Disney Enters a Whole New World with Collectible Trading Cards

In the last several years, consumer interest in trading cards has increased. Whether it’s sports, fantasy, or superheroes, trading cards are hot, and Disney is ready to get in on the action. According to the Hollywood Reporter, big stars like Ryan Reynolds love trading cards, which gets businesses excited.

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“When Ryan Reynolds gets excited about something, it’s an industry that’s on everybody’s radar, and so it’s a social currency that people get excited about,” VP of global hardlines, global brand commercialization, for Disney Consumer Products Divya Dalal told the Hollywood Reporter.

Disney fans love to collect merchandise, and trading cards are right up a collector’s alley. Divya told The Hollywood Reporter that nostalgia is everything for Disney fans and there’s nothing quite as nostalgic as trading cards.

“People have been trading cards on the playground or storing them in their binders for decades, and the partners that we’ve decided to kind of move forward with in a more meaningful way are people who are experts in understanding how those consumers and those trends are changing,” Divya said.

“Experiences matter so much to consumers today. And so, whether it’s for a kid or an adult, we feel like the category goes to all audiences, and then our stories and our partners are helping make it more than just a card.”

Disney now has licensing deals with Topps, and fans can’t get enough. Experts estimate trading cards are a $50 billion industry annually with no slowing down.

“There’s just a reality that so much of what drives this excitement is nostalgia, and we have the luxury of Disney IP having been out for decades and decades,” Divya said. “And as we either re-release films or come up with new stories on Disney+, people are remembering the characters that they love and grew up with, and it gives us that chance to bring it out again in a new way.”

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