THE SPORTS CARDS SINGLE CARDS GUIDE
When you're just starting out collecting, the flood of different types of trading cards can overwhelm you. Within Sports Cards there are many types of cards that can be found in the various collections. We want to help you with this guide and we try to describe and visualize the majority of all types that you can find in the world of trading cards in sports. We used the Panini cards as a guide and used images from the NFL products.
Base Cards / Base Cards: This is the main card of a particular set. The cards typically have a number on the back of the card that reflects the number in the entire base set. (e.g. the Melvin Gordon 2021 Panini Donruss Base Card is #184 of the 400-card Donruss Base Set.). Each collection offers a base set made up of the aforementioned base cards. For example, 2021 NFL Donruss consists of 400 base cards.
Base card from 2021 Panini NFL Mosaic
Source:https://www.beckett.com/news/2021-panini-mosaic-football-cards/
Variations / Variations: These cards are often similar in design to the base card, but are still different. They can be recognized by a different image or different team logos on the map. Furthermore, these cards also often have a V on the back of the card (e.g. after the card number).
Baker Mayfield Variations from 2021 Panini NFL Mosaic
(home jersey instead of away and AFC logo instead of Brown's logo)
Source: eBay
Parallels: Parallels use the same photo and style as the base card or variation, but have a property that makes them different from the base card. This can be different colored backgrounds, borders or lettering. The cards may appear die-cut (more on that later) or have a different sheen.
Baker Mayfield Parallel from 2021 Panini NFL Mosaic
(pink background instead of silver)
Source: eBay
Rookie Cards / - Cards: On these cards you will find the rookies of the current year of a specific league. These cards are marked with the RC logo on the cards. Rookie cards are more valuable than base cards because these cards can only be found in a player's first year within the collections. In the world of sports cards, rookie cards can take all sorts of forms. Starting from base rookies to rookie variations to rookie patch autograph cards.
Mac Jones Rookie Base Map from 2021 Panini NFL Mosaic
Source: https://www.sportscardinvestor.com/cards/mac-jones-football/2021-mosaic-base/
inserts:This is essentially a separate set within a base set. These cards are clearly different from the base cards. Most of the time, the inserts are less valuable than the bases or parallels in a set.
Aaron Rodgers Touchdown Masters insert from 2021 Panini NFL Mosaic
Source: eBay
Numbered / Numbered: The numbered cards are limited cards that are only available in a limited number in their appearance. There can be cards 500 times, but there are also Sports Cards that are numbered 1/1 (One of One). This card then only exists once in the world.
Russell Wilson Heroes Inserts numbered 71/75 from 2021 Panini NFL Prestige
Source: https://www.amazon.com/Panini-Prestige-Football-Exclusive-Memorbilia/dp/B09B66ZP6Z
Autograph / Car: A trading card with an autograph. The autograph can be found directly on the card (On-Card) or as a sticker on the (Sticker Auto).
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On-Card-Auto: With an on-card autograph card, the player physically held the card and also signed this card personally.
Most of the time, these cards are worth more because the cards feel more authentic.
Trevor Lawrence Origins Football Autographs On-Card from 2021 Panini NFL Origins
Source: https://www.cardboardconnection.com/2021-panini-origins-football-nfl-cards
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Sticker car: Panini, Topps and other trading card companies use sheets of stickers that players then sign. These stickers are then stuck onto the trading cards. This means that autographs can be guaranteed in more products, since the logistics are of course easier with sticker autographs.
Jonathan Taylor Mosaic Autogaphs Sticker car from 2021 Panini NFL Mosaic
Source: https://www.cardboardconnection.com/2021-panini-mosaic-football-nfl-cards
Memorabilia / mem card:Means a trading card that has a memorabilia of a player incorporated into it. As a rule, they are parts of a jersey. However, it can also be other pieces such as parts of shoes, gloves, balls, etc. The parts can look different. Anything is possible, from a piece of jersey with one color to multi-colored patches to the NFL Shield. A distinction is made as to whether the piece has no relation to the player (i.e. was never worn or touched by him), whether the jersey was worn at an event (Event Worn/Player Worn e.g. at a photo shoot) or whether the piece was worn by the player at an official game (Game Worn/Used). You can usually find this information on the back of the trading card.
Justin Herbert Rookie Materials mem-card from 2020 Panini Absolute Football
Back of card with note: "... not from any specific game or event". The player had never put on or touched the jersey.
Source: https://www.amazon.com/Panini-Absolute-Materials-Herbert-Football/dp/B09JDN8DGV
Patch autograph and RPA (rookie patch autograph): There are also cards that have a combination of an autograph and a memorabilia card. If the card is from a rookie, it is called an RPA.
Justin Fields RPA from 2021 Panini NFL Limited
Source: https://www.cardboardconnection.com/2021-panini-limited-football-nfl-cards
Booklet cards: These are trading cards that can be opened like a book. This type of card can be found in many variations. Autographs, memorabilia and other things can be found in the booklets.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire Booklet-Card with 2 pages, autograph and 6 pieces of memorabilia
from 2020 NFL Playbook
Source: https://www.blowoutcards.com/blog/first-buzz-2020-panini-playbook-football-cards/
Tua Tagovaiola Booklet-Card with 3 pages, autograph and 8 pieces of memorabilia
from 2020 NFL Playbook
Source: https://www.blowoutcards.com/blog/first-buzz-2020-panini-playbook-football-cards/
Acetate Card:This is a trading card that is mainly made of transparent plastic and has a motif printed on it.
Ja'Marr Chase Shing Stars Acetate Card from 2021 Panini NFL Illusions
Source: https://www.amazon.com/Panini-Illusions-Shining-Cincinnati-Bengals/dp/B09Q5Q47Y1
Die Cut: The die-cut cards stand out from the normal trading cards due to their eye-catching outer shape. A part of the edge of the normal map is removed to give the map a certain shape.
Joe Burrow Maroon Prizm Die-Cut from 2020 Panini NFL Select
Source: https://www.amazon.com/Select-Die-Cut-Cincinnati-Bengals-Football/dp/B09DS19BN3
Printing plates: Printing plates are thin, light-sensitive metal sheets the size of cards.They are used in the trading card printing process. In some collections you can then find the used plates. Printing plates are often 1of1`s.
The guide is continuously updated. If you can think of other card types, please let us know. If you find any errors or would like to add something, please let us know. We are not experts, but try to help and give an overview :)
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