Highlights from the year in sports at eBay reveal much of what one would expect — such as the rise of Caitlin Clark — in addition to key insights such as the importance of viral moments, which drove demand and search volume during the calendar year.
It’s not secret Clark was a breakout star of the collectibles world this year. But it still might come as a shock Clark’s eBay searches surged nearly 200% during her September WNBA playoff debut compared to the beginning of the year.
Another piece of data that shouldn’t come as a surprise is the sustained dominance of legends such as Michael Jordan, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Kobe Bryant. Although it has been years since any of the four icons were active players, seven of the 10 most expensive cards sold on eBay from January to October belonged to that group.
eBay data also showed the power of seasonality and viral moments. October saw a 30% year-over-year increase in global searches for “PSA 10” in the sports memorabilia category, corresponding with the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and WNBA all playing at the same time.
Moments translated onto the platform, too, as searches for “Shohei Ohtani Bobblehead,” “Snoop Dogg Pin” and “Masters Gnome” all took off during their respective viral moments. The Ohtani bobblehead in particular took off with a 1,000% month-over-month increase in August when the Dodgers held his bobblehead night.
Similarly, searches for the “Dune: Part Two” popcorn bucket led to searches for “popcorn buckets” overall to increase 80% in October compared to the same month in 2023.
Searches for “Lorcana Enchanted” leapt more than 80% year-over-year in October, while “One Piece TCG” searches had a 50% year-over-year increase in search volume in October.
The most searched comic books for most of the year were “Amazing Spider-Man,” “X-Men,” “Batman,” “Spawn” and “Fantastic Four.” However, the single-most searched issue belonged to “New Mutants 98,” which features the first appearance of Deadpool, as “Deadpool & Wolverine” took over the box office.
When it comes to toys, LEGO Star Wars held steady as a consistent member of the top five most-searched items in eBay’s Toys & Hobbies category from January to September. After the 25th anniversary products were announced in January, the Star Wars LEGOs saw a 25% jump month-over-month.
Not to be outdone, the adorable toy Labubu witnessed a massive 2,100% rise from January to October 2024 compared to the same period the previous year.
The biggest stars found their way into the search bar as well, with Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Eminem, Michael Jackson and Billie Eilish dominating in October. When Swift was seen in Kansas City Chiefs gear, it appeared to have an impact, as searches increased more than 40%.
Lastly, merch put up massive numbers, led by Stanley Cups, which were searched 5,000 times per hour in January 2024 after the viral Starbucks collaboration was released. McDonald’s Collectors Cups saw searches hit 210 times per hour in August following the company’s relaunch of the classic mementos.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.