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Long gone are the days of opening a pack of baseball cards and finding a handful of basic cards that all pretty much look and feel the same. And that’s a good thing!
Here are 10 different types of baseball cards you might come across in any modern release:
- Base Cards
- Rookie Cards
- Insert Cards
- Parallel Cards
- Variation Cards
- Relic Cards
- Autographed Cards
- Refractor Cards
- Serial Numbered Cards
As we go through each of these different types, keep in mind that a card can be one of a few different types. For instance, an autographed card might also be a parallel and numbered card.
1. Base Cards
Base cards are the standard cards found in any given set. When you hear the word “checklist” as in the set has a 700-card checklist, each of those 700 cards is known as a base card. Thus, base cards feature a wide range of players from relatively unknown players to superstars, and perhaps even throwback and retired players. The designs of these cards are pretty much all the same without any special embellishments or rarity.
Base cards are the backbone of any collection and are essential for anyone looking to complete a set. But, they usually don’t carry a ton of value given just how many of them are printed.
2. Rookie Cards
One specific type of base card is the rookie card, and out of a player’s entire career, their rookie card is often one of the most coveted. The “first issue” nature is one reason why rookie cards are valuable. This is especially true for vintage baseball cards, where modern rookie card variations and parallels tend to be worth a lot more than a player’s base rookie.
Now, there are a lot of “rules” around what makes a true rookie card. To keep things short and simple, the player’s base rookie card is usually their “true” RC. This means that “rookie debut” cards, inserts, and others – while featuring the RC shield – aren’t considered “true” rookie cards.
3. Insert Cards
Insert cards are those that are randomly ‘inserted’ into packs and are not part of the standard “base” set checklist. In the Jordan Walker example above, it is his true rookie on the left, his rookie debut card in the middle, and the “Action Stars” insert on the right. As you can see, insert cards often have unique designs, themes, or features that set them apart from base cards.
In modern card collecting, insert cards don’t get much love unless they are SSPs.
4. Super Short Prints (SSP)
Super Short Print cards are those that produced in very limited quantities. They are much harder to find than regular cards and sometimes feature unique design elements (even beyond the look of a typical insert card).
Other times SSPs use the same design as the set’s base cards, but the photo is different, making it a variation. Beyond SSPs, there are also SSSPs, which, as you probably guessed, are even more rare.
Below is a Hidden Gems SSP, and two SSSPs—Blooper mascot variation and Buddy the Elf variation.
5. Variation Cards
As you can see above, variation cards usually utilize the base card’s design, but with a different photo. Sometimes the variation is pretty obvious, as is the case with the mascot heads, and other times it’s a little more subtle. For example, the cards below are photo variations, and can easily be missed given they resemble regular base cards.
6. Parallel Cards
While variations feature the same base set design but a different photograph, parallels feature the same design and photograph, but with different color schemes, borders, or finishes. They are usually produced in limited quantities, making them more sought after than their standard counterparts. Parallels include refractors, numbered cards, and more.
7. Refractor Cards
A type of parallel card, refractors have a shiny, reflective finish that distinguishes them from standard cards. Some people have issues differentiating a chrome refractor card from a base chrome card, but simply hold the card in light and you’ll see the rainbow finish.
While refractors are parallel cards themselves, they are have parallels in different colors and prints, which often have serial numbers.
8. Serial Numbered Cards
Numbered cards are unique in that they have a serial number indicating their limited production. For example, a card might be labeled as 21/00 meaning it’s the 21st copy out of 99 total copies made. The lower the production run, generally, the higher the card’s value. These different serial numbers often come in different colors, too (as in /99 is green, /50 is gold, etc.). In the Chipper example above, the blue card is /150, and green is /99.
9. Relic Cards
Also known as memorabilia cards or jersey cards, relic cards contain a piece of a player’s uniform, bat, glove, or other equipment. They offer a tangible connection to the players and are quite popular among collectors. Some of these relic cards are actually “game worn” and will be stated as so on the card, while other aren’t guaranteed to come from any specific game or event, and might simply be “player worn.”
10. Autographed Cards
Last, autographed cards bear the player’s signature either directly on the card or on a sticker that is then placed on the card. Autographs can be found on pretty much any of the different card types listed above. When a baseball card is a Topps Certified Autograph issue, there will be a statement saying so on the card.
