports Collectors Convention”-Facebook. Others, like talon_sportscards (13. 7K subscribers), have followed Coop’s lead, gifting cards and memorabilia to fans in front of a large online audience.
The influx of kids and teens into the convention signals something very important: the future of collecting is safe—and it’s social.
Young collectors are more digitally fluent than their older counterparts, enabling them to flip cards on Discord or Whatnot without face to face meetings. For many, card trading doubles as their first taste of business—learning valuable skillings in negotiation, value assessment, and networking. Whether in livestream chats or on the trading floor, youth are strengthening the hobby’s sense of community and collaboration.
With over 100,000 attendees and a show floor spanning half a million square feet, the National Sports Collectors Convention continues to grow. But, the biggest transformation isn’t in size—it’s the shift toward youth and digital culture.
From packed trading pits to booming livestreams, from influencers mingling with fans to kids pulling grails from packs, Rosemont 2025 made one thing clear: a new generation is rewriting the hobby in their own image.
