Sports History

Regardless of whether you are a die hard fan of sports or just looking to increase your collection of baseball trading cards, you should know that there is a wide variety of options available to you on eBay when it comes to buying graded baseball trading cards. Grading cards is serious business because having a trustworthy system for grading cards is an important thing when it comes to the baseball cards collecting hobby.

The most common grading system that is used when it comes to buying and selling baseball trading cards is the Professional Sports Authenticator or PSA system. If you are looking for assistance in grading your baseball trading cards, then this is a good authentication system on which to base your findings. It ranges from 10 down to 1, with the following specifications:

Grade 10 – Gem Mint Grade - This grade is for baseball trading cards that are as perfect as they can possibly be. Their corners are still sharp, their colors are still glossy, and there is no staining on marks on the card at all. Another characteristic of baseball trading cards that are Gem Mint grade is that their image is properly centered.

Grade 9 – Mint Grade - With this grade, the baseball trading cards only possess minor flaws, such as a slight imperfection in printing or an image that is slightly off center, but the card is otherwise in excellent condition.

Grade 8 – Near Mint-Mint Grade - In this grade, you have baseball trading cards that are excellent but they may have slight fraying or borders that are slightly off-white.

Grade 7 – Near Mint Grade - In this grade, a close inspection of the baseball trading card may reveal slight wear to the surface or corners that are slightly frayed. The image should be mostly glossy.

Grade 6 – Excellent-Mint Grade - Baseball trading cards receiving this grade may have surface wear that is visible or some sort of printing defect without costing any overall appeal.

Grade 5 – Excellent Grade – The baseball trading cards that receive this grade are in excellent condition but may have some minor corner rounding or chipping around the edges, and some noticeable but minor surface scratches may be present.

Grade 4 – Very Good-Excellent Grade - The baseball trading cards in this category may have slight surface wear and some slightly rounded corners but some of their original gloss intact.

Grade 3 – Very Good Grade - The baseball trading cards in this category may have some rounding of the corners and some slight scratching of the surface or scuffing.

Grade 2 – Good Grade - The baseball trading cards in this category may have apparent creases or rounded corners and gloss that is no longer present.

Grade 1 – Poor to Fair Grade - Finally, the baseball trading cards that fall into this category generally show advanced signs of wear including rounded corners, chipped and fraying edges, chipping, pitting and scuffing as well as a lack of gloss on the surface.

Photo Credits: Adam Jones, Ph.D.

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Sports Memorabilia -> Autographs, Original -> Baseball-MLB-> Trading Cards

Baseball cards have been around for just about as long as the sport has and many of them have turned into very valuable collector items. Whether you are interested in collecting baseball cards from a fan perspective, or you are more into the investment angle, these are quite fun to collect and chances are you may just come across one that is a truly rare find. Collecting baseball cards isn’t just for kids anymore – this can be a serious business.

If you are interested in collecting baseball cards, there are a few things that you need to know ahead of time to make sure that you are getting a good value for your money and a good investment. With the advent of digital printers and online sales, it has become all too easy for scam artists to crank out supposed valuable cards that aren’t worth the paper that they are printed on. Before you buy a baseball card, you need to take a few things into consideration.

1. Does the seller have a good reputation?

If someone is trying to sell fakes, sooner or later their actions will catch up with them. If you are buying baseball cards online, especially if you are buying on an auction site, take advantage of the reputation system that is built into these sites and look at the seller’s feedback. If there is any indication that their customers are not satisfied, don’t make the purchase. You can also do a web search on a seller to see if they have any other complaints.

2. What is the condition of the card?

Someone selling a rare baseball card from the early 1900’s, like the one pictured here, and claiming that it is in perfect condition may not be telling the whole truth. It is important to get plenty of pictures of the item you want to buy so that you can verify the condition of the card on your own. You should be able to see if there are any rips, tears or fraying that can lower the overall value of the card. Keep in mind however that some sellers will do a bait and switch and picture a baseball card that is in great condition, but ship you one that is not in good condition.

3. Get an appraisal

Perhaps the best way to determine whether or not you should invest in a rare baseball card is to have an independent appraisal done on the item. This can easily be handled online and many of these services feature very quick turnaround times. The small amount of money you pay for the appraisal could end up saving you thousands by helping you identify the right kind of card you are looking for.

Whenever you’re buying a collectible item it pays to do your homework and baseball cards are no different. Take the time to authenticate the item before you purchase it and you won’t have to worry about whether you are being taken for a ride.

Originally posted 2008-09-12 05:00:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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