A Realistic Guide to Pricing Baseball Cards

Next to "are we there yet?" and "what's the weather going to be like?", "how much are my baseball cards worth?" ranks as one of the most popular questions. Pricing baseball cards is dicey business, but with a little research and some basic knowledge, you can at least get a general idea of whether you'll be able to take that vacation to Tahiti or stick with plans to clean out the garage.

If you've asked about appraising baseball cards, chances are someone has told you that buying a guidebook or price guide magazine is the best method for pricing baseball cards. At one time, that was pretty sound advice, although not always an accurate measurement. Baseball card price guides still exist, but sometimes the pricing information doesn't change to reflect the actual market.

First, it's best to realize that when accumulating price information for your sports cards, that you won't get what the guide says when you try to sell them. Sports memorabilia shops are no different than J.C. Penney. They buy at one price to sell at another to make a profit and stay in business. If you want a dealer to buy baseball cards, you'd better be prepared to give him some room. If he's selling a baseball card set for the guide price of $20, he can't buy it from you for $19. If you want quick cash, it's best to sell your cards yourself. If you invest the time and energy, you'll make a little more money by not having to worry about the dealer's profit margin. Such a statement holds true no matter what era we're talking about.

The value of old baseball cards depends primarily on two factors: condition and player. Obviously a 1961 Roger Maris baseball card is worth more than one of Tracy Stallard or Gene Green. Hall of Famers are in higher demand, so their cards will sell for a premium. However, common cards from the mid-1960s on back can sell for a high price if and only if hey are well centered and were literally put in a box and forgotten about. Most people think their cards are "mint" if they don't have creases. Not so. Mint means just that. If you cut your figers on the corners, that's mint. But the card can't have print marks, bubbles or wax stains from the wrapper either.

Those who collect the best baseball card sets in existence will pay good money for high grade common cards. Some graded and authenticated commons from the 1950s and 60s can sell for a few hundred dollars, but chances are yours are worth a half a buck each, usually less. If they're well-loved, be grateful if you can get $5 for a stack of 50. But pull the superstars out first. Someone on eBay will pay you that a for a Hall of Famer as long as it's not completely trashed. 1970s and 80s cards are worth even less, but if you have truly high grade cards, think in terms of having a few stars graded and authenticated so you'll have a good idea of what the others will grade. PSA, SGC and GAI are the three best-known companies for grading and authenticating cards. They'll place them in a tamper-evident slab for a price of around $10 each, less in quantity. Watch for monthly specials to get a better deal.

Keep in mind that the number of sports card collectors has decreased in recent years. The "boom" of the 1980s and 90s saw thousands of new collectors and investors get into the market. It resulted in a glut of product to satisfy demand but when those folks left the hobby or quit collecting, the law of supply and demand caught up. Unless we're talking Cal Ripken rookie cards, those produced from the 1980s on haven't appreciated considerably. Many cards printed in the late 1980s and early 90s are simply worthless in every sense except your own childhood memories. Your Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card still has value, but it won't pay your way through dental school. Your complete set of 1990 Upper Deck or 1988 Topps is probably best sold at a garage sale. Pray someone will hand you a $10 bill, but be ready to take $5. Even ten years from now, it's not likely they'll go up much in value unless all of your friends who collected back then become born-again sports collectors.

Online price guides have sprouted up in recent years as values of newer cards rise and fall with player performance. They can reflect those changes quickly, where a printed guide can't. Beckett has a modern online guide service you can utilize for a fee while CardPricer.com and VintageCardPrices.com do the same, with an emphasis on pre-1980s material.

You can also check out SportsCollectorsStore.com to see if what's currently for sale on eBay matches your collection and discover if anyone is bidding on it. You can also purchase cards to add to your collection if you've decided you'd rather be a buyer than a seller.

Searching by "completed items" on eBay can be the best friend you'll have when pricing baseball cards. You can search for sales from the last 15 days and see what others are getting for the cards you're trying to sell. It's both timely and realistic. And that is the true measuring stick for pricing baseball cards accurately.