How to Find Out How Much Money Baseball Cards Are Worth
A baseball card collection can be worth a mint in sentimental value or in the kind of value you cash in at a bank. In determining the value of your collection, consider the following guides. But first, understand that a card only has value if someone wants to buy it.
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Instructions
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Consult a baseball card price guide, such as the popular Official Beckett Price Guide to Baseball Cards
or Tuff Stuff's baseball price guide. Know that these guides may show two different prices for the same card, based on the criteria used to determine its value. Instead of buying a book-based guide, activate a monthly online subscription to a pricing guide for the most recent pricing, if you have an extensive collection to sell. -
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Understand that each card has a high and low book value, according to the guides. Also, be aware that just because the guide lists a book price does not mean someone will necessary pay that price.
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Visit auction sites to get a read on the price that cards you may own are selling for. For instance, a card on an auction site actually may be selling for much lower than a guide's posted "low book value."
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Realize that the older the card is (for example, pre-1980), the greater the likelihood that it has higher value. If your collection is comprised of mostly cards from the '90s, the cards have little value because so many of them were produced.
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Preserve your cards to ensure greater worth, as the condition of the card factors into the asking price. One way to do this is to protect your cards with clear plastic sleeves.
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Assess your cards by applying what are called graded scales to measure the condition of the card. The scales factor in printing errors, any creases and blemishes, as well as how worn out the card appears.
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Rate your cards on a scale of one to 10, with 10 representing "gem mint" and one meaning "poor." Expect a mint rating only on cards with no errors or defects and on cards that contain prominent corners and are well-centered.
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Contact a professional grading service for your cards if you're not sure you wish to grade them yourself (and you're rather confident you have high-value cards). The service provides a seal designed to contain your card and preserve its value long-term.
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Tips & Warnings
1. If you own cards dated pre-1980, chances are you're holding money in your hands. From the 1940's to the early 1980's, baseball cards were produced primarily by one company, Topps. And there was not an overabundance produced, so there is a scarcity of certain cards, which has driven up the worth of the cards. However, from 1985 to 1995 there was a glut of baseball cards produced to the point of overproduction, so most of these cards hold little value. 2. Rookie cards, which correspond to the year a player first appears in a conventional card set, can have high value, depending on the player. These tend to be highly popular cards among collectors. Certain players, who are likely headed for the Hall of Fame, will generate more card worth than other more average players. Also, players who have large fan bases will likely enhance a card's value. 3. Sell cards when a player is having a phenomenal year, shattered a record or was named to the Hall of Fame. Don't try to sell immediately following an injury.
