![]() ![]() Ernie Banks Baseball Cards
"Mr. Cub" Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks was a superstar shortstop and
first baseman for the Chicago Cubs from 1953 to 1971. He was well
known for his sunny disposition and his favorite "Let's Play Two !!!'.
In his early days he was a record setting Home Run hitting
shortstop moving to first base later on.
Entered the Hall of Fame in 1977, and was a member of the Major
League Baseball All-Century Team. He passed away in 2015.
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Autographed 1961 Topps Baseball Cards |
Grade/Condition Centering, corner wear, photo clarity, edges, creases, print flaws ... all combine to determine a card's condition or grade. Along with rarity/scarcity it is the major factor in a card's value.
Graded Card As values increased the condition of cards and the determination of fakes and alterations became increasingly more important. Various companies became "graders" of your cards. For a fee they would grade your card (usually on a 1 to 10 scale) and then placed in a sealed plastic holder with labelling of the vital information.
From past experiences, most people are NOT HAPPY with the grades they receive. To keep values up, graders can be extremely picky. Things you don't see, they do so don't be surprized when the NEAR MINT card you send in ends up with an EX or EX/MINT grade.
There are TOO many grading companies - if you do, do choose carefully. PSA / SGC / GAI / BGS are some of the many companies. It is good to know that getting a card graded by a company that people do not recognize or respect will usually just cost you time and money and not help you in any way.