In recent months on eBay I have seen the overuse of the words "one of one" by sellers of sports cards.  Though, most of the time I find that the words themselves are not fraudulent--they can be a little misleading for beginners of our wonderful hobby of collecting sports cards.  In this guide it is my goal to clarify the many uses of the words "One of One".

It is not against the law to use the term "one of one".  And if you can back-up the use of the phrase in any such way--you're in the clear.  This guide is specifically written for beginners who might think they're getting something that is incredibly rare and a worthwhile investment that may have a high probability of future monetary gains.  Though some items notated as "one of one" could fit comfortably into an incredibly rare and a worthwhile investment with a high probability of future monetary gains, you know and I know that many don't even come close.  In my opinion, a True-Blue one of one card is a card that is serial-numbered to one and I believe I have the Hobby's backing on this.  The card should be serial-numbered and stamped 1/1 and all good eBay sellers should have a visibly clear photo of this type of card along with their listings--as they are highly collectable and sellers always want to generate a alot of buzz towards a big sale of such an item.  So, if it is a True-Blue 1/1 card--there should be a visibly clear photo reflecting this fact.

There are many ways to use the wording "one of one" and legitimately so, as this phrase has been around alot longer than serial-numbered sports cards.  But for unsuspecting beginners,  these words may suggest something that is not true.  So to reiterate, the first red flag should be:  If you do not see a picture clearly showing that the card is a True-Blue 1/1 serial-numbered card--you must ask yourself:  "Why not?"  and then, "So, what is this?"

There are many ways sellers use the phrase one of one.  The most common one I see is with graded cards.  For example, I recently purchased a Cynthia Cooper (WNBA) Ultra Fresh Ink autographed basketball card graded by PSA with a grade of 9  (Mint) stating the fact that it was a "one of one" or more precisely "the only one graded as such".  And guess what, there is no deception within the description of the card--I did buy it after all and yes, it is the only one--for now.  Here's what you need to know about graded cards:  It may be the only one at this present time--but that doesn't mean there cannot be another one submitted to PSA to be graded; that grades out to a 9 (Mint) again and quite possibly, there may be several more of this particular card to be graded as such too.  That's the most important thing to understand  about purchasing graded cards.  If sellers take the time to look up PSA's or Beckett's population report and see that their card is the only one graded at a particular high grade, they will most likely add that fact into their description--I would too.  I personally don't have a problem with this practice as the seller is being honest--just keep in mind that in the near future that "only one" status could change. 

Also, some grading companies will print on the graded card label, when a particular card is the first to be graded at such a grade--typically when a card grades out at a very high grade such as Gem Mint or the most sought after 10 Pristine grade.  Some sellers will list these cards as the "only one" or "one of one" and it's very true-- because if the company only does this on the first card--it is the only one that will show that distinction.  What you need to know is that another card could and most likely will be graded with an equal grade somewhere down the road--especially if the card has much value to it.  I personally saw this after Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls--his graded Gem Mint rookie cards (at which time were less than 50 cards graded at this grade) were going for over $20,000 and then all of sudden everyone and their Mothers were submitting MJ rookie cards to be graded and load and behold there happen to be quit a few Gem Mint MJ rookie-cards out in the market--and guess what happen?  As the supply increased (and the illusion that this card was extremely rare at the grade of Gem Mint started to disappear) the values went down and a few people lost alot of money believing they were buying something that was exceptional rare.

A practice that sellers use that I do not like at all is stating that the first card of a particular serial-numbered card is a one of one.  For example 1/300.  Yes, it is the first card of a serial-numbered card but there are another 299 like cards.  True there is only one numbered to 1, but there is only one numbered to 2, 3, 4 and so on.  Having the first card of a serial-numbered card might sound cool--but do not pay too much of a premium for it.  Take a look in Beckett's Basketball Monthly or Tuff Stuff--you will see no mention that the first card of any serial-numbered card costs any more than the rest.  Furthermore, you'll see this practice with the last card--300/300--of a serial-numbered card.

Another practice that is very similar to the above example is when the serial-numbered card matches the player's uniform number.  Some will pay a higher premium to have a Michael Jordan card numbered 23/50 for example.  But once again, check out Beckett's or Tuff Stuff, no where does it mention that if you have a serial-numbered card that matches the player's uniform number that it is worth more.  If you so choose to purchase a card that matches the uniform number--you'll most likely will pay more for it--as alot of collectors love them--and that's OK--just keep in mind that they are not listed any higher pricewise than any of the remainder of those serial-numbered cards and they are not the "only one" or "one of one" as there are in my example above 49 more of this card.

In summary, if it is a True-Blue one of one card you should see a picture of the card showing 1/1--BEWARE:  Though it rarely happens on eBay--some sellers have altered 1/10, 1/100, and 1/1000 cards to look like 1/1 cards by erasing the additional zeros.  It has happen in the past and you must be aware of this fact--but sellers like this don't last very long on eBay or anywhere else--stay with sellers who have great feedback and alot of it!  And who have been around for some time on eBay--you won't go wrong with sellers like that.  If you find a one of one card and see no picture of the 1/1--try to dissect the description a little further to see what the seller is selling--most likely, it could be a card that is worth buying if the card obtained a high grade and it is an early career card (first 3 to 5 seasons) of a superstar.  Hope this guide helps you towards your collecting pursuits!  John J. Bellis of JJ's Basketball Cards Plus!