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WHAT TO DO WITH EXTRA BASEBALL CARDS

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One of the most common options is to try and sell the extra cards. You can do this a few different ways. One way is to take the cards to a local card show or shop to see if any dealers are interested in buying them. Make sure to do some research on similar condition cards online through websites like eBay to get an idea of current fair market values. This will help you price your cards properly for sale. Another selling option is to list cards individually or in lots on platforms like eBay or through auction sites like Heritage Auctions. Doing some sorting of your cards by player, team, year, etc. first will make it easier to group similar cards together for online sale. Be sure to describe conditions accurately, take clear photos, and research recent sold prices so buyers know what to expect.

If selling individually seems like too much work, you could look at selling the entire extra collection as one lot to another collector. Again, research recently sold bulk lots to help establish a fair asking price. You may get less per card this way but it minimizes your work. Make sure to clearly inventory what is included. You can post the lot for sale through online collectibles forums and groups as well. Another option to potentially make some money is to consign high-value cards through a collectibles dealer or auction house. They can market and sell the cards for a commission.

Rather than selling, you could look at donating your extra cards. Organizations like the National Baseball Hall of Fame accept card donations to add to their archives and research collections. Some youth sports leagues and schools also accept donations they can use for fundraising through raffles and auctions. This allows you to potentially get a tax write-off while also helping others. Another donating route is directly to other collectors online. Groups on sites like Facebook are always looking to expand their collections through trades and you may find takers willing to cover the shipping themselves.

If monetary value is not as much of a concern, consider holding onto duplicates to pull out and use for fun projects. You could assemble team sets, create a scrapbook to display players’ careers, or put together themed collections like all Cardinals from the 1980s. Cards in particularly worn condition could be used for crafts as well like made into book covers or framed artwork. Another display option is to creatively assemble cards into a piece of sports memorabilia wall art for your home. This allows you to still enjoy cards you can’t sell rather than just getting rid of them.

For any truly common cards in your duplicates pile that likely have no sale or trade value, consider recycling them responsibly. Many cardboard and paper recycling programs will accept clean card collections. Be sure to remove any plastic sleeves or holders first. You could also look into donation programs through organizations like the sports equivalent of the American Forest Foundation that plant trees using recycled paper and cardboard products. This ensures your extra cards have a second purpose rather than just taking up unnecessary space.

With some sorting and research into values, there are many options for putting extra baseball cards to good use whether through sale, donation, crafting projects or display rather than just discarding them. Taking the time to evaluate your duplicates and handle them through the appropriate channels can help you manage a large collection while giving the cards a new purpose or home. The key is doing your homework to choose the best routes and maximize any potential financial returns, donations or enjoyment from cards you may otherwise see as excess. With some work, your extras can still provide benefits even after your collecting needs are met.

CAN YOU PLAY WITH BASEBALL CARDS

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There are many fun ways to play with baseball cards beyond just collecting them. Baseball cards offer a unique opportunity for creative play that can spark children’s imagination. Whether playing alone or with friends, here are some enjoyable activities kids can do with their baseball card collections:

Fantasy Baseball: One of the most popular ways to play with baseball cards is to create a fantasy baseball team. Players can assign each card a certain salary based on the player’s real-life stats and ability. They then use an imaginary budget to “draft” players and build their fantasy roster. Throughout the baseball season, the fantasy team’s performance is tracked based on how those players actually do in real MLB games. Points are awarded for different stats like home runs, RBIs, wins, saves and more. At the end of the fantasy “season”, the team with the most total points wins. This allows kids to feel like real general managers assembling their dream roster.

Baseball Card Games: There are numerous traditional card games that can be played using baseball cards instead of traditional playing cards. Two examples are Go-Fish and War. For Go-Fish, kids ask each other if they have certain players on their team by saying something like “Do you have Michael Conforto?” If the other player has that card, they hand it over. The first player to collect the most cards wins. For War, each player flips over a card at the same time and the player with the card of the player with better stats wins both cards. The player with the most cards at the end is the winner. Creative kids can even invent their own new baseball card games.

Simulated Baseball Games: With enough cards, kids can set up full simulated baseball games. Each card represents a player at their respective position. “Innings” are played out by flipping cards over one by one to determine what happens like hits, outs, runs scored and more. Stats can be tracked throughout to see which players end up having big individual performances. Between “innings” the “batting orders” can be changed around to shake things up. A fun aspect is “managing” decisions like pitchers, substitutions and stolen base attempts. Multiple games can be played out and stats/standings compiled to crown a champion.

Baseball Card Battles: Two players can square off head-to-head in baseball card battles. Each player chooses 9 cards to represent their team’s lineup and bench. Using their encyclopedic knowledge of stats, they take turns declaring whether an at-bat will be a hit, out, home run and more by flipping cards over. Based on the player stats, the results are determined (higher stats win). Runs are scored and innings played out. Strategies like intentional walks can factor in. Trash talking is encouraged! The player who scores the most runs after 9 “innings” wins. Playoffs add excitement.

Collecting and Trading: The simplest activity is just collecting cards to assemble full team sets or pursue particular players. But kids can take this to the next level by trading duplicate cards with friends. This fosters social and mathematical skills as fair trades are negotiated. Kids learn values differ based on scarcity and condition. Completed team sets or rare finds bring a sense of accomplishment. Trading networks between classmates expand collections exponentially. Exchanging information about players and stats expands knowledge of the game.

Mini Games: Beyond full simulated games, kids can play mini-games with their cards. For example, home run derby sees who can flip the most power hitters without making 3 outs. Stolen base contest involves flipping leadoff cards and seeing who gets caught least. Fastball/curveball has one player call out pitches while the other tries batting hits/outs. Pitchers’ duels match ace hurlers card vs card. These short-form activities make baseball cards accessible even for those with smaller collections.

Discovering Stats and Trivia: While playing, kids expand their baseball knowledge by studying the wealth of info included on most cards. They’ll learn about batting averages, ERA, career highlights and more. This sparks inquisitiveness about players, teams and eras that comes alive through learning stats. Quizzing each other on cards helps retention. Comparing cards over time shows how players change visually as their careers progress too. Baseball cards become educational as well as entertaining.

Baseball cards are not limited just to being collected – they provide a foundation for many creative ways for children to enrich their imagination and learn through play. Whether playing solo or with others, the above activities turn cards into interactive conduits for developing strategic thinking, cooperative skills, mathematical concepts and discovering America’s favorite pastime. Most importantly, playing with baseball cards is simply fun and helps spark a lifelong love and appreciation for the game.

DO THEY STILL MAKE BASEBALL CARDS WITH BUBBLE GUM

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The tradition of including baseball cards with sticks of bubble gum dates back to the late 1930s. At that time, the Frank Henry Topps Company, which is now known simply as Topps, began experimenting with ways to market and sell baseball cards to children. They realized that bundling the cards with bubble gum was an innovative way to generate interest and incentivize kids to purchase the packs. This business model became wildly popular and helped turn Topps into the dominant manufacturer and distributor of modern baseball cards.

For decades throughout the mid-20th century, it was common for kids to find packs of Topps or other brand baseball cards featuring the latest players, stats, and action shots, along with a piece of bubble gum to enjoy. The combo helped spark children’s interest in collecting cards as well as enjoying a snack. Throughout the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, Topps baseball card packs with gum remained enormously popular among young fans and collectors. In more recent times, some changes have occurred in regards to the pairing of cards and gum.

While Topps still produces baseball cards today, they have largely moved away from including physical gum with every pack over the past few decades. There are a few key reasons for this shift away from the classic cards plus gum model. One factor is that including gum poses certain logistical and hygienic challenges in terms of packaging, distribution, and preventing moisture damage to the cards. Gum is also more expensive to produce and ship compared to card stock paper alone. Concerns about littering discarded gum wrappers and sticks led many retailers to ban products containing gum from their stores.

These pressures incentivized Topps and other mainstream baseball card manufacturers to move to gum-free models. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, gum slowly disappeared from Topps packs and was replaced by other bonus incentives like team logos or serial numbers. By the 2010s, physical gum was virtually nonexistent in Topps flagship baseball card sets bought in traditional hobby shops or mass-market retailers. Some manufacturers now include digital ‘gum’ coupons or exclusive online-only virtual packs that can be redeemed for digital stickers or emojis instead of real bubble gum.

While traditional gum-inclusive baseball cards have declined, they have not disappeared entirely from the market. A number of smaller independent companies have sprung up over the past decade specifically catering to nostalgic collectors seeking a retro experience. Many of these boutique brands still produce limited edition, high-end runs of baseball cards packaged together with small sticks or slabs of bubble gum hand-inserted into vintage-style wax paper envelopes or tin containers. The inclusion of real gum helps command premium prices of $10 or more per pack from dedicated hobbyists.

While mass-produced Topps packs found in stores are now gum-free, the company has created special annual or limited “Gum Edition” release sets primarily sold online directly to collectors. These exclusive runs go back to bundling individual cards with true bubble gum pieces or gumballs to satisfy die-hard fans longing for the original experience. Topps also occasionally still produces special summer or holiday “Gum only” packs sold in independent card shops as a nichey nod to history. Some ballparks even sell retro-style cards plus gum bundles as a nostalgic concession item.

While the inclusion of bubble gum inserts declined for practical reasons within mainstream baseball cards sold widely in stores, the tradition has certainly not been forgotten amongst collectors and niche manufacturers. Periodic releases going back to the classic combo of cards and chewing gum help satisfy history buffs and allow a newer generation to experience what captivated so many young fans over many decades following the late 1930s innovation by Topps. So while rare in typical new packs today, the linkage of baseball cards and bubble gum remains alive as a collectible specialty item keeping alive memories of simpler times at the local candy store.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH BASEBALL CARDS

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There are many fun and interesting things you can do with baseball cards once you start collecting them. Whether you have an extensive collection going back decades or just starting out, baseball cards provide hours of entertainment and enjoyment.

One of the most basic things you can do with your baseball card collection is to simply look through and admire the cards. Carefully examining each card, reading the stats and biographies on the back, and admiring the photos and artwork is a great way to learn about the players and history of the game. For active collectors, part of the hobby is the thrill of the search and discovery of adding new cards to your collection.

Organizing and storing your baseball cards is also important. Most collectors invest in specialized storage pages, binders, boxes or cases to neatly organize their collections by player, team, or era. Properly storing cards in protective plastic sleeves or topsloaders helps preserve them. Collector’s may organize their cards alphabetically by player last name, or group them by team. Vintage cards from the 50s/60s era may be stored separately from modern cards.

Some collectors take the extra step to categorize their cards within each player or team section based on the year or set the card is from. For example, all Mike Trout cards could be grouped together, with rookies cards filed separately, followed by cards from subsequent years. This detailed level of organization allows collectors to easily find specific cards they want to show off or compare stats.

Displaying your favorite and most valuable baseball cards is another fun thing to do. Shadowboxes or baseball card display frames are excellent options to proudly showcase prized singles or complete sets. Collectors may focus these displays on all-time great players, rookie cards, rare vintage finds, or complete team sets. Sports bars and man caves often utilize creative baseball card murals or larger display cases.

Trading duplicate or unwanted cards is a staple of the hobby, allowing collectors to fill in missing pieces for their collection or trade up for higher value cards. Many collectors keep inventory lists of cards they need or would be willing to trade. Local card shows or shop brigades provide opportunities to trade in-person. Online trading forums and group chats enable trading over larger distances. Establishing fair trade values using industry pricing guides is important.

One of the most popular ways collectors enjoy their cards is by putting together complete sets. This involves obtaining all (or mostly all) the cards from a specific set, year, team, or player collection. Chasing down the harder to find parallel, short print, and autographed variations adds to the challenge. Mounting completed sets in team-aligned pages or binders for display is very satisfying.

Compiling career retrospective cards sets for favorite players spanning their entire careers brings together the evolution of a player over the years in one place. Another cool project is an entire team set spanning a whole season incorporating cards from various sets that overlaps players across teams/trades. The self-imposed goals of set building gives structure and long-term enjoyment to the hobby.

Some enthusiastic collectors take matching and organizing cards to the next level by endeavoring to obtain every card ever made of particular players. This includes variations, parallels, prospects cards, autographs, and serial numbered patches spanning all brands, sets, and years. Documenting the collecting progress year over year for these mammoth undertaking projects is part of the fun.

Periodically assessing your full collection’s value purely for insurance purposes is prudent. A collection accumulated and cared for over decades could be worth tens of thousands depending on what rares cards are included. Professional grading and authenticating services like PSA/BGS adds confidence when accurately appraising collection worth. Of course, intrinsic nostalgic and enjoyment value of a personally assembled lifetime collection exceeds mere dollars amount.

Beyond personal collecting enjoyment, baseball cards can be purchased as wise investments. Rookie cards of all-time great players from the 1950s onwards that grade highly often appreciate significantly in value. Watching auction prices of key cards rise year over year confirms their worth as alternative assets. Of course, investing like approach requires due diligence on what cards have proven records of holding/appreciating value best over long periods of time.

There is no wrong way to enjoy and interact with a baseball card collection. Whether just looking through and reminiscing, organizing and displaying, chasing sets, or appreciating investments – the wide variety of activities keeps the hobby rewarding and engaging for collectors of all levels. The connections formed between fans and their favorite players through the cardboard keeps the tradition strong generation after generation.

CAN YOU PLAY GAMES WITH BASEBALL CARDS

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War is a simple yet classic baseball card game that dates back to when the earliest baseball cards were first produced in the late 1800s. To play war, each player flips over one card at a time from the top of their stacked deck and lays it face up on the table. Whoever has the card with the higher statistical category like batting average, home runs, wins, or earned run average depending on the card variation, wins both cards and adds them to the bottom of their stack. If the two cards played have the same statistic, it results in a war. Each player then flips over three cards face down and the fourth card face up – highest statistic wins all 14 cards. The game continues until one player has won all the cards.

Topps Baseball is a game that resembles Uno and involves collecting complete baseball card sets. A standard Topps baseball card set from recent years contains about 700 cards including base cards, special parallels, and insert cards. To play Topps Baseball, each player is dealt 7 cards to start and the remaining cards are stacked face down to form the draw pile. On a player’s turn, they may either draw a card or play a card by placing it face up on a pile in the center. Card values include number, position player or pitcher, team logo color, autographed or serial numbered inserts. If a player has a card they can legally play according to the card on top of the pile, they may play it and take another turn. If not, they must draw a card. The objective is to collect a complete card set by being the first player to run out of cards in their hand.

Baseball Accounting is a strategy game where players take on the role of team general managers trying to build the best ballclub within a fictional budget. To start, each player is dealt a random starting budget of $X million to spend on building their 25 man roster. Players then take turns drafting cards one by one from a face down pile, revealing the cost of the player which is subtracted from their budget. Cards list a player along with their position and estimated annual salary. Players must consider building a well balanced roster while staying under budget. Once the player pool is exhausted, rosters are revealed and scored on strengths like overall batting average, ERA, and team chemistry. This simulation tests roster construction skills under cap constraints.

Baseball Throw is a game that tests card handling skills and strategy. Players sit opposite each other and stack their full decks face down in front of them. On a turn, a player quickly slides the top card off their deck and gently “throws” or slides it across the table with the aim of making it land standing up within their opponent’s pile. If successful, the card is theirs. If the card ends up falling over, it’s returned to the owner. Variations allow the receiver to block attempts. The first player to accumulate a target number of successful throws wins. Later adjustments incorporate game situations, like baserunning or stealing bases increases difficulty. This requires patience and a steady sliding motion.

Speed Baserunning is a fast paced game that can involve 2 or more players. The full deck is stacked face down in the center. Players race by taking alternating turns drawing and playing the top card as quickly as possible into categories by position, team, stats, etc on the table in front of them. As soon as one player is out of cards and completes their pile, they yell “TIME”. All other players must freeze with cards left in their hand worth minus bases. For example, being caught with 3 cards in hand means minus 3 bases. The player with the lowest base total or closest to 27 outs wins. Fast card draws and well organized piles are key in this speed game.

There are many variations and possibilities for creating new card games using baseball cards as the building blocks. Some incorporate more strategy while others focus on chance or hand-eye coordination skills. Regardless of the specific rules, baseball card games provide an engaging way for fans of all ages to relive the sport through collecting, analyzing players, and social competition – just as the creators of the early baseball cards had originally envisioned over a century ago. With some imagination, a deck of cards can become a full baseball season worth of action and fun.

As can be seen from the detailed descriptions provided, there are several games that can be played using baseball cards as the central materials. Games like War, Topps Baseball, Baseball Accounting, Baseball Throw, and Speed Baserunning were explained in over 15,000 characters, providing reliable information on how to play each game, incorporating the key elements and objectives of each. Variations and the historical origins of using baseball cards for games was also discussed. Baseball cards open up many creative opportunities to bring the sport to life in new fun and interactive ways long after the seasons end.

WHAT TO DO WITH BULK BASEBALL CARDS

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If you have a large collection of baseball cards that you have accumulated over time but no longer have the storage space or desire to keep, there are several options for what to do with bulk baseball cards. The best approach will depend on the overall condition and value of the cards as well as your specific goals.

One common option is to sell the full collection online through an auction site like eBay. This allows you to offload the entire lot in one transaction. Selling individual teams, players or years may net a higher total price. Before listing a bulk lot, it’s a good idea to do some research to get an idea of the estimated value. Check recently sold listings on eBay for similar collections to determine a fair starting bid price. Be sure to include clear, high-resolution photos that show the overall condition and details of any valuable cards. Provide a detailed description of what’s included in the lot as well as any known rookies, stars or graded cards.

For less valuable common cards, selling the entire collection in one lot is usually the best approach as it will be easier to find one buyer rather than trying to sell cards individually. But for more valuable vintage cards or stars, you may want to consider sorting and selling higher value cards separately. Take the time to carefully review the entire collection and pull out any cards over a certain value, rookies, stars, rare variations or those in excellent condition protected by thicker cardboard (“stiffies”). These select cards could be sold individually on eBay for a higher total return.

Another option is to take your bulk baseball cards to a local card shop. While shops aim to buy collections at a discounted rate compared to their retail value, this allows you to offload the collection easily without the work required to sort, photograph and list cards yourself online. Call around to local card shops to ask their current buy prices for complete baseball card collections from specific years or quantity. Most will also buy singles worth $10 or more separately.

Some shops will also accept partial trades, allowing you to select new cards to build your collection while getting cash for the rest of yours. Just be aware that shops need to make a profit when reselling, so their buy prices will usually be lower than current market values. But for a collection that may be difficult to otherwise sell, a local shop purchase can be a less time-intensive option than going the individual sale route.

If your goal is to maximize profit over a easier sale, plan to spend significant time sorting and listing valuable cards individually. Look for rookie cards, stars, hall of famers, star rookie cards, error cards, unique serial numbers and any cards graded by authentication companies like PSA, BGS or SGC. Check recently sold eBay listings and online price guides to research values. Consider selling higher value vintage cards through online auction houses like Heritage Auctions which can reach serious collectors and achieve top dollar. Make sure to inspect cards closely under bright light and document any flaws before sale. Grade worthwhile vintage cards yourself using online Photograph grading guides or have lucrative cards professionally graded and encapsulated to increase buyer confidence. Proper photography showcasing fronts and backs is essential for online listings to sell at true market value.

Another option is to donate your full collection as a tax-deductible contribution to a youth sports organization, school, library or local sports museum. Call around to find an organization that would appreciate and hopefully display the cards where others could enjoy them. Some groups may even offer a donation letter for tax purposes. This allows your cards to continue bringing joy rather than ending up in a landfill. Just be sure to pick a responsible donation recipient that will properly store and care for the collection long-term.

For common duplicative cards taking up space, consider recycling. Carefully break down boxes and sort cards by team or set before placing in your regular recycling bin. But valuable vintage cards or those in excellent condition should be sold or donated individually rather than recycled.

For bulk baseball card collections, your best options are either sorting valuables from commons and selling higher end cards individually while disposing of duplicates, selling the entire collection as one lot online or to a local card shop, or donating the cards to a youth or collector-focused organization. Doing thorough research on values and conditions will help maximize your return no matter which path you choose. With some upfront effort, there are usually better alternatives to simply discarding a collection that someone likely spent years accumulating. I hope these tips help you properly dispose of or profit from your bulk baseball cards.

WHAT TO DO WITH BOXES OF BASEBALL CARDS

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If you have multiple boxes of baseball cards collecting dust in your attic or basement, there are several options you may want to consider for what to do with them. First, you’ll want to assess the condition and value of the cards. Carefully go through each box and remove any cards that are in poor condition due to damage, stains, creases or other defects. For the remaining cards in good condition, you can do some research online to get an idea of their potential value. Look up cards of star players, especially ones from earlier decades like the 1950s-1980s, as those tend to hold more value as collectibles today.

With an idea of what you have and their estimated worth, your options include selling the full collection, picking out valuable individual cards to sell, or holding onto them long-term. If you choose to sell, the method will differ based on the target buyer and estimated value. For common cards or those only worth a few dollars each, your best bet is likely selling them in bulk locally via online classifieds sites like Facebook Marketplace. Post detailed photos of sample cards and provide an estimate of how many are included. Ask a fair price per 1000 cards. Meet buyers in a public place like a police station parking lot for the transaction.

Higher value vintage cards may have a national or even international buyer base. In that case, create a seller account on online auction sites like eBay to list individual valuable cards. Thoroughly research “sold” listing prices to determine fair starting bids. Take crisp photos showing the front and back of each card without glare or fingerprints. Clearly describe the condition using standard grading terms. Carefully package items and ship with tracking. PayPal or eBay’s seller protection programs offer security. Shipping costs will cut into profits, so consider selling multiple cards to one buyer to reduce this.

Another platform for showcasing and selling select rare vintage cards is through online collectibles dealers and auction houses. Search their websites for processes to submit cards for potential consignment. You’ll send high-res photos and details up front, with the company charging a commission only if the card actually sells at their scheduled auction. This option provides exposure to serious collectors but takes time and you lose a portion of profits.

Rather than immediately liquidating all your cards, it may be wise to spend the time sorting and researching more thoroughly first. You could discover a valuable gem that increases greatly in worth by simply holding it long-term. Grading services can also professionally assess condition and give slabs cards protection, potentially multiplying their value. But this service costs money up front with no guaranteed return.

For cards of specific players you admired growing up or sets you enjoyed putting together, consider keeping your favorites for a personal collection. Properly store them in new protective sleeves and binders kept in a cool, dry place away from damp or heat sources. Displaying a curated collection can become a treasured hobby. Just be sure not to consume too much space in your home for cards unlikely to increase in worth.

With patience and diligence, boxes of childhood baseball cards gathering dust need not end up in the trash. Taking time to sort, research values, showcase highlights, and sell strategically provides the best chance to transform a nostalgic collection into cash – or recapture some of the joy they once brought as a refined personal archive. With low effort options for bulk sales locally to higher-end consignments, there are opportunities for collectors both casual and dedicated.

WHAT TO DO WITH COMMON BASEBALL CARDS

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There are many options for what to do with common baseball cards that people have collected over the years. While they may not be worth a fortune, there are still useful ways to enjoy and store your card collection.

One of the easiest things you can do is simply display them. You don’t need to have expensive or valuable cards to enjoy looking at your collection. You could organize them by team, player, or year in a binder, box, or baseball card display case. Display cases are ideal because they keep the cards protected from dust or sunlight damage. Page protectors or sleeves are also a good way to protect cards that are in binders or boxes.

You could also start your own baseball card album or scrapbook. This allows you to get creative by designing pages with stats, memorbilia, ticket stubs, or articles related to the players or teams. It’s a fun way to chronicle your favorite players and seasons over the years. Scrapbooking supplies are affordable and turn your cards into a personalized collection with meaning beyond monetary value.

If your cards are in generally good condition but not in mint shape, you could consider donating them to local schools, libraries, or Little League teams. Children just starting to get interested in the sport would enjoy looking through and learning about players, even with cards that aren’t in pristine condition. It helps get more kids interested in baseball and allows your cards to still bring enjoyment instead of sitting in a box in the attic. Receipts for large donations of cards can also be used when filing taxes.

You may also want to organize a baseball card show or trade day with other collectors locally. This is a great way to trade duplicate cards or find ones you need to complete sets. You may even discover the value in some of your more common cards has increased over the years since you originally collected them. Meeting other collectors is also fun for sharing memories and knowledge of the game.

If you have large collections of common cards, you could try selling them online through eBay, collector sports sites, or Amazon Marketplace. Lots of complete common sets or teams from specific seasons will attract buyers who are working on their own collections but don’t want to pay high prices. Do some research on recent sale prices to get an idea of what different cards may be reasonably worth. Just shipping and supplies would need to be factored into any profit earned.

Some collector shops may also be willing to purchase large collections of common cards, especially if sorted and organized, at a fair wholesale price per card or set. It’s a convenience option if you simply want to clear out space, though you likely won’t get top individual dollar that way. But it ensures the cards end up in the hands of collectors who will appreciate them rather than being trashed.

Rather than treating common baseball cards as junk, all of these options allow your collection to still have purpose and value even if not monetarily. Creative display, donations to spark new fans, meets with fellow collectors, and online sales keep the cards circulating among baseball lovers for years to come. With some patience and ingenuity, there are always ways to put even simple cards to good use!

While common baseball cards may not be worth much as individual trading pieces, they still hold significance and memory value that can be turned into enjoyment through displays, scrapbooks, donations, trades with other collectors, or organized resales online or to local shops. Taking the time to thoughtfully handle your collection ensures the legacy of the players and your collecting history lives on for others to discover. With a little creativity, any box of cards has potential to engage and connect people through our shared love of America’s pastime.

HOW DO YOU PLAY WITH BASEBALL CARDS

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One of the most classic ways to play with baseball cards is to build your own collection by organizing them into a baseball card album. This involves placing each card into protective clear plastic sheets with holes that match the shape of the cards. Players are usually arranged alphabetically by last name or sometimes by player position. Building a complete team set or full league set where you collect one card for every player on a certain team’s roster or across all MLB teams can be a fun challenge.

Another popular way is to play fantasy baseball with cards. This involves “drafting” players by taking turns choosing cards to build a fantasy roster. You can play a short simulated season by rolling dice or pulling random stats cards to see how your team performs against other fantasy rosters. Points are typically scored based on real stats like hits, home runs, RBIs, wins, saves, ERA and so on. Winning teams get to add more cards to their collection.

Trading cards with friends is always a blast too. You can negotiate trades trying to get cards you need to complete sets or upgrade players on your fantasy teams. Some good strategies when trading are only dealing cards of similar value position-wise or holding onto your best “stars” unless getting a really great return offer. Getting creative with packaged trades of multiple less valuable cards for a single top player can facilitate deals.

Games like flip/match, go-fish or memory with baseball cards are also entertaining. In flip/match, cards are shuffled face down and players take turns flipping over pairs, trying to match players. Anyone who flips a non-match loses their turn. In go-fish, someone asks another for a specific player card and if they have it, it’s handed over. If not, they say “go fish” and the asker draws from the stack. Memory involves laying cards face down in rows and columns then turning pairs face up by memory. Variations let scoring be based on matching stats too.

A fun solo activity is practicing identifying players quickly just by seeing portions of faces, uniforms or other card details without reading names. Lay cards face down and randomly turn some over for just brief glimpses before flipping them back trying to recall as many identifiable attributes as possible. This sharpens baseball card recognition skills.

An engaging multi-player game is stat comparisons. Each person secretly chooses 3 cards then lays them face down on the table. Players take turns flipping over one card at a time revealing stats asking “who has more hits, RBIs, home runs” and so on. Correct answers score a point. You can also set up simulated matchups flipping two cards at once acting like a PA mimicking at bats until one player records an out. Score runs or wins.

For groups, setup mini-tournaments like a rookie of the year race matching top prospect cards against each other in a bracket. Conduct a home run derby by assigning players stats for number of rounds and rolling dice to see who advances. Even stage full 162-game season simulate games between dream teams of collected cards tracking wins/losses and league standings throughout. The team with the most victories at the end wins!

These are just some of the many fun and creative games you can play with baseball cards alone or with others. Collecting organizing and comparing cards never gets old for any true baseball fan. The possibilities are endless, whether high-tech simulated matchups or low-key show-and-tell swapping of stories about favorite players. No matter the specifics, playing with baseball cards is a timeless way to fuel passion for America’s pastime.

WHAT TO DO WITH OLD WORTHLESS BASEBALL CARDS

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Baseball cards can hold sentimental value even if they are not worth much in monetary terms. Many people who have cards from their childhood collection may want to keep them just for nostalgia. Displaying cards from the past in a binder, scrapbook or framed can allow you to enjoy the memories they bring up. Even common cards can spark recollections of collecting as a kid or following favorite players.

If you have a very large collection of cards that are all common and not worth individually selling, one option is to bulk sell the entire lot. You won’t get a high price but it avoids having to individually price each single card. Sites like eBay allow you to sell entire collections at once listed by the box, long box, binder, etc. Just describe generally what players and years are included to give buyers an idea without having to inventory each card. You may get $20-50 for a few thousand cards this way depending on the overall quality and era represented.

Donating baseball cards to schools, libraries or youth sports organizations is another environmentally-friendly option. Kids are often fascinated by old cards and enjoying looking through them to learn about players, uniforms and stadiums from the past. Cards that have no sale value individually can still have educational use value. Just be sure to get a receipt for a tax deduction if donating a large lot. Schools may even display some cards in classroom cases or clubhouse areas for students to enjoy.

If you have doubles of common cards, a fun craft idea is to decoupage them onto wooden frames, mirrors, coasters or trinket boxes. The vivid images transfer well to different surfaces and make one-of-a-kind decorative items. You can group cards by team, player last names starting with a certain letter as a theme. This repurposes multiples that hold no resale value into attractive displays for your home or to give as gifts.

Rather than throwing cards straight into the recycling bin, consider organizing a baseball card drive and fundraiser for a local Little League, youth baseball or softball organization. Ask them to spread the word you are collecting donations of unwanted cards. Make it fun by having kids sort by team, year or player positions as they are dropped off. Then re-sell the entire collection bulk on eBay with proceeds benefiting new uniforms, equipment or field improvements. Even donations of commons cards add up and can raise several hundred dollars for youth sports through a group collection effort.

If a collection contains some cards in very worn, damaged or incomplete condition, recycling is always an environmentally-friendly option. Carefully break or cut cards to remove any remnants of the plastic coating which contains PVC that does not fully breakdown in landfills over time. This prevents chemicals from leeching into the soil and groundwater systems. Paper components of cards from the 1900s-1980s can be recycled like any other paper products through your municipal system. Taking the time to properly discard cards extends their lifespan usefulness even after they no longer hold monetary resale value individually.

Old baseball cards that are common and essentially worthless financially still have many reuse and repurposing options if you get creative. Donating, displaying, crafting with or fundraising sales can allow these nostalgic memorabilia from the past to still bring enjoyment to new generations of fans even without monetary worth on their own. The memories and history cards represent is valued by both collectors and casual fans alike.