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HOW TO GET STARTED COLLECTING BASEBALL CARDS

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Getting started with collecting baseball cards can be both an exciting and overwhelming process as there are so many cards from so many different years, sets, and players to choose from. Here are some tips for collectors just starting out on their baseball card journey:

Define your collection focus. Do you want to collect cards of your favorite team? Specific players? Card sets from certain years? Knowing what you’re interested in collecting will help guide your early purchases. For beginners, focusing on a team you follow closely or recent season sets is a good starting point. This makes building a collection more manageable as a new collector.

Purchase factory-sealed packs or boxes first. For collectors just getting started, buying unopened factory packs or boxes is recommended over buying loose individual cards. This allows you to open packs and add to your collection in an organized way while avoiding paying a premium for single sought-after cards early on. Opening packs is also part of the fun of collecting. Target, Walmart and hobby shops sell recent season packs and boxes.

Research card conditions and grades. Take time to learn about the key factors that determine a baseball card’s condition like centering, corners, edges and surfaces. Major grading companies like PSA and BGS have established 1-10 condition scales. Understanding conditions will help when reviewing listings for individual cards. Generally aim for Excellent or Near Mint condition cards initially.

Build your foundation with commons from recent sets. Start with base cards, parallels and short prints of players on your favorite team from the past couple seasons. These will be the most affordable cards to build your initial collection’s core while you’re learning. Sites like eBay have great filter options to search for commons from specific sets.

Consider starting a player collection. Choosing to collect one player deeply allows a focused collection to take shape more quickly. Iconic all-time greats like Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Sandy Koufax have huge populations of affordable vintage/retired player cards available to collect across many different sets and years.

Join online baseball card communities. Websites like TradingCardDB, Blowout Cards Forums and Reddit sports card subs connect collectors from around the world. Use the search features to ask collection-building questions, find checklists to sets you’re unfamiliar with, and get buying/selling recommendations from experienced collectors.

Now let’s talk about properly storing and organizing your growing collection. An organized collection will be much more enjoyable to build upon over time. Here are storing and organizing tips:

Use card storage boxes. Ultra Pro, BCW, and other brands sell cardboard storage boxes designed to neatly hold large numbers of cards in protective penny sleeves or toploaders. Organize boxes by set, year, team or player to keep your collection easily accessible.

Plastic pages and binders are great for higher-end cards you want to display. Manufacturers like BCW, Ultra Pro and DAZ also offer baseball card binders, sheets and pages to safely house prized cards. Consider fireproof binders for your most valuable holdings.

Invest in penny sleeves and toploaders. Clear plastic sleeves (penny sleeves) are essential for protecting the surfaces of all your cards. Reserve sturdier magnetic or snap-fitted toploaders for more valuable/older cards. Not securing cards invites damage from handling.

Organize chronologically, numerically or alphabetically within storage. The key is consistency: organize all your 1990 Donruss cards in the same manner for quick future reference. Arrangements by set number, player name or stat categories work well depending on your focus.

Use inventory lists to track your collection’s contents. Noting card details, conditions, amounts and purchase sources prevents accidental duplicates and helps if you need to file an insurance claim. Physical lists or online trackers through TradingCardDB are great options.

Store stacks of organized boxes upright to avoid bending/damage. Find a dry area away from direct sunlight that won’t see damp or extreme fluctuations in temperature/humidity which can harm cardboard over time. Fireproof filing cabinets provide an ultra-safe solution.

As your collection grows, you may opt to showcase prized cards in protective holders on your wall or in a display case. Handling cards frequently inhibits long-term preservation, so strike a balance between enjoying your collection and keeping valuables securely stored away when not on display. Of course, insurance tailored to valuable card collections also provides important peace of mind.

With the foundation of focusing your collection scope, learning about condition/grading standards, properly protecting and organizing your holdings – you’ll be all set to have fun growing your baseball card collection for years to come through continued trips to local card shops, show attendance, group breaks and online purchases as your budget allows. Most of all, enjoy the hobby and connecting with other collectors along the journey! Let me know if you have any other questions as you get started.

Taking time with initial collection planning, education, proper storage methods and leveraging baseball card community resources provides new collectors with a solid base for sustained enjoyment and growth in their new hobby. Building focus areas, learning key terminology and protecting investments properly from the start sets collectors up for success with their lifelong collecting pursuits.

HOW TO GET STARTED SELLING BASEBALL CARDS

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The baseball card industry can be a very lucrative hobby business if you know what you are doing. Here are the step-by-step actions needed to successfully get started selling baseball cards:

The first step is to build your initial baseball card inventory. You will need a large stock of cards to choose from to sell. There are a few ways to acquire cards – you can purchase lots of cards in bulk online, you can frequent card shops and hobby stores to look for deals on boxes of packs or individual cards, or you can check sources like family/friends to see if they have old card collections they want to sell. Be prepared to invest a few hundred dollars at minimum to get started.

Once you have your cards, it’s time to properly organize them. You will need supplies like boxes, binders, sheets, toploaders and other accessories to store the cards safely and make them easy to browse through. Take the time to properly sort cards by sport, player, team, year, condition and other relevant categories. This makes the cards much easier for potential customers to search through.

Now you need to decide where and how you will sell the cards. Popular options are online marketplaces like eBay, dedicated sports card selling sites, Amazon Marketplace, card show floor tables, local card/collectibles shops on consignment, or your own online store through a platform like Shopify or Etsy. Have a strong social media presence on platforms your target market uses like Facebook groups.

For online selling, take high quality photos of each individual card or lot you are selling. Photos are extremely important to clearly show condition, defects and draw interest. Create detailed, professionally written listings that include specifics on year, sport, player, condition, price and other important details. Consider offering combined shipping discounts for multiple purchases.

Get the word out through social media posts, targeted ads and joining online sports card communities. Build a mailing list for a newsletter to share new inventory additions and promotions. Consider running occasional online auctions if selling on eBay. Having a regular stream of new inventory listings is important for keeping customer engagement high.

At shows, have professionally printed signs for your table with your brand/shop name. Display cards in magnetic or screw-down holders so they can easily be removed for inspection. Offer discounted bundle prices for multiple card purchases to incentivize bigger sales. Accept different payment methods for convenience like PayPal, Venmo, card.

When it comes to pricing, thoroughly research recent sold prices for comparable cards on the major selling platforms to determine fair asking prices. Factor in specifics like graded Gem Mint condition that can increase value. Understand pop reports and numbering on rare and sought-after inserts and parallels that increase demand. Price competitively but still allow room for offers and negotiation where possible.

Offer exceptional customer service with fast shipping, careful packaging to prevent damage in transit, and prompt communication. Getting positive customer reviews and building trust is essential for long term growth and referrals in this hobby business. Consider offering membership perks like early access to new inventory or product discounts to encourage loyal, repeat customers.

With a passionate work ethic and extensive product knowledge, there is excellent earning potential in the hobby of reselling sports cards full or part-time. Applying strategic online and in-person selling combined with customer-centric service will help any aspiring sports card entrepreneur succeed in this fun and engaging niche collectibles market.

DYLAN STARTED WITH 30 BASEBALL CARDS

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Dylan’s Baseball Card Collection: How it All Began

Dylan had always loved baseball ever since he could remember. From a young age, he would spend hours in the backyard throwing a ball against the fence and pretending he was his favorite players. On his 8th birthday, his grandparents gifted him with a starter pack of 30 basic baseball cards to get him started on collecting. Little did they know, this modest beginning would spark a lifelong passion for Dylan.

Those first 30 cards didn’t contain any superstars. They were mostly commons from the current season that could be found in just about any pack. There were a few pitchers, a handful of role players, and a couple guys near the end of their careers. But to Dylan, each card was treasured. He spent hours carefully looking over the stats and photos, committing the players’ names and teams to memory. His favorites were the Cardinals players since that was his hometown team.

From there, Dylan was hooked. He started begging his parents to take him to the local card shop every weekend. At first they would only let him spend $5-10 each time. But before long, he had amassed a couple hundred cards and needed storage for them all. That’s when his dad helped him build his first card binder, with sheets to safely store his growing collection. Every spare dollar Dylan could find would go towards adding a pack or two to his ever-expanding collection.

As his interest grew, so did his knowledge of the game. Dylan poured through box scores in the newspaper to study stats and track how his players were performing each night. He started following more teams as he learned about their star players. Memorizing the league leaders in different categories became a fun challenge. When baseball season rolled around, he was glued to every Cardinals game on TV.

By the following summer, Dylan had close to 1,000 cards packed into multiple binders. But he was still missing some of the biggest star players. That’s when he decided to start trading with his friends at school and kids in the neighborhood. He would analyze the value and scarcity of his duplicate cards to make fair trades. This allowed him to land coveted rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Ken Griffey Jr. and Chipper Jones that had eluded his packs.

As Dylan entered his teenage years, the rise of the internet opened up whole new possibilities for his growing collection. He started frequenting online trading forums and group chats dedicated to the hobby. There, he was exposed to a much wider network of collectors from all over the world. Complex trade schemes involving dozens of players became commonplace as the value of rare cards skyrocketed. Dylan carefully balanced trading up for stars while holding onto fan favorites.

By high school, Dylan’s collection had grown to over 5,000 cards neatly organized in a custom-made cabinet in his room. He had amassed a virtual who’s-who of baseball history spanning multiple eras. Rosters from the late 90s dominated thanks to his pack-searching in those formative years. But he also owned gems like a near-mint Mickey Mantle rookie and a game-worn jersey card of Babe Ruth. At local card shows, other collectors would marvel at the depth and quality of his accumulation.

As Dylan entered college, he joined his university’s club baseball team to stay actively involved in the sport. But collecting remained a lifelong passion. He continued hunting at shops and shows whenever possible. Online, Dylan networked with agents and became knowledgeable about the burgeoning memorabilia market. His collection expanded beyond just cards to include signed balls, bats, photos and other one-of-a-kind items.

Now in his late 20s, Dylan’s collection has grown to over 10,000 cards and 500 other pieces of memorabilia crammed into a dedicated room in his home. Through the years of dedicated collecting, his original 30 card starter pack has multiplied a thousandfold. While the monetary value now exceeds six figures, Dylan says the real worth is in the joy and knowledge the hobby has brought him. Those first few packs ignited a passion that has stayed with him through all the years since. And Dylan’s baseball card collection continues growing stronger with no signs of slowing down.

In the end, it all started from that modest gift of 30 cards from his grandparents so long ago. Who knew such a small beginning could lead to a full-fledged obsession and a collection for the ages? But for Dylan, each new addition is a reminder of how his love for the game began, and a testament to how far a simple hobby can take someone with dedication and passion. The journey that started with just 30 cards as a kid has become a lifelong journey, and Dylan’s baseball card collection is a shining part of his story.