For over three decades, Triple SSS Sports Cards has stood as a respected leader in the vintage sports card industry. Founded and operated by Mike and Mark Skerbe in Shelby Township, Michigan, this family-run business has built a reputation for excellence, specializing in pre-1975 memorabilia. Their collaboration with grading authorities like Sportscard Guaranty and Professional Sports Authenticator ensures that collectors receive meticulously certified pieces of sports history. Triple SSS Sports Cards’ deep expertise and active involvement in national card shows have made them a trusted source for collectors nationwide. As the market evolves, their perspective and longstanding presence position them uniquely within emerging trends—including the rapid rise of women’s sports trading cards as a significant force in the memorabilia landscape.
Womens Sports Trading Cards Gain Prominence
An August 2025 New York Times article covered current trends in sports memorabilia, including the rise of women’s memorabilia. While women have participated in sports since the 1800s, they have not received the same recognition or achieved the same prominence in sports or the memorabilia market. However, in 2025, women’s trading sports cards can sell for $500,000.
The first female athletes appeared on trading cards in the 19th century, depicted wearing attire associated with tennis or golf. Hattie Stewart, a Virginia boxer, became the most well-known athlete appearing on sports trading cards. When women began participating in the Olympics in 1900, the public became interested in women’s athletes. Athletes such as Mildred “Babe” Didrikson facilitated a wave of female athletes appearing on trading cards. After this, women occasionally appeared on Topps and Panini sports trading cards. By the end of the 20th century and into the new millennium, women’s memorabilia, including trading cards, began to gain traction.
According to trading card trader Mike Metzler, his WNBA cards outsold those of players in the MLB, NHL, and NFL at his last show. Furthermore, when Metzler visited popular retail outlets like Walmart and Target, he could not find any WNBA trading cards, not because these outlets did not carry them, but because they had also sold out. Unlike previous times, when a card featuring a woman on the front might fetch a small sum, the figures are in the hundreds of thousands.
The data support the increased interest in female trading cards. eBay data shows that WNBA searches rose by 480 percent between January 2025 and April 2025. Between 2020 and 2024, trading card sales grew by 650 percent, and WNBA jersey sales increased by 170 percent from 2023 to 2024.
Many in the trading card industry credit Caitlin Clark with raising the profile of women’s basketball trading cards. A top WNBA player, Clark’s rise in basketball has garnered considerable attention for the game. According to figures from analytics company Mondo Metrics, Clark’s cards reached 10 of the top sellers on eBay in 2024, outpacing the sales of her male counterparts. Her Prizm Silver PSA 10 card garnered a higher value than the combined value of all five top NBA rookies. She has done for women’s sports trading cards what Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Wayne Gretzky did for the NBA and NHL.
While Clark served as the catalyst for garnering more attention, companies have laid the groundwork to bring women to the forefront for the last three decades. Upper Deck, a trading card company, has produced cards featuring Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Cheryl Miller, Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka for years, providing entry points for collectors interested in purchasing trading cards with women on them.
The rising popularity of women’s cards has led many in the trading card industry to experience a paradigm shift. Male sports and athletes have traditionally received the most attention and focus, but now, with female athletics gaining momentum, businesses have recognized the value of female trading cards. One outfit, Valcano on WhatNot, sells most cards featuring WNBA players, over 90 percent, causing it to shift its sales strategy. Furthermore, with the rise in popularity of female sports cards, some believe it might also open the door to other types of memorabilia.
About Triple SSS Sports
Triple SSS Sports Cards is a family-operated business led by Mike and Mark Skerbe in Shelby Township, Michigan. With over 30 years of experience, they specialize in pre-1975 sports cards and are known for their meticulous grading standards through partnerships with SportscardGuaranty and Professional Sports Authenticator. Their expertise and active participation in national card shows have made them trusted voices in the trading card community, offering collectors both quality inventory and appraisal insight.
