How to Determine Rarity of Football Cards

Rarity adds to a football card's value and the value of a card will help you assess how rare the card is. There are several methods available to help you determine how rare a football card is. Rookie cards and cards with signatures increase the rarity of your card; the year the card was made, the card's demand, supply and its condition are important factors, too. Appraisers often use a population report to determine a card's rarity.

Instructions

    • 1

      Look at the year the card was made. Older cards are usually more rare than newer cards. Older cards weren't produced in large quantities, and many older cards were lost or damaged over the years.

    • 2

      Check the condition of the card. Rare cards should be kept protected in a case. Cards that are in mint condition are more rare than those that are even slightly damaged.

    • 3

      Determine the demand for a card at online auction sites, such as eBay. Determine the number of the particular card you have currently being sold. This gives you an idea of the supply and the demand for the card.

    • 4

      Visit stores selling football cards and have an employee state an estimate of the card's rarity and value. Visiting several stores provides a range of opinions on the rarity of your card. These stores are listed in the phone book as collectibles stores, trading card shops or sports card shops.

    • 5

      Read Beckett magazine or the magazine's website, Beckett.com, to help determine your football card's rarity. According to Money & Business, Beckett is a leader in appraising football cards. A membership to Beckett.com cost $6.75 per month in 2011.

    • 6

      Compare the rarity determined by Beckett with an assessment by FootballCardShop.com. FootballCardShop.com buys and sells rare football cards.

    • 7

      Visit TuffStuff.com for a free estimate of your card's value. The website includes estimates for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and auto racing cards.