Glossary of the Hobby

 A card that is autographed by a player, celebrity, or other subject. Autos are a type of chase card – they are more limited, and thus more valuable, than the more common cards in a set. 

 Base cards make up the base set, which is the most common set of cards in a sports or non-sport product. Base cards are considered common cards and make up the majority of cards in a given product. They typically feature a card number on the back of the card, making them easily identifiable on the product checklist. 

 Boxes are shipped from manufacturers in cases, and for some products, a special card will be inserted ‘one per case’. These case hits are more rare and thus more valuable to collectors. 

Any given set of cards will include a limited number of chase cards, which are highly coveted by collectors. Some examples of chase cards include: autographed cards, rare parallels, rare rookie cards, relic cards, or autographed cards

Unlike common base cards, chase cards are more rare and valuable. When opening packs, some collectors will completely ignore the base card set and focus entirely on hitting a chase card.

A trading card that has had part of the card stock removed to create a specific shape, design or function, such as a stand-up.

In today’s collecting era, such cards are used as inserts and are usually short printed. This makes them more rare than other cards in the set, and thus more likely to be coveted and valued by collectors

A piece of memorabilia that has been used in a professional sporting event. These items can include, but are not limited to: bats, jerseys, fielding gloves, gloves, shoes,  bases, etc. most memorabilia is typically ‘MLB or NFL authenticated’, which means that the League guarantees the authenticity and provenance of the game-used items.

Game-used memorabilia are commonly used in relic cards (though not all relic card memorabilia is game-used).

 A modern hobby term referring to higher-valued chase cards. Insert cards, Autographs, and short printed cards are all commonly understood to be hits. In some cases, manufacturers will guarantee a certain number of “hits per box”, which means that a specific number of chase cards have been inserted in each box. 

 Insert cards refer to any non-base and non-parallel cards in a trading card set. These cards typically have their own themes, names, designs, and numberings. 

 A trading card that contains a small piece – or “swatch” – of a player’s jersey. Unlike patch cards which are taken from specific parts of the jersey (i.e. the logo or number), jersey swatches are typically single-color and consist of basic mesh or cloth material. The memorabilia used in jersey cards are not always game worn or game used.  

 A logoman card features the logo patch from a player’s jersey. Logoman cards are always 1-of-1 (there is only one patch per jersey) and are often autographed, making them among the most desired and valuable cards in The Hobby. 

  Mini cards are any card smaller than the standard trading card size of 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. The size of a mini card can vary, but it is typically around 2 inches by 3 inches or smaller. Mini cards are often used as a special subset or insert within a larger trading card set, featuring unique designs, materials, or artwork. 

 With on-card autos, the player puts their signature directly on the card, rather than on a sticker affixed to the card (a sticker auto). Many collectors prefer on-card autos because they offer a closer connection to the player and are more aesthetically pleasing. 

 Cards that specifically feature a multi-colored jersey patch embedded in the card itself. Sometimes the jersey patches are game-used, but not always. 

 A pop report is a published census showing the total number of cards graded by a third-party grading company. For any given card in any given grade (e.g. Mint 10), there will be a published pop report showing how many times the grading service has awarded that exact grade to a specific card. 

 A printing plate is the thin metal plate used to print cards. They typically come in four different colors: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Printing plates are often offered as one-of-one collectibles for each color. 

 A card that hasn’t been graded and slabbed by a third-party service like PSA or BGS. When you buy a pack of Topps baseball cards, you are buying raw cards. If you send those raw cards to a grading service, they will become graded cards. Grading typically adds value  to the card.

 Refractor Cards utilize a special printing technology to create a unique visual effect. The cards refract light to create a prism or rainbow-like look and colorful shine. Most products include multiple types of refractors, each of which is named for/by their different colors (Green Refractor, Blue Refractor, etc.). 

 With sticker autos, the player autographs a sticker or label and then the sticker is applied to the trading card. These differ from on-card autos, where the player signs the card directly. Some collectors prefer sticker autos because they result in fewer indentations on the surface of the card.