The most accurate way to check the value of a baseball card is by submitting it to a professional grading and authentication service. The two most reputable third-party grading companies for sports cards are Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and Beckett Grading Services (BGS).
These companies will inspect the card closely, assign it a numeric grade based on its condition from 1-10 (with 10 being flawless gem mint condition), then slab the card in a hard plastic holder with the grade clearly labeled. Getting a card professionally graded increases its value by providing a transparent and impartial assessment of condition.
Graded cards can then be easily valued by checking recent sold prices for comparable graded cards on online marketplace sites like eBay, as well as auction prices tracked by industry price guides like the Beckett Baseball Card Price Guide. most accurate prices will be for cards that have the exact same grade from the same grading service.
For example, if you have a Michael Jordan rookie card graded PSA 10, you can look up recent auction or eBay sold prices for other PSA 10 Jordan rookies. Major price guides like Beckett also provide quarterly and annual market reports with estimated values for graded sports cards based on sales data.
If a card is not professionally graded, its condition is much harder to objectively assess. In this case, you have a few options to try and determine a ballpark value:
Check general sold price ranges for the same ungraded card on eBay. Be aware prices will vary widely based on the card’s exact condition which can’t be verified without professional grading.
Search for similar condition examples that have recently sold in online group/marketplace discussions on Facebook. Again condition is subjective without a grade.
Use free online card catalogues to find a high and low estimated value range based on the card’s year, player, and your subjective assessment of its relative mint/played condition based on guidelines.
Consult the “book” or “guide” value listed in print annual price guides like Beckett. These guide prices are static and often conservative compared to real auction prices. Condition is also not specifically accounted for.
As a very rough estimate, a higher-end ungraded card in near-mint to mint condition could potentially realize 60-80% of the value of an equivalent professional graded/authenticated gem mint PSA 10 or BGS 9.5+ version. But there are no guarantees.
It’s also worth noting that certain rare, highly collectible vintage cards or modern rookie cards of star players can easily exceed even guide values for a PSA 10 version depending on market demand. Whereas a common/less desirable ungraded card in poorer condition may have negligible value.
When determining a baseball card’s true collectible worth, it’s important not to rely on any single resource and instead triangulate values from multiple recent auction/sale comps of similar grades/conditions. Professional authentication and grading is the most definitive way to establish value for high-end cards worth $100 or more due their objective assessment of condition.
The steps to accurately check the value of a baseball card are:
Get it professionally graded if high-value to establish an impartial condition rating.
Research recent sold prices of identical graded cards on eBay and auction records.
Consult guide values in print guides while understanding limitations.
Estimate value range for raw cards based on similar condition eBay/forum sales and subjective condition analysis.
Consider all factors including player/card rarity, year and market demand to determine true collectible worth. Multiple sources are ideal.
Taking the time to thoroughly research recent market sales gives collectors the most accurate picture of a card’s potential resale value if they decide to contemplate selling at some point in the future. The value of any collectible ultimately depends on someone being willing to pay the price you ask based on comparable examples.
