When first starting out with collecting sports cards, it is essential to know the different types of cards that exist. The type of card will often determine how much the card’s worth. Below we have created a glossary of the main types of sports cards you need to know about when buying, trading, and selling.
Base Cards
A base card is a standard card. This type of card is part of the main set and is usually marked with a number (1-XXX). Base cards built the hobby and continue to do so. As for their worth, it is overshadowed by most other cards. Their place in collecting is generally for those who love the history of the hobby.
Relic Cards
In the late 90s, card companies began to introduce relic and autographed cards. These types of cards contained a piece of material from a jersey or bat used in a game. This type of card today is considered to be a highlight of a collection. Often these cards are referred to as Jersey, Patch, or Letterman cards. Their names reflecting the type of relic included.
On the back of these cards, you will see fine print regarding the included relic. Most relics are noted as not coming from any specific game or player. Many collectors find this statement confusing and leave them wondering if the relics are even used and from the team or player.
Digital Cards
Although collecting a digital card or non-fungible tokens (NFT) may sound strange, they are actually becoming the next big thing. Essentially, this playing card is showing off. Their value is determined by their scarcity. Like physical cards, when you open a pack of NFTs, you don’t know what you are getting. Collecting digitally can pay off, especially if the card’s popularity soars and is sought after by others.
Rookie Cards
In collecting, a player’s rookie card will generally hold more value than others. The rookie card can be defined as the first card ever printed for a new player. This is what makes the card sought after, as there are only so many printed.
If a rookie card gets too pricey, the card will get overlooked, and other cards of the player will be sought after. An example of this would be a player’s first or second year cards.
Insert Cards
A sports card company will put inserts into packs so as to spread out regular cards. These types of cards are artistic or designed differently from the rest of the cards. Over the years, insert cards have begun to hold more value as hobbyists start to look for other ways to invest in sports card trading. As this has occurred, there have become lower insert card populations.
Autographs
In sports card collecting, autographed cards come in small quantities. The reason for this is that the company has to pay to get the player’s autograph. The more popular or famous the player, the more expensive the signature is. These cards are often referred to as a “Certified Autograph” card.
Other types of this card include hard-signed autographs, sticker or label autographs, and cut autographs. Hard-signed means that an autograph has been inscribed directly to the card’s surface. Sticker or Label autographs are done on a clear label that is then applied to the card’s surface during the card’s production. Cut autographs have been cut from another source and used. These are usually done for deceased players.
As you start to collect, you will learn that cards come in packs, boxes, cases, and sets. Packs include up to 60 or more cards, but generally, the number is low. Boxes are determined by the number of packs included. A box averages 1 to 36 packs. Like boxes and packs, cases are filled with a predetermined number of boxes. A case will have 1 to 18 boxes included on average. As for sets, if a collection is noted as a set, then all cards in the set are present.
