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A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card which is intended for trading and collecting. They began originally as premiums distributed with tobacco products, but became very popular as inserts to bubblegum packs. Eventually, the cards became the more desirable content, and the gum, with few exceptions, is no longer included in trading card packs.
Trading cards are traditionally associated with sports; baseball cards are especially well-known. Cards dealing with other subjects are often considered a separate category from sports cards, known as editorial trading cards or simply nonsports trading cards. These often feature cartoons, comic book characters, television series, or movie stills. They should not be confused with a trade card.
As with playing cards, which they generally resemble, trading cards may sometimes be used to play various games. In the 1990s, cards designed specifically for playing games became popular enough to develop into a distinct category of collectible card games. These tend to use either fantasy subjects or sports as the basis for gameplay.
The development of the Internet has brought the development of various online communities through which members could trade cards with each other. Cards are often bought and sold via eBay, which has been a boon to card collectors, but has led to the demise of many local card shops.
The value of trading cards depends on a combination of the subject's popularity, the scarcity of the cards, and their condition. In some cases, especially with older cards before the advent of card collecting as a widespread hobby, they have become collector's items of considerable value. In more recent years, many sports cards have not necessarily appreciated as much in value due to mass production, although some manufacturers have used limited editions and smaller print runs to boost value.
In some jurisdictions, trading cards (particularly baseball cards) are distributed by police officers to children in order to boost public relations.
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Terminology
Presented in logical order, not alphabetical:
Cards - usually the standard baseball size of 2.5 in. by 3.5 in., but 'widevision' cards are of the tall historically-basketball size.
Packs - the original wrapper with base and insert cards within, often called 'wax packs', typically with two to eight cards per pack.
Wrappers - the original pack cover, often with collectible variations.
Retail Cards -- cards, packs, boxes, and cases sold to the public, typically via retail stores.
Hobby Cards -- items sold mainly to collectors, typically via mail-order. Usually contains some items not included in the retail offerings.
Blister Packs -- factory plastic bubble pack of cards or packs, for retail peg-hanger sales.
Rack Packs -- factory packs of unwrapped cards, for retail peg-hanger sales.
Tins -- factory metal can, typically filled with cards or packs, often with inserts.
Boxes - original manufacturer's container of multiple packs, often 24 packs per box.
Cases - factory-sealed box filled with card boxes, often six to ten card boxes per case.
Common Cards -- also known as base cards. Nonrare cards that form the set.
Insert Cards -- also known as chase cards. Nonrare to rare cards that are randomly inserted into packs at various ratios.
Promo Cards -- cards that are distributed, typically in advance, by the manufacturer to enhance sales.
Redemption Cards -- special cards that come in packs that are mailed (posted) to the manufacturer for a special card or some other gift.
Sketch Cards -- insert cards that feature near-one-of-a-kind artists sketches.
Autograph Cards -- printed insert cards that also bear an orginal cast or artist signature.
Box Topper Cards -- cards that are included in a factory sealed box.
Case Cards -- card or cards included as a bonus in a factory sealed case.
Oversized Cards -- any base, common, insert, or other cards not of standard or widevision size.
Unreleased Cards -- cards printed by the manufacturer, but not officially distributed for a variety of reasons. Often leaked to the public, sometimes improperly.
Base Sets -- a complete set of base cards for a particular card series.
Insert Sets -- a complete set of a particular class of inserts, often called a 'subset'.
Master Sets -- not well defined; often a base set and all readily available insert sets; typically does not include promos, mail-in cards, sketch, or autograph cards.
Factory Sets -- card sets, typically complete base sets, sorted and sold from the factory.
Uncut Sheets -- sheets of uncut base, insert, promo, or other cards.
9-Up Sheets -- uncut sheets of nine cards, usually promos.
Sell Sheets -- also 'ad slicks'. Usually one page, but increasingly fold-outs, distributed by the manufacturers to card distributors, in advance, to enhance case sales.
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Condition Descriptors
M/NM -- Mint/Near Mint. Items without any flaws. For example, not misprinted, with corner dings, card creases, etc.
Excellent -- A near perfect card, but with a dinged corner or other very minor imperfection.
Very Good -- Looks fine at arm's length, but looking closer reveals soft corners and other imperfections.
Good -- A card with writing on it, poor centering, a mild crease, or worn but present corners.
Fair -- A rather damaged card, such as bad crease or worn-off corners.
Poor -- A seriously damaged card.
Pack Fresh -- just removed from the pack, box, or case. Not necessarily M/NM.
Factory Fresh -- items not distributed via packs, but instead directly from the manufacturers. Also know as 'unused'.
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Companies that produce or have produced trading cards
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Sports cards
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Non-sports cards
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Movie & television cards
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See also
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