By admin 
The sports cards boom has continued in 2026, with several cards being sold for millions, and collectors continuing to reap the benefits of their memorabilia.
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But the United States Postal Service recently announced some changes for shipping – and it’s bad news for trading cards, among other things.
Effective earlier this month, USPS has unified ounce-based Ground Advantage pricing for under 1 pound packages shipped to rural ZIP Codes. Moving forward, all packages under 1 pound shipped to rural ZIP Codes will be charged the 15.99 oz rate. Now, when shipping to a rural destination, shipping a 2 oz package costs the same as a 15.99 oz package.
“This is going to be messy for cards,” one collector shared.
Sports collectors are reacting to the shipping changes
Darren Rovell shared: “All of a sudden, Fedex just became cheaper for mailing cards. Not smart for government entity.”
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“For those that sell, ship magazines,” one fan added.
“I’m in the Midwest and so far I’ve seen increased rate for a few random states-strange because the same path in reverse isn’t up charged,” another added.
“That’s not good,” one added.
The sports collectibles industry continues to be a billion-dollar business, highlighted by this week’s Fanatics Fest, taking place in New York City, when thousands come together to celebrate the best in trading cards, memorabilia and more.
However, the changes made to shipping processes for rural destinations in the United States could prove to be difficult for collectors. It’ll be interesting to see what changes collectors are forced to make, if any.
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This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 8:00 PM.