Collecting Baseball Cards: What to Look for

Posted on September 20th, 2011 by admin


Collecting Baseball Cards: What to Look for

Collecting baseball cards can be a great hobby no matter what age you may be. Collecting baseball cards is a popular hobby that has a substantial number of people involved in it. The great thing about this hobby comes in regards to its accessibility; in other words, one does not need much money to begin collecting baseball cards today. Whether you have a few dollars to spend or a few thousand, there is something that can appease collectors in practically any price range one can think of.

Another great thing is the history that is attached to collecting baseball cards. It goes all the way back to before the Great Depression Era of the 1930s when tobacco companies would use cards with pictures of baseball players on them in order to attract more business. When the 1930s rolled around baseball cards came to be associated more with bubble gum than tobacco. Even with gum baseball cards still were not very popular until the post WWII era of the 1950s, when card companies were created such as Bowman and Topps. In the 1980s more companies came into the fray such as Upper Deck and Fleer and Donruss, thus vaulting baseball cards into the mainstream of America and making it one of the most popular hobbies in the country today.

Even though baseball cards are a great hobby, if one is starting to collect for the first time they should know what kind of cards they are looking for. It is not very smart to try to collect as many cards as possible, but the hobby will not be as enjoyable as it should be by focusing on more specific cards. Here are a few types of baseball cards to look for.

Insert Cards

Even though they haven’t been around for a very long time, inserts are great cards to collect if one is just starting out. What makes them unique is that many of them are limited edition cards, which can provide an enjoyable experience trying to find specific ones. One should be cautious though as well, as this type of card can get fairly expensive. Inserts include autographed cards, cards with pieces of game used items such as a jersey or bat, and so on.

Rookie Cards

A somewhat less expensive way to start out collecting baseball cards is to collect rookie cards of various players. What is great about this type of card is that prices can range from a few dollars into the thousands of dollars, so practically any budget can be able to start a collection of rookie cards.

Player/Team Cards

A great way to get a child or teenager into collecting baseball cards is to have them collect player specific or team specific baseball cards. For instance, he or she may like watching Cliff Lee play, so they could try to start collecting different types of cards for him in specific. This can include regular cards, autographed cards, rookie cards, and so on. If they have a favorite team it can be fun trying to collect the baseball card of every player on the roster, or for a higher price try rookie cards of every player as well. It is certainly a great way to get them interested in the game of baseball.

There are many other different types of cards to collect as well, including complete sets, hall of fame cards, and so on. The best advice when starting to collect baseball cards is to choose a specific area and then branch out from there. Who knows, you may find it to be a lifelong obsession that you can pass down from generation to generation.