Investors seeking new sources of cash flow and capital appreciation are increasingly turning their attention to trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other prized collectibles as rare assets emerge as a new frontier for wealth creation.

For generations, collecting was driven by passion, memory, and fandom. People bought cards because they loved the player, the team, or the character, then tucked them away in binders, boxes, and basements.

Today, those prized possessions are attracting serious investment capital, with better grading, stronger resale platforms, and growing access to market data transforming how collectibles are bought, valued, and traded.

The scale of the opportunity is substantial, according to Research and Markets, which estimates the global collectibles market will reach US$480.75 billion by 2033, growing at approximately 5.7% annually.

The trading card sector, a major driver of the collectibles boom, is poised for even faster growth, with Grand View Research forecasting the global market could approach US$54 billion by 2033.

As more money flows into collectibles, businesses are finding new ways to profit from buying and selling rare assets while holding prized cards and memorabilia that could rise in value over time, says Sheldon Chang, founder and CEO of Vancouver-based Vaultible Collectibles Corp.

Vaultible is pursuing both opportunities as it prepares for a public listing, combining ownership of rare, investment-grade collectibles with STAXX, its wholly owned trading card subsidiary, which generates revenue through mystery box and trading card repackaging sales.

"I want to create the world's first publicly traded company that offers investors exposure to the whole collectibles industry," Chang said.

Vaultible's wholly owned subsidiary STAXX is central to its strategy to generate operating cash flow while building a portfolio of rare, investment-grade collectibles.

Described by Vaultible as Canada's leading mystery box and trading card repackaging company, STAXX sells its products through Whatnot, eBay Live, Walmart, Amazon, and Let's Collect Cards, with reported margins of 30%.

Chang says the company plans to scale STAXX's operations to generate more cash flow for Vaultible, building on its existing sales channels and growing demand for trading cards.

Vaultible previously reported that STAXX had a 2026 annual revenue run rate of C$420,000 and estimated EBITDA of C$120,000.

The business provides an operating revenue stream alongside Vaultible's holdings of rare cards and sports memorabilia, creating two potential sources of value through trading card sales and the possible long-term appreciation of collectible assets.

Vaultible says it has raised approximately C$2 million to date and is targeting a public listing in the first quarter of 2027.

Its collection already includes game-used memorabilia associated with hockey stars Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, and Wayne Gretzky.

Chang, who has spent a lifetime collecting, says the past two years have marked a significant shift in the market.

"I've seen the ups and downs of the market," he said. "But what's been happening in the last two years is unprecedented."

"This is now no longer simply being viewed as a collectible or as a hobby," he said. "This is viewed very much as an alternative asset class."

He describes the current cycle as a nostalgia boom, driven partly by collectors who grew up with Pokémon, hockey cards, basketball cards, and other pieces of popular culture and now have greater purchasing power.

That demand is being reinforced by the investment performance of certain collectible categories.

Vaultible cites Card Ladder data showing Pokémon cards rising 5,719% cumulatively since 2004, compared with 540% for the S&P 500 over the same period. Football, basketball, baseball, and hockey cards also outperformed the stock market benchmark in that dataset.

At the top end of the market, rarity, historical significance, and condition can command extraordinary prices.

A PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card once owned by YouTube personality and entrepreneur Logan Paul sold in February for approximately US$16.5 million, setting a record for the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction. PSA 10 is the highest grade awarded by Professional Sports Authenticator and indicates a card in exceptional condition.

Vaultible is focusing on what collectors call grail-tier assets: the rare and historically significant cards and memorabilia that sit at the top end of the market.

"What the data shows us is actually that portion of the market, those grail-tier collectibles, especially vintage, actually exhibit the lowest volatility, but the most sustainable growth over time," he said.

For individual investors, buying a rare card is only part of the challenge. Determining its value, authenticating it, arranging secure storage and insurance, and finding a buyer when it is time to sell all require specialized knowledge.

"Theoretically anybody can go and buy their own collectibles," Chang said. "The issue is most people don't know what to buy. They don't know where to start."

"At the high end, access becomes another barrier. You either don't have the connections to go buy those cards, or you don't have the capital to do it," he said.

Chang says Vaultible is concentrating on trading cards and sports memorabilia because its team has experience in those markets.

"I want to be able to provide value to investors," he said. "That value is the expertise in the space, and that's the team that we’ve built."

The company says much of its card inventory is held in professional vaults operated by firms including PSA and Fanatics, where assets can be stored in climate-controlled conditions and insured.

Selling an individual collectible can also be costly.

Chang notes that someone trying to sell a C$10,000 card quickly through a dealer may receive only C$7,500 or C$8,000 because the dealer assumes the risk of finding another buyer.

Vaultible's planned public-market structure would provide an alternative to purchasing individual cards, allowing investors to gain exposure to a company holding collectible assets and operating businesses.

The volume of money flowing through trading card markets is another indication of the industry's growing commercial potential.

Chang says publicly tracked trading card sales reached approximately US$700 million in June and July before climbing above US$900 million in August, excluding private deals, card shows, and person-to-person transactions.

The expanding market is also drawing prominent investors, professional athletes, and established investment firms.

In August, CardVault by Tom Brady announced a new strategic investor group that included Jay-Z, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, UFC President and CEO Dana White, and RedBird Capital founder Gerry Cardinale. Executives from Silver Lake, Fenway Sports Group, and the Kraft Group were also among the investors.

CardVault has grown from three stores to 17 since Brady acquired a 50% stake in 2025.

For Chang, the arrival of high-profile investors reflects the increasing amount of capital entering the industry.

"It just adds more liquidity, adds more demand into collectibles," he said.

Despite growing interest, collectibles remain harder to value than listed securities. Prices can fluctuate with consumer trends, athlete performance, and economic conditions.

Authentication and counterfeiting remain concerns, while some rare assets can be difficult to sell quickly at fair value.

Chang says buyers need to distinguish between collecting for personal enjoyment and acquiring assets for financial returns.

"If you're buying collectibles alone by yourself, buy what you love," he said. "If you're buying it as an investment, it's better to have experts in the space that can guide you and make those purchases."

The growing investment interest in collectibles will be on display in Vancouver when the Vancity Card Show brings collectors, dealers, and industry participants together from October 2 to 4 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West.

Vaultible Collectibles and Capital Event Management (CEM) are among the sponsors of the event, which will showcase the expanding market for trading cards and sports memorabilia.

For Vaultible, the show provides an opportunity to introduce its investment strategy to a wider audience as it prepares for a public listing in 2027 and works to expand STAXX.

With STAXX already selling through major online marketplaces and reporting margins of 30%, Vaultible plans to scale its trading operations to generate cash flow while building a portfolio of rare collectibles for potential long-term appreciation.

Warm Regards and Happy Investing,

Fabian Dawson

Each week, CEM Partner and Portfolio Manager, Ryan Iverson, spotlights the ideas and companies sparking investor interest form emerging growth stories to the Top Pick featured across CEM’s Capital Events. This series brings real insights from the annotators shaping tomorrow’s markets and reveals where investors are finding the next breakout opportunities.

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