What to Do With Old Sports Cards?

We take a look at what to do with old sports cards, from what to do if you just have a few cards to what to do if you have an entire collection.

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Introduction

Do you have a box, or perhaps multiple boxes, of old sports cards gathering dust in your attic or basement? You’re not alone. Many people have old sports cards kicking around, and often don’t know what to do with them. should you simply throw them away? Sell them for a profit? Or hang onto them in case they become valuable one day?

In this article, we’ll take a look at what you can do with old sports cards, including some tips on how to sell them and what to be aware of if you think they might be valuable. Read on to learn more.

The Different Types of Sports Cards

Old sports cards can be worth a lot of money, but only if they are the right type of card. The most valuable sports cards are usually ones that feature a rare or hard-to-find player. However, there are other factors that can affect the value of a sports card as well. In this article, we will discuss the different types of sports cards and what makes them valuable.

Pre-War Cards

Pre-War cards are those issued before the outbreak of WWII in 1939. While there are some very valuable cards from this era, they are also some of the most expensive and hard to find. If you have pre-war cards in your collection, you may want to consider selling them to a dealer or auction house that specializes in vintage cards.

Post-War Cards

After WWII, the baseball card industry soared. New sets were released every year and companies began to experiment with different designs and features. The most notable innovation was Topps’ 1952 set, which featured color photographs on the front and biographical information on the back. This design became the standard for many years to follow.

In the 1950s and 1960s, card companies started to insert cards into packages of gum and other food products. This was especially popular with children, who were the primary customers for sports cards. Many companies used this marketing technique, but it was Topps that really capitalized on it. Topps became the dominant company in the industry and remains so today.

Modern Cards

These are cards that are printed on either white cardboard or a glossy finish. Most of the time, these cards are more centered around the player rather than the team. The fan base for these cards has expanded from just kids and adolescents to now also attracting adult collectors. Modern cards usually come in packs of 10-15 and sometimes one will find a “hit” card in there as well which could be an autographed card or a jersey card.

How to Determine the Value of Your Sports Cards

If you’re like many people, you may have a box or two of old sports cards gathering dust in the attic. You may be wondering if those cards are worth anything. The good news is that sports cards can be valuable, but the value depends on a number of factors. In this article, we’ll discuss how to determine the value of your sports cards.

Age

The age of a card is one of the first things you should look for when trying to determine its value. Generally, the older the card, the more valuable it will be, especially if it is in good condition. The two main exceptions to this rule are cards from the 1980s and early 1990s, which are not as valuable as cards from other eras, and rookie cards, which are usually more valuable than other cards, regardless of their age.

Condition

The first and most important thing you need to do when evaluating your sports cards is to assess their condition. The condition of a card will have the greatest impact on its value, so it’s important to be as objective as possible when determining the condition of your cards.

There are a few different ways to determine the condition of your sports cards, but the most common method is to use the Sportscard Guaranty Company (SGC) grading scale. The SGC grading scale goes from 1 to 100, with 1 being the lowest grade and 100 being the highest.

Here is a general breakdown of what each grade means:
-1: Heavily damaged, may be torn, taped or water damaged
-20: Significantly damaged, major creasing, heavy wear
-40: Moderately damaged, some creasing, moderate wear
-60: Slightly damaged, light creasing or scratching, minor wear
-80: Near mint condition, very little wear
-90: Mint condition, no visible wear
-100: Gem mint condition, no visible imperfections

Rarity

One of the first things you should consider when appraising your sports cards is the rarity of the card. Simply put, the rarer the card, the higher its value will be. A card can be considered rare for a number of reasons, including limited production, error cards, special features, and more. If you think your card might be rare, do some research to find out for sure. Once you’ve determined that your card is indeed rare, you can begin to look at other factors that will affect its value.

Player Popularity

One way to determine the value of your sports cards is by evaluating the player’s popularity. Obviously, the more popular the player is, the more valuable their card will be. To get an idea of how popular a player is, you can look at things like:
-Social Media Followers: Check to see how many social media followers the player has. The more followers they have, the more popular they are.
-Search Engine Results: Try doing a search for the player on a search engine like Google or Bing. The more results that come up, the more popular the player is.
-News Coverage: Take a look at how often the player is mentioned in the news. The more news coverage they have, the more popular they are.

What to Do With Your Sports Cards

You may be wondering what to do with all of your old sports cards. You may have them stored in a box in the attic, or taking up space in your closet. You may even have considered throwing them away. But before you do, you should know that there are a few things you can do with your old sports cards.

Sell Them

Yes, you can actually make some money off of those old sports cards gathering dust in your attic. If you have any cards from the 1980s or earlier, or any featuring Hall-of-Famers, there’s a chance they could be valuable.

To find out how much your cards are worth, start by checking out online pricing guides such as Beckett.com or SportsCardGuide.com. You can also search for individual cards on eBay to get an idea of what they’re selling for.

Once you have an idea of what your cards are worth, you can either sell them yourself on eBay or another online marketplace, or take them to a local card shop to get a quote. (Keep in mind that local shops will usually offer less than the cards are actually worth, so it’s best to sell them yourself if you can.)

If you decide to sell your cards online, be sure to package them properly to avoid damage in transit. You should also set a reasonable starting price and be prepared to haggle a bit with potential buyers. With a little patience and effort, you could make some serious cash from those old sports cards!

Hold Onto Them

If you’ve stumbled upon a dusty old box of sports cards in your attic, you may be wondering what to do with them. After all, they’re just pieces of cardboard, right?

Wrong! Those cards could be worth some serious cash. In fact, a Honus Wagner baseball card from 1909 recently sold for $3.12 million!

Of course, most cards aren’t worth quite that much. But if you have cards from certain players or teams, they could still be worth a fair amount of money.

So what should you do if you think you have valuable cards? The best thing to do is to hold onto them and keep them in good condition. (This means storing them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.) You may want to get them graded by a professional service like PSA or Beckett. This will give your cards a condition rating and make them more attractive to potential buyers.

If you decide to sell your cards, there are a few different ways to go about it. You can sell them online through sites like eBay or Craigslist, or at local sports card shows or shops. You could also reach out to collectors or dealers who specialize in the type of card you have.

Whatever you do, don’t just throw those old cards away! With a little research, you could find yourself sitting on a goldmine.

Trade Them In

You can bring in your sports cards to a local card shop and receive trade credit that can be used to buy other cards in the store. The value you receive will depend on the condition of your cards and how popular the players are, but this is generally the quickest and easiest way to get rid of your old sports cards.

Conclusion

If you’re like most sports fans, you probably have a few old sports cards kicking around. Maybe you’ve even got a box or two in the attic. But what should you do with them?

First, take a look at your cards and see if any of them are valuable. If you’ve got a bunch of common cards from the 1980s, for example, they’re probably not worth much. But if you’ve got any rare cards or sets, you may be able to get a decent amount of money for them.

If your cards are valuable, you have a few options. You can sell them online, through auction sites or specialty dealers. Or you can hold on to them and hope that they increase in value over time.

If your cards are not valuable, there are still some things you can do with them. You can trade them with friends or donate them to charity. You can also keep them as mementos or make art out of them.

So what should you do with your old sports cards? It all depends on what they’re worth and what you want to do with them.