Trading Cards
Trading cards have become a very popular collectible for both adults
and children. These sets of printed cards, usually in a series or
about a theme, are traded, bought, and sold with other collectors. When
most people picture trading cards, they immediately visualise
sports trading cards. Sports cards have photos and statistics of
players in sports including hockey, baseball, basketball and football,
to name a few of the most popular. There has also been growth in
non-sports trading cards,usually featuring themes from TV, movies or
music.
People think of trading cards as being for children. In fact,
collecting trading cards can be a great hobby for children. As a parent
you should make sure that while enjoying their collection, your kids
also learn that they must keep their cards in mint condition to
maintain their value as collectibles.
It began with baseball cards which date back to 1887. In fact, the
popularity and growth of baseball card collecting is linked to the
expansion of the game itself across America, in the late 19th and early
20th century. The early trading cards were much different from those of
today. The were made from cloth or other soft materials. In 1902
baseball cards were produced commercially. Very soon baseball cards
were packaged with products such as tobacco, bubble gum, and Cracker
Jack.
As baseball cards grew in popularity, by the middle of the 20th
century, other sports leagues and companies wanted to be involved.
Trading cards regained popularity in the 1980s, when kids had a
collection of sports cards. Trading cards as a hobby peaked in
the mid-1990s, with many trading card series as diverse as Garbage Pail
Kids and Olympic athletes.
Popular Trading Cards
While sports cards have remained the most popular trading cards, the
late 1900s saw the production of manyy pop culture card series.
Anyone growing up in the 1980s and 1990s will know about cards
such as Uh-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Digimon, and World of
Warcraft.
Even Hollywood got into the act, with popular cult television and
movies becoming available as trading cards. Some of the shows made into
trading card series include Star Trek,Buffy the Vampire Slayer,The X
Files,and South Park. Popular movies on trading cards include Ace
Ventura, Independence Day, and even old movies such as The Wizard of Oz
and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Trading Card Companies
The trading card market is largely dominated by a few large companies.
These include Topps, Upper Deck,Fleer, Leaf Candy Company and Donruss.
These companies, which known best for their sports cards, also produce
sports and non-sports series of trading cards.
Grading Your Cards
The value of a trading card is very much influenced by its condition.
Mint or Near Mint condition cards must have almost no flaws. They have
sharp edges and corners, no creases,and no damage. Such things as
writing on the card, off-centered printing, damaged corners, tears,
creases or any other imperfections lower the value considerably. Cards
graded as Poor have serious damage such as tears,creases or worn
corners.
How can you keep your cards in excellent condition? There are many
storage and protective covers available to keep your trading cards in
good condition. Plastic sleeves and covers do an good job of protecting
cards from damage, although they could still be creased or bent. If you
have valuable cards, they should be kept in hard cases.
To put a price on your cards, value guides are available for most
collectible series of cards. The well known Beckett price guides are
generally accepted as leading value indicators for sports trading cards.
Collecting Trading Cards
Collecting trading cards is a very popular hobby. There is a plenty of
information and resources available for card collectors. Online forums
and price guides help collectors to put a value on their cards and
discuss the hobby. Card shows are common in major cities, and here many
buyers and sellers meet to buy sell and trade cards.
