The Value of Old Baseball Cards

History

• The earliest baseball cards appeared in the mid 1800s but were generally large black and white cabinet cards. Baseball at the turn of the 20th century was truly becoming the National Pastime and baseball cards were not far behind. Beautiful, full-color, lithographed baseball cards were being issued by countless companies. Many top industries produced card sets and baseball cards could be found in cigarette packs, tobacco pouches, boxes of caramels, gum containers, loaves of bread or given as a premium with meat or clothing. The wide variety of styles, sizes and players created a secondary market quickly. It was during this time that prices were first being attached to cards and baseball cards were beginning to be thought of as having a value other than sentimentality.

Misconceptions

• The most common problem with old baseball cards is that people automatically assume that they are valuable. This is a common misconception with many old objects. Many old baseball cards are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. However, there are thousands of hundred-year-old cards that can often be purchased in good condition for around $10 each. Like anything else, the value is strictly based on supply and demand. The amount of product that has been issued is staggering and much of it survives in collections today. There are many factors that go into the value of old baseball cards and age is only a very small part of the equation.

Factors affecting value

• The attributes that determine value have not changed much in the past several decades. Condition is usually at the top of the list. Cards are generally graded from Poor (worst) to Mint (best). Intermediate grades of Good, Very Good, Excellent and Near Mint are standard. The rise of third-party grading companies in the last 10 years has elevated condition standards considerably.

  The player and stage of career are also important. Hall of Fame members or major stars will command a premium over semi-stars and common players. Likewise, the earlier in a player's career the more valuable a card normally is. The rookie card is a player's first appearance on a baseball card and is usually the highest priced.

  There are many unusual things that affect value as well. The first and last cards in a set are typically more valuable. These were often damaged by rubber bands in collections and Near Mint to Mint examples are harder to find.

Identification

• The best way to value old baseball cards is to find examples of ones that have sold or to consult pricing guides. Old baseball cards often do not have manufacturers listed or trademark or copyright information. Speaking with collectors or posting photos on collector forums can easily lead to identification of the player, set and year. This information can then be used to research prices. Local shops may offer appraisal services as well.

Warning

• Many old baseball cards have been counterfeited and sold as genuine. This is not a recent problem, but the advent of cheap laser printing has seen the number of fakes increasing dramatically in recent years. Authorized and unauthorized reissues of classic baseball cards can fool the beginning collector as well. While some old baseball cards are truly valuable, many more are worthless modern fakes.