The sports card market is as hot as it’s ever been, with million-dollar auction block results regularly commanding the kind of capital typically reserved for fine art. High-end cards are big business — even (and especially) for athletes themselves.

Whether they’re dropping six figures at high-end auction houses, tracking down elusive modern parallels on social media or stashing their million-card archive in a spare bedroom, these ten athletes have cemented themselves as genuine hobbyists.

1. Tom Brady

The Athlete: Seven-time Super Bowl champion, widely considered the greatest quarterback in NFL history

The Collector: You probably don’t buy a 50% stake in a sports card retail company (CardVault by Tom Brady) without some personal interest in the hobby. Brady started his personal collection of both football and vintage baseball cards as a kid in California; that collection now includes rarities like his own 2000 Playoff Contenders Rookie Ticket Auto card (featuring a picture of his first-ever game as well as an early iteration of his signature) and a Bowman Draft card featuring a young Brady in a Montreal Expos uniform.

2. Karl-Anthony Towns

The Athlete: NBA All-Star center

The Collector: Count KAT as another pro athlete deeply invested in the art of collecting — so invested that he just dropped $900,000 on Aaron Judge’s 2026 Topps Chrome Back-to-Back dual Gold Logoman patch autographed redemption card at auction. Towns’ interest in cards has expanded to include his own card breaking company (Big Bodegas Breaks) and recently taking in 2026 NYC’s Fanatics Fest alongside masses of fellow enthusiasts.

3. LeBron James

The Athlete: NBA all-time leading scorer, four-time champion, global basketball icon

The Collector: James has been known to track down high-end pieces of his own historic 2003 product line — including rare Upper Deck Exquisite and Topps Chrome Refractor parallels. Owning a piece of your own legacy probably hits different when a mint-condition rookie card of yours can fetch the price of a luxury home.

4. Mike Trout

The Athlete: Three-time AL MVP, perennial superstar center fielder.

The Collector: You can't talk about athletes in the hobby without mentioning Trout, widely considered one of the most hardcore collectors in professional sports. Trout is an avid accumulator of high-end modern cards, vintage pieces and his beloved Philadelphia Eagles memorabilia, even partnering with PSA to establish the official "Trout Family Collection".

5. Bobby Witt Jr.

The Athlete: Kansas City Royals shortstop, American League star

The Collector: Operating under his dedicated collector Instagram account (@bdubs.cards), Witt is famous for hunting down rare variations of his own cards and documenting his quest to complete the ultimate rainbow of his rookie parallels. Witt’s also been known to occasionally reach out to everyday collectors directly to coordinate in-person trades, swapping game-used/autographed bats and cleats for elusive cards.

6. Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Athlete: Two-time NBA MVP, Finals MVP

The Collector: Giannis boasts a jaw-dropping personal stash of high-end basketball cards — heavy on his own coveted rookie cards, of course. He’s also been spotted picking up cards of his current and former Milwaukee Bucks teammates.

7. Matt Strahm

The Athlete: Phillies relief pitcher

The Collector: Strahm takes card collecting to a level few will ever reach, housing a personal collection of nearly one million cards in a dedicated spare bedroom. Strahm is famous among baseball circles for a unique collecting quirk, tracking down rookie cards (many autographed) of every player who’s hit a home run against him in the majors. Deeply embedded in the community, he frequently talks shop on social media, skips buying individual singles just to experience the rush of opening wax packs like a kid again, and even hosted the nationally aired television show The Card Life.

8. Kevin Durant

The Athlete: Two-time NBA champion, multiple-time scoring champion, Hall of Fame lock

The Collector: Durant has a well-documented appreciation for rare cards, particularly when it comes to tracking down some of his own ultra-rare Logoman patch cards and low-numbered parallels.

9. Josh Jung

The Athlete: Third baseman for the Rangers, former top prospect

The Collector: Jung caught the collecting bug honestly, inheriting a passion for the hobby from his father, who spent years tracking down vintage Brooklyn Dodgers cards. He’s documented opening entire cases of brand-new products just to see what he can pull, routinely hunting down rare serial-numbered parallels of himself and adding to a personal stash that includes his own Topps Chrome rookie superfractor.

10. Phil Hughes

The Athlete: Former Major League pitcher, World Series champion with the Yankees

The Collector: Hughes is a card community fixture. He’s best known for running Phil's Pulls, a popular channel where he opens wax packs, reviews high-end vintage finds and talks shop with everyday collectors. Few professional athletes have integrated themselves as deeply into the modern hobby's culture.