Aside from creating board games and card games, Hero Time is also one of the best options amongst trading card manufacturers. Trading card production needs clear communication. The game creator or publisher needs to trust the honesty and attention to detail of the manufacturer.
When I was a kid, I used to collect baseball and basketball trading cards. I had three huge photo binders with every card I collected at first, then I focused on certain players. As I became more familiar, I became obsessed with looking up the monthly prices of my collection, while trading some cards with my cousin became a monthly transaction as well. Last summer I checked the prices of my collection again and, after all the time and effort I put into my collection, managed to return a decent profit of about $10,000 USD.
Now, keep in mind that it is almost 30 years later and many of the sports cards I thought would be worth something turned into small-time gains, but some managed to become quite valuable. Regardless of the money, I treasure the nostalgia and memories that go with each card most of all. That is why trading cards can be priceless to the avid collector.
Sound silly? Here are some stats that might change your mind:
The sports trading cards market was valued at almost $8 million dollars in 2021. It is estimated to grow to $20.5 million by 2030. (Verified Market Research).
For gaming cards:
There are roughly 40 million Magic: The Gathering trading card players worldwide.
Boxer Logan Paul purchased a Pokémon grade 10 (mint condition) Pikachu card for nearly $5.3 million USD (USA Today).
Those numbers are only some of the overwhelmingly underestimated popularity of the trading card market. Can you imagine creating your own trading card game that even remotely touched the numbers listed above?
Making your own trading cards can be a profitable creative venture or fun family project. You can do the homemade version if you plan on only around family and friends, but for mass production you will need a quality manufacturer. Either way, the process can be like Making a Board Game and Hero Time can help you through the process
In this article, we will look at how you can make your own trading cards, what trading manufacturers are available, and how Hero Time can help you on the road to popularity.
- The first and most crucial step is to establish the rarities of each card tier and the percentage of how many times a card type will show up in a booster bag, box, or in a whole print run. The most exclusive cards might be printed only 100 times, while the common cards will be printed thousands of times.
- Find a trading card manufacturer that can understand your needs and communicates properly with you. It is essential you have easy communication with the factory you work with and that they take the time to understand the specific needs of your game, and how many times each card should show on average in each booster box. The printing as well as assembly are essential for maintaining the balance you are looking for.
- Work with the trading card manufacturer to decide which materials to use for each card type. Some premium cards might have a beautiful and unique foil lamination, while common cards might just use regular white-core cards.
- Once you finalize all the information, the manufacturer will start printing the desired cards, coating them, cutting them, and then the cards will be ready for assembly.
- Assembly is the most challenging part of your project. If all your cards use the same material and have the same rarity level, the trading card manufacturer can simply use a shuffling machine to achieve the required need. If there are additional tiers and specific requirements there will be a need for manual labor, in which case, it is essential you have a man on the ground.
- Once the assembly is done, all booster bags will be sealed, all extra wastage cards will be destroyed (beware of factories that keep extra trading cards to sell after), and the games will be shipped to your warehouses.
Trading cards are small making them easy to package and box for shipping. The standard trading card dimension is 63mm (about 2.5in) x 88mm (about 3.5 in), but this can all depend on how you want your cards to differ. For instance, you can also make a mini trading card size 44mm (about 1.73 in) x 68mm (about 2.68 in).
Where do I go to make my trading cards? You could DIY using a home printer, but it is doubtful the quality would be good or consistent. If you want your cards to be the next big collectible, find yourself a professional printing service that offers quality in addition to design / concept feedback.
Below is a list of trading card manufacturers you might come across during your research:
Custom Trading Cards – (USA)They offer the same custom card options and their collector cards portfolio seems impressive with titles such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Hot Wheels, and Beyond the Streets. However, as they are based in the US their price is a bit high averaging around 2USD per sheet of 54 cards.
HS Boardgame – (China) – HS claims to have 10 years in the printing business, but the website does not provide access to thoroughly research the company. While they can probably offer medium low prices for your cards, you might find communication a bit challenging when dealing with a Chinese person via email.
Cartamundi – (USA and Belgium) Cartamundi is the most established trading card manufacturer in the industry, however, because of that, they are mostly fully booked and are used to working only with the largest playing card companies in the market.
Ludo Cards – (Italy) Ludo Factory is one of the most established card printing factories established in 1950. They also have a fully eco-friendly production option. As one of the most established trading card manufacturers they have standardized the process to such an extent that they prefer working on standard trading card projects without the need for manual labor and assortment.
Hero Time Manufacturing – (Western Owned Chinese Manufacturer) Quickly establishing itself as the best game manufacturer in China, Hero Time’s focus is on board and card game production. But, with their ever-growing expertise in the field of printing, trading card manufacturing is also available now to customers. They offer several design options including cardstock sizes, colors, and finishes.
By choosing Hero Time, you can speak face-to-face with a western representative about your trading card needs while also receiving the competitive Chinese prices.
When I was a kid, I bought my trading cards at a collectible retailer, conventions, or by trading with friends. Today, the internet has given collectors and gamers access to trading cards all over the world through websites such as eBay. Invented in the late 1800s, it is apparent that trading cards are not just a fad and are still gaining momentum even into the NFT market.
Why not create your collectible game card brand today?! Hero Time is one of the few trading card manufacturers that will work with you every step of the way. We will walk you through the entire process from creation to production to finish.
Make your trading cards part of someone’s childhood memories today!