Record setting sales of high-profile sports cards illustrates the high demand.

DULUTH, Minn.- Just this month LA Angels center fielder Mike Trout’s rookie baseball card sold for a record $3 million at auction. That’s on trend with a growing demand for sports cards according to local card shops.

The manager at Collector’s Connection by the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth said Minnesota Twins and Vikings Players cards have typically been popular.

But recently, his customers have also been clamoring for high-profile basketball cards like Zion Williamson and LeBron James, who’s rookie card went for $1.8 million in July.

Manager Glen Booth said the lack of local and professional sports during most of the pandemic has left many to rely on sports cards to get a bit of the game in their lives again.

“During the quarantines we thought sports card market would kind of crash but it hasn’t,” Booth said. “And people have been interested in sports cards, just a way to touch on connecting with the sports that they used to watch.”

While demand has been rising, so have prices, as supplies in cards have been limited the last few months.

But Booth said you can always take your old cards to Collector’s Connection to see how much you can get for it.