WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD 1N 1962, WHILE VISITING A LOCAL GROCERY STORE WITH MY PARENTS I FOUND A CURIOUS YELLOW NEWSSTAND LIKE BOX SITTING JUST OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOORS. I REMEMBER HAVING A SINGLE NICKEL IN MY POCKET THAT DAY AND THE CURIOSITY OVER THE SIGN WHICH SAID: MARS ATTACKS CARDS. IT WAS SIMILAR TO A GUM MACHINE WHICH ONLY COST A PENNY, BUT I COULDN'T RESIST THE TEMPTATION AND CURIOSITY AND DROPPED IN MY NICKEL. I DON'T REMEMBER REMOVING THE YELLOW WRAPPER OR THROWING IT IN THE NEARBY TRASH CONTAINER, BUT I DO REMEMBER MY FIRST GLIMPSE AT THE CARDS AND THE HEART POUNDING EXCITEMENT OF A 10 YEAR OLD SEEING THE VIVIDLY GRAPHIC, BLOODY AND BRUTAL CARDS FOR THE FIRST TIME. MY MOM, STILL AT THE CHECKSTAND INSIDE, I SHOWED THE CARDS TO MY DAD  AS HE WAS COMING OUTSIDE, "LOOK AT THESE CARDS DAD, THEY ARE GREAT CAN I HAVE SOME MORE NICKELS, PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE".. HE WENT BACK IN AND MUST HAVE INTERRUPTED THE CLERK TO BREAK A DOLLAR, COMING BACK QUICKLY TO HAND ME THE NICKELS. I REMEMBER STUFFING MY POCKETS FULL OF THE CARD PACKS CLEANING OUT THE MACHINE BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF NICKELS. THE JOY OF OPENING UP THOSE PACKS ONE BY ONE IN THE BACK SEAT OF OUR OLD DODGE ON THE WAY HOME HAS STUCK WITH ME FOR LIFE. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT ONLY 40 YEARS LATER THESE CARDS WOULD BECOME THE RAREST NON-SPORT CARD EVER TO BE PRODUCED. AND THAT THE WRAPPERS THEMSELVES WOULD BE EVEN MORE RARE/VALUABLE THAN THE CARDS THEMSELVES. WELL, LIKE 10 YEAR OLDS DO, I LOST ALL THE CARDS NEVER TO SEE THEM AGAIN. I SEARCHED FOR INFORMATION ON THE CARDS AGAIN IN THE 1980'S BUT FOUND NOTHING. FAST FORWARD TO 2005 AND ALAS ONE DAY JUST FOR FUN I TYPED 1962 MARS ATTACKS CARDS INTO THE EBAY SEARCH. TO MY AMAZEMENT, WELL OVER 100 LISTINGS CAME UP. WOW, I FELT THAT SAME POUNDING IN MY CHEST SEEING THE CARDS PICTURED IN THE LISTINGS. ONE YEAR LATER I HAVE BOUGHT AND SOLD HUNDREDS OF THE WONDERFUL CARDS ON EBAY AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT BUYING AND SELLING MARS ATTACKS CARDS ON EBAY. THE MAIN DETERMINING FACTOR IN PURCHASING 1962 (BUBBLES) MARS ATTACKS CARDS IS THE CONDITION. THIS IS BY NO MEANS AN EASY THING TO RATE OR DETERMINE. HENCE, I NOTICED THAT TRADING CARD GRADING SERVICES SUCH AS PSA (PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AUTHENTICATORS) IS WIDELY USED. A FULL SET OF PSA GRADED NM-MT 8 MARS ATTACKS CARDS CAN SELL FOR AS MUCH AS $25,000 - $30,000 AND THE WRAPPERS I THREW AWAY $2,000 TO $3,000. AFTER PURCHASING SEVERAL SETS OF THE CARDS ON EBAY FOR BETWEEN $500 AND $2,500 PER SET OF 55 CARDS I FOUND OUT SEVERAL THINGS. YOU CAN'T DETERMINE THE CONDITION OF THE CARDS FROM A SCAN OR DIGITAL PHOTO. AFTER OPENING AN ACCOUNT WITH PSA AND AFTER HAVING SENT HUNDREDS OF THE CARDS OFF FOR EVALUATION, I HAVE YET TO HAVE A SINGLE CARD COME BACK GRADED PSA NM-MT 8 OR HIGHER. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL NM-MT 8 (OC), OFF CENTER. THIS IS A QUALIFIER ADDED TO THE GRADE WHICH ALWAYS REDUCES THE VALUE, SOMETIMES BY AS MUCH AS 80%-90%. ALSO SOME CARDS ARE MORE RARE THAN OTHERS. THE CHECKLIST IS THE MOST VALUABLE. THE #1 CARD: THE INVASION BEGINS IS THE SECOND MOST VALUABLE. UNMARKED/ UNCHECKED CHECKLISTS IN HIGH GRADE CAN SELL FOR $500-$800 UNGRADED AND I RECENTLY SAW THE ONLY PSA GRADED NM-MT 8 CHECKLIST I EVER SAW ON EBAY GO FOR ALMOST $1,700. #1 CARDS SELL FOR $900-$1,000 OR MORE FOR PSA NM-MT 7, I'VE NEVER SEEN AN 8. OTHER HIGH VALUE CARDS IN ORDER OF RARITY ARE: #21 PRIZE CAPTIVE, #36 DESTROYING A DOG, # 22 BURNING CATTLE. THESE THREE CARDS ARE PERHAPS THE MOST POPULAR SELLING FOR $200- $300 IN PSA NM 7 AND OVER $500-$900 EACH IN PSA NM-MT 8. NEXT MOST POPULAR/ RARE ( IN ORDER OF POPULARITY) ARE THE # 13 WATCHING FROM MARS, #17 BEAST AND BEAUTY, AND #50 SMASHING THE ENEMY (THE MOST BLOODY CARD) . THESE CARDS MENTIONED SO FAR COMMAND GREATER ATTENTION AND PROPORTIONALLY GREATER BIDDING ACTIVITY ( AND DOLLARS). ALL THE OTHER CARDS SEEM TO INDIVIDUALLY GO FOR SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE CARDS MENTIONED WITH #19 BURNING FLESH ( VERY GRAPHIC SKELETON) AND #24 THE SHRINKING RAY BEING NEXT  IN LINE ALONG WITH #9 THE HUMAN TORCH. THESE CARDS SELL GRADED FOR NM7 -$100-#150, EX-MT 6 $40-$80, EX5 $30-$60. SELLING UNGRADED SINGLES CAN BE AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE, SINCE PRICES ARE NOT SET BY ANY GUIDE, BUT ARE MARKET DRIVEN AND DETERMINED BY THE AMOUNT OF BIDDERS WHICH CAN VARY DAILY. SMALL GROUPS OF UNGRADED CARDS SELL FOR MORE THAN SINGLES EXCEPT WHEN SELLING THE TOP 6 MOST POPULAR CARDS INDIVIDUALLY. IF YOU HAVE A FULL SET OF CARDS TO SELL, LIST THEM IN GROUPS OF 8 OR 10 AND INCLUDE ONE POPULAR AFOREMENTIONED CARD IN EACH GROUP FOR THE HIGHEST RETURN. BE PREPARED FOR DISAPOINTMENT HAVING CARDS GRADED YOURSELF BECAUSE WHAT MAY APPEAR TO BE A HIGH GRADE UNGRADED CARD MAY HAVE SOME UNDETECED DEFECT. THESE CARDS OFTEN COME BACK FROM PSA WITH A MUCH LOWER GRADE THAN YOU WOULD HOPE FOR (AN EXPENSIVE LESSON). IF YOU WANT TO PUT TOGETHER A GRADED SET, BUY GRADED CARDS AND BE PREPARED TO PAY FOR COMMON SINGLES: EX-MT6 -$50-$80, NM 7 $70-$150, NM-MT 8 $200- $500 OR MORE. IT IS RARE TO FIND GRADED SINGLES IN MINT 9, EVEN COMMONS SELL FOR $1,000 PLUS. THE BEST GRADED SETS IN THE PSA REGISTRY  ONLY AVERAGE PSA 8.4/8.5. IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN A HIGH GRADE SET PLAN ON PAYING $500 FOR EVEN A LOW GRADE SET AND OVER $1000-$1500 FOR AN AVERAGE SET. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO START AND THEN UPGRADE A CARD AT A TIME. MARS ATTACKS CARD COLLECTING BLOWS THE DOORS OFF SPORTS CARD COLLECTING, AND WHEN YOU SEE THE ACTIVITY IN THE MARS ATTACKS AUCTION SITES, YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN. ENJOY. BOTTS2005