Vanessa’s Baseball Card Collection
Vanessa has had a passion for baseball ever since she was a little girl. Growing up just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, she frequently attended Cincinnati Reds games with her dad. Something she always enjoyed was looking through the baseball cards her dad would collect at the games. By the time she was 10 years old, Vanessa started collecting her own cards. Now at age 15, Vanessa’s collection has grown to include 498 unique baseball cards.
Let’s take a closer look at Vanessa’s impressive collection and how it came to be so extensive. When she first started collecting on her own, Vanessa would ask for baseball cards as gifts for her birthday or holidays. She also saved up her allowance to purchase packs of cards at the local drug store or hobby shop. In those early years, Vanessa focused on collecting current Reds players like Joey Votto, Johnny Cueto, and Jay Bruce. She kept all of the cards she collected in several baseball card storage boxes she had gotten from her dad.
As Vanessa got older, she became more interested in the history of the game and players from past eras. She started regularly going to card shows in the Cincinnati area on weekends where she could buy and trade cards. Vanessa learned the values of older cards and players and would target collecting Hall of Famers and star players from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Some of the big name cards she has acquired include Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Tom Seaver, Mike Schmidt and Ozzie Smith. Vanessa’s parents also began giving her money as gifts specifically to put towards her collection.
Through researching sets online and talking to other collectors, Vanessa identified certain vintage sets she wanted to try and complete from the 1970s and 80s. Two of the sets she made great progress on include the 1975 Topps and 1981 Donruss sets. From going to shows, she was able to track down many of the common and star players from those years. Vanessa also likes the challenge of finding the difficult to locate rookie or short printed cards to fill in the sets. While she may not 100% complete the sets, she comes very close and has most of the key players represented.
In addition to locally, Vanessa has branched out over the years to purchase cards online through eBay and trade with collectors all over the country. She studies the latest market values and sets monthly spending limits to ensure she doesn’t overspend. Some of Vanessa’s prized recently acquired online cards include a 1986 Donruss Roger Clemens rookie, 1998 Topps All-Star Rookies Chipper Jones refractor, and 2003 Bowman Draft Chrome Mike Trout prospect card. Vanessa will also occasionally submit valuable cards to get professionally graded, which can significantly increase their worth. This allows her to trade high end cards for multiple lesser cards to further her collection.
Organization is key for Vanessa to keep track of her now 498 card collection. In addition to her boxes of commons and duplicates, she has several team and player specific binders sorted alphabetically. Her most prized short prints, refractors, autographs and Hall of Famer cards are stored in magnetic cases. Vanessa also keeps a detailed Excel spreadsheet inventory of her entire collection with values. This helps her know what she needs to finish sets and identify trade targets. She finds enjoyment in both building her collection through acquisition but also just admiring the fruits of her labor that she has been cultivating for years now.
Vanessa’s ultimate goal is to someday have a collection valued at over $10,000. She also dreams that some of her cards could appreciate significantly like some of the unique vintage and prospects she owns. Vanessa continues to spend 4-6 hours per week focused on her baseball card hobby whether researching online, going to shows, trading or organizing her collection. She has discussed potentially showcasing some of her highlights in a local card shop display case as well. For Vanessa, it’s a fulfilling pursuit combining her love of the game, collecting, history appreciation and business strategy. At just 15 years old, Vanessa’s 498 card collection is already quite impressive and figures to only continue growing for years to come.
