Astros' success and pandemic revitalize interest in collecting baseball cards

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Astros' success and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a renewed interest in collecting sports trading cards.

Houston Sports Connection is one of the few traditional trading card shops remaining in Greater Houston.

Owner Howard Lau opened the shop more than 30 years ago and says he's seen an influx of younger people getting into the hobby of collecting cards.

"Winning helps the whole city, but as far as collecting, the 2017 World Series helped out," said Lau. "And the pandemic, which locked people inside, got dads that were collecting when they were young. Now they're doing it with their kids."

"The Astros winning creates a lot of excitement with regards to card collecting. It makes you want to get all the best players, especially the rookies," said collector Rudy Vasquez. "So we all want those cards, and when I get those cards, I show them to my son, and he's excited."

Lau says owning the shop all these years doesn't feel like work because it's something he enjoys. His customers agree that going into the shop is more than just buying cards. It's about a community where you can talk about collecting and how your favorite teams are doing.