Collecting Football Cards

History of Football Cards
American football is the most popular team sport in the US and one of the most popular spectator sports in the world. Because of this fact, collecting football cards is a very popular pastimes for people of all ages.

Just as baseball cards did, football cards first appeared in the late 1800's. The first known football cards date back to 1894, known as the Mayo cards because they were produced by the PH Mayo company. The Mayo card set contained 35 card of top players from the Ivy League. One of the most sought after cards is an unidentified player, thought to be John Dunlop of Harvard. There are less than 10 known cards in existence and the card is valued at nearly $18,000.

Goudy Sport Kings issued a multi sport set in 1933, which included such players as Knute Rockne and Jim Thorpe. The next football set was released in 1948 when Bowmand and Leaf issued sets with bubble gum in the packs. Since 1948, there has been at least one set of football cards released each year until present time.



Types of Collectors
There are various types of card collectors, as the hobby has touched the lives of young and old alike. It is really up to you to decide what you like and that will determine what kind of collector you are and what type of cards to collect.

There are many types of collectors, just as there are many brands and sets of football cards. Some people collect for the love of the sports and for the love of the hobby. Other make collecting a profession and collecting solely for investment purposes. Regardless of what type of collector you are, if you are new to collecting you will soon learn that collecting football cards can become a life long passion.

Places to Buy Football Cards
Hobby Shops - Hobby shops are stores that specialize in selling sports cards and sports memorabilia.  You will usually find a large selection of cards and a store owner that knows a lot about collecting.  Expect to pay a little more money in a hobby shop but also expect better quality products.

Retail Stores - Places such as Wal Mart or Target carry retail packs and retail card boxes.  You will not find the same quality of cards as in a hobby store but you will also pay a lot less for your boxes and packs of cards.  Do not expect the store clerks to know anything about the cards you are purchasing.  The reail store will not buy cards from you or trade with you, but you can find some sets exclusive to that retail shop.

Card Shows - Card shows usually consist of card shop owners, who are there to buy, sell, and trade cards.  They can be a lot of fun.  When your collection is large enough, you can even rent a table and sell your cards at a show.  Check with your local shop for shows in your area.

Internet - And probably the best place for finding the lowest priced deals on sports cards is the internet.  With sites such as eBay, cards can be bid on and purchased on low prices, including football hobby boxes.  We prefer that you make all you your card purchases on this site :)