This guide gives some practical suggestions on how to pick a card that is likely to increase in value. It is always best to think of collecting as a hobby for the pleasure of the activity rather than as an investment. That having been said, it is clear that collecting can have considerable financial reward. This guide will point out the factors to consider when making the choice of cards that are likely to increase in value.

When considering the possible future increase in the value of a collection, one must consider the popularity of the card line and the rarity of the cards. It is best to stick to a theme when collecting for an investment. Better to have a complete or near complete collection on a single theme than many different types of pieces. Collecting autographed non-sports cards for investment has the special advantage that it not only taps into the card-collecting hobby, but also taps into the autograph-collecting hobby giving it extra wide appeal. Another advantage of collecting autographed cards is the size of the collection can be much smaller than a collection of base cards. Since the value of the cards tends to follow the success of the actor or model, one can sometimes get an extra insight into the future value of the cards by tracking the actor or models career. If you are collecting for investment you should be collecting the autographed, specialty kiss and bikini cards. The base cards do not increase in value enough for investment. When ever possible chose professionally graded cards especially on any card signed after production. It is usually better to buy the cards already graded than to have them graded yourself. Grading is expensive. Dealers get a big discount for grading a lot of cards at one time or on contract over a set period of time.

This brings us to the question of what factors determine the value of a collection or even a single trading card. The factors are rarity, popularity, condition, theme, artistry, vintage and nostalgia. These factors affect the value of any collection of any type, not just trading cards.

• Rarity: This is the single most important factor in the value of any collection. The value increases in rare items always exceed those of more common items other factors remaining equal. If one is interested in collecting for an investment, choosing to collect the more rare items is a very wise choice.

• Popularity: As in all things the popularity of collecting certain items tends to cycle. The reason popularity is important in the value of a collection is simple supply and demand. As more people seek collections, the demand rises relative to supply and values rise.

• Condition: Better quality collections rise in value faster than collections of lesser quality. One should always strive to build a collection of Near Mint 7 quality or better.

• Theme: A collection build around a theme is always more desirable that a collection of unmatched pieces.

• Artistry: Artistry applies to the look of the images on the card, but artistry is not a large factor in the value of cards.

• Nostalgia: This is perhaps the least important factor, but a factor nonetheless. Many of the baby boom generation remember collecting cards from their childhood and some collections are built with an eye to the nostalgic pleasure the memories invoke. Nostalgia is not a factor in collecting new cards but it can be with other older non-sports cards.
  

HOW TO PICK A CARD THAT IS LIKELY
TO  INCREASE  IN VALUE

When one is interested in trying to pick cards that are likely to increase in value rather quickly there are several things related to popularity that one should look for.

1. Look for cards signed by people who also have other autographed cards from other card lines or in another series.

2. Look for cards signed by people who have some special exposure.

Example: Actors that appear on major magazine covers, models that appear in Playboy, or other major magazines and Hawaiian Tropic Models tend to get higher prices on their cards.

3. Look for cards signed by people who have projects in the works that are likely to give them greater public exposure.

Example: Actors that will soon appear in a new movie or on a new TV series.

4. Look for autographs that have a special distinctive element:

Example: Cards signed in unusual color ink, things like "hugs and kisses, measurements, hearts, happy face, XOXO, unusual ink color etc."  Personal messages such as "to Joe with love" do not in any way detract from the value of a personally signed card in fact any personal message increases the value of the card.

5. Look for cards that are showing higher numbers of bids. Generally cards that sell on e-Bay have 5 or less bids. When you see a card getting more than 5 bids you may what to keep your eye on it. It could be a sign of increased popularity. An exception would be a card put up at a price well under its average selling price. These cards are drawing interest only because they are under priced and may not even get the average selling price despite the high number of bargain hunters bidding on it.

6. When some of a model or actors' cards start to demand higher prices, it tends to drive up the price on all their cards over a rather short period of time.

7. Cards that are numbered especially if the total number (second number) is small tend to rise in value much faster than a card of the same rarity where the total number is not known.

Example: Some hand-autographed cards will be hand numbered 5/50 ect. This is read as 5 of 50 cards. This means this is the 5th card that was signed and there are a total of 50 of these cards.

Now if you see a card that has more than one of the factors related above, it is a good bet it will begin to rise in price.

Autographed cards, Specialty cards, Kiss cards and Swatch cards tend to rise in value much faster than base cards.

My advice for the investor in non-sports cards is, try to obtain professionally graded cards.

A WORD ABOUT PURISM

Purism in collecting refers to a strict observance or insistence upon traditional correctness. For some collectors of cards only vintage sports cards are thought of as having value. I believe one should be free to build their collection in any fashion that gives them pleasure. The form of collecting has very little to do with its long term value. The value of a collection is determined by the factors rarity, popularity, condition, theme, artistry, vintage and nostalgia. This is not just true for collecting cards; this is true for all types of collections. By the way, the subject of purism is a much more hotly debated subject in other forms of collecting than it is in collector trading cards.

VINTAGE

What is a vintage card? Like everything in collecting there is more than one opinion on this. But most collectors agree that it is any card produced before 1980. Very few autographed non-sports cards are vintage cards. By the way, the subject of vintage is a much more hotly debated subject in other forms of collecting than it is in non-sport collector trading cards.

By George V. Schubel