First of all thanks for taking the time to read this guide.  If you find it helpfull please hit the yes button at the bottom of the screen. 

I see numerous auctions every day for eTopps sports cards and for the inexperienced buyer there can be some pitfalls associated with bidding on the cards without knowing exactly what you are bidding on.  To provide a background on what the eTopps trading cards are about we should start at the beginning.  Cards were first issued by the Topps Trading Card Company on the internet in 2001.  All cards are limited production ranging from 6,000 to as little as 1,000 of an individual card offered.  Cards are offered almost every week on the eTopps website and are offered in almost every sport imaginiable with the exception of Golf. 

If you purchase cards directly from the eTopps site you have two options to keep the cards in the eTopps system, which means that they maintain your cards at a central location.  If you are not comfortable with this method you can also request for your cards to be delivered to you for a small fee per card.  Many auctions on the ebay are for cards that are held by the Topps Corporation so if you are going to bid on these cards then you need to have an eTopps account established prior to bidding on the cards.  Once the auction is completed and you are the winning bidder, upon successful completion the card holder will transfer the card to your account.  There are tyically no shipping and handling fees associated with purchasing eTopps cards from a buyer unless you want the card shipped to you from the Topps Corporation.  If you run across and auction for a "card in hand", that means that the owner of the card has the card in the listing seller' possession.  If you are the winning bidder then you will have to pay for shipping and you will receive the card in the mail from the seller. 

Cards are only printed in the number that are requested that week not to exceed a certain number.  For example if you are purchasing a card from the eTopps site and they are offering a maximum of 1,000 Mickey Mantle cards in the initial public offering and only 469 are requested then, there will only be 469 cards printed.  Each card comes encased in a tamper proof hard plastic case to prevent damage to the cards, additionally cards produced since 2005 also comes with a certificate of authenticity stating the number of cards produced for that specific run.  To see the pictures of what the cards look like and what you get if you purchase one of these great cards go to the eTopps website.  On the home page click on the link that says "See what you get".  This will provide you an example of the cards and some more information on ordering.

Other great things about setting up an eTopps account are that cards bought on there can be traded for other cards of equal or lesser value that are still being held in eTopps managed portfolios.  As stated above it is my opinion that this is the best way to maintain your cards because you do not have to worry about storage or shipping and handling fees at the time of purchase.  Additionally those cards can be used for games and performance bonuses which can earn you points that can be redeemed for merchandise from the eTopps catalog. 

Good luck and happy hunting.....