How to Price Baseball Cards

Even if you collect just for the fun of it, it can be a lot of fun to figure out how much money your baseball cards are worth. This isn’t the easiest task, as there are plenty of variables for you to contend with. A card that is worth a fortune to one person may be worth very little to another. Having a range of the value of your cards is important if you’re going to sell them, whether online or in person. Here is how to figure out how much your baseball cards are worth.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Price guides

1. Judge the condition of your cards. Condition is very important when it comes to any kind of collectible. This is especially true for older cards that have survived through many years. A card that has sharp corners and a clear, bright picture is worth much more than a card that may have some flaws. You can also send your card out to one of the grading services. The company will grade your card from 1 to 10 and seal it in a plastic case for safekeeping.

2. Check one of the many price guides to see what they believe your card is worth. Magazines such as "Beckett’s Baseball" are widely used in baseball card shops. Many price guides provide a price range, depending on the card’s condition. This kind of information can also be found online (see Resources below).

3. Look at the prices for which the card has sold elsewhere. After all, a baseball card is really only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it. Look at online auctions and adjust that price for the condition of your card. Say you have a Justin Verlander rookie card, and three of the same exact cards sold elsewhere for $10. If those cards were only graded "Good" and yours is "Very Good," it will be worth a decent amount more.

4. Consider the variables regarding the card’s value. If the player just hit his six-hundredth home run, their cards may experience a bump in value. Getting into the Hall of Fame is generally increases a card’s price. Conversely, if the player is connected to something unpleasant (steroids, for example), their card prices may take a hit.

5. Use good, old-fashioned supply and demand to figure out how much a card is worth. If you offer to sell your card for $100 and no one wants to pay that much, your card is worth less. Lower the price incrementally, and when it sells, you’ll know the true value of the card at that given point in time.

Resources

• Here is one site to help you figure out how much your cards are worth.
• This site concentrates on the values of older cards.
• "Beckett’s Baseball" pricing book.