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I began my collection in 2006, and at the time, I had some random base cards from the 70s and 80s that my dad had given me. I knew baseball was my main interest then, so I put my money into more baseball cards as time passed. During this time, I was running to Target to buy a loose pack here and there. Nothing expensive or impressive, but that is where many people start.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself as you get started:

• On what sports will you focus?
• Do you want to focus on a specific team or player?
• Do you want current players or vintage items?
• Do you want to build a set or just collect individual cards?

When you first start out, buying any cool card you find may be tempting. But sticking to one or two focus areas for your sports card collection will allow you to become educated on a particular niche (you can’t know everything about every card out there!) and help you avoid spur-of-the-moment purchases that you’ll later regret.

TYPES OF SPORTS CARD COLLECTIONS

Player Collections

Collecting individual players is the most common form because it is easier to focus on a few players instead of a whole team or league.  In the current sports card world, each player has so many different cards that it can feel impossible to collect them all.  I recommend choosing a few players you enjoy watching and focusing on building up those players in your personal collection. Depending on the player, that could get pricey. If you wanted to collect every card for Ja Morant, you’d be searching for over 1,000 cards. (And a lot of money to attain those cards.) Instead, you might focus on a specific collection of that player. Maybe you’ll just search out the Prizm cards or “chase the rainbow” to get all the colored parallels of that player. There are many ways to build a player collection.

Team Collections

When I first got started, I bought the Minnesota Twins team set at the team’s gift shop every year. Team sets are an intelligent way for a younger collector to learn the players and collect on a budget. These sets are usually less than $10.

Set Building

Set building is one of the oldest concepts in the hobby. It is one of the most rewarding projects for a collector, but it takes some dedicated time, money, and effort to build a set. The thrill of opening packs, buying singles, and searching through boxes at card shops and shows will be well worth it. (Your grandpa might have done this in the 1950s or 1960s, and it’s still just as fun!) There isn’t much value in this with modern cards, but if you start to build the 1950s-70s Topps baseball sets, there can be some significant payouts if you are able to complete the entire set.

How will you start YOUR sports card collection? I’d love to hear from you about your collection’s focus…

You may also want to check out my new book, Sports Card Fanatic. Click here to learn more.

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Need some sports card storage tips? There are many options, but which will keep your cards safe and protected? When I started my collection, I was storing my cards in “9-Pocket Page Protectors” — acid-free, clear sheets that can hold up to nine cards. These sheets get placed into three-ring binders and are a convenient way to keep a collection safe and easily accessible. At the time, making money from sports cards was not my priority. I found joy in simply collecting and owning cards of the all-stars of that time.

Today, storing cards is similar to when I started a collection in 2006, but there are a few important-to-note improvements. While the cardboard boxes and 3-ring binders often used for storage in past decades are still viable methods, today’s storage options are made to keep cards dust-free and UV-safe.

Safely storing a collection is just as crucial as actually acquiring the cards. And going a step beyond that, it’s necessary to keep your valuable cards safe from fire, water, and even theft. Today, there are many options to do this, including:

Card Sleeves

Often referred to as penny sleeves (because they cost a few cents each), these are one of the most essential tools in sports card storage. Card sleeves are the first line of protection for your cards. They protect your collectibles from scratches and other external factors that could turn your pristine card into just another piece of worthless cardboard. Ultra Pro makes the best card sleeves. They contain no PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which means they have no chemicals that could alter the appearance of your cards over the years.

Top Loaders

Top loaders and card sleeves go hand in hand. Once you put your card in a card sleeve, slide it into a rigid plastic top loader. (They are sold in packs.)  These prevent cards from getting damaged corners or bending and keep them in excellent condition over a long time.

Like the card sleeves, Ultra Pro makes the best quality top loaders that are PVC-free and acid-free. Another well-known brand of top loaders is Cardboard Gold Cardsaver 1s. These are the only top loaders allowed by PSA, BGS, and SGC when submitting for grading. 

Binders & Page Protectors

If you’re not using top loaders, you’ll store your items in three-ring binders with 9-Pocket Page Protectors for Trading Cards. You can build up collections, sort cards easily, and keep them accessible and viewable in this format. If you build sets, this can be a neat option to display your cards.

Slab Cases

A safe, affordable, and portable storage option is called a “slab case.” These two, three, or four-row cases are lined with foam so the cards can be secure while you travel with your cards. They often have combination locks so you can ensure that your favorite cards don’t get pilfered. These cases can be purchased on eBay, Amazon, and specialty stores. Note that most slab cases are not fireproof or waterproof. If you’re using them for that purpose, check the specs.

Personal Home Safes or Bank Safe Deposit Boxes

At a certain point in your collecting career, you may reach a time when your collection is too valuable not to keep safe from fire, natural disasters, and theft. This is the time to store some of your higher-end cards in a personal home safe or bank safe deposit box. You can purchase portable safes on Amazon or local retailers such as Target, Walmart, or Office Max.

Insurance

If it’s time to store your collection in a safe, it’s also time to consider insurance for your cards. Speak to your home or renter’s insurance agent and see what is currently covered in your policy and how you are required to document your valuables.

Some companies’ policies cover collections and memorabilia in a homeowners’ or renters’ policy. Others may require a “rider” that will require special documentation of your current collection and an additional policy fee. When in doubt, speak to your insurance professional!

A quick note: The Sports Card Collecting Supplies listed above may contain affiliate links. This does not cost you anything additional to order through the links but may provide me with a small commission that allows me to keep sharing great content with you.

You may also want to check out my new book, Sports Card Fanatic. Click here to learn more.

The post SPORTS CARD STORAGE TIPS TO KEEP THEM SAFE appeared first on Minnygraphs.

Ready to start some online sports card shopping? The most popular platform among collectors is eBay. It is one of the oldest and most successful e-commerce websites, but eBay doesn’t sell any items directly. Instead, it acts as the middleman, allowing sellers to list items for sale. Then, customers can bid on these items in auctions or search out “buy it now” items if they want to make an immediate purchase.

Within eBay, a customer can search for a specific card (perhaps you’d like a 1972 Topps Julius Erving #195 rookie card) or take a broader approach and search for an individual player, team, or card style.

Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are other popular platforms on which to buy cards. All three social media giants have diehard communities of people who love sports cards and can sometimes offer you the best deals. Hashtags can be helpful resources on Instagram and Twitter. Some top hashtags to find sports cards for sale are #CardsForSale, #Sportscards, and #SportscardsFS.

You can also search for some users with “cards” or “sports cards” in their usernames and start following accounts they follow.

On Facebook, there are thousands of groups for sports cards. Some groups are pretty specific, such as those for a particular genre, set, or specific year. Other groups embrace sports cards in general.

You can find these by searching “sports card group” in the Facebook search bar and filtering from there. You can also input a location to find groups that might connect you with people in your area.

Want to check out my eBay account? Just click here.

You may also want to check out my new book, Sports Card Fanatic. Click here to learn more.

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Purchasing “raw” vs “graded” sports cards is a personal choice. One pro of graded cards is that they are much easier to sell. This is because they have already been assigned a grade, and there is no guessing about its condition.

But if you develop a good eye for grading companies’ guidelines, you unlock the possibility of making smart raw purchases that could be intelligent investments. Buying cards raw and sending them in for grading can be lucrative if you intend to sell them for a profit.

Grading is the process of having an independent third party evaluate the condition and/or authenticity of a card or piece of memorabilia. PSA, BGS, and SGC are the three most common companies.

There are lots of companies that grade cards. Some of these companies are better than others. Cards graded by PSA will hold the most value. The second best is BGS (Beckett Grading Services), and the less popular is SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation). These companies have the same general model and process to grade cards, but keep in mind that PSA grades hold more value in the industry.

The three-step grading process involves authentication (checking for signs of doctoring such as recoloring or trimming), grading, and encapsulation.

The process of sending cards in for grading is covered extensively in my book. Click the link to learn more!

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