Baseball Cards – Valuable or Not?

 

Today’s collectors examine baseball cards as carefully as they do stamps and other collectibles.  Following is and explanation of the grading classifications used to evaluate baseball cards.

 

A mint card should have no flaws.  It should have four perfect corner, 60/40 or better centering, smooth edges, no color or focus imperfections, and no print spots.  For example, a mint 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett rookie card would be worth $30. 

 

A near mint-mint card should have one very minor flaw.  Some minor flaw could be one corner with a slight touch of wear, fairly noticeable print spots, color or focus imperfections.  The card must have 60/40 or better centering, smooth edges, original color borders and gloss.  The same Puckett card would be worth $27 if it was in near mint-mint condition. 

 

            An excellent-mint is a card that has few minor flaws.  Flaws could include two or three fuzzy corners and no worse than 80/20 centering, and no more than two of the following:  slightly rough edges, very minor border discoloration, minor print spots, color or focus imperfections.  The card must have original gloss.  If the same Puckett card was in excellent-mint condition it would be worth $18.

 

            An excellent condition card would have several minor flaws.  It may have four fuzzy corners and centering no worse than 80/20.  It may have lost a little original gloss, rough edges, minor border discoloration and minor print spots, color or focus imperfections.  If the same Puckett card was in excellent condition it would be worth $12. 

 

            A very good card would have been handled, not abused.  It would show slightly rounded corners with slight layering, slight notching on edges, moderate border discoloration, some gloss lost from the surface buy no scuffing.  It may have hairline creases.  If the same Puckett card was in very good condition it would only be worth $7.50. 

 

            The last three conditions are good, fair, and poor.  They are well worn or abused cards.  They have badly rounded and layered corners, scuffing, no original gloss, major border discoloration and serious creases.  The grade of good, fair or poor depends on severity.  These grades are used mainly as fillers.  If the same Puckett card was in good, fair or poor condition it would be worth anywhere from $1.50 to $4.50. 

 

            There is another factor used in evaluating baseball cards.  Is the card signed or not?  Certain limited-edition, signed insert cards found in random packs hold higher value due to their scarcity.  An ongoing controversy has been whether or not a regular trading card signed by the featured player actually decreases the cards value.  For instance, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle signed rookie card is one card that would decrease in value with Mantles signature on it.  The argument is the signature actually defaces the rookie card, which decreases its value.  However, there are lesser-known players whose cards, when signed, would increase in values.  Whether or not a have a card signed is solely up to the individual collector. 

           

            To serious collectors baseball cards are an investment for the future.  However, to the average baseball fan collecting cards is a sentimental hobby for their own pleasure. 

 

Writing by

Mike McHugh

February 5, 1997