Disclaimer
Last updated May 4, 2026
Cardboard Assets is a financial education and analysis platform. Nothing on this site is investment advice.
Trading cards are speculative assets with no intrinsic value, no cash flow, and no claim on a productive enterprise. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Card market liquidity can be thin, and historical comp data — particularly for vintage sealed product — is sparse enough that single transactions can move headline prices substantially. Trade accordingly.
Our methodology, plainly stated
We compute returns and benchmark them against the S&P 500 Total Return. We expose
the math: data sources, sample sizes, anchor dates, and assumptions. The
Sealed History Disclosure footer attached to every chart that
derives from sealed_prices_history calls out the median-comp regime and
thin-market volatility risk. Our coverage of card population data is limited to 16
flagship cards in the current beta — for those, the
Grading Profit Optimizer shows the math behind
every verdict. For the other ~45,000 cards in our universe, the optimizer correctly
returns INSUFFICIENT_DATA rather than a black-box recommendation.
Author may hold positions
Steven Fiorillo, Cardboard Assets' founder, may hold positions in cards, sealed products, or related collectibles discussed on this site. Editorial coverage and analytical methodology are not influenced by personal holdings, and any specific position disclosure relevant to a particular piece will appear in that piece.
Affiliate compensation
Some product links on this site are affiliate links — we may earn a commission when you make a purchase through them. Affiliate compensation does not influence which products we cover or our analytical conclusions. Specific affiliate programs we participate in are disclosed in our Terms of Service.
Always do your own research
Investment decisions are personal. The right move for one collector — based on their risk tolerance, liquidity needs, time horizon, and tax situation — may be wrong for another. Consult a licensed financial advisor before making decisions based on information from this site or any other.