If we get in my special DeLorean time machine and journey back to the year 2021, that was a crazy time in the collectibles trade. It was at this time that the economy was still reeling from the effects of the pandemic and the government was dolling out economic stimulus checks. This in turn helped create a lot of asset bubbles, most notably in certain pop culture collecting markets. Graded video games, Pokemon cards, comic books, and even luxury watches were directly affected by this influx of cash. High-profile auction companies like Heritage Auctions had several good years with multiple record-breaking auctions taking place during this time. Just a few years later, a lot of these once popular collecting categories would experience a correction. Luxury watches can still be a good investment and are selling, but demand has dropped exponentially. The market for graded video games nearly crashed with prices down almost 50 to 90 percent across the board. Even the market for vintage comic books, which was once thought to be unstoppable, cratered by about 30 percent on average. Pokemon and sports cards were much more resistant to the downturn, but prices for vintage offerings fell modestly. In the few short years that followed the direct aftermath of the pandemic, worldwide inflation took hold, and economic uncertainty set in. But more traditional asset prices still soared. The real estate market priced most new home buyers out of the market, and the effects of this are still evident today. The S&P 500 index recently closed at an all-time high, and gold, a precious metal generally hoarded in times of uncertainty, has seen record breaking prices trending above $4,000 an ounce for the first time in history. Even the market for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin has also seen its price soar to more than $100,000. Unfortunately, these gains in traditional asset prices are spilling over into the collectibles trade at an alarming rate, and it is having a tremendous effect on certain collecting categories more than others. The market for vintage and graded factory sealed action figures and toys from the late 1970s and 1980s is on fire right now, as is the market for certain collectible coins, thanks in part to the high prices being paid for gold. However, these two markets fail to compare to what has happened to the market for collectible trading cards. Collectors, speculators, and high-profile investors have been piling into this market like never before, and prices for all things trading card related are now on fire. I have commented in previous articles the insane demand for graded sports cards and non-sports trading cards such as Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering. It would appear, however, that was just the start because now we are seeing this record-breaking demand spill over to other forms of collectible trading cards as well. Case in point, on Oct. 24, Heritage Auctions held the first part of its Fall Sports Catalog Auction. Please dont let the name of the auction fool you, as there were a lot of non-sports cards listed in this auction that complemented some of the sports offerings as well. The first part of the auction consisted of some vintage Topps Star Wars trading cards that debuted in 1977 to coincide with the release of the first Star Wars film. Some of the offerings in this auction were top notch like the PSA graded (Professional Sports Authority) Luke Skywalker #1 card in PSA 10 condition from the series 1 Topps Star Wars trading card set. This card has an interesting price history, and it should be noted that there are only nine other examples graded by PSA in the coveted PSA 10 condition at present time. Going back to 2010, you could have bought one of these cards in PSA 10 condition for $958, and another sold in 2015 for a mere $311. However, fast forward to several years past the pandemic, and in 2023 an example brought $78,000 at auction. But, I do hope you are sitting down, because that $78,000 price was eclipsed by a wide margin when this card came up for bid on Oct. 24, as it sold for $268,400! In this same auction, other PSA 10 graded vintage 1977 Topps Star Wars trading cards also sold for new record prices. A Princess Leia card (#5 in the same set) in PSA 10 condition ended at $50,020. There are 15 of these cards in PSA 10 condition total in existence according to the current population report put out by PSA. The Topps Star Wars trading cards were never all that coveted as major collectibles. These cards were popular for their time, and the series is quite massive with the vintage cards spanning multiple series throughout the original trilogys life span. Topps not only made Star Wars collectible trading cards, but there are sets devoted to The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi as well. In fact, Topps still has the license to produce these cards today, and there have been multiple releases of various collectible Star Wars cards the last few decades. Obviously, the most coveted are the very first set that was released alongside the movie in 1977. This first set contained a total of 66 cards and 11 stickers. The cards are easily identifiable by having a unique blue border with white stars. Ironically, for many years, these cards were deemed somewhat of a novelty and were not as popular as collectibles as the coveted vintage Kenner Toys Star Wars toy line. However, in a world where cardboard collectibles are king, this is quickly changing. So what do these sales tell us? With the popularity of collectible trading cards at an all-time high, does this mean more esoteric trading cards will start soaring in value and demand? Ironically, this is exactly what the speculators and high profile investors playing in this market are hoping for. This is why caution must be employed if you are attempting to invest in this market right now. With modern era Pokemon cards continuing to sell out at retail markets across the country and now vintage cards seeing record-breaking sales, I think it is safe to assume that collectible cardboard is the new gold rush! Will these prices hold over the long term? That is anyones guess, but those of you who are old enough to remember the late 1980s and 1990s saw similar market dynamics in relation to sports trading cards. However, it is worth noting that back then manufacturers were overproducing modern-era products with disastrous results. Still, where this leads no one knows as we are in uncharted territory here. Collectors please use caution. Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.