BuyNiceCards Founder Eric Bitz Offers Tips For People New to Sports Card Trading (Posts by Simon Hopes)
Want to get into sports card trading? If so, you should hear what professional sports card trader and BuyNiceCards founder Eric Bitz has to say.
Looking to get into trading cards? Collecting trading cards, perhaps for your favorite sport, can be a lot of fun. That said, it’s easy to get scammed and to make bad investments too, which can rain on your parade and hurt your wallet at the same time. Fortunately, sports trading card expert Eric Bitz from BuyNiceCards is going to share some vital insights for newbies.
“Knowledge is power and perhaps an overused cliché,” Eric Bitz of BuyNiceCards jokes, “but when it comes to trading cards, knowledge really can go a long way. Before jumping in and buying cards left and right, you need to develop an understanding of what makes some trading cards so valuable.”
At the end of the day, sports trading cards are affected by simple economics, and namely, supply and demand. Some cards are worth a lot of money because they’re exceedingly rare and people want them. Other cards are common and not worth very much.
“One mistake some people new to trading cards make is assuming that a card for a popular athlete is automatically valuable,” Eric Bitz from BuyNiceCards says. “A rare card of a popular athlete may be worth a lot of money, millions even. If the card is common, however, it might be worth only a few bucks.”
It’s smart to look up the values of any cards you’re considering. You can find a variety of websites where you can search for a specific card and get a grasp of its value. Keep in mind that cards may appear to be similar but different print runs, brands, and other factors can impact value tremendously. You can also buy cards through professional companies, like BuyNiceCards.
It’s also smart to use grading services. When you buy graded cards from respected grading companies, you’re much less likely to get ripped off or to encounter other problems.
Of course, you might buy boxes of cards at garage sales and the like as well. Often, these cards are quite cheap and sometimes you find some valuable cards mixed into the bunch. As long as you’re paying a reasonable rate, the risk is low.
“Finding a valuable card at a garage sale is an incredible feeling,” Eric Bitz of BuyNiceCards says, “and it does happen. Just remember, however, that it’s a rare occurrence.”
Eric Bitz of BuyNiceCards Discusses Fads and Long-Term Demand
When it comes to any type of collectible, rarity in combination with high demand may lead to sky-high prices. Various sports leagues, board game makers, video game companies, and others launch different sets of trading cards all the time. If something is just a fad, however, demand could quickly peter out.
“Right now, Major League Soccer cards are pretty interesting,” Eric Bitz notes. “Soccer is building an audience in the USA but isn’t as popular yet as football or basketball. You can find a lot of soccer trading cards, and if the MLS does become a major league, rivaling the NFL and NBA, cards acquired now could be worth a lot of money.”
On the other hand, if soccer doesn’t take root in the United States, cards may not appreciate in value.
Originally published at https://www.bloglovin.com on August 27, 2021.
