I've come across some old baseball (and other) trading cards that were my father's when he was younger. Does anyone know of good resources for pricing, storing, and (perhaps) grading such cards? From the Google searches I have done, there doesn't seem to be easily accessible legitimate and simple to use pricing/archiving and preserving websites. At the very least, I'd like to get some of them into hard plastic cases and/or acid-free storage boxes. Of course I don't even know if those are the best ways to store them.
Yes, exactly. ....there are some books out there that you can look at....that tell you value and what types of conditions they are in to get that value. DD
Try something like this : http://beta.beckett.com/ or http://www.tuffstuff.com and their online and magazine/book guides. Also try various forums online that talk about sports collectibles (especially sports cards). The reason I say that is because if you go 1-on-1 with a dealer, there won't be anyone to tell you the price the guy is telling you is way too low (if it is). He may not be telling you the value of the card, but rather what he's willing to pay for it.
I'd say have them graded, if you want to sell them or keep them in great condition. You could hold them for future value and lock them away somewhere. I don't look at them again for 10 to 25 years, like a time capsule.
Like said above, Beckett for the pricing. I believe Beckett and PSA are the leaders in grading. While Beckett will give the "book value", eBay will give you the more accurate selling value. From what I saw (years ago), the older the cards, the closer they come to the book value. So, if you are looking at grading some cards I'd take eBay value into consideration (given the base cost in grading).
I guess I'll chime in, since I'm a collector and frequent other collecting boards and know a thing or two. While I don't know much about vintage baseball cards, I can tell you that the easiest way to check the value is eBay's completed listings feature to see what an item sold for recently. If you know the year, brand and player it shouldn't be too hard to find. Also, you might want to check the link below for more information about Beckett's Grading Service. One thing about grading though, is that I would find out first if the card is even worth grading as grading can get costly if you send in a ton of cards. Some cards are worth grading because people are willing to pay more for a card if its graded but for others its just a waste of time and the card will sell for the same whether its graded or not. Hope this helps and if you have any other questions, email me through the boards and I'll be happy to help. In, the mean time keep them out of direct sunlight or any where theres moisture. http://www.beckett.com/Grading/
What years do the cards range from? Do you want to keep and preserve them or do you want to sell them? If they are pre-WWII, I'd get them graded. If they are WWII - 1965ish, I'd only get the high dollar, good condition ones graded. Anything after that I'd just put in a plastic holder which I have 100s of I'd give you if you want to pay shipping - I live in TN. You can look at beckett for book value or you can go buy a book (online or B&N, etc) if you want too. But if you want to know what the real value is, then look under completed items on ebay. Of course comparing condition may be questionable if you are not too familiar with how to grade a card. There is a big difference in the condition values but at least you should get a good ballpark estimate. Card shops will buy but only give you pennies on the dollar (book value). Ebay will net you quarters on the dollar for any true collectable card. You might even get full value if it is rare and highly collectable. But I wouldn't sell high dollar old ones on ebay unless they were graded. You will get far more if the grade comes back favorable and the buyer will know (and bid more knowing) he is buying the real thing in most cases. Edit: If you do grade them, go with PSA, SGC or maybe even Beckett. Some of those other companies will not add any value to your card because their grading is not as reputable.
Much thanks to everyone's suggestions. My bad ArtV, just read this. I located a local card shop and bought a few sleeves. As I go along sorting some of these out I may need some more sleeves or cases. I'll definitely get in contact with you later on. Most of the cards are around '53-'63 and the "big-name" cards (like a Mantle or Aaron) are not really with these. It's possible my father picked them out years ago and has them stored elsewhere. Still, some pretty neat finds...Killebrew, Berra, Kaline, Feller, etc. Decent condition. I'll look into the card grading at some point, but at least I can sleep better knowing they're at least somewhat better-preserved, ha. One question about grading: PSA offers half-point grading, but Beckett seems to be more competitive with their pricing. It's probably irrelevant at the moment since these cards aren't in the 8 or above range, but if I come across some gems I would likely consider grading a handful. Also came across non-baseball cards...'56 Topps Davy Crockett sets, some Navy/aviation cards. I'll have to go through them all and find a resource to inventory and price them. Thanks again for the assistance.
Nice cards! Those are some very collectable years. Even the commons get some decent cash as collectors love building sets. If Beckett was 1/2 as much as PSA or SGC, I have to seriously think about that. I wouldn't go with BCCG - Beckett's low cost grading. While they may be slightly better than a PRO graded card, it won't add that much value to the card. I discovered my cards that I had as a kid a few years ago and it was 1 of the most expensive discoveries I think I've ever made. My cards probably had a total real value of a couple hundred dollars - tops. But since I found them I've spent many thousands on ebay collecting since. I have 2 boys that had their own collection until they grew up. I'll probably leave them my cards when I'm gone and let them have a huge pick fest. I have told them I'd come back and cut them in 1/2 if they start fighting over them. But they better bring a book because some of these "no-name guys" (graded T206s of old HOFers) have a much better value over the few modern day A-Rods and Pujols.
