They are one of the most popular paper collectibles of all time!
As such, they are definitely part of the paper ephemera world!
They are also a favorite childhood memory for many Americans, including us!
Admit it, who hasn't bought at least one pack of these cards in their lifetime?
Each year, in the Springtime, it is hard not to walk out of a grocery store without passing by a display of brand new baseball cards!
This specific topic is so large, that quite frankly, we don't know where to begin. So here's our angle.
We will discuss baseball cards on this page as it relates to the rest of our website! As a reminder, our main goal on this site has been to protect and preserve those favorite paper treasures.
(Special Note: Even though we are focusing on baseball cards, much of the following also aplies to other card collectibles, as well!)
If you indeed, have found a box of old baseball cards, perhaps from your youthful days, then you may have just that...a box full of paper treasures!
Want to check out the value of some of your cards?
Beckett's offers the most popular, and most commonly used, price guides on the market.
They are very comprehensive and loaded full of information.
Beckett's has guides for all of the major U.S. sports and many other card collectibles, as well.
Click on the link to the left and get started!
A Brief History of Baseball Cards
As usual, we like to provide a little background information on our topic, so here goes...
Vintage baseball cards were first introduced, on a commercial basis, way back in the late 1800's. It's safe to say,
that most modern collector's fail to realize that these early cards were issued before the American League was even created!
Some early companies issued baseball cards as trade cards, or "giveaway" cards. Nearer to the 1880's, the tobacco companies are
credited with using baseball cards as insert cards, for their tobacco products. The purpose was two-fold.
First, they helped improve tobacco sales with this "new" added incentive to buy. The second reason is less obvious; the card
itself, added extra support to the package by adding "stiffness", thus protecting the product. Pretty smart!
The tobacco companies did face some obstacles. In the early 1900's, the sport of baseball became more organized, and more popular!
Some players began to object to having their image asscociated with cigarettes.
The most famous case, (an often told story), was that of Honus Wagner! He was a popular player during this time period and
evidently, did not appreciate this association with tobacco.
His card was pulled from the store shelves and it became
valuable to collectors almost immediately. Only a few cards circulated in the marketplace. It remains, most agree, the most sought after baseball card of all time!
Ah! These cards can be worth some money, eh? And so, baseball cards were now, not only fun to collect, they could also become
quite valuable. Hmmn!
Fast forward to the early 1950's. The tobacco companies gave up, for various reasons, and several other companies jumped in.
The most noteable was Topps Chewing Gum Company!
Topps introduced a new series of cards that were much more colorful, and larger. And, it just so happened
to be the rookie year of a famous baseball player named, Mickey Mantle. This card, is another highly sought-after card,
in the so-called modern era of baseball cards.
Topps dominated the market until the 1980's when Fleer and Donruss joined the competition. Now, the are several companies producing
baseball cards in all kinds of formats. The numerous choices can become overwhelming, to the novice collector!
Do you know the value of your cards?
Baseball card value varies greatly. There are numerous reasons for this. Here are some points to consider when evaluating, what you have!
Condition- The card condition is crucial to its value! The condition of the card also relates directly to its age.
Obviously, you want your card to be free of folds, creases, stains, watermarks, dirt, crime, etc. The edges should be sharp and crisp!
Most professional baseball card dealers are extremely savvy! They know their product as well as anyone and they are not easily fooled! So don't try!
Supply/Demand- The business concept of supply and demand definitely applies to this specific paper collectible!
If you have followed the careers of, (or are familiar with) Barry Bonds or Pete Rose, then you know what we are talking about here! Peaks and valley's, my friends! There can be many!
The point being, the value of your cards can, and do, change over time! Keep that in mind when evaluating your collection!
Age- The age of your collection is also a contributing factor of your collection. We know, it sounds obvious, doesn't it?
But, how old are your cards? Are they from the 1950's, 60's, or perhaps, even earlier than that? If so, you'd better get them professionally appraised. You have something there!
But, if they are from the 1980's to date, then you need to be more realistic in your evaluation. That's not to say, that you still may not have something there!
Hold onto them! Determine their value first, before ditching them at a garage sale!
What to Look for in Your Collection!
It is not likely that you will find
a "rare" card, without knowing what to look for. So, what do you do?
Study-up! And study-up good! Buy a reputable magazine or book on baseball card collecting.
Don't go cheap here. A comprehensive guide/book will allow you to search the value of your cards with some confidence. It should include many of the following categories that dealers look for, when evaluating your collection:
Rookie cards - These are cards issued during the players first year as a professional. They are generally more collectible, especially, if the player turns out to be a "superstar!"
Hall of Fame Player's - These are players that end up in the "Baseball Hall of Fame!" Nobody can predict who will end up there, but as a player's career advances, many will speculate
and begin to "stockpile" cards from that player!
Major League Record Holder's - The same thing applies here! In general, the better a player is, the more his card will be worth...particularly, if they break a major league record!
Error cards - Interestingly enough, baseball card companies do make errors from time to time. These "error cards" vary in value depending on how many made it to the marketplace, and the extent of the error!
Special/Limited Edition Cards - These are "special" cards of limited quantities, thus making them more attractive to collect. Again, value will vary, depending on how many of these "special/limited cards" were produced!
How to Store Your Cards!
Fortunately, because of the enormous popularity of this hobby/investment/business, there are many, widely available, products that can be used here.
The choice is yours! You may store individual, valuable cards in clear air-tight frames, cases. Or, you may use reinforced cardboard boxes to store large quantities of cards.
It depends on your needs!
Simple polyethylene (single card) pockets can be purchased for around $5.00 per hundred! Make sure to purchase acid-free, quality products!
Then, you can safely store away these cards in a protective storage box, designed specifically for cards of these types.
These boxes can be purchased for around $5.00-$20.00+ depending on it's quality.
Storing 3000-4000 cards in one of these boxes is quite possible! It's a great idea if you have a lot of "common" cards!
Another popular choice is the familiar 9-card pocket page that will fit into most any photo album. Once again, we suggest spending (a little) more for a quality page that will protect your cards from harmful UV light.
These pages can be purchased at most office supply stores and most certainly, from any local dealer in your area!
Prices can run from $5.00 to $15.00+ for packs of 50 pages, depending on the quality of the page!
You could easily store 400-500 cards in one single album!
So, as you can see, the costs to protect your collection is minimal compared to its potential overall value! It is well worth it!
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Random Notes...
Wouldn't it be so cool to come across a box of these old cards somewhere down in your basement?
Many people have! But, it would be even cooler to find a box of these cards in your Grandpa's basement! Wow! Now, that would be a rare find!
Our Advice?
Don't let collecting baseball cards, (or your current collection) become intimidating, just because you may not fully understand the extent of your collection.
Read up...talk to some local dealers, and if you must, have your collection appraised by a professional! Knowing what you have is critical before making any decisions on what to do with your collection!
Try this! Go out to almost any local flea market, and chances are, you will find a multitude of dealers present. Spend some time looking over their collection! What are they selling? And for how much?
Or, visit an antique-mall. No doubt, you will discover a variety of cards, prices, and valuable information on card collecting!
Heck, you can even visit a garage sale! You may surprised at what you find!
And, if your considering investing in baseball cards for the future, try this! Buy your cards in complete box sets! This will assure that you have all of the players for that year!
In fact, buy two (or more) from each manufacture, if you can!That way, you can always sell one set for profit and keep one for the future!
