Well if you are a hardcore baseball fan or even a baseball player or a member of the team in any way, this question might have popped into your head one time or the other. You might have wondered, are these cards still worth something? And if yes, then what?
Now let’s first get a clearer insight into what really are baseball cards?
Baseball cards are a sort of business card. They either attribute to a team member, the whole team, stadium, or any celebrity for that matter.
How have the values of these cards been changing with time?
Moving back in time a little, for some period the value of these cards had been falling down. Even a prominent baseball player’s card wouldn’t be worth more than just $20. I mean that’s not even little, let alone worthy. But then again, there are some cards whose value kept on increasing.
What affects the value of your cards?
Condition:
The reason for those fluctuating rates is because so much depends on the condition your card is in. If it’s in a near-perfect condition, the prices might be on the higher end. Similarly, if the card is really worn out that you can’t even read it comfortably, it might amount to the ones on the lower end.
The condition your card is in plays a very significant role in determining the worth of the same.
Overall quality:
A buyer will always tend to look at how the card is centered, are the corners sharp enough, does the card look worn out, are the edges clean, is the surface creased or stained, or anything like that. And that really makes all the difference.
A card that looks good and as if it has a good quality will make a buyer tend more to buy it and invest for it rather than a card that looks highly used up and worn out.
Investors:
To some extent, it also depends upon the investors or buyers. It is reckoned in general, that the card prices upswing when investors are on a spree of buying or collecting cards. Which, to be noted has been happening recently.
Autographed or signed cards:
Another factor that really adds to the value of a card is autographs. I mean hell yes, who wouldn’t want a card autographed by their favorite baseball player? Nobody, right!
The autographed cards are held really high in value and correctly so. Therefore, if your card has been signed by any of the prominent baseball players, then sit back and relax because that card is going to sell for some really good money. Not kidding.
These cards are attached to the emotional value of people who have loved baseball and the players. Consequently, they are willing to pay high amounts to buy cards like these. I mean, wouldn’t you?
Authenticity:
It is very important to test the authenticity of the signature. This is because there are many cards out there with fake signatures, you will find them everywhere, and they are much easy to fall prey for. Therefore, it is recommended to always check the authenticity of the signatures and autographs.
There are some sellers out there who also give a good 30-day money-back guarantee so that you can test the authenticity of the signature for yourself, which you should.
Print year:
Now another factor that helps in determining the value of a card is its print year. In general, the older you go back to trace the date of the card, the more value it holds. There could be exceptions but this is how it is in most of the cases. This is because with time many many cards were printed as we discussed during the 1980s and 1990s, and therefore their value decreased.
On the other hand, during the older times, not many cards were printed, which meant they were available scarcely and that helped in increasing their overall value. Also, the cards printed prior to World War 2 might be some of the most worthy cards you could ever get your hands onto.
Print variations:
It’s funny to think but random print variations can cause the prices of a certain card to shoot up. This is because again, they are rare.
Now print variations are not necessarily printing errors, they are just variations in the print designs. Therefore, it’s the same card but with a different, rare design. And therefore people want to buy that preferably because they aren’t cards that might be commonly owned by people.
And sometimes, just sometimes, if you are lucky enough you might get a card that has a print variation plus is a star card. I mean, BAM! That would be something.
Market conditions:
Obviously. Where are you going to sell your cards? In the market. So the condition of the market will consequently affect the price and value of your card.
If the times are favorable in the market, you might get a good price for your card. Likewise, if the times are kinda rough in the market, you might not get a desirable price for your card.
So keep a track of the economic condition of the market and decide the best time to sell your card.
Position in the set sequence:
Now, this might not seem like a factor that would affect the prices but believe us, it is.
Consider your card is the first in position in your set sequence. Now that card is bound to more exposure to heat, water, or even a rubber that holds the cards together. That means it would consequently be more worn out than the rest of the set and hence it’s value would be different as compared to the other cards in the sequence.
Conclusion:
All these factors together add up little by little to make your card worthwhile or a card not worth much. So follow this research and set out to sell your card accordingly and earn as much as possible.
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