All About Baseball Cards

Collecting baseball cards has long been one of American's favorite hobbies, closely following America's favorite past time. Topps baseball cards is only one brand of baseball cards that is on the market. Topps is one of the most popular brands of baseball card companies and is easily located on the web to make purchasing easier. Sports collectors are part of a very exclusive "club" so to speak, with their own lingo, discerning eyes and mutual understanding.

Topps baseball cards, being that they are easily found online, are purchased often. The men and women who are buying these baseball cards collect them for years before they start to sell, if they ever sell them at all. Collectors often do so in a certain way such as all from one team, all the same player, since the year they were born or since the year they became a fan of the sport. Though all of their collections will be different, they all share one base thing in common; they all love baseball.

The beginning of tradable cards goes back almost a hundred years, to the time where they were smaller than two inches and printed on thick cardboard. They were not as popular then and were being made by the Goodwin Company. As the years passed, a different company emerged on the market; Topps. They not only made baseball cards but chewing gum as well, another staple for baseball players. They were the only company in the business of baseball cards that was excelling as it was, but a monopoly lawsuit was lost and so other competing companies were taking stock in baseball cards. These collectible items had become a phenomenon and Topps is still a leading name in the industry to this day.

Many who decide to collect them also decide to sell them at one point as well. Keeping your collection in mint condition is very important if you want to reap the highest price for your prized cards. Those who have the most success at this will often times keep their treasures in plastic sheets in a binder, or in hard plastic cases so that they do not become bent, creased, stained or damaged in any way. Then they can take their collection to a local collectors' shop, either put them on display to have them sold to customers or sell them directly to the shop owner. This can be done anywhere where collectibles are bought and sold or anywhere that buys and sells sports trading cards, especially baseball cards. These places will often be carriers of all brand baseball cards.

Also, there are online buy and sell "stores" for baseball cards. Knowing the value of each of your cards and the prices you would like to sell them for are important things to know so that you do not get scammed by the business. You can easily find this information by comparing to other cards that are similar in age, condition, and player that others have bought and sold.

Chuck R Stewart recently sold his old baseball cards and topps baseball cards to a collector for a nice little profit.

The Passion Of Baseball Card Collecting

Baseball card collecting has been around since the 1800's, and millions of young and old enthusiasts collect baseball cards. Serious involvement shown by some enthusiasts who invest a lot of money and some even pursue a career in baseball cards. Baseball cards are sold for as little as 10 cents while a few cards are traded for as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Baseball became an increasingly popular sport in the USA after the Civil War. In those days when there were no modern printing techniques, a type of baseball card was made out of photos of baseball players or teams pasted on a small piece of square cardboard.

Peck & Snyder, a sporting good company, first printed baseball cards in the late 1860's. These baseball cards carried advertisements of their products and were given away like flyers for free. The popular hobby of the 1870's and 1880's was to collect trade cards that had various themes including baseball and pasting those into a scrapbook.

The mass production of baseball cards started in the 1880's. Goodwin & Co. a tobacco company in New York produced these cards as cigarette pack stiffeners and to boost sales, as this became popular, others joined the competition. Allen & Ginter, Buchner & Co., Mayo and Co. and Kimball produced quality baseball cards and inserted them into the cigarette packs.

After a brief lull, baseball cards again became a rage from the early 1900's. In fact, the period from 1909-1915 is regarded as the golden period in baseball card collecting. T206 Honus Wagner is one of the most famous cards that belonged to this era. The T206 Honus Wagner card is currently valued at around $500,000 and there are only 50 of them available in good condition. Some of the popular players who adorn the earlier cards include Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Cy Young, Honus Wagner and Napolean Lajoie.

Slowly tobacco slipped away from the baseball card scenario, and candy and gum companies filled the void. The cards produced by Goudey Gum Company of Boston are among the most popular baseball cards ever produced. The cards included pictures of famous baseball stars like: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx. Gum Inc produced cards that include the photo and stats of such greats as Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio.

Bowman Gum Co. started the baseball card industry as it currently is. Bowman sold baseball cards with a stick of bubble gum. Topps Chewing Gum company joined the process in the 1950's, and the 1952 Topps # 311 Mickey Mantle is one of their most expensive cards.

At present, other than Topps companies like Fleer, Donruss/Playoff, and Upper Deck are producing baseball cards. Every year baseball cards hit the market featuring the top performers. A 'rookie card' is a first card of a player and generally costs more than other cards of the same player. However, the tobacco baseball cards are still considered the best of all baseball cards. In addition, the Honus Wagner card is considered the 'Mona Lisa' of baseball cards. A Honus Wagner card that was previously owned by Wayne Gretzky was auctioned off on eBay for $1.27 million.

When the number of cards collected really grows big, it will not be easy to manage them. Retrieving cards at will and replacing them would require the proficiency of a library science degree holder. To solve this problem there is software available that will manage baseball card collections efficiently. There is a variety of software to choose from depending on the complexity of the collection details that needs to be stored. One program that stand's out is 'Baseball Card Collector Professional', it is made for any baseball card collector, from novices to professionals, and it cost under $15. 'Baseball Card Collector Professional' may be downloaded for free at this website address:

http://www.rb59.com/bccp

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2006

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released software on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.

RB59 Software

http://www.rb59.com/software

Finding Baseball Cards

Baseball card collecting is both a great hobby and a big business for many today. Many of us have memories of collecting baseball cards of our favorite players and hoping that one day they would be worth some money. Unfortunately for many, the passion that they once had for collecting baseball cards faded away as life became busier and many of these beloved baseball cards went to the trash.

If only many of these cards had been kept, over time they would likely be worth a small fortune. If you're an avid collector and looking for places to buy baseball cards, you might need to be a bit creative.

One way to buy baseball cards is on the internet, through online auctions. Online auctions are a great way to buy baseball cards for many reasons. Some people sell baseball cards on eBay as a way to clean out their attic or garage and they simply want to dispose of a baseball card collection that is long forgotten. These can be wonderful opportunities to find a great bargain on large quantities of cards. If you're not afraid of doing a bit of digging through a large collection, you may find a valuable card among the lot. Online auctions are also popular among sports memorabilia collectors. Internet auctions are a great way to attract many eager buyers and sports card collectors know this.

Visiting baseball card and sports memorabilia shows is also a great way to find cards. Dealers and hobbyists alike set up tables to display their cards. This is a great place to find individual baseball cards and also to connect with other avid collectors. For new baseball card collectors, baseball card shows are a great place to learn from veterans of the baseball card world.

Another place you may want to look for baseball cards is at sports card shops. These shops are setup for the purpose of making money and you will likely pay a premium when buying at a baseball card store. Because it's expensive to operate a storefront and fill it with inventory, physical stores are worth checking out, but they may not offer the best deals. A baseball card shop is helpful though because the owners of the stores usually know a lot about baseball card collecting and they will be able offer some insight into the business.

One unconventional place to look for older baseball cards is at antique stores and estate auctions. Many older people keep everything, whether they think it has value or not. Once they pass away and their belongings are sold, so many of these estates have collectibles, coins and baseball cards that may be worth a lot of money.

Whether you are an avid baseball card collector or a hobbyist, finding baseball cards can be an exciting hobby. So many people enjoy a good hunt and part of the enjoyment of baseball card collecting is in the actual searching process. Along the way you will meet many helpful and interesting people that also share a love for card collecting just like you do.

As mentioned above, Baseball card shows are a great way to find cards for sale. Here's a handy where you can find out where and when Upcoming Sports Card Shows take place.

If you're in the market for baseball cards and want the help of a professional, please visit this list of Baseball Card Dealers that would be happy to help you find specific cards.

Autographed Baseball Cards - The Gem Of Any Collector

Some of the most valuable autographed baseball cards are those which are signed by those players who rarely give their signature away. But it's not just baseball players whose autograph is coveted by collectors, as managers Terry Francona and Joe Torre are two mangers whose signature collectors often purchase or trade for.

As far as baseball cards go, the New York Yankees are often at the top of collector's lists and historically, Yogi Berra autographed baseball cards have been a collector favorite like none other. Much of this is due to the fact that Yogi remains active today by appearing in commercials and has a minor league stadium named after him. Of course, his 3 MVP awards, 15 American League All-Star appearances and 10 World Series championships help to drive up the price of his autographed baseball cards.

Perhaps more than any other retired baseball player, Yogi maintains frequent public appearances and makes an effort to sign as many autographs as possible. Normally a high amount of signatures on cards would drive down market prices, but Yogi's great popularity amongst both collectors and the general public help to keep the cards in demand and the prices higher than most.

Many of the most popular autographed baseball cards in the last few years have come from the Boston Red Sox. There's nothing like a World Series or two to spark interest in player cards and signatures, and with the Red Sox having won twice during the first 6 years of the 21st century, collectors and fans alike have taken keen interest in previously unknown players such as Tim Wakefield, Mark Bellhorn and Orlando Cabrera. These players' card values have skyrocketed in the last few years due to the fact that they only had a few autographs on the market once they started winning.

Cal Ripken autographed baseball cards have continued to stand the test of time, and with his 19 All-Star appearances as a shortstop firmly in the record books, the popularity and prices of his cards are going nowhere but up. It helps to be regarded as one of the greatest shortstops ever to play the game, but it is Cal Ripken's actual signature that make his autographed baseball cards so enticing to collectors. Ripken's penmanship on his cards and memorabilia has always been crisp and clean, and has stayed so throughout the years despite the numerous requests placed upon him. This clarity in penmanship has collectors and fans constantly looking for Ripken autographed items.

The value of any card with a signature on it will of course vary, but it comes down to mainly the player, team, design and scarcity. Most of the time, cards with multiple signatures will outweigh the value of any one signature on a card, but of course the players need to be desirable for this to hold true.

A final factor in determining the value of signed cards is whether or not they are certified. Autographed cards that come from the manufacturer with a certificate of authenticity will generally be more desirable than those whose authenticity is in doubt, such as cards signed in person or via mail. Regardless, collectors and fans alike love it when they can get their favorite player to sign something for them.

About The Author:

Justin Michael contributes to several baseball forums across the net, and operates an article directory devoted entirely to Baseball Cards

To find out more red-hot information about baseball cards, visit Baseball Cards Junction now!

How to Purchase Top Baseball Cards

In this write up readers will understand about the basics of the top baseball cards. You will come to know about the dealing of various types of baseball cards.
Is collecting top baseball cards your hobby? You can now purchase excellent old and new top baseball rookie cards sitting at home. These baseball collectibles are great to collect and will familiarize you with the sports world. A beautifully decorated baseball card is the printed proof to highlight the biography of an eminent baseball player. His previous eye catching sports career is divulged and unfurled via best baseball cards. You will get updated information about the different baseball rookie cards while browsing the internet. You can even see pictures of excellent current rookie cards which are very good to look and can collect the cards which have fantastically described glorious events through the excellent portraiture of Jeter or Rodriguez.
If you check any well recognized site, you will come into contact with other top baseball cards like Joe Mauer Rookie, Albert Pujols Rookie, Stephen Strasburg Rookie Cards, Alex Rodriguez Rookie, Ubaldo Jimenez Rookie Cards, Bryce Harper Rookie Cards, Mike Stanton, Ryan Braun, David Wright and Hanley Ramirez Rookie Cards. These top sports cards will give you authentic information about the previous performance track records of the notable baseball players. The picture quality of these fantastic baseball collectibles is excellent and up to the mark.
The best baseball cards should be unique in design with the eye catching color contrast. The best baseball cards will be cost effective with the easy availability in the online shopping centers. There will be spot/scratch on the obverse side of the cards. If consumers like to purchase the cost effective highly qualitative sports cards, they must browse the Amazon and eBay sites for getting the cards at the justified price rates. You will get the discounts if you purchase several packets of old and new cards in bulk. One can also place comments in the consumers' forum about the excellent sports cards. Your views and opinions will be valued by the online sellers and dealers. You can even win the prizes for comments if they are found to be good.


Prior to finalizing the deal, check the online archive to get well acquainted with the top baseball cards that you propose to buy. Make sure to avoid fake sites which dupe you by offering fake baseball cards at the lower price rates. Check properly before making the final commitment.

How to Sell Baseball Cards on eBay

It's very possible to make a living selling baseball cards for a profit through online auction sites like eBay. You can't just throw some cards up for sale and wait for the money to start rolling in. If you're really serious about trying to make a career out of this kind of activity, you've got to know how to sell baseball cards the right way. You'd be surprised how many different factors can go into the amount of money a particular card or set of cards will bring in. If you don't take these factors into account though, you'll have a hard time making a profit in this business.

The Right Category

A lot of the people who buy baseball cards on eBay and other similar sites know their way around these sites very well. They often have particular categories of cards that they're interested in and will only peruse these sections of the auction sites. That's why it's very important that you list your cards appropriately when you put them up for sale.

The best way to make sure you're getting your cards in the right category is to take some time to familiarize yourself with the site and the categories available first. When you're first learning how to sell baseball cards online, you'll find it's well worth your time to do some research before you ever put a card up for sale. It'll save you a ton of time and money if you make sure you know what you're doing before you start putting your stuff out there.

Timing Is Everything

One of the most important things to master when you're learning how to sell baseball cards online is the timing of your auctions. You won't believe how much of an impact this can have on the price a particular item brings in, or even if you're able to sell it at all. There are several ways this dynamic manifests itself.

For example, you'll likely have a much easier time selling all types of baseball cards at the beginning of the baseball season. On of the things you need to know about how to sell baseball cards is that the beginning of the baseball season reminds people how much they love the game. People who don't put a lot of thought into their baseball card collections for most of the year will get nostalgic at the beginning of the season and will be more inclined to buy your products then.

You also need to know the schedule of a team if you're trying to sell an individual card for a famous member of that team. If your auction ends the same night that team has a big game, most of your potential buyers will be watching the game instead of bidding at the close of your auction. You'll get much more for exactly the same item if you end your auction on a night that team isn't playing.

Learning how to sell baseball cards isn't incredibly complicated, but there are some tricks you should keep in mind if you want to get the most out of the products you have to offer.

Don't spend another minute wondering if you can make a fortune selling sports cards and memorabilia. Visit http://SportsCardMillionaire.com today and let Billy Jackson show you how to sell baseball cards like a pro.

Different Companies That Currently Issue Baseball Cards

The introduction of baseball cards into the world of collectibles was shortly after they were first produced. However, the producers of Old Judge and Gypsy Queen cigarettes were the first company to introduce them inside their products.

Compared with the standard size of baseball cards today, these first cards were a lot smaller and even printed on thick cardboard. The Old Judge baseball cards were issued between 1886 and 1890 with over two thousand different cards actually being issued. These cards were such a success that soon other cigarettes companies began issuing their own cards, which were soon followed by other variety of companies and products.

Determining the value of your baseball cards can be determined by using one of the two popular pricing guides, which are Beckett and Tuff Stuff. However, determining the value of your cards can be tricky, especially with two different pricing guides pricing the same cards and the cards having different values. The Beckett pricing guide is the most commonly used guide, so prices are determined by using Becket. Both pricing guides will give a high value and a low value for each card, which can be purchased monthly with new issues of their magazines. Currently, they are both offered on-line, which can be subscribe for a monthly fee.

There are several companies that produce baseball cards and the safest way to purchase baseball cards if from manufactures that are licensed and backed by Major League Baseball. Topps dominated the baseball card industry until they lost a lawsuit in 1980, then Fleer and Donruss started producing their own baseball cards. It was not long until baseball cards became more important than the gum that was package with them. Today other companies are producing baseball cards such as Score, Upper Deck, and Pacific which has led to a high quality of sport cards. Every year these companies will release a brand new set of baseball cards, which will normally be released close to the time that the season starts.

Older baseball cards tend to be expensive due to them being so rare, however most collectors tend to collect newer cards, which can be purchased packs at any convenient market or sports collectible shops. Newer collectors will purchase packs of cards instead of purchasing single or rare cards, but by purchasing packs of cards you will be able to receive a combination of cards that could include special inserts or even limited edition cards.

As of 2006 there were two major baseball card manufactures who released complete sets, which were Topps and Upper Deck who will release a basic set. Complete sets are normally listed by the year then the name of the manufacture such as, 06 Topps, in pricing guide, but this sets will contain over 500 individual cards. Compete base sets are not very expensive and they are very popular with collectors who enjoy collecting their baseball cards in sets.

Pack of cards start at around a couple dollars, but can go up to one hundred dollars, which depends on the popularity of the set and their availability. There are some collectors who will only collect cards manufactured by Topps, which may include premium sets like Topps Finest and Bowman Chrome. Being an active baseball card collector is more affordable when cards are purchased with the opening of each baseball season.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about rare coins, stamp collections, and rare collectibles. Follow these links to find the best marketplace for: rare coins, stamp collections.

Topps Triple Threads FAIL Part 2

You didn't think I was done hating did you? I drank a nice big glass of Haterade before I started searching around on eBay again. This one is an epic failure.

Mariano Rivera is hands down the greatest closer of all time. Topps was kind enough to give Mariano a card in the 2010 Triple Threads, however they were not kind enough to make it a card that is unique to him. Instead, they mailed it in and made this card... 2010 Topps Triple Threads Mariano Rivera

That's it? That was the best idea the design team could come up with? Really? Not "Sandman" in illegible words with all gray jersey filling it in? No booklet of "Greatest Closer of All Time" illegibly in all gray jersey?

Come on guys, that is a terrible card for Mariano.

View the original article here

Awesomest night card tourney, round 1, part 2

A hobbled Kirk Gibson is the first winner in the Awesomest Night Card Tournament. Gibby's celebratory moment edged out Davey Lopes in the 1977 NLCS to advance to the next round of the tourney. Here is the final voting tally:

1. Kirk Gibson, '88 WS, 1989 Upper Deck -- 17 votes
2. Dave Lopes, '77 NLCS, 1978 Topps -- 13 votes
3. Endy Chavez, 2007 Topps -- 7 votes
4. Britt Burns, 1983 Topps -- 4 votes
5. Steve Foster, 1992 Donruss -- 4 votes

Last week I thought that the Chavez card would win. It's a tremendous photo and a tremendous moment. But I'm glad the Gibson card won. Dodger greatness is always worth a vote.

Let's see what the next round brings. Here is the next group of night cards vying for your vote:

1989 Topps John Tudor: One of my favorite night cards. It's the only night card in the '89 set. The fact that Topps was able to get Tudor into a Dodger uniform so quickly, since he was traded late in the '88 season, was quite a feat for its time.
1989 Upper Deck Gary Carter: Carter appears to be dashing from a ghostly figure behind him. Another one of '89 Upper Deck's many night cards.
2008 Topps Updates & Highlights Chase Utley: The first horizontal night card featured. Not a fan of 2008 Topps, but I do like this card.
1992 Upper Deck Ruben Sierra: The blurred bat-on-ball action is cool. But the reason I selected this card was because of Sierra's glow-in-the-dark batting gloves.
1993 Donruss Spirit of the Game Kevin Gross: You can't tell from the scan that this is a Donruss card or that it says "Spirit of the Game" because the foil is faded. But all you need to know is the card was celebrating Kevin Gross' no-hitter. Good enough for me.
1990 Score Warren Moon: I'll throw in a 6th card. This is one of just two non-baseball Awesome Night Cards so far. Moon was once my fantasy team quarterback. He was a good one.

OK, there you are. Time to vote. Poll is on the sidebar. Pick whichever one is the nightiest.

View the original article here