Sports Card Collecting & Investing For Dummies

Geoff Wilson is the founder of Sports Card Investor, the leading content network and data platform for trading card enthusiasts. Ben Burrows is a journalist and the former content director for Sports Card Investor. Tyler Nethercott is the VP of product development for Sports Card Investor.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1How This Book Is Organized 2Part 1: Getting the Scoop on Sports Cards 2Part 2: Checking Out the Many Traits of Sports Cards 2Part 3: The Basics of Buying and Collecting 3Part 4: Flipping, Investing, and Turning a Profit 3Part 5: The Part of Tens 3Glossary 3Foolish Assumptions 4Conventions Used in This Book 4Icons Used in This Book 4Beyond the Book 5Where to Go from Here 5Part 1: Getting the Scoop on Sports Cards 7Chapter 1: Sizing Up the Sports Card Craze 9The Psychology of Collecting 10Why we collect sports cards 10A new (not really) kind of investment 12Getting Lost in the Cardboard (It’s a Good Thing.) 13Rediscovering your old collection 13Tips for finding cards you will (or won’t) love 16Chapter 2: The Evolution of Sports Cards through the Decades 19Where It All Began 20Exploring the 1800s and the first cards 20Pre-War and Vintage 22Colors, stats, and a sweet new hobby 23American Caramel and Cracker Jack 231933 Goudey Big League Gum 24The early Bowman, Leaf, Fleer, and Donruss entries 251952 Topps and the modern sports card 27O-Pee-Chee and Panini make their debuts 28The Modern Era 30The sets that defined the era 30Great music, junk wax 33A near-death experience 34The great rebound 35We won’t get fooled again 36The Ultra-Modern Era 36More than a sandwich 37The big boom 38Record-high market 38Death by parallel and the Junk Slab Era 39Violence, theft, and the retail controversy 41Where the hobby goes from here 41Part 2: Checking Out the Many Traits of Sports Cards 43Chapter 3: The Anatomy of a Sports Card 45What Makes a Sports Card? 45Major card designs through the years 46Making a first impression 51What’s on the back? 54Art cards and custom cards 54Exploring the Printing Process and Product Configuration 55The materials that make sports cards 55Set size, hits, chases, and what makes a product 56Understanding the Packout Process and Distribution 58From the printing press to sealed packs and boxes 58The journey from manufacturer to storefronts 60Chapter 4: Understanding Product Checklists: Base Cards, Parallels, Inserts, and More 63Learning How to Read (the Checklist) 64Checklists 65Product information sheets 67Spotting a Base Card and the Rainbow of Parallels 68Identifying base cards 68Spotting the many variations 69Inserts and Design Madness 74What makes an insert 74Embracing the design madness 75Chasing Autographs and (Maybe) Game-Used Memorabilia 78Understanding authenticity 79Signed, sealed, and delivered 80Getting closer to the game (or your local retailer) 82Chapter 5: Different Sports and Their Nuances 89Basketball cards 90Built on superstars and flash 90Iconic basketball players 91The transition to Panini 93WNBA rises in popularity 94Baseball cards 96The richest history 96Iconic baseball players 97Football cards 100Quarterback or bust 100Iconic football players 102Hockey cards 103A small but passionate fan base 103Iconic hockey players 105Other notable sports 105Soccer 106Boxing and MMA 108Golf and tennis 108Racing 109Chapter 6: Key Manufacturers, Brands, and Products 111Licenses make all the difference 111Unlicensed cards 112Key basketball card sets 113Key baseball card sets 115Prospecting and Minor League cards 118Key football card sets 119Hockey cards 120Other notable sports and key sets 123Key soccer card sets 123Key boxing and MMA card sets 124Key golf and tennis sets 125Key racing card sets 125Chapter 7: The Importance of Card Condition — From Printing to Grading 127Physical Aspects of Cards 128Surface condition, centering, corners, and edges 128Spotting print defects, damage, and other issues 134Cleaning or altering? 136Card Grading 138Benefits of grading, from authentication to market value 139Trusted grading companies 140Grading scales and numerical values 144The grading process 145Part 3: the Basics of Buying and Collecting 149Chapter 8: Deciding What Kind of Collector You Will Be 151Setting Your Collecting Goals 151Setting realistic expectations 152Quality versus quantity 153Tips for staying on track 153Picking Your Personal Collection Themes 155What kind of collector are you? 155Chapter 9: Buying Basics and Building Your Collection 159Buyer’s Market 160Sealed products 160Box breaks 161Singles 162Lots 162Online Marketplaces and Retailers 163eBay 163COMC 164MySlabs 164Alt 165Blowout Cards 165Dave and Adam’s Card World 165Others worth considering 165Take It to the (Auction) House 166Goldin Auctions 166PWCC 166Heritage Auctions 167Others worth considering 167It’s Always Personal 167Local card shops 167Card shows 168Trade nights 168Let’s get social 168Great Deals (Aren’t) Hard to Find 169An honest mistake 169The great negotiator 170R-E-S-P-E-C-T 171Displaying and Storing Your Collection 171Penny sleeves, Toploaders, and other holders 172Fit for a museum 174Chapter 10: Navigating a Card Show Like a Pro 177Don’t Forget the Essentials 177Straight cash, Homie 178These shoes are made for walking 178Baggage claim 178Navigating the Chaos and Making a Deal 179Needle in a haystack 179Deal or no deal 180Card Show Etiquette 182Table manners 182Thank you for being a friend 183Plenty of fish in the sea 183Chapter 11: Finding or Building a Community 185Using Social Media to Find Your Community 186Best platforms to get started 186How to safely communicate online 187Starting a community when you can’t find one 189Networking at Events to Grow Your Community 189Event etiquette 190Why all events aren’t created equal 190Chapter 12: Resources to Grow Your Hobby Knowledge 191Free Industry Resources 191Set and product details 192Authentication, grading, and auctions 193Community Content and Other Media 194Pricing data tools 194Picking the right creators 194Magazines and more 195Chapter 13: The Dark Side of the Hobby 199Too Good to Be True 199Spotting fake cards 200Avoiding scams 202Shill bidding 203Online etiquette 204Drama queens 204Pumping and dumping 205Personal Responsibility and Managing Your Budget 205What is and isn’t out of your control 206Setting a budget and staying on target 207Part 4: Flipping, Investing, and Turning A Profit 209Chapter 14: Investing in Cards While Attempting to Turn a Profit 211The Basics of Sports Card Investing 212Some important disclaimers 213Key concepts to follow 215How, when, and where to sell your cards 222Fatal mistakes to avoid 225Building Your Business from Scratch 226Making your first deals 227Building on a budget 227When to take a loss 227Creating realistic expectations 228Chapter 15: Three Ways to Profit 229The Quick Flip 229Spotting flipping candidates 230Targeting the right timeline 232Using data to make the right moves 232Other tools to help 233Short-Term Speculation 234Expectations and timeline 234Grading or selling raw 235Buying and selling seasons 236Long-Term Investments 237What makes a great long-term hold 237Why vintage has been considered a good investment 240Chapter 16: Properly Valuing and Selling Your Cards 243Sales Data Matters, but There’s More to the Story 243Trusted pricing tools 245Important price points, trends, and more 247Becoming a High-Quality Seller 251A personal touch 251Maintaining a good standing selling online 253Handle with care 254Part 5: the Part of Tens 257Chapter 17: Ten Unwritten Rules Every Collector Should Follow 259Have Fun and Collect What You Love 259Don’t Let FOMO Drive Your Decisions 260Set a Budget and Stick to It 260Respect How Others Collect 261Be Reasonable When Trading 261Ship Cards Like You’d Want Them to Be Shipped 261Understand the Cost of Doing Business 262Support Your Local Card Shop 262Look to Pay It Forward 262Never Stop Learning 263Chapter 18: Ten Tricks to Building a Great Collection 265Find a Collecting Theme, Identity, or Style 265Set Realistic Goals, but Dare to Dream Big 266Be Patient and Play the Long Game 266Use Data and Other Resources to Find Great Deals 267Curate Your Collection Periodically 267Consolidation Can Help Win Holy Grails, but It Isn’t for Everyone 268Go Off the Beaten Path and Search for Hidden Gems 268Develop a System to Store and Display Your Cards 269Find Hobby Friends and Collecting Groups 269Learn from Your Mistakes 270Chapter 19: Ten Iconic Cards Every Collector Should Know 2711909–1911 T206 Honus Wagner 2711933 Goudey Babe Ruth 2731948 Leaf Jackie Robinson 2741952 Topps Mickey Mantle 2741979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky 2761980 Topps Bird/Erving/Johnson 2771986 Fleer Michael Jordan 2771989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr 2792000 Playoff Contenders Rookie Ticket Autograph Tom Brady 2802003 Exquisite Collection LeBron James 281Glossary 283Index 291