Finding Your Baseball Card Collection's Value

If you've ever collected baseball cards, you know the importance of being up-to-date on your cards' current values. Knowing your cards' values can help you make better decisions on which cards to keep, sell, and trade, as well as prevent you from getting ripped off in future transactions. Finding the true value of your cards can be a difficult process if you don't know where to look. Below are some suggested resources to turn to when you wish to find your baseball cards' values.

Baseball Card Pricing Guide #1- Published Price Guides

Several manufacturers and publishing companies periodically come out with price guides for baseball cards. Some of these guides are published yearly in the form of a book, while others can be purchased monthly at a bookstore, or through a subscription. One of the most relevant price guides is published by Beckett Media. Beckett offers both monthly magazines, often highlighting popular or new cards, and price guides in book form, which often list every card in a particular set or series. Beckett also publishes an online price guide that can be used for quick reference. Tuff Stuff is another alternative to Beckett that publishes price guides in monthly and annual forms. Both of these guides can be an invaluable resource for the baseball card collector. They provide a medium through which a collector can price and compare their cards.

However, be aware that prices listed in these price guides often are not a true representation of the card's value at market. Collectors are always looking for a good deal, and it is rare that a card will be purchased for full Beckett book value. Thus, these prices are good for comparison, but not useful in terms of true market value

Baseball Card Pricing Guide #2- Local Sports Card Dealers

Local card shops and baseball card dealers can often be useful in finding your baseball cards' values. Find a dealer you trust, and ask them about the values of your items. These people spend a good portion of their lives around baseball cards, and can often quote an accurate price off the top of their heads. You may have to search around to find a dealer that you trust who is willing to provide you with good prices, but search around hobby shops and card shows until you find someone you feel comfortable with.

Baseball Card Pricing Guides #3- eBay

eBay is often one of the best guides to find the true market value of anything, baseball cards included. Thousands upon thousands of cards are sold daily on eBay, and with a free account, you can search the site's completed listings to find out how much various items have sold for in the past. This is usually the best way to get a real idea of a card's value. Make sure to formulate your search carefully, inserting the year of the card, the manufacturer, and the player, as well as additional information like the set or insert name. This will help you find the most accurate prices for your items.

For the uninitiated, finding baseball cards' values can be an enigma. Fortunately for the collector, there are many sources that one can utilize to find the true value of their prized baseball card collection.

References:

1. Beckett Media Online Price Guide http://beta.beckett.com/group/185223/Sport/Collection/Baseball/

2. Tuff Stuff Website www.tuffstuff.com