Rookie Cards
Some people collect rookie cards because that's simply what they like to collect. Other folks collect rookie cards cards as an investment. Speculators are those collectors who collect unproven rookie cards, those very young players who have the skills but no track record in the MLB. With the physical grind of the MLB, and the mine field of potential injuries shortening a young career combined with the phenomenal level of competition in the MLB, speculating is not for the feint of heart.

As of 2006 no player is eligible to have a rookie card until he has been placed on a MLB teams 40 man roster, these cards have a logo on the front that say "Rookie Card". Here's where part of the confusion comes in....There were many cards, (formerly known as rookie cards) that were made prior to 2006, of players who have still not yet played in their first MLB games, or just played in their first MLB games in 2006. These earlier cards don't have the rookie logo on them, but most collectors consider the earlier cards the true rookie cards in these cases. This new 2006 rule will undoubtedly confuse a lot of people.

To add a bit more confusion into the equation, there are also what's known as "1st Year Cards". These are cards of players still playing in the minor leagues at the time of the printing of the cards. There's a whole set of "1st Year Cards" in the 2006 Bowman product.

For the most part, rookie cards use to be a players most valuable card, this is still pretty much how it is for vintage cards. However, with the advent of game used cards, autographed cards and the various types of limited print cards, it's definitely not always the case - especially for more current players. For example, a Ryan Howard rookie card compared to a Ryan Howard Autographed Rookie card, compared to a Ryan Howard autographed non-rookie card. (see below)

As with all cards, rookie card values ride the ups and down of a players career. Ken Griffey Jr's rookie card use to sell easily for $150.00. Similarly, Mark Mcgwire's 1985 Topps USA rookie card once sold for hundreds of dollars, today can be picked up for $5 on Ebay. That being said, many collectors still see beyond the cash value in cards like these, and it's certainly possible for them to increase some in monetary value again.

Here are just a few Famous Rookie Cards through the decades. Nothing like owning a piece of history, a snap-shot in time...

Home page
Baseball Card Collecting
Types Of Baseball Cards
How To Store Baseball Cards
Investing In Baseball Cards
The Value Of A Baseball Card
Baseball Card Careers
Baseball Card Trading
Baseball Card Release Dates

Register for our FREE TRIAL here: I want to trade sports cards!