Buying Common Baseball Cards
Baseball cards have been collected by fans for over 130 years and remain one of the most popular collectibles in the world. While stars of the game can fetch huge prices, there are still plenty of affordable options available for those just starting or expanding their collections. Focusing on common baseball cards allows collectors to build substantial sets without breaking the bank.
What Makes a Card Common?
In the baseball card hobby, a common card generally refers to any card that is readily available and holds little monetary value. These are cards that can be found with relative ease at card shops, card shows, online marketplaces and group breaks. Cards from the modern era, duplicates of stars, and players who never reached elite status are usually considered common. Condition also plays a big role, as lower graded and played examples of even star players fall into the common category.
Some key attributes that define a common baseball card include:
Produced in high numbers, so they remain plentiful on the secondary market. Flagship sets from the past 30 years like Topps, Bowman, and Donruss contain many commons.
Features players who never reached the major leagues or had short, unremarkable careers. Role players and career minor leaguers end up as commons.
Received lower grades like Good or Poor when sent to professional grading services like PSA or BGS due to issues like centering, corners, edges or surface defects. Heavily played cards are commons.
Often duplicates that collectors amass when building sets. The more of a certain card that exists, the more common it becomes available.
Older cards from sets over 50 years ago that sustained damage from aging, but were printed in larger quantities originally.
Affordable, with most common cards valued at under $5 in Near Mint condition or less in played state. High-end commons might reach $10-20.
Where to Buy Common Cards
Understanding what makes a card common opens up many affordable avenues for collecting:
Sport Card & Memorabilia Shows – Shows provide the ability to sift through boxes upon boxes of cards to build sets or find specific needs. Sellers usually have commons priced at dime per card or less.
Online Auction Sites – eBay remains a baseball card collector’s best friend for finding commons. Set alerts and be patient to win auctions for pennies. Check “Buy It Now” listings under $1 as well.
Group Breakers – Sites like Blowout Cards host group breaks of modern wax where participants receive random team/player assignments. Commons are plentiful in these inexpensive breaks.
Card Shops – Browse the dime boxes and discounted bins that local card shops stock with commons. Ask the shop to pull any needs from their supply as well.
Trading/Selling Apps – Applications like Collectors Universe and Trading Card DB allow users to post and request commons for trade. Always check for bargain basement “or best offer” listings too.
Card Shows are a great way to directly interact with vendors and browse inventory tables in person. Meanwhile, online platforms provide 24/7 access from home plus the ability to specifically search for wants. Both avenues yield common cards without breaking the bank.
Building Sets of Commons
Completing common card sets is an affordable way for collectors to enjoy the hobby. Here are some popular, inexpensive sets to consider:
Topps Base Sets (1988-present) – Flagship issues since the late 80s contain hundreds of commons that can be acquired very cheaply.
Topps Traded Sets – Parallel issues to the base sets with player swaps. Usually just as plentiful as commons.
Topps Update/High Number Series – Late-season additions to the base sets.
Bowman Chrome/Paper Rookies – Modern rookie cards, many of which become common.
Topps Total/Topps Opening Day – Total commons include parallels and insert cards.
Minor League/Prospect Sets – Sets from brands like Bowman Draft that highlight future stars as commons.
Vintage Reprint Sets – Reprints keep older cardboard available and affordable.
Team/League Sets – Regional issues from brands like Leaf highlight specific MLB clubs.
Building complete common card sets provides a tangible sense of achievement for collectors while exposing them to players throughout history. It’s a budget-friendly way to grow a collection through sheer numbers.
Caring for Common Card Collections
While commons may not gain much value over time, it’s still important to properly store and protect complete sets. Here are some tips:
Place cards in protective plastic sleeves and store in baseball card boxes, binders or portfolios. This prevents damage.
For cards in binder pages, use acid-free supplies to avoid yellowing over decades. Store in cool, dry areas.
Higher-grade commons could eventually be sent to a grading service like PSA or SGC to slab for long-term preservation.
Consider scanning or photographing complete sets as a digital backup. Technology changes while images remain accessible.
Inventory commons using tracking spreadsheets that note player, year, set, condition and any other relevant details.
Proper storage methods and record-keeping helps guarantee common card collections can be enjoyed for generations. Even if individual cards hold little monetary worth, the nostalgia of a fully assembled vintage or modern set is priceless.
Focusing on common baseball cards provides an affordable avenue for any collector to build substantial lifelong collections. Whether acquiring sets, players, or just cards to enjoy, commons make the hobby accessible regardless of budget. With diligent searching across various sources, collectors can expand their holdings one inexpensive cardboard piece at a time.
