Sports Card Vending Machines Return To The Hobby
Don't have a local card shop near you? Slowly but surely, that won't matter as much as it once did.
Outside of ordering online from large distributors, sports card vending machines are making their way back into the fold and bringing back a familiar way to get your hands on cards for only a few dollars. At the front of the resurgence is a company called "The Fan Stand". The company launched in 2021 and gives card collectors the ability to buy a single pack of countless products ranging from sports to TCG and various styles of product from retail boxes, mega boxes, and everything in between.
In an interview with Topps, Fan Stand founder Joe Daley, explained his love of card collecting combined with collecting vintage vending machines created the idea to merge the two hobbies together. The vending machine features a touchscreen that allows the collector to filter through which product and type of pack they want to purchase. In order to keep the cards inside each pack in as pristine a condition as possible, Daley said each pack is placed inside an acrylic box.
Daley adds that in the immediate future, he hopes that Fan Stands continue to add locations across the country as well as appearing at large card shows including Fanatics Fest.
If a collector wants to find a local "Fan Stand", there is a link to see if there is one at a local mall or establishment near you. The company also has an Instagram account that shows off the various locations where the vending machines can be found.
While the idea may seem new and revolutionary, it is not the first instance of cards being in vending machines. In the 1950s for a penny, you could turn the knob and get baseball cards of some of the now-known legends of the game. A 1950's vending machine recently sold at auction for just shy of $3,000. These old vending machines, like many vintage items have become its own section of collectibles.
Vintage card vending machine from the 1950’s…imagine pulling a Mickey Mantle for 1¢ pic.twitter.com/CkNt8io2dA
— Topps (@Topps) August 12, 2024
While sports card vending machines first emerged in the 1950s, Topps produced them up to the late 1990s and were viewed as a popular way for collectors to complete sets by going for specific cards rather than hope to pull them in a sealed pack.
Whether it is completing a set of vintage Topps or hoping to pull an Elly De La Cruz Topps Chrome rookie card, vending machines have stood the test of time and will continue to have a space in the hobby.
Dan Gardella is a Red Sox fan and collector growing up in Yankee territory in Connecticut. While only reviving his love for the hobby a few years ago, he provides knowledge into baseball cards from prospects to the big leagues.
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