If you ever went through a phase where you collected baseball cards, you also have gone through a phase where you wondered what they were worth. That depends entirely on what cards you have and what condition they are in.

That’s probably not the answer people hope to hear. Everyone wants to think what they have has value. It very well may, but it will take time and a proper valuation of your card set to determine the worth.

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What Baseball Cards Do You Have?

This is the key issue, of course. Just to show how crazy the valuations can be, here are five of the most valuable baseball cards. Just check out these numbers, put together in 2018 by Mental Floss. All these numbers come from sales in 2016.

  • 1909-1911 American Tobacco Company Honus Wagner – $3.12 million
  • 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle – $1.3 million
  • 1916 Sporting News Babe Ruth – $717,000
  • 1909 American Caramel “Shoeless” Joe Jackson – $667,149
  • 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan/Jerry Koosman – $612,359

Now, you don’t have the Wagner card because there are less than 60 in the world (if you do, congratulations and keep that thing encased in glass). But, here are some values of cards based on this report from a decade ago that shows the estimated values of some cards.

  • 1951 Bowman Yogi Berra – $400
  • 1954 Topps Ted Williams – $800
  • 1966 Topps Willie Mays – $250
  • 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly – $25
  • 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. – $40

Those were picked more or less at random in terms of names, but the values are indicative of what cards go for from different eras. You probably don’t have a fortune – but you may have a pretty good stack of cash depending on how many cards you own.

Condition of Baseball Cards

Baseball cards, like comic books and other collectibles, are valued for what they are and for the condition they are in. The valuations above, for example, are of “near mint” condition cards, which means a minimum of wear and tear. Values go down as the conditions move down to excellent, very good and good.

How to Value Your Cards

To get a value that will get collectors to check out what you have, you’ll want your collection scored by a grading company. They rate cards on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best condition, according to Kiplinger.

Treat grading companies like doctors. If you’re not happy with the opinion you get, simply get a second opinion. You’re likely to get a similar grade, but you never know.

A signed card makes it even more valuable. However, you will want to get the signature authenticated by a company that specializes in this field. The reason why is obvious – people fake signatures all the time.

Unfortunately, anything from the 1980s and 1990s is likely to be valued less because baseball cards flooded the market in those years, driving the value down. Of course, the fact the market was flooded with these cards also means they are likely the ones you have.

Best Baseball Moments in the 1970s

Like any other collectible or precious metal, the value in baseball cards is partially based on scarcity. In that context, good ones really are like gold.

That’s why the Wagner card – referred to among baseball card experts simple as “The Card” – is so valuable. In addition to featuring a talented player and being more than 100 years old, there’s the issue of there being less than 60 of them.

That said, if you have a full case – especially if it’s unopened – it can have value, even if it did come from the 1980s or 1990s.

The Brooklyn Athletics and the First Baseball Card

The earliest known baseball card is of the team that dominated New York City baseball in the early 1860s, the Brooklyn Athletics. To put it in a historical context, the Civil War started in 1861 and the New York Yankees didn’t come into existence until the turn of the century. In 1865, as the war ended, the Athletics produced a “carte de visite” that is considered the earliest extant, dated baseball card, depicting the entire team.

The Library of Congress has a copy in its prints and photographs collection. Another copy sold for $92,000 at a 2013 auction in Maine.

In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional team, paying their players and going through the season undefeated. A portrait print, also held in the library, celebrated the season with depictions of the star players.

Cards for individual players also began to appear in the late 1860s. Companies produced them to promote their products, even if they had no connection to the game itself. However, the most famous line of cards came from the New York City-based sporting goods, Peck and Snyder, starting in 1868.

By the late 1880s, companies had the technology to make multi-colored images. And by the turn of the century, tobacco and confectionery companies had become the biggest producers of baseball cards, which were wildly popular among fans.

It also spread worldwide. The first known baseball cards of American baseball players appeared in Japan in 1898 and in Canada by 1912.

Card Collecting Today

Baseball card collecting has remained a popular hobby among baseball fans. An estimated 950 million baseball cards have been produced over the years. Most estimates place the number of collectors at around 1 million. Two generations raised with video games (Millennials and Gen Z) reduced interest because fewer young people watched sports. However, the pandemic led to a boom in baseball card collecting and sales, according to the Chicago Tribune.

So, what do you have in the shoebox tucked away at the top of your closet? Baseball cards have nostalgic appeal to many people and contain as many fond memories as a family photo album if it involves your favorite club and a lineup from your youth. But in the case of baseball cards, those memories may have monetary value, as well.

There are many factors to consider when it comes to the value of your baseball card collection. The best idea is to get the opinion of professionals. No matter what, your cards will have some value – and something is better than nothing.

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