Quick Facts About Baseball Cards

Baseball cards have been around for over a century, and though their appearance has changed a lot since the time they were first produced, the love and affection that the collectors feel for them still is the same.

History of Baseball cards

These popular collectibles, which can be worth many thousands of dollars, were first produced in the US after the Civil War. As baseball became a popular sport, such cards featuring the pictures of famous teams or players, and individual players pasted on the back of a piece of cardboard were produced. They were available in two sizes. The cabinet cards, which were displayed in cabinets at home, were generally bigger than the carte de vistes.

Peck and Snyder was the first company to first commercially print these sports cards. Peck and Snyder used printed an advertisement on the back of the card, and a baseball player on the front. These cards were given to passersby and were thus called "trade cards."

Years later, these cards were packed inside the tobacco packets. Many companies joined the business of producing these c                ards so the competition increased. They were now being used as a part of the marketing plan and to overdo the competition, thus leading to the production of one of the most magnificent cards.

Later, the Goudey Gum Company put bubble gum in the cards to entice kids to purchase their product.

They were over-produced in the 1990s, so many cards from those years have very little value.

Valuable information on the cards

The cards are printed with veritable information and statistics about the team or the player. They have fun, funny, or useful facts and children in the 1950s and 60s would impress their friends with the newly acquired information from the cards. How much of this information is still read and how many people actually but these cards to learn more is a big question now.

Baseball card values

The value of baseball cards depends on their condition and rarity. While common cards can fetch you only a small sum, rare cards in a decent condition can be worth thousands.

Baseball card conditions

The condition of a card is an important factor in ascertaining its value. The main factors that determine its condition are the positioning of the picture (central position is considered most valuable), the lucidity of the surface, and the sharpness of the card's edges.

Trading, reselling, and buying

Initially these cards were traded and sold at baseball card conventions and local sports memorabilia shops, however, since the popularity of the Internet, online marketing has replaced the traditional choices. A number of online auction sites, such as ebay, deal with these cards. It has now become extremely easy to meet like minded collectors, find a buyer for one's collections, or even finding a rare card. Additionally, online sites offer a much better price for these cards.