by Non-Sport Update magazine

The most important reason for making some things more valuable than others is supply and demand. It is necessary to understand a lot of factors regarding this.

When a manufacturer obtains a license to print a set about a movie or TV show, he often has to apply for the license way before the movie or TV show is being shown. It is difficult to know in advance if the movie or TV show is going to be a hit. If a huge amount of cards are printed and the movie or TV show is a flop, not too many people will want them so there will be a huge supply available and not much demand. Prices may begin to drop because the manufacturer has guaranteed a certain amount would be sold and it becomes necessary to lower prices in order to sell enough.

On the other hand, if the movie or TV show is a success, lots of people will want to collect the cards and there might not be enough of a supply to meet the demand. If there are not enough for everyone who wants them, the price will start to go up right away.

Some of the smaller manufacturers have not established as many distribution channels as the larger manufacturers so they do not produce cards in huge quantities. Sometimes, they completely sell out of a product making the value begin to rise quite rapidly.

Subject matter is quite important. If a manufacturer does a set about tin cans, it probably does not matter if they print just ten sets because there may be just five people in the whole world who are interested in tin cans!

In the 1990s, manufacturers have tried something new to make you want to buy more of their product. They randomly insert specialty cards such as holograms, autographs or chromiums into the packs of cards. These are often referred to as "chase" cards because the collector keeps "chasing" packs to find them. Because they are packaged randomly, making them difficult to obtain, they immediately become valuable and may increase in value more rapidly than the card part of the set.

Beginning in the mid-'70's, manufacturers often added sticker sets to the card sets. There would usually be eight cards in a pack and only one sticker. An amount from 11 to 22 (and sometimes as many as 33) stickers were needed for a complete set. Dealers usually ended up with more card sets than sticker sets and sometimes sold them separately. Young collectors enjoyed "sticking" the stickers which also added to the scarcity. In sets where there are both cards and stickers, the stickers usually become valuable more rapidly than the cards.

Manufacturers will print more than one series if something is very popular. If three or more series are issued, this is usually a good indicator of popularity and of something that will have lasting appeal. It is this type of item that has the best chance to become valuable in the future.

As we become adults, our interests change and we may not collect cards for a period of time. Our cards may disappear because of a family move or when we go to college or get married. Chances are good that our interest may one day be revived through our own children, through a commemorative-type TV show or something we read about in a magazine or newspaper. We may want to recapture our childhood memories, and there may be many others just like us, but the supply will not be there to meet the demand.

Condition is an important value factor. No matter how popular a set becomes, it will not have much value if the cards are not well-taken care of. The cards should look as close to new as possible with sharp corners, absolutely no creases and crisp color. If cards are stored in plastic pages and a binder, they have the best chance for remaining in this condition. Whether or not you keep them in pages in a binder, they should be kept in a cool, dry place away from the sun. Never keep your cards in stacks with rubber bands around them because there will be rubber band marks on the cards.

Some companies issue complete collector sets. You are able to buy the set all at one time and no one has to sort packs into sets. This type of set does not seem to increase in value very rapidly, perhaps because it is much easier to obtain in the first place. Depending on how many were originally printed, this can change over the years.

Everyone likes to see their collection increase in value but do not forget about the "value" you receive from the enjoyment of being a collector.

History of Non-Sport Cards
Where to Start
What to Collect
What Makes Some Things More Valuable Then Others
Card Terminology
Defining the Condition of Your Cards
What to expect at the Philly Non-Sports Card Show

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© 1999 Non-Sport Update. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is strictly prohibited.