Pope Leo was invested as the first American-born Pope on May 8. Whatever he might have achieved for the Catholic Church in that short time, he has sent trading card prices rocketing.
On June 26, a Pope Leo XIV card sold for $16,500 in an online auction at the Fanatics site.
It is certified by CGC (Certified Guarantee Company) and has a condition rating of 9 from them.
The card was issued by TOPPS, probably the most famous trading card maker.
Pope Leo at the Vatican earlier this year. The first American Pope is a big baseball fan and may well be thrilled to be in the collecting card field in his own right.
Their baseball cards (and other sports issues) are legendary. But they also produce occasional special editions, called NOW cards, to mark noteworthy events. Including the election of an American Pope, who is a big fan of the Chicago White Sox baseball team.
The card that sold last month was a created rarity. TOPPS place what they call parallels into packs of trading cards. These cards are slightly different to the standard “base” card and so become instant collectibles.
This card was a parallel SuperFractor, a 1 of 1 issue, usually with a spiral design on the background that causes light to reflect and refract.
The rear of the card, which has been graded, authenticated and sealed for safe keeping. Image courtesy of CGC.
A red-coloured parallel card, of which just 5 were issued, was auctioned for $3,300 earlier in June.
Pope Leo XIV is proving unusually popular for a Pontiff with trading card buyers.
The New York Times reports that the Pope’s NOW card is the best selling non-sports issue of all time.
By May 12, at least 133,535 cards had been sold.
They are printed to order, and issues are time limited.
Trading cards are highly collectible. Sports cards were originally added to packaging to give customers an incentive to pick a brand. The first cards were stiffening packaging used in cigarette boxes, but bubblegum and sweets soon became the most popular vehicle to carry them.
Collecting them developed from a school-kid hobby into a highly developed and valuable secondary market, and a big business producing cards specifically to be collected and traded.
Collectors chase the most valuable cards around auction sites and conventions and there’s so much cash to be made that they have to be on the lookout for frauds and fakes.
The most valuable cards are now legendary: the Honus Wagner T206 from 1909 to 1911 has made over $7.2 million at auction. The crown jewel of the hobby is a Mickey Mantle 1952 card that achieved $12.6 million in 2022.
Will Pope Leo ever ascend to these heights? Only time – and the demand of collectors – will tell.
