Reasons Why Collecting Baseball Cards Is A Homerun For The Bank Account
Do you love collecting baseball cards? Have you ever thought that your baseball card collection could be an investment in your future?
It is possible! Many people are buying baseball cards with the intention of making money; it is comparable to investing in the stock market.
Collecting baseball cards to earn from them takes time, and you need to understand the sport. More importantly, you need to understand the market if you want to learn how to make money flipping sports cards.
If you're curious about how collecting baseball cards can enrich your bank account, keep reading for our baseball card collecting 101 tips.
COLLECTING BASEBALL CARDS IS NOT A GET RICH QUICK SCHEME
If you're hoping to get rich from your love of baseball cards, you're in the wrong place. Yes, you can use them as an investment for your future. You can buy baseball cards that will increase in value.
First, think of it as a fun way to monetize your baseball card hobby. Second, learn and research to create a portfolio that earns money.
If you decide to buy baseball cards as an investment strategy, prepare to put in the time. Many people lose money, and the margins can be small.
A LOVE OF SPORTS HELPS BUT ISN'T NECESSARY
Baseball card collecting 101 is not a crash course of tips that will allow you to curate the perfect portfolio. It will help you understand investing if you already enjoy collecting baseball cards. You will have a better understanding of which players are potentially going to be important.
It is a benefit if you know what to look for when you buy baseball cards, and you are likely to already have sports card cases. You may even have other important sports card supplies.
If you love baseball and other sports, you will enjoy the process of learning how to make your collection more valuable. That is important, because it may be a long time before you see the benefits of your efforts.
ARE BASEBALL CARDS A GROWING MARKET?
The future is hard to predict when it comes to investing. Sports cards—including baseball cards, soccer cards, football cards, and others—are no different. This will play a major role in your success when you learn how to make money flipping sports cards.
The number of people who buy baseball cards with the intention of investing in their future is increasing, though. The market is growing as more people look into buying wholesale sports cards.
Sports card collectors no longer have to travel to swap meets or trade conventions. The internet has made it easy for people to purchase baseball cards or find other investors. Old baseball card collecting 101 advice centered around old-school methods don’t necessarily apply in today’s markets.
This may be why there are more sports card sellers and more sports cards sold each year.
There is a good future in baseball card investing. Investing in baseball cards will take time to pay off, but this is a great time to start.
BASEBALL CARD COLLECTING 101: FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE BASEBALL CARD MARKET
Several factors affect the market of baseball cards.
One of the main factors affecting the baseball card market is that there are limited cards. If a card featuring David Ortiz in his rookie year with a piece of his jersey isn't available anymore, as they don't print more.
A limited number of cards were produced, so that particular card would rise in value.
Baseball cards have a grading scale. Beckett's BGS, the PSA, and SGC have standardized methods of determining the quality of a card.
These grading scales ensure that cards are authentic. Grading scales also set a standard for quality and add security for buyers.
Finally, the ease of buying baseball cards means that collectors have more options. Online buyers and sellers can interact, meet online, and arrange for trades or purchases. As a result, the market continues to grow.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE VALUE OF BASEBALL CARDS
Baseball card collecting 101 tip number two: ask yourself, Is it a modern or vintage card? Modern cards can go up in value depending on the career of the player. Vintage cards can have good value, because you already know about the player's success.
There are different grading companies, and who graded the card can affect the value. Cards receive a grade of 1-10. Currently, the most respected and valued grader is PSA, so cards graded by them may have a higher worth.
You can also buy cards raw, meaning that they do not have a grade yet. This can allow you to spend less money. By getting it graded after it is purchased, a baseball card can increase significantly in value. This is just one strategy to employ when learning how to make money flipping sports cards.
The number of a card in circulation will also determine its value. If there are only a few of a type of card made, the value increases, which is something even those outside of this baseball card collecting 101 guide will know. Combined with other factors that increase worth, the rarity of a card could make it a good investment.
Make sure to pay attention to the card company that created the card. Each sport has top companies. Topps has the license for baseball cards, so they can print logos and player names, giving the cards a higher worth.
Other factors that affect the value of baseball cards include the surface and the centering of the baseball player on the card. Are the corners of the card in good condition, or are they bent? Are the edges smooth?
These are all things you will learn to look at to determine if a particular baseball card is a good investment.
THE STRATEGY OF INVESTING IN BASEBALL CARDS
Another great baseball card collecting 101 tip to know is that baseball cards can be more like assets than just items sitting in your home. Collecting baseball cards is comparable to buying stock in a company. When you buy a baseball card, you're investing in that player.
If you buy a Mookie Betts rookie card, you're investing in the career of Mookie Betts. You're hoping that he will get better and become more popular. You're hoping that the value of his card increases.
If you buy a Panini baseball box, you're investing in many players. You are hoping to find cards of players who have a strong future career.
You can buy cards of players who are expected to do well in their careers. This will decrease your chances of losing money. Your margins will be small, but your risk is low.
Buy cards of players who aren't expected to be starters. You might see something in them that others don't. Your risk is high, but if your investment pays out, you could end up with some high-value cards. If you don’t, this baseball card collecting 101 tip allows you to build a collection of your favorite players.
There are several strategies that you can consider when investing in baseball cards.
Flipping is a short-term investment. The goal is to increase your money over the short term by purchasing baseball cards that are likely to increase in value quickly.
Long-term baseball card investing takes time and patience. There is less risk involved, and you focus on players that have many years left in the game. You are putting your money into icons.
HOW TO START INVESTING IN BASEBALL CARDS
If you are ready to start investing in baseball cards, the first thing you need to do is learn baseball card collecting 101. If you don't do your research on investing in baseball cards, you may end up just throwing money away.
Start with the basics when you begin figuring out how to make money flipping sports cards. A great place to start is eBay. There you can study which cards are going for how much now. Watch and see what happens to their price over time.
If you don't already collect baseball cards, you need to learn the different types. Do you know the difference between a rookie card and a relic card?
Do research on sports card collecting in general. Even if baseball is your favorite sport you may want to diversify. Learn the difference between a Panini baseball box and a Panini baseball case.
Look for wholesale markets. Whether you focus on baseball or you are looking for other wholesale sports cards, this can be an excellent source of finding low-cost sports cards.
New sports card releases can be another good investment source. You can be first to get new rookie cards and watch how the player is doing. They have the potential to grow and could have a high return.
SET GOALS WHEN YOU BEGIN INVESTING IN BASEBALL CARDS
If you don't have investment goals, it will be hard to determine how successful you are in your baseball card investments, no matter how many baseball card collecting 101 guides you read.
You should set a budget first. It's easy to get carried away and spend more than you can afford. Decide on a monthly budget that is manageable for you.
Next, you need to decide what you want to accomplish. You should decide if you want to make some money over the next few months or if you want to invest in baseball cards to contribute to your retirement.
Short-term investing can help you get some seed money. As you make smaller amounts of money over a short period of time, you can put it away. Later, you can make long-term investments that will yield a higher return.
WHAT KINDS OF BASEBALL CARDS CAN YOU BUY?
Now that you understand what is involved in baseball card investment, you should learn about the different types of baseball cards you might come across when you figure out how to make money flipping sports cards. Different kinds of cards have different values and potential for return. Our baseball card collecting 101 overview includes:
SINGLE BASEBALL CARDS
Rookie cards usually hold the most value and yield the highest returns. It is the first printed card for a specific player. First and second-year cards can also have value because rookie cards may become very costly.
Inserts can be another good baseball card investment. These cards stand out from other cards as being more artistic. There are fewer insert cards available, so they are becoming more in demand amongst collectors.
Autographed baseball cards are also sought after because of their rarity. Players are paid to autograph cards, so there are not as many of them. More successful players have higher valued autographed baseball cards.
Some cards include a patch of the player's jersey on the baseball card. If it is a game-used jersey it holds more value. Premium products are more likely to have jersey patches.
The last type of single baseball card that holds value is error cards, and this is one you might not come across in other baseball cards collecting 101 guides. This means they have a misprint in the words or the images. This is rare today because of the quality control, but vintage cards with errors can be valuable.
MULTIPLE BASEBALL CARDS
The easiest way to buy multiple baseball cards is in unopened packs. Boxes and cases of baseball cards are made up of individual packs, which may be sold on their own.
Sometimes baseball card collectors will take a chance on buying packs of baseball cards if they are known to have valuable cards inside.
If you want to increase your chances of finding new high-value cards, you can buy boxes. Topps baseball boxes have been known to provide some cards that increase in value over time.
Once you've purchased a baseball card box, you have two choices.
You can sell off the packages individually by learning how to make money flipping sports cards and create seed money to buy more cards. Or you can have fun opening the packages one by one to find the rookie card of your dreams.
These boxes of baseball cards cost more, but if you have the money in your budget, they can be a good investment.
Finally, you can collect baseball card sets. For example, you might collect the 2018 Panini Diamond Kings set, which includes greats like Babe Ruth, Mike Trout, Mickey Mantle, and more.
NOW IS A GREAT TIME FOR BASEBALL CARD INVESTMENTS
Whether you have been collecting baseball cards all of your life or you are just getting started with this baseball card collecting 101 guide, the market for baseball cards is likely to grow. It's something you can do in your spare time or you can create a portfolio.
Buy baseball cards individually, by the box, or wholesale sports cards to build on your future. If you love sports, it is easier to understand than stock investments.
Start by checking out some of the special deals available on our site right now!