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.

Originally posted 2009-10-08 03:31:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Collecting Signed Sports Memorabilia If you are interested in sports, then there is a growing business trend that you should be aware of, which relates to buying, collecting and selling signed sports memorabilia. This is a sound investment that would be well worth considering if you are into sports, but the first consideration that......
• Types of Sports Memorabilia Items to Buy There are a number of different forms that sports memorabilia items can take, including both modern memorabilia and vintage memorabilia. Some of the sports memorabilia items that you can purchase and add to your collection include: - Autographed sports memorabilia items, including balls, gloves, bats, cards and anything else that......
• Spotting Real Autographed Sports Memorabilia Many people get excited about autographed sports memorabilia when they find it for a good price, and as a result, many people purchase so called authentic autographed sports memorabilia without investigating the authenticity of said memorabilia. The question that all buyers should be asking when shopping for autographed sports memorabilia......
• Determining Sports Card Values If you are serious about collecting sports cards of any type, then you are going to want to have an understanding of what you can do to determine sport cards values as well. When it comes to the sports card collecting hobby or past time, there are certain questions that......
• Creating a Sports Card Collection Since the 1800s, it has been a normal part of our culture to want to create a sports card collection. At first, boxing cards were especially popular, and then during the early 1900s it became popular to collect baseball cards as part of a sports card collection. The thrill behind......

• Collecting Rare Collectibles 102 Rare collectibles are items that are perceived to be hard to find by a collectible, and they may also be antique in nature seeing as many antique collectibles are also rare collectibles. Any item that has a high quality craftsmanship, that is relatively old in nature and that reflects the......
• How Coins are Valued A coin collection can be a fascinating hobby or an investment the can increase in value over time. If you have a sizable collection or want to become a serious collector, it may be wise to get a professional assessment of the value of your collection. Here is how coins......
• Tennis Racquet Materials Most of the tennis racquets of today are made using a carbon fiber composite material. These unique carbon fiber composite materials have an excellent strength to weight ratio, and what this does is allows for developing the very popular oversized racquets and oversized racquet heads. Some of these tennis racquets......
• Consumers Need to Exercise Caution as Credit Card Rates Climb Many consumers are finding that even though they have had the same credit card for years, and have paid the balances off completely every month, their monthly statements are suddenly appearing with a surprise: An interest rate hike by as much as three percentage points. Some consumers are not worried......
• Get to Know What Makes Up the Coin Collection Price Guide There are a few different things you will need to know if you are going to collect coins. You will need to know which coins are in the highest demand. You will need to know how to care for your coins to maintain a value. Above all else, you will......

• Rookies (Pre-1980) Hockey-NHL Cards Sports Collectibles
• Pins, Buttons Oakland Athletics Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel & Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
• Caps, Hats Oakland Athletics Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel & Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
• Shirts Chicago White Sox Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel & Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
• 1980-89 Sets Hockey-NHL Cards Sports Collectibles

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.

Photo Credits: guano

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

• Types of Sports Memorabilia Items to Buy There are a number of different forms that sports memorabilia items can take, including both modern memorabilia and vintage memorabilia. Some of the sports memorabilia items that you can purchase and add to your collection include: - Autographed sports memorabilia items, including balls, gloves, bats, cards and anything else that......
• Vintage Sports Memorabilia If you are looking for a hobby or an endeavor that is exciting and profitable and you enjoy sports of any kind, then you may want to consider giving sports memorabilia collecting a chance. Maybe you have always had a serious interest in a sport team or a sporting event.......
• Build Your Own Sports Memorabilia Collection Some people begin to create a sports memorabilia collection to create a hobby, and other people decide to put together a sports memorabilia collection for the sole purpose of eventually selling their memorabilia off later. Some people, then, specially build up their sports memorabilia collection full of specifically chosen items......
• Collecting Autographed Sport Memorabilia Are you thinking about collecting autographed sport memorabilia? If you are interested in creating a sports collection of some kind, one of the options that is available to you is collecting autographed sport memorabilia. If you want to add autographed collectibles to your own personal collection, what you may like......
• Types of Sports Memorabilia Items to Buy There are a number of different forms that sports memorabilia items can take, including both modern memorabilia and vintage memorabilia. Some of the sports memorabilia items that you can purchase and add to your collection include: - Autographed sports memorabilia items, including balls, gloves, bats, cards and anything else that......

• Sports Memorabilia Appraisal Perhaps you have found the perfect piece of sports memorabilia, signed by your favorite sports star, and you are just about to make the purchase. Perhaps the price is perfect, and you are ready to make the exchange. Hold on! Any collectible sports memorabilia needs to be coming equipped with......
• Federal Reserve Notes Coins and Paper Money -> Paper Money: US -> Large Size Notes -> Federal Reserve Notes One of the most interesting collectibles in the field of coins and paper money are federal reserve notes. However, there is quite a bit of confusion out there about what these notes really are.......
• Law Enforcement Badges and Memorabilia Different people have different interests when it comes to collecting memorabilia and other collectibles. For example, some people collect law enforcement badges and other law enforcement memorabilia. The reasons for such a collection may stem from having a history working with law enforcement or possibly having an ancestor that was......
• Smart Credit Card Debt Credit card debt is a global problem that has led many to the poorhouse. However, with smart management, credit card debt can actually be a good thing. Let’s look at how to have smart credit card debt that will help your finances instead of hurt it. The premise may be......
• Collecting Rare Collectibles 101 There are all kinds of different collectibles out there, including rare collectibles and more common collectibles for example. If you are interested in collecting rare collectibles, then knowing how to identify them, find them, price them, display them and sell them are all very important considerations to make. Here is......

• Lots Football-NFL Cards Sports Collectibles
• Vintage Sports Memorabilia Sports Collectibles
• Pre-1940 International Lobby Cards Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• GAI Graded Singles (1980-89) Basketball-NBA Cards Sports Collectibles
• Pennants, Flags Vintage Sports Memorabilia Sports Collectibles