How to Start Collecting Sports Cards

Understanding Sports Cards

To start collecting sports cards, pick a sport or player you like, set a budget ($20 is enough to begin), and buy individual singles from eBay or a local card shop — or grab a retail blaster box from Target or Walmart to rip packs. The rest of this guide covers everything you need to know from there.

A sports card is a printed card — typically 2.5 by 3.5 inches — featuring a professional athlete, usually with a photo on the front and statistics or biographical information on the back. Sports cards have been manufactured since the late 1800s, and today they are produced across every major sport including baseball, football, basketball, and hockey.

Not all cards are created equal. Here are the main types you will encounter:

Base cards are the most common cards in any set. They feature every player in the checklist and are produced in large quantities. Base cards of star players have modest value, while base cards of lesser-known players are generally worth very little.

Rookie cards (RC) are a player's first officially licensed cards, marked with an "RC" logo. Rookie cards are generally the most valuable card type for any given player because they represent the earliest entry point for collectors. A player's rookie card year is a one-time event — once that season's products ship, no more rookie cards of that player will ever be made.

Inserts are special cards included at lower odds than base cards. They feature unique designs, themes, or subsets and are harder to pull from packs.

Parallels are variations of base or insert cards that use different colors, patterns, or finishes such as refractors, prizms, or holofoil. Parallels come in tiers of scarcity. Numbered cards show a print run on the card itself — for example, /100 means only 100 copies exist. Lower numbers (/50, /25, /10, /5, /1) are progressively rarer and more valuable.

Autograph cards (Autos) contain a real signature from the athlete, either signed directly on the card or on a sticker applied to the card. On-card autographs are typically more desirable than sticker autos.

Relic and Patch cards have a piece of game-used or player-worn material embedded in the card — a jersey swatch, a bat piece, or a patch from a uniform. Multi-color patch pieces are more sought-after than single-color jersey swatches.

Key Product Lines

Each sport has flagship product lines that attract the most collector attention and tend to hold value best.

Topps is the dominant brand in baseball cards, now operating under Fanatics ownership. Topps Series 1, Series 2, and Topps Update are the flagship releases where official rookie cards appear. Topps Chrome applies chromium technology to the flagship checklist, producing the refractor parallels that command premium prices.

Bowman and Bowman Chrome focus on prospects — players who have not yet reached the major leagues. A "Bowman 1st" is the earliest Bowman card of a prospect and is highly sought-after by speculative collectors. Bowman Chrome 1st autographs of top prospects can be among the most valuable modern baseball cards.

Panini Prizm has been the flagship product for both football and basketball for much of the last decade. Prizm rookie cards in Silver, Red, Blue, Gold, and other color parallels defined modern football and basketball collecting. However, card licensing is shifting. The NBA license moved to Fanatics (producing cards under the Topps brand) starting with the 2025-26 season, and the NFL license follows in 2026. Panini's final licensed basketball and football products are seeing heightened collector demand as a result.

Upper Deck holds the exclusive NHL license for hockey cards. The "Young Guns" subset in Upper Deck Series 1 and Series 2 serves as the primary rookie card for hockey players and is the most collected hockey card product.

Card Grading

Card grading is the process of sending a card to a professional authentication and grading company, which evaluates its condition and encapsulates it in a tamper-proof case with a numeric grade. Grading establishes a standardized condition assessment that buyers can trust without seeing the card in person.

PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is the most popular grading service. PSA uses a 1-10 scale, where PSA 10 is the highest grade, called "Gem Mint." PSA's large population reports and wide market recognition make it the default choice for most collectors.

BGS (Beckett Grading Services) uses a half-point scale and provides four sub-grades: centering, corners, edges, and surface. A BGS 9.5 "Gem Mint" is a common high grade. A BGS 10 "Pristine" is rare, and a BGS 10 "Black Label" — where all four sub-grades are also 10 — is rarer than a PSA 10 and commands a significant premium.

SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Company) is known for fast turnaround times and its distinctive black "tuxedo" holder, which many collectors prefer for the way it displays vintage cards. SGC has grown significantly in popularity due to competitive pricing and reliable grading standards.

CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) entered sports card grading more recently, expanding from its established reputation in comic book grading. CGC uses sub-grades similar to BGS.

When is grading worth it? Grading typically costs $25 to $150 or more per card depending on the service level and turnaround time. It makes financial sense when the card is valuable enough that the potential price increase from a high grade exceeds the grading fee. For most collectors, cards worth at least $50-$100 in raw (ungraded) condition are reasonable candidates — provided the card appears to be in near-perfect condition.

Buying Cards

There are several ways to acquire sports cards, each with different advantages.

Retail boxes and packs are sold at big-box stores like Target and Walmart. They are affordable (typically $10-$40) and a fun introduction to the hobby. However, retail products have fewer hits (autographs and relics) compared to hobby products.

Hobby boxes are sold at local card shops (LCS) and online retailers. They cost more ($100-$500+) but guarantee a certain number of autographs, relics, or numbered parallels. Hobby boxes are the standard for serious collectors who enjoy ripping packs.

Singles are individual cards purchased from sellers. Buying singles is the most cost-efficient way to get specific cards you want rather than hoping to pull them from packs. "Wax" is hobby slang for unopened packs and boxes — some collectors prefer to buy wax, while others prefer to buy the exact single cards they are targeting.

Where to buy: eBay is the largest marketplace for sports cards. Fanatics Collect (formerly PWCC) is another major platform. Local card shops (LCS) offer the ability to see cards in person and build relationships with knowledgeable dealers. Card shows and conventions provide access to a large number of dealers and collectors in one location, often with opportunities to negotiate prices.

Selling Cards

Before selling, you need to establish what your card is worth. The key concept here is comps — comparable recent sales of the same card in the same condition. What a card sold for in actual completed transactions matters far more than what sellers are currently listing it for. Listed prices reflect what sellers hope to get; comps reflect what buyers are actually paying.

Where to sell: eBay remains the largest venue for selling sports cards due to its massive buyer base. Auction-style listings work well for high-demand cards, while Buy It Now listings suit cards with established market prices. Fanatics Collect, local card shops, card shows, and Facebook groups are additional selling channels.

Timing matters. Card values fluctuate based on player performance, season timing, and product release cycles. Rookie cards tend to peak during a player's breakout season. Prospect cards often spike around draft day or a player's major league debut. Selling into hype — when a player is trending upward — generally yields better results than holding through a decline.

Protecting Your Collection

Proper storage prevents damage and preserves card value over time.

Penny sleeves are thin, flexible plastic sleeves that cost roughly a penny each. Every card worth keeping should be in a penny sleeve as a baseline layer of protection.

Toploaders are rigid plastic holders that protect cards from bending. A card in a penny sleeve placed inside a toploader is the standard storage and shipping method for raw cards.

One-touch magnetic cases are premium rigid holders that snap closed with a magnet. They offer excellent display and protection, commonly used for higher-value cards.

For long-term storage, keep cards in a cool, dry environment away from direct sunlight. Cardboard storage boxes designed for toploaders or graded cards will keep a collection organized and protected.

Market Fundamentals

Understanding what drives card values will help you make smarter collecting decisions.

Player performance is the single biggest factor. Cards rise when a player is performing well and decline when performance drops or injuries occur. Breakout seasons, MVP awards, and championship runs all create demand spikes.

Rookie year and prospect status create scarcity of attention. A player's rookie cards and Bowman 1st cards are the most collected because they represent the earliest available cards. Demand concentrates on these specific products.

Scarcity directly affects price. A base card printed in the millions will always be worth less than a /25 parallel of the same player. Lower print runs create competition among buyers. Population reports from grading companies show how many copies of a specific card exist at each grade level — a card with only a few PSA 10 copies will carry a significant premium.

Liquidity refers to how easily a card can be bought or sold at fair market value. High-liquidity cards (flagship rookies of star players) trade frequently and have stable pricing. Low-liquidity cards (obscure inserts, niche players) may be difficult to sell even if they carry a high "book value." Understanding liquidity is essential for collectors who view cards as an investment.

Getting Started on Mantel

Mantel is built for collectors who want more than just a marketplace. It is a community and data platform designed to help you collect smarter.

Community: Connect with collectors who share your interests. Post your pulls, ask questions, get feedback on potential purchases, and follow collectors whose taste and knowledge you trust. Whether you collect baseball cards, basketball cards, football cards, or hockey cards, you will find an active community on Mantel.

Marketplace aggregation: Mantel pulls live listings from eBay and Fanatics Collect into a single searchable feed. Stop switching between tabs — search for any card and see every available listing in one place.

Comps and sales data: See what cards are actually selling for across marketplaces. Real transaction data, not asking prices, so you always know the true market value before you buy or sell.

SLAM scores: Mantel's SLAM scores rate market activity on a 0-100 scale by measuring tradeability, consistency, and accessibility. A high SLAM score means a card is actively trading at fair market value — as close to cold hard cash as you can get. Use SLAM scores to compare options, confirm that demand is genuine, and understand how liquid a card really is before you buy or sell.

The best way to start collecting is to collect what you enjoy. Pick a sport, a team, or a player you care about, set a budget you are comfortable with, and start exploring. The cards will teach you the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions