Here's why you should invest in James Wood's baseball cards before it's too late

"Baseball Cards have been in production since the late 19th century. What was once a business of bringing fans closer to the game has become a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. What was once just a product of tiny pieces of cardboard with pictures of baseball players on them first came with tobacco products and has turned into a business where trading cards of almost everything you can think of are available, from every sport to your favorite cartoon."

"Topps has released the same product every year since, featuring the current players and a new design, but it has evolved so much. When the mid-1990s rolled around, chase cards (cards signed by players and cards with pieces of game-used jerseys) were introduced, along with many other card sets. Whereas nowadays, Topps makes boxes that hit the market at many thousands of dollars, and if sealed, those boxes can go up exponentially over time."

"James Wood came to the Washington Nationals from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto trade. At the time, he was a prospect with lots of potential, and his baseball card prices have shown just that--and still even in 2025, he has cards selling for thousands of dollars. 2025 is the year of his Rookie Cards, as he was not called up on time last season to make the cutoff to be in the later-in-the-year sets."

Baseball cards have been in production since the late 19th century. The hobby transformed from simple tobacco-era picture cards into a multibillion-dollar enterprise covering sports and popular culture. Topps released its first flagship set in 1952 and has issued an annual flagship featuring current players and new designs while evolving formats. The mid-1990s introduced chase cards, including autographs and game-used jersey relics, and modern sealed boxes can reach thousands of dollars. Collecting moved from unprotected childhood play to a value-driven hobby. James Wood’s rookie-year interest surged after joining the Nationals; his 2022 Bowman prospect cards include a 1st Bowman Superfractor autograph valued up to $50,000.

Read at District on Deck