Baseball Card Grading

Baseball Card Grading has been proven to raise the value of a baseball or football card collection. When a Baseball card is graded it is given a condition value which in return is translated to a monetary value. Each grade that a card recieves carries with it a certain dollar value and makes the card much easier to sell. There have been tests to prove that if you had a card, lets say a 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. it would sell much faster graded than ungraded. This test was conducted at the National Convention last years were a Ken Griffey Jr. was professionally graded but not put in a holder for the purpose of this test. The card sat in the display case at a known dealers table for the firs three days with a $40 price tag. He explained that nobody asked about the card and the only question that was asked was if he add any graded 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookies. On day three of the test the card was graded and encapsulated in a Mint 9 grade. The card was than placed in the same place in the display case. After 2 hours the card sold. Here is the kicker though, the card sold for $55.00. Many would argue that you just found the right buyer, or to get the card graded cost more money so the card should bring more money. Well there is some truth to those arguments but the truth is Baseball Card Grading works. The same test was conducted with 5 other cards, and all had the same results. All were sold much faster and for more money. We can conclude that it works.

Baseball Card Grading and Ebay

If you look at the completed auctions on ebay you will see similar results. Cards on ebay that have been graded an equivalent grade sell for more money and sell faster than an ungraded card that would bring the same grade. The time it takes a card to sell is another very important factor especially on ebay auctions. Ebay charges you every time you list a card. They don’t care if the card sells or not you still pay the auction fees. You can spend a few dollars in auction fees just hoping the card sells so in this case as well time is money.

Top 3 Reasons to get your Baseball Cards Graded

There are many reasons to have your sports cards or baseball cards graded. It does not matter what sport you collect cards that are graded serve a purpose. Here are the top 3 reasons to have your cards graded.

1. Preservation : When you submit your cards in for grading the card is encased in a specially made plastic case. The case is ultrasonically welded to prevent the holder from being tampered with as well as the grade. This process helps protect your cards from future damage as well has preserving the grade of the card.

2. Value : When a baseball card is graded it is given a grade value which helps determine the condition of the card. This grade does not tell you a value but does give a strict assessment of the condition which in turn gives a much more accurate view of the card. There have been millions of cards produced and even though you might have the same card the grade will help determine its real market value.

3 . Resale : Many people that have there baseball cards graded are looking for a certain grade so they can turn around and sell the card in the market place Whether the market place be ebay or trade show when the card is graded is a lot easier to sell or trade. The third party company grades the cards so dealers due not have to haggle on what the evaluation of cards condition actually is.

Baseball Card Grading

Baseball Card Grading can be a shot in the dark if you do not know what too look for before submitting. Here are some key tips to know before having your baseball cards graded.

Pricing the Baseball Card

Before submitting a card to have graded you might want to check what the card is worth. You can go directly to ebay.com to see what cards are selling for any what they are worth. You can also check what a certain grade of the individual baseball card or football might bring. You should do your homework before submitting to make sure you dont waste your rime and or money.

What might the Baseball Card Grade ?

I understand that you might be asking yourself what do I need a grading card company for if I need to try to evaluate the grade myself. Even though the question is valid GMA looks at a given card under a certain given criteria to evalute the grade of the card, You should look over the Grading scale page and with the naked eye view the card honestly and try to guess what the card would grade. If you look at the card and believe the card would grade to your liking it is worth submitting the card to have graded. Some people submit cards that are creased and expect to get 9’s and 10’s out of them which just doesn’t happen. This is why we make the recommendation.

Can Kobe Bryant Rookie Cards Reach Michael Jordan Status ?

If Kobe Bryant can pull off a championship victory over the Celtics is rookie cards are bound to go up. The real questions will become can Kobe Bryant Rookie cards become just as valuable as the Michael Jordan 1986 Fleer Rookie Card. Here will try to break down the two sides of the coin.

1. 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie -The production run on the Michael Jordan 1986 Fleer Rookie was plentiful. With the set being so small 132 cards you could get 3-4 Jordan’s out of a single box of 86 Fleer. That being said many of the boxes and cases were destroyed due to the fact that basketball cards were not even on the radar for most sports card collector’s. The other advantage of Michael Jordan’s rookie is it really is his only rookie. There are not 20 other Rookie cards like Kobe Bryant has. No other basketball cards were produced in 1986. Yes Michael Jordan does have a Star rookie, but in 1984 but there are so many counterfeits and rumors about reproduction from the original press plates I would advise collector’s to stay away from those. When Michael Jordan’s Rookie (1986 Fleer Rookie) was at its peak I remember watching someone pay $43,000.00 for a BGS 9.5. THAT IS SICK! The problem is whoever purchased that card is sitting on that card that he can replace for about $4,000. So what is the lesson that can be learned? Don’t buy HYPE! If you are speculating buy a card that can go up based on the numbers on how many were produced. If the card is rare from the get go your money will be safe.

2 . Kobe Bryant Rookie Cards - Kobe has many different rookie cards that you can purchase. His most popular versions re the 1996-97 Topps Chrome and the 1996-97 Topps Chrome Refractor. The Topps Chrome refractor is extremely rare and is probably Kobe Bryant’s best rookie card. Kobe Bryant has other popular version of his rookie cards that collector’s feel are just as good for example his 1996-96 SP rookie, 1996-97 Upper Deck Rookie, and his 1996-97 Ultra Rookie. I can go on and on here because there are so many different cards but each one has its own popularity and demand. If Kobe Bryant can win his fourth Championship ring and do it without the help Shaquille O’Neal people will be looking to buy up as many as they can put there hands on. So now for the comparison.

Michael Jordan’s popularity far exceeds that of Kobe Bryant. Michael Jordan is an icon of not just American basketball but is known through out the known world. A test was conducted that said Michael Jordan was the second most recognized person in the world second to only Jesus Christ. If you are looking to buy Kobe Bryant rookie cards with the hope that they will be increasing in value I believe you are making a safe play. Just don’t over pay! If you are hoping that your Kobe Bryant rookie will be selling for tens of thousands of dollars I would say play the lottery you probably have better odds.

Jay Bruce Rookie Cards Heating Up

Jay Bruce Rookie Cards are on fire. Since Jay Bruce was called up last week to the Reds his rookie cards have been heating up on ebay. He has helped the the situation by putting up some strong numbers last week like batting over .400 and hitting 3 Homeruns. Not a bad weeks worth of work. The upside to Jay Bruce Rookie Cards is they are not over priced as of yet. He plays in a small park and is batting in the middle of the Reds potent lineup. One of the most important things about baseball players having success in there young age is where they are batting in the lineup. He has batted second and third in the lineup for the Reds which means he has been followed by Griffey Jr. and Brandon Phillips. Pitchers are not going to pitch around Jay Bruce because they know Griffey Jr. and Phillips are next in line. If you are looking to invest in Jay Bruce rookie Cards my advise would be to try to purchase cards in the $20-$25 range. Dont overpay for these cards no matter how hot he is at the time. He is a solid investment and his upside is much like Ryan Braun’s cards exploded last year. Again try not to overlook the team and park he is playing in.

Babe Ruth Baseball Cards

Babe Ruth baseball cards are some of the most highly collected items in the baseball card industry. Babe Ruth baseball cards are extremely rare and there scarcity has driven collectors to grab hold of these vintage items. They are hard to find in good condition but even if you have one that is not in the greatest condition it is probably still worth a pretty penny. I will be going over in detail some of the best Babe Ruth baseball cards that have ever existed and why they are great investments for collectors as well as investors who are looking to make money.
1914 Baltimore Sun Babe Ruth Baseball Card (First Card)(Minor League Card)
The 1914 Baltimore Sun Babe Ruth baseball card shows Babe Ruth in his Minor league uniform with the Baltimore Orioles schedule depicted on the back. The card was produced by the Baltimore Sun Newspaper in 1914. Each member of the 1914 Baltimore Orioles minor league team were photographed individually with the team’s home and away schedule printed on the backs. The cards were Orioles promotions as well as promotion for the newspaper. The babe Ruth baseball card was printed in Blue as well as Red. The card is known has Babe Ruth’s oldest known card and rarest known card with only 10 versions known to exist. This card is one of the most valuable baseball cards in the industry second to only the T206 Honus Wagner card. The 1914 Baltimore Sun Babe Ruth card recently sold for $270,000.00 in the Robert Edward’s auction. The Babe Ruth baseball card is incredibly valuable in almost any condition due to the extreme rarity of the card. This rare Babe Ruth baseball card is piece of American History and will always bring a feeling of “nostalgia” when it is viewed.

1915 Sporting News Babe Ruth baseball card (Rookie Card)
The 1915 Sporting News Babe Ruth baseball card is one of the Babe’s oldest cards and is also one of the hardest to obtain. The belief is the card was actually issued in 1916 and actually has two different versions of the card. ( M101-4 and M101-5). The card was printed with a blank back and also has a few versions with various advertisers of the time printed on the back. The 1915 Sporting News Babe Ruth is universally regarded as one of card collecting’s most recognizable and highly prized baseball card rarities. The baseball card depicts Babe Ruth in his Red Sox uniform before he was traded to the New York Yankees. This is considered to be Babe Ruth’s rookie card by most baseball card guru’s. Babe Ruth has one previous card that was issued 1914 by the Baltimore News that features the Babe in the minor leagues. The card as shown in the picture is smaller than more recent baseball cards and many were destroyed or ruined. The nature that baseball cards were more of something to play with in the 1915’s than something to collect made this card so rare. The card was part of a small set that contained many of the greatest Hall of Famers of all time which include, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Cy Young and the list goes on. The card shows Babe Ruth throwing the baseball which is rare due to the fact that most of his cards showing his more familiar legendary swing. Out of all Babe Ruth baseball cards this is top of the list of all Babe Ruth baseball cards to collect. In a recent Robert Edwards auction a NM version of the Bambino sold for $82,250. This was a record high for the 1915 Sporting News Babe Ruth card but, I dont believe the card has reached anywhere close to its peak. If only a handful of these cards are known to exist in this condition the cards value will most definitely increase over time. The rookie card of Babe Ruth is one of the most significant cards in all of card collecting.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth Baseball Cards

Babe Ruth has many different rare and valuable baseball cards but there is a set that features some of Babe Ruth’s most popular baseball cards. The set is the 1933 Goudey set. Babe Ruth is featured in 4 cards of this popular set. The cards have become a cornerstone of the baseball card industry. The Babe was so popular in 1933 Goudey decided to make a few different versions and include all of them in there set. All of these Goudey cards have become extremely popular with collectors. All of the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth baseball cards bring premium prices if they are even fair condition. Here is a summary of what some of the cards have sold for in recent auction houses.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144

A 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card #144 sold on ebay for $16,500 in a recent auction graded a NM-MT 8. This card is the easiest to find of the 4 cards due to the fact that the card was double printed. An equivalent card sold last year for right around the same price. Even though the card is double printed it still demands a premium with collector’s.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #181 A 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card #181 sold recently for $9,800 in NM condition. Not bad for a 7. In early 2008 the same card was auctioned off for $21,000 in NM-MT condition but did not meet the minimum bid. This highly sought after baseball card is a strong investment and a collector really can’t go wrong by purchasing this Goudey Babe Ruth baseball card.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 and #149 We have slotted these two Babe Ruth baseball cards together due to the fact that the same picture is depicted on the front of the Goudey cards accept the background colors are different. Card #53 shows the Babe Ruth baseball card with a yellow colored background while card #149 has a red colored background. A 1933 Goudey card #53 graded NM-MT sold recently in a Robert Edwards auction for $38,187.50. Pretty Incredible! A 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card #149 sold in the same auction house for sold for $1,000 less, $37,000. Due to the size of these rare cards and the demand they are very hard to find in decent condition. These two versions of the 1933 Goudey set are a must have for any Vintage baseball card collector.

Babe Ruth Baseball Card Checklist

1914 Baltimore Sun1916 M101-5 Sporting News #1511916 M101-4 Sporting News #1511916-20 Big Head Strip Cards W-UNC #171917 Sporting News M101-4 #1511917 Collins-McCarthy E135 #1471917-20 Felix Mendelsohn M101-6 #811917-20 Felix Mendelsohn M101-6 #821919-21 W514 #021920 W519 #51920 W520 #131921 Neilson’s V61 #371921 Koester’s Bread World Series Issue D383 #491921 Clark’s Bread D-381-2 #41921 Oxford Confectionery E253 #151921-23 E220 National Caramel #901922 American Caramel E122 #571922 E120 #711922 W501 #491922 W572 #881922 W573 #1121922 William Paterson V89 #251923 Lections #81923 Maple Crispette V117 #81923 W503 #321923 W515 #31923 W515 #471923 W551 #71923 Willards Chocolates V100 #1391924 Mrs. Sherlock’s Bread Pins #71925 Drake’s Bakery1925 Exhibits #1001925 Universal Toy and Novelty W-504 #1231926 Exhibits #1021926 Major League Die-Cuts #651926 Sport Company of America #361926-27 Sporting News Supplements M101-7 #21926-28 W590 #321927 American Caramel E126 #381927 Exhibits #521927 York Caramel E210 #61928 Exhibits #511928 Star Player Candy E-Unc. #581928 W502 #61929 W553 #131930 Rogers Peet #481930 Schutter-Johnson R332 #261930 Schutter-Johnson R332 #421930 W554 #151931 W517 #41931 W517 #201932 U.S. Caramel #321933 Sport Kings #21933 Goudey #531933 Goudey #1441933 Goudey #1491933 Goudey #1811933 Butter Cream R306 #231933 Butterfinger Canadian V94 #411933 Exhibits Four-in-One #131933 Sanella #11933 Sanella #21933 Uncle Jack #241933 Worch Cigar #1011933 Worch Cigar #1021934 Butterfinger Premiums R310 #531934 Exhibits Four-in-One W463-4 #131934 Goudey Canadian V354 #281934 Goudey Premiums R309-1 #41935 Al Demaree Die Cuts R304 #41935 Exhibits Four-in-One W463-5 #11935 Goudey #16

Rays pick Tim Beckham with the first pick in the 2008 draft

Tim Beckham was the first pick in the 2008 draft. The Rays picked Beckham over Buster Posey from FSU who many people thought would be the first pick. Tim Beckham is a five tool player with superstar potential. The Rays farm system has done an excellent job in developing young talent and the believe that Beckham will be a great addition to their system. The Rays Currently have Jason Bartlett playing SS so this will give them a few years to groom Tim Beckham.

GMA