Baseball Card Collecting: Condition and Grading

by Don Drooker  4/28/12
In the 50's, 60's and 70's, most kids that collected baseball cards weren't concerned with the condition of the cards. We wrapped them in rubber bands, put them in the spokes of our bicycle tires, flipped them against the wall (in a contest to win cards from other boys) and occasionally even wrote on them with a pen or pencil. So, today, when someone has a 1956 Willie Mays card, the first question is "what's the condition?" As with most hobbies, the condition (of stamps, coins, comic books, etc.) will determine the real value in the marketplace. For baseball cards, the key factors are centering, corner wear, creases and stains. Prior to the mid-90's, collectors and dealers used a subjective method of determining if a card was "Mint", "Near-Mint" or "Excellent". With the hobby changing and the introduction of the Internet, buyers and sellers needed a better way to agree on condition, and, therefore pricing. Into that void stepped the third-party authentication and grading companies, who would give the card a number grade (1-10), encase it in a tamper-proof holder and register the card with a serial number. Eventually, this would become an industry standard, especially for older cards. The value of a particular card can vary greatly depending on the condition. The monthly Beckett price guide shows the '56 Mays card pictured above as having a book value of $175-$300. That estimate, however, assumes that the card is in NM (Near-Mint) condition, defined as a "7" by the grading company. As you can see, this individual card is in EX-MT (Excellent-Mint) condition, defined as a "6". The value for that card is closer to $165 - a significant difference. Of course, the real world isn't defined by estimates and the current market price of a '56 Mays "7" is about $325, above the high range of the price guide. The real key, however, is the differential of the values on the same card based on condition. The most recent sales on eBay show the following for our '56 Mays example: "3" = $45 - $50 "4" = $70 - $80 "5" = $110 "6" = $155 - $180 "7" = $325 "8" = $675 As you can see, each level represents an increase in value for the seller and as the condition gets better, the price increases dramatically. Could you tell the difference between a "7" and an "8" with the naked eye? Probably not, but the companies that specialize in grading have equipment that can see imperfections in order to gauge centering and wear exactly. The other factor in grading your cards is that it proves the card is authentic and has not been altered. It is not unheard of to find older cards that have been trimmed (to shave off edge wear or improve centering) or retouched with a marker to make the card look more appealing. So, if you're selling older baseball cards, don't assume they're in NM condition - be prepared for a more realistic offer. If you're keeping your cards, think about grading them to improve your ability to display your collection while protecting the cards from damage. The entire grading process has also created new markets and challenges for card collectors. One of the grading companies has even created a "Set Registry" where collectors list their sets of vintage cards in which every card has been graded. Currently, there are over 14,000 baseball card sets registered on the website by collectors and some feature cards in amazing condition. For example, there are two 1956 sets that have an average grade of "9" (Mint Condition). Can you imagine the journey those collectors made to acquire 342 cards to meet that standard? What would that set be worth? One industry magazine estimates the value at $175,000+, but we'll never really know because the sets probably won't ever become available. In the meantime, I'll be very happy with my 1956 Topps set, which based on the dozen or so star cards that have been graded, averages about a "5" (Excellent Condition). Speaking of grades, where do your Fantasy players rate after 10% of the season? In the one snake draft league the Old Duck competes in, I've gotten 9's and 10's from Buster Posey, Starlin Castro, Michael Young, Nolan Reimold and Johnny Cueto. On the other end of the scale, the youngsters such as Cameron Maybin, Brandon Belt and Yonder Alonso are more like 2's or 3's. As of April 24th, it equates to 3rd place in the 15-team (5x5) league with 109 points- only four points out of 1st. Hope your teams are also in the hunt.