The late 80s and early 90s Cards are Worthless
This is a statement that is broadcasted to almost everyone. Junk wax era cards are worthless.
However, this can’t be further from the truth.
The junk wax era produced a ton of valuable cards.
The most notable is the tiffany sets, which were limited to a 5000 print run.
Also during this era, there are a few error cards which can fetch a ton of money.
Take a look at the Frank Thomas no name error, which easily runs 5 figures in a high grade.
Never invest in Pitchers or Defensive players
Another statement that is said with no merit.
Pitchers have some of the most expensive cards.
Look at Nolan Ryan, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, and Clayton Kershaw.
All of their rookies are EXPENSIVE.
In football the same can be said with defensive players.
A prime example is Lawrence Taylor
Pop Reports tell you how many cards are out there
Pop reports will only tell you how many cards are graded by a specific company. The population of cards is a lot higher.
Remember, not everyone grades cards
So there will always be raw cards available
If a card is authenticated, it was never tampered with
PSA, Beckett, and SGC all make mistakes.
In fact, the first card ever graded by PSA was an altered Honus Wagner, also known as the Gretzky Wagner.
Mistakes happen.
Always remember to buy the card and not the case!
While grading companies have gotten a lot better recently, mistakes still happen.
If you buy from a dealer its authentic
Just like authenticators make mistakes, so do dealers.
I’ve been burned in the past by purchasing a Lemieux rookie without doing research.
It was fake and I lost over $100…..
Do your research on a card while buying it.
eBay Sales show an accurate value of the card
There are people who manipulate listings
Shill bidders and those who list prices high and never complete transactions.
Be very wary of these when looking at card values
A lot of dealers use ebay for pricing, but it’s not 100% accurate.
Damaged Cards are Worthless
Even a PSA 1-3 of super valuable cards can be worth money.
Everyone wants a Gretzky or Jordan even if it’s in bad condition.
Not everyone can afford a 5 figure card
The 1952 Mantle is a rookie
Mantle’s rookie is the 1951 Bowman. This is one of the weird cases where a 2nd year card is worth more than the rookie.
Another is the 71 Thurman Munson.
2nd year cards typically worth about 25% of the normal rookie.
These 2nd year cards are more valuable because of the sets they are in.
1952 is the iconic topps set.
1971 is the black border set that is difficult to find in good condition.
The first year Topps produced cards is 1952
Topps produced cards in 1948 and 1951. The first full baseball set was produced in 1952.
Baseball team and playing cards were created in 1951.
It’s old, it must be worth something
Not everything old is worth money.
Remember the junk wax era?
Those cards are now 30 years old.
Commons are worthless
Honus had his t206 pulled because he was an anti-smoking advocate
Having his card pulled was actually a disagreement over being paid, not smoking.
Wagner is featured in other tobacco cards.
Everyone is an expert in Sports Card Investing
Don’t blindly follow a lot of YouTubers.
Many just got into the hobby or are following and copying what others are saying.
Do the research yourself and then invest. Use YouTube and other people’s advice as guidance.
Never buy raw cards from someone who has graded cards
Not everyone gets all their cards graded
Some people worry that it takes too long
So they are still going to have potential 9 or 10 raw cards.
Others don’t grade and buy already graded cards.
Don’t assume that all the cards you get from sellers are lower grades.
Sports Cards Are Not a Good Investment
Sports cards are a great way to invest money
You don’t need to drop a ton of money into them
And there are cards for every price point
Prices will fluctuate over time
So find your cards and start investing.
