Ep. #14 The Story Behind the First-Ever NWSL Trading Cards

In Ep. #14, hear Matt Peek, the Co-Founder and COO at Parkside Collectibles, tell the story behind the creation of the first-ever trading cards for the National Women’s Soccer League. 

In 2018, Matt & his business partner Eric Christensen, made the very deliberate choice to invest in women’s soccer after Matt's daughter pointed out that it was "dumb" that there weren't trading cards for professional women's soccer players. After realizing that no companies had the licensing rights to create NWSL trading cards, Matt & Eric founded Parkside Collectibles, with the #GOAL of eventually partnering with the league. 

After initially getting turned down by the then NWSL commissioner, Matt & Eric would spend the next year building out their business and establishing themselves as a proven trading card manufacturer. In 2019, Parkside finally accomplished their goal, and formed a partnership with the NWSL to create the league's first-ever trading cards.

Fast forward, and Parkside Collectible produced a limited batch of trading cards for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup cards which sold-out almost instantly - selling 2,750/3,000 packs in the first 36 hours alone. After the success they saw in 2020, NWSL x Parkside Collectibles teamed up again to create 25-card sets to align with the 2021 NWSL season. And even though Parkside created significantly more units to sell in 2021, the demand for the sets has been signifiant, with just a few packs left for purchase around the U.S. on shelves at Target & Walmart. 

In this episode, hear Matt tell the whole story behind the idea & creation of the NWSL cards, and hear Matt & Caroline discuss the general business opportunity for trading cards of professional women athletes.

Spoiler Alert: Are you still looking to get your hands on a set of 2021 NWSL cards? Listen until the end of the episode to hear Matt reveal some future chances to purchase the last few packs of cards. 

Full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music. 

This episode is proudly presented by Legend Rings, a proud supporter of women's sports. Learn more about Legend Rings.