Baseball Card Collecting
It is hard to imagine that something as small and innocuous as a baseball card can fetch $2.8 million at an auction, but that is exactly what the T206 Honus Wagner baseball card did in 2007. Baseball cards were the first form of sports memorabilia. Today, athletic collectibles exchange hands for an unheard amount of money annually. Baseball has been "America's pastime" since the mid-1850s, making baseball cards a very popular collectible. Before taking the field, however, collectors must do their homework to ensure they are hitting a home run instead of striking out with their baseball card purchases.
Baseball Card History
The United States was the first country to produce baseball cards; however, Japan was quick to follow, as were Cuba and Canada. Americans were enchanted with baseball during the same time another marvel of the 19th century emerged: photography. The two morphed, and the baseball card was born. Newly formed teams posed for official club photos. These were often printed on small, wallet-sized cards.
Baseball went professional in 1860, and the first baseball trading cards were photographed. These cards featured photos of individual players and were used as marketing tools. Companies would present a card with a photo of the player on the front, and an advertisement for their business on the back. The concept didn't make much sense at first, as companies not associated with sports distributed baseball cards. It wasn't until Peck and Snyder, a New York sporting goods store, began producing baseball trading cards in 1868 that the cards tied into the marketing, and some consider the Peck and Snyder cards the first official baseball cards.
Baseball cards turned from a marketing tool into a necessity when the cards were placed in cigarette packs in 1886. The cards drew purchasing power and provided protection at the same time. The card stock used to print the baseball cards on secured the cigarette packs, preventing the cigarettes from getting crushed. As the country rolled into the 20th century, cigarette manufacturers and candy companies were the primary sellers of baseball cards.
Baseball card production ebbed and flowed throughout the first three decades of the 20th century. While cards were still produced by many tobacco and confection companies, their production was greatly impacted by World War I and The Great Depression. One significant change did occur to baseball cards during the Roaring 20s. In 1921, the Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago began to print baseball cards on postcard stock with a player's bio or stats on the back instead of advertising.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig brought baseball and baseball cards back to the forefront of popular culture in the early 1930s. Goudey Gum Company issued a set of baseball cards in 1933 that not only featured the two extremely popular players, but also kept the bios on the back, including each player's height, weight, and place of birth. These cards were also hand colored, an extravagant change from the conservative prints of earlier years. The new "era" of baseball cards lasted until World War II, when production ceased until 1948.
By the end of the 1940s, gum companies held the bulk of the baseball card industry, with Bowman Gum and Topps Gum Company at the top. These two companies competed for business up until 1956, when Topps bought Bowman. Topps was king of the hill through the 1960s and early 1970s, despite both Kellogg's and Hostess entering into the baseball card business. Topps was finally brought down in 1975 by Fleer, a gum company that successfully sued Topps for monopoly of the baseball card business.
Despite Fleer's legal victory, Topps and newcomer Upper Deck are the only remaining companies producing Major League Baseball cards. Upper Deck entered the baseball card market in 1989 and stole the show with some innovative measures that ensured its baseball cards were the real deal. Upper Deck introduced hologram logos. It also placed its cards in tamper-proof packaging. Both companies have gone out of their way to win over collectors, but Topps possibly took the cake in 2007 when it graphically inserted Mickey Mantle into the Yankee's dugout on a Derek Jeter card, and put President George W. Bush in the stands waving on another card.
UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business' Look at Baseball Card History and its Cultural Impact
Cycleback's Illustrated History of Baseball Cards (PDF)
Baseball Card Types
There are many different types of baseball cards. The most popular type is the Rookie card. Rookie cards are released after a player has played his first Major League game. In most cases the rookie card becomes the player's most valuable card. If the player becomes a star, a Star card is issued. Less famous, but nonetheless important players might have a Semi or Minor card issued for them, and Common cards are issued for all the players on the team.
Graded baseball cards are evaluated by a third party and given a grade that reflects the card's condition. Collectors love to get their hands on an Autographed baseball card, but be careful, players oftentimes sign stickers that are placed on the card which isn't as valuable as the player signing the actual card itself. Cut autographs are also a form of an autographed card where a historic player's autograph has been cut from an old document and pasted onto the card.
Some baseball cards have a piece of the player's jersey or other item, such as grass from the ballpark, infused into the card. These are called Memorabilia or Game Used cards. Most collectors desire Numbered and Printing Plate cards. These cards are numbered, as the name suggests, and the first series of numbers carries greater value because they were used directly in the printing process. Cards with manufacturer errors can also become quite valuable, and, yes, there are digital baseball cards for those wanting to keep electronic collections.
Baseball Almanac's Baseball Card Database
Sports Card Fun's Listing of Baseball Card Types
Card Values and Rare Cards
The T206 Honus Wagner card is the most valuable card at this time. It set a record with that $2.8 million sale in 2007. But a collector might consider the Babe Ruth rookie card far more valuable, even though it might only auction for $500,000. Why is the Honus Wagner card worth more than the Babe Ruth rookie card? Production and condition. Collectors have scrambled to find a Babe Ruth rookie card in good condition. It is believed that if one is ever found, it would most likely auction for upward of $5 million in today's collectible market. Only 60 Honus Wagner cards were produced, giving this particular card a rarity that most other cards do not have. Hence, the $2.8 million price tag in 2007.
Values are flighty in baseball card collecting. New card packs can be purchased for a couple of dollars, but who is to say that that particular pack won't have the next Honus Wagner card in it. Market changes, and the condition and authenticity of the card directly affect each card's value. Collectors looking for rare cards should try and get their hands on rookie cards of players such as Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, and Albert Pujols.
Best Places to Buy Baseball Cards
Retail and auction websites sell baseball cards by the millions, but purchasers must be sure to verify any card's authenticity prior to buying it. A better route might be to go to the local sports card shop. Collectors who know a thing or two about baseball cards, and what the card is currently going for in the market, own many of these shops. Serious collectors call in or attend card auctions. Going back to the famous Wagner card, this card originally auctioned off at $25,000 in 1985. It had been auctioned five more times before it broke the record in 2007. Credible auctions validate the cards prior to putting on the auction block.
Diamond Fans' How to Collect Baseball Cards: A Guide for Beginners
Selling or Trading Your Cards
The same safety measures taken when purchasing cards should also be used when selling or trading cards. Know the card's value before putting it up for sale or trade. Don't ever let a card go blindly. Collectors truly unsure of a card's value should take the card to an expert to have it appraised. Do not rely on the word of someone who does not seem trustworthy or knowledgeable of baseball card collecting. Understand that the collectors interested in purchasing the cards will want them authenticated prior to buying. Nothing could be worse than a collector unknowingly letting go of an "Honus Wagner."
"Happy Living" Magazine How to Sell Baseball Cards
Please consult the following links for more resources on baseball card collecting:
BBC Emporium's What Are Baseball Cards Worth?
Collect.com's Introduction to Baseball Card Collecting
Free Baseball Card Price Guide
Trading Card Central's Card Collecting Tips
Sports Lizard's Real Card Price Guide