More factors affecting price include scarcity and condition.
Condition
In many collectibles, the phrase is used that "condition is everything." This is true of card collecting as well. There are very few rare sports cards. Most can be had relatively easily for a price. What is rare, however, is older cards in good condition and newer cards in "perfect" condition.
In cards, condition has to do with 3 major factors:
Scarcity
When future Hall of Famer Honus Wagner, lifelong hater of smoking, learned that a tobacco card has been produced with his likeness, he took action to have the card withdrawn from distribution.
Only a handful remained in circulation. It is currently the most valuable baseball card in existence due to the desirable of its subject and its great scarcity, perhaps the ultimate example of the scarcity principal at work.
Modern card companies have taken scarcity to a new level with insert cards, cards specifically limited in their production to drive pack sales. It is the scarcity of these inserts (sometimes only 1-5 are made) that ultimately drives their price and the price of their packs and sets.
Next >> Grading, Is it worth it?
Condition
In many collectibles, the phrase is used that "condition is everything." This is true of card collecting as well. There are very few rare sports cards. Most can be had relatively easily for a price. What is rare, however, is older cards in good condition and newer cards in "perfect" condition.
In cards, condition has to do with 3 major factors:
- Any defects to the card when it was printed
- Any defects to the card when it was cut
- Any defects to the card after it left the pack
Scarcity
When future Hall of Famer Honus Wagner, lifelong hater of smoking, learned that a tobacco card has been produced with his likeness, he took action to have the card withdrawn from distribution.
Only a handful remained in circulation. It is currently the most valuable baseball card in existence due to the desirable of its subject and its great scarcity, perhaps the ultimate example of the scarcity principal at work.
Modern card companies have taken scarcity to a new level with insert cards, cards specifically limited in their production to drive pack sales. It is the scarcity of these inserts (sometimes only 1-5 are made) that ultimately drives their price and the price of their packs and sets.
Next >> Grading, Is it worth it?
SHARE