Everyone has some hobby, something they like to do in their spare time, and for most people, especially sports enthusiasts, it’s collecting cards.
Now, creating hockey memorabilia is highly popular among people, which gives them an extra value, but understandably, certain cards are worth more, and here is how you can check the worth and rarity of your vintage hockey cards.
Check the condition
Even though this rule stands for all items, regardless of whether we are talking about basketball, football, or hockey, the best way to be sure you get the card with high value is that it’s in prime condition. Understandably, the rarer and the older it is, the harder it gets to find it in this shape, as in most cases, the corners get damaged.
On the other hand, you can always opt and check its value before taking any action. Doing so will help you determine whether setting aside a certain amount of money to get it, even if it is a bit damaged, is actually worth it.
That’s because some cards are so rare that having them in your possession is always good, even if it is a bit damaged. Of course, if it is in such a bad condition, then it’s best to avoid spending money on it, even if it is the rarest vintage hockey card.
Creating hockey memorabilia worth thousands of dollars takes time, and that is why it’s best not to make any rash decisions when buying one and checking the condition of the card is one of the first things to do.
The older the card, the more valuable it is
Okay, this is not a rule that works every time, but in most cases, the older the card, the higher its value. Of course, there are other factors that affect the value of any item, like how many cards there are in circulation, whether it’s some famous athlete or not, and whether it’s highlighting some important event, like the first (rookie season) or the one with the title.
The best way to determine the actual worth of some item is by checking these fundamentals, and, for example, if it is a Wayne Gretzky rookie card, then its worth is as high as it can get. So, checking how old it is will help a lot in determining its worth.
Rookie season
During the rookie season, no one knows what to expect from hockey players. Yes, some have huge talent and a bright future ahead of them, but no one can say for sure they will become one of the best that ever played this game.
That is why these rookie cards are not printed in such high volume, which gives them much higher value after a certain period. Luck also has to play a role, like in most cases in life, and here, if you were collecting hockey cards when Wayne first started playing hockey, and you got his card, then you can proudly say that you are in possession of one of the rarest hockey memorabilia, and this fact is something you should cherish.
Buying a card from reliable collectors and organizations
For those who want to add certain vintage hokey cards to their collection but do not know where to buy them, the best way is to search for reliable collectors or organizations. Namely, they are specialized in selling it and can provide proof of authentication, which is extremely important, especially when spending a lot of money or only one card.
Many fraudsters try to get big money fast online, and because of that, you need to be aware of them, or you can easily end up spending a little fortune on something that is not worth it at all. On the other side, reliable sellers always give a certification that can prove that all the items they sell are original.
Checking with authenticator companies
A great thing for all collectors is that they can use some of the authenticator companies, such as JSA, PSA, or BAS, to prove the authenticity of their vintage hockey cards. These three are the most popular ones.
They usually charge a certain fee for their services, and it is also possible to find some free of charge but make sure to read online reviews and check whether they are reliable enough. Namely, since we live in a digital era, it is easy o become a victim of a scam if not careful enough, so it is always better to be safe than sorry.
On the other side, when going with a reliable company, you can be sure that every detail on the card will be checked carefully with the usage of modern technology, and if they conclude it is an original, you will get a certificate that proves that.
Checking online
The simplest and fastest check one can perform is to google the card they have and take a close look at the pictures, reviews, and explanations.
Namely, the great side of living in the internet era is that we can use it to check whatever we want, and one simple look at the photo can show us if there is even a little trifle that seems suspicious and can imply that we do not own an original card.
Of course, this check performed with the naked eye is not absolutely accurate, but it can be a good indicator that if something looks different on our card than in one in the photo, we probably have the fake one. On the other side, if everything matches, we need to perform more checks to prove we own an original.
The bottom line
Checking the value of the vintage hockey cards is important because it is the only way to know how valuable the entire memorabilia is, and luckily there are a few simple ways to do that.
On the other side, some of them can have great sentimental value, which is important for some people, and enrich their collection, even if it cannot be sold for a lot of money.
