January 14th 2009
Are you interested in acquiring some serious vintage football trading cards? Ok, how about some 1948 Bowmans? Those are some serious vintage football cards of the NFL! I recently saw a card I would have liked to have. It was a 1948 Bowman of Steve Van Buren of the Philadelphia Eagles! Yeah, THE Steve Van Buren! It was black and white, and featured Steve with a football tucked under his arm. He was wearing his number 15 jersey. This was the good part. It was in near-mint to mint condition, and looked awesome! This was the bad part (for me anyway), this valuable football card sells for just under $1800.
Oh well, it’s probably worth it. So, if you come across this rare football card for less than $1500 in near mint condition, snatch it up, because you are getting one heck of a deal. Ok, what about a 1948 Leaf? That’s vintage football cards for you! What about the 1948 Leaf card #63, Roy ‘rebel’ Steiner? I saw one once. It featured Roy Steiner of the Green Bay Packers in his number 23 Jersey. Roy’s face was black and white but his jersey was red and his backround was yellow! This card was rated an excellent card (5) and was going for just under $100.
Vintage Football cards are definitely fun to collect! For one, they have some of the greatest players from eras of football we love. For another, they are some of the most classic cards you can get a hold of. You are definitely not wasting your money on rare, classic cards such as these.
December 22nd 2008
Among the new Upper Deck First Edition Football card series of 2008, there are several rookie cards. Remember, the rookie cards of today are tomorrow’s most valuable trading cards! So, remember to get ahold of all these valuable NFL rookie cards BEFORE they cost $70, $80, or even $100! I mean, a complete set of 2008 football rookie cards could be worth a LOT 20, 30, or even 40 years from now. I mean, you could be looking at a nice investment if you watch your options and play your “cards” right!
It is hard to believe, but did you know NFL rookie cards usually end up being a players most valuable cards? More often than not, the rookie card of a player will be worth more than any other card of that football player, especially if the card is in mint condition.
For this reason, it is a VERY good idea to protect your investment with card protectors, and make sure to keep your rookie cards in a safe place. It is also a good idea to acquire all of the rookie cards you can of current players, so that years down the road you will have them when they are actually worth a lot of money! I mean, better to acquire them now, right? It is cheaper! Yes, there is a lot of work to do when you have a lot of cards, you have to store them and maintain them. But, you will do this with the rest of your cards anyway!
December 8th 2008
Have you bought any of the 2008 First edition Upper Deck football cards yet? You know, the ones that come in what I think is a 12 card package for like $1? I have seen some of these cards, and I must admit that I thought they look rather good. The cards mostly feature very nice, full color action shots of the players. The bottom on the cards is like a grey and white color, and in this grey and white space is where you find the players name, position, and team. Of course, the right side of the card has white lettering vertically along the edge that says “First Edition”. And, they have the Upper Deck Trademark symbol in the tip left corner.
Turn the cards over, and you will find a very simple layout. It includes a grey and white backround and usually a color picture of the player. Along the top of the card is the players name, height, weight, birth date, and birthplace. In the top left corner is the card number for this particular series. There is also a symbol of the Major League Team they play for. Read down the card, and you will find the statistics for pretty much the players entire career. There is also a small written excerpt, kind of like a “bonus facts” section, written about the featured player.
Overall, I think they have done a good job on the First Edition series for 2008. They look clean, nice, and uncluttered to me. Good job Upper Deck!
April 8th 2008
Football Card Collecting has kept many football game lovers totally connected with all aspects of the game and their favorite football players. Football is the most popular sport in the United States with a lot fans following their team in and out of season. The Super Bowl is akin to an undeclared holiday for fans and non-fans alike.
The popularity of football is marked by its players and their stats. There is no better way to keep in touch with football players then by collecting their football cards. Sports cards were first introduced by tobacco companies who used player cards to increase sales of their products. Later on, of course, tobacco products were replaced by gum and it was only past the Second World War that companies were set up that actually sold football player cards as collectibles. Of course, those old football cards are now valuable football cards.
The first company to actually sell player cards was Bowman, way back in 1948. Topps was the second company to be established in 1951 and they took over Bowman and became the sole ruler of the player cards market till very recently. Companies like Upper Deck, Donruss and Fleer, entered the market much later some time after 1980s. Ever since, there has been a big boom in the business of football player cards, with each company vying with each other for the best lists about the cards an avid collector should have. Now football card collecting has become a multi million dollar industry.
If you are new to the vintage and modern football card collecting hobby, then it often becomes a daunting task to decide what to collect and how. Well, there are basically four categories of cards that you can collect, namely, rookie cards, inserts, complete sets and unopened sets.
April 1st 2008
Are you starting a football card collection? Are you lost as to how to go about getting the best and most enviable collection? Well, you have come to the right place, just read on as I am going to give you tips on how to get a good collection of football cards from old and vintage to new and modern.
The first step towards collecting cards is to buy a price guide that will tell you the guide price of each card. Price of a card is determined by aspects like desirability of player, condition of the card, its availability or scarcity, and its professional grading. Of course, the final price factor is what you determine the value of any given card to be. A price guide is just a guide to help you understand the factors for any given football card.
Desirability of a player is determined by his career statistics and, in a game like football, quarterbacks are the preferred cards among most collectors, with players like Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb ruling the roost for current players. Pity the offensive linesmen whose sports cards languish behind most others.
This information needs to be strengthened with some research on the trends of each football card by asking people and monitoring value trends of cards. This would help you get a valuable collection of cards and not be saddled with worthless cards. Before buying cards, it is important to have adequate card storage equipment like albums, storage boxes, or individual holders in plastic or display cases. This will help you keep your valuable cards safely and also let you access them easily.
Starting a football card collection can be done by buying a beginners pack available at all hobby stores or on Ebay. Buying low priced cards or cards of college football players is advisable for beginnersas it does not put a hole in your pocket. Finally, a subscription to any card collectors magazine would go a long way in assisting you in your hobby, by informing you about the latest trends and must have cards list.
March 24th 2008
Football enthusiasts, like you and I, have always wanted to be closer to our players and have found that in collecting football player cards. If you are, like me, football card collector, then you must have spent hours looking up player statistics and their records as a kid with your collection. One of the best ways to keep in touch with your players is by collecting their football player cards. This is a hobby that is not only very old but also very special to the people who collect. In fact, as I like to say, football card collectors are a community by themselves as only one collector will understand another.
Football card collecting started as a small hobby in the beginning with enthusiasts buying tobacco products and gum for the free cards. It has now boomed into a big industry, where there are bigger stakeholders and even bigger stakes. What started as idle exchange of cards between kids, has now become a big trading business. In fact, people often start collecting cards as an investment, raking in major money by buying low and selling high. However, this is only for those who look at football card collecting as an investment oriented hobby.
The main reason for collecting sports cards, however, is being close to the players and the game. What better way to show that you are an fan of football then by having your favorite players cards. An autographed card or a special edition card holds a special place in any football card collection. Keeping track of the game, its players, their performances, the rookies, everything has become very easy with the card collecting hobby.
Finally, this hobby is an all the time hobby, resulting in collectors buying cards year round. It is one of the affordable hobbies a person can have, unless of course you are in it for investment purposes and choose to buy expensive cards. It’s a social activity that helps card collectors meet, celebrate and enjoy the various moments of the game together.
February 25th 2008
Are you an huge football fan and do you collect football cards? Well, if the answer is yes, then you will be happy to know that you might be sitting on a potential sports card goldmine. Like all rabid fans, you must have also started collecting and trading football cards when you were a kid. However, today, the hobby has changed into a million dollar industry where you have major companies selling different kinds of player cards. Today, collecting football cards is still a great hobby for any football fan, but it has also become an investment possibility where you can buy and sell for a football cards for a lot of money.
The big question, however, is how does one value a football player card? Well, the first thing that determines the value of a card is its condition. Sports cards in mint condition fetch more value than those which have some defects. You can assess the condition of your card by visiting a nearby shop dealing in such collectibles, or, consult some websites on the Internet.
The next determining factor is the year of the football card and the exact stage of the player on the card. Old vintage cards have a greater value than most cards. Also, the players career stats will play an important role in establishing the value of the card. If he is or was a successful football player or, even, a legend, then you have a potential gold mine with you. Also, if you possess a football card that is not easily available, then it is valued higher, given its scarcity in the market. Be sure to check your football cards regularly with price guides, the Internet and your local sports card store to keep abreast of the value of your cards.
February 19th 2008
There is no other way to say this, when it comes to collecting football cards, quarterbacks rule. A recent view of the stats at FootballCardChase.com show that quarterbacks, whether they are current superstars, or hall of famers, are the most popular football cards.
Of course, Tom Brady, is one of the most popular football cards that collectors are looking to add to their collection. He is a champion, a current player, and received hours upon hours of tv coverage for the last Superbowl.
However, at the top of the list is Brett Favre. By far, the most popular football card is that of the Green Bay Packer’s Brett Favre.
February 4th 2008
Are you an avid football card collector? Do you despair not being able to get the card you need to complete your collection? Today, buying and selling player cards has become very easy and can be accomplished very easily from within the four walls of your home. Using your personal computer, you can find football cards being sold and auctioned on the Internet, with card prices and values for all to see. Now, the most important question is, what exactly are the Internet resources and how do you find them?
You can choose to buy from either the sports card manufacturers themselves, online retail stores by small and large card dealers, or online auction sites. They all sell cards. Leading football card manufacturers like Topps, Upper Deck, Playoff etc have their own company websites that both promote as well as sell football collectibles like player cards. Prices are listed right on the websites so you know the value of each player card or football sets. Use the checklists right on the site to find what you need.
Apart from visiting the websites of the sports card manufacturers, football card collectors can buy from various dealers who have retail stores, like House of Cards, DCS Sports Cards, Football Card Shop, etc. These are online outlets that sell the best variety of football cards.
Auctioning of Football cards is another way of trading player cards. Online auction sites like Ebay and uBid are the leading card auction sites. While Ebay is a place where you can get individual cards from football card dealers or directly from collectors, uBid auctions cards directly from the large dealer retailers. If you are looking for a set of cards on auction, then uBid could be your best bet.
Lastly, price guides like Tuffstuff or Beckett along with offering comparative price lists, also sell complete sets of player cards, manufactured by the leading companies. This could be a good resource where you can both compare prices as well as buy cards
January 28th 2008
Are you an avid football card collector? Do you despair not being able to get the card you wanted to complete your collection? Well, you need not despair as buying and selling cards has become very easy and can be accomplished very easily from within the walls of your home. With the advent of modern technology, companies have started selling and auctioning sports cards through the Internet. Now the most important question is what exactly are these Internet resources and how does one find them.
Well, you can choose from either card manufacturers themselves, online football card dealers or online auction sites, as they all sell cards. Leading football card manufacturers like Topps, Upper Deck, Playoff etc have their own company websites that both promote as well as sell football collectibles like player cards. These websites promote various checklists that feature various collectible sports cards, the value and the price. If you are looking for an original football card set from branded companies, this is the best option for you.
Apart from visiting the websites of the card manufacturers, card collectors have the option of buying from various online retail stores like House of Cards, DCS Sports Cards, Football Card Shop, etc. These are online outlets that sell a variety of best selling cards, promoted by the various card manufacturers. This option is for those football card collectors who are new to football card collecting as these sites give them information on popularity, brand wise and has in depth review of each football card collection.
Auctioning of Football cards is another way of trading cards. Online auction sites like Ebay are great places where you can find and get great deals. While Ebay is a place where you can get individual cards from other collectors and bid on it, uBid auctions cards directly from the retailers. Hence, if you are looking for a set of cards on auction, then uBid could be your best bet.
