Most Popular Football Trading Cards

Significance

• Collecting football trading cards is a hobby that has been passed down from one generation to another. It is a hobby that gives fathers chances to share stories about their favorite teams and players with their children that enjoy collecting football cards as well. It is also an opportunity for collectors to learn to appreciate players from previous generations of the game by collecting their cards.

History

• The most popular football trading cards are rookie cards. These are a player's first mainstream trading card. In recent years, demand and supply has become the pricing mechanism in determining the most popular football trading cards. Some of the most popular cards today are ones that are printed in limited numbers, and these include many rookie cards. Along with these cards, cards that have signatures on them or pieces of a uniform build into them are also among the most popular football trading cards.

Types

• Manufacturers of trading cards have started to produce special cards that are very limited in number. Typically, these cards are a combination of autographed cards, cards with pieces of uniforms, and rookie cards. To keep these cards popular and valuable, the manufacturer only makes a limited number of these cards and often puts the number of each card on the back of it. If it is the first card out of 50 of a particular card produced, the back of the card will be labeled as "1/50."

Identification

• These popular autographed, material, and rookie cards are easy to identify. The most popular, and often most valuable, autographed cards are known as "on-card" or "hard-signed" autographs. This means that the player signed the actual card. Other autograph types feature stickers or labels that have been signed by the player and applied to the card after it is printed. Cards with material such as pieces of a game-worn jersey on them typically have a shape cut into the front of the card where the material is inserted. Some of the most popular football rookie cards in history include the 1935 National Chicle Bronko Nagurski, 1957 Topps Johnny Unitas, 1958 Topps Jim Brown, 1965 Topps Joe Namath, 1976 Topps Walter Payton, 1981 Topps Joe Montana and 1989 Score Barry Sanders.

Warning

• With the popularity of these cards, the number of fake or frauds on the market is rather high. Some of these can be very well produced, and it can be hard to tell the difference between them and the real cards. However, this occurs almost solely with cards produced prior to the early 1990s, since these cards are more simple and easier to fake. To help avoid fake cards, check for the manufacturer's logo on the back of the card. Also be logical when purchasing a card. If it seems to be extremely under priced, it's likely that the card is a fraud. Be sure to check on the back of the card for an indication of the number of that card produced to ensure it is a limited edition.