When looking to get valuable baseball cards appraised, your best options are to contact professional sports memorabilia authentication and grading companies or find a local expert dealer or appraiser. It’s important to get cards appraised by knowledgeable professionals who can properly assess factors like the card’s condition, rarity, and current market demand and value.

For modern cards produced within the last 30-50 years, your best bet is usually sending them to a major sports card authentication/grading service like PSA, BGS, or SGC. These companies meticulously examine each card to verify it’s authentic, then assign a numerical grade between 1-10 based on its state of preservation. The grade greatly impacts the card’s value, so getting an official designation from these reputable companies is highly recommended for valuable modern issues.

Services like PSA, BGS, and SGC typically charge per card to inspect and grade them. For example, a regular turnaround at PSA costs around $20 per card but can be more for rarer/higher value cards needing more examination time. They offer different package and membership options that can lower per-card costs if submitting many at once. Cards are then encapsulated in professional plastic holders that display the company logo and assigned numerical grade upfront for anyone who views the card.

While those authentication/grading companies are excellent for modern issues, they may not be as necessary for older pre-1980s cards that were simply not produced or preserved with today’s standards in mind. For those older vintage cards, your best options are often seeking out an expert local dealer who has extensive experience appraising and is knowledgeable about subtle condition factors and market trends impacting rare early tobacco/bubblegum era cards from the 1930s-1950s.

A few good places to start locating a trusted local dealer or appraiser for vintage cards include calling nearby hobby shops that specialize in vintage cards, checking with local baseball card show/convention organizers to find recommended experienced exhibitors, or searching “baseball card appraiser” online paired with your nearest large city to potentially find someone advertising local appraisal services. Once you find some potential local experts, read reviews, ask about their qualifications and experience level appraising cards from the era in question.

Another highly recommended authentication resource for particularly rare/valuable pre-1980 cards is the paper memorabilia authentication company JSA. While their certification comes at higher costs than many local experts, JSA is world-renowned and their official plastic-encased authenticity certificates carry a weight of authority helpful when trying to precisely establish a card’s value history. Regardless of who does the appraisal, be sure to get all appraisal documentation in writing for your records in case you choose to sell the cards later on.

When seeking an in-person appraisal from an expert, being fully prepared is important. Carefully package any fragile cards to be handled, and bring clear photos of cards too rare/valuable to transport directly. It’s also wise to provide as much background history on each card as possible like how/when it was obtained, whether any restoration has been done, etc. Appraisers factor this contextual history into their evaluations. Be sure the expert conducts an appraisal focused solely on assessing fair market value rather than pushing to quickly purchase the cards from you. With patience and by using professional experts, you’ll get baseball cards’ true worth accurately established.

Major authentication companies like PSA, BGS, and SGC specializing in modern issues are usually the best initial options. But for truly rare/valuable vintage cards pre-1980, seeking a local expert dealer or service like JSA is often preferable. Just be sure any experts are highly qualified and can clearly explain their valuation methodology in writing upon completion. With the right references and information provided, this helps ensure baseball cards are assigned an authoritative and trustworthy appraisal of their true current market worth.