The 12 Most Valuable Upper Deck Young Guns Hockey Cards

young-guns-cards

Upper Deck first developed Young Guns (YG) hockey cards with their inaugural hockey set in 1990. Young Guns cards have been quite popular with collectors over the years. The cards include the first cards of many star players and future Hall of Famers.

Hockey card collectors expect the release of Series 1 and Series 2 Young Guns each year. It's incredible that thirty-three years later, the Upper Deck Young Guns rookies are still the main staple in the hobby.

Young Guns cards are not 'rare,' given that the cards are part of mainstream Upper Deck sets with large print runs. But, Upper Deck has started to issue more limited variations, including serial numbered and clear-cut copies.

Hobbyists view Upper Deck Young Gun's base rookie cards as a player's key rookie card. Many have already been designated as their future PSA Hall of Fame Rookie Registry card.

Gem-Mint, PSA 10 graded examples of many big-time Young Guns rookie cards are popular and have seen a significant increase in value in the past few years.

This list focuses on the twelve most iconic and valuable hockey Young Guns Rookie cards of all time. We conclude with two lists of Young Gun cards that we think have good long term investment potential.

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The 12 Most Valuable Upper Deck Young Guns Hockey Cards

The Best Places To Sell Your Old Sports Cards For Top Dollar

best-places-sell-cards

Has your old sports card collection been collecting dust in a closet?

If so, it's time to get rid of them and make some extra cash in the process!

Today, there are many options for collectors to sell sports cards online or offline. 

I've had decades of experience buying and selling sports cards, so this guide will help you avoid some of the same mistakes I have made in the past. 

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The Best Places To Sell Your Old Sports Cards For Top Dollar

SGC Card Grading Review – Is It Better Than PSA?

sgc-grading

PSA gets all the fanfare, but SGC is the second oldest grading company in the hobby. 

Launched in 1998, about seven years following the start of PSA, SGC has built a reputation as one of the most trustworthy and reliable card graders in the business. 

Unfortunately, PSA graded cards still sell at a sizeable premium to both SGC and Beckett graded cards. 

My hope is that at some point, SGC graded cards earn the due that they deserve. 

As follows is a full review on SGC.

Please let me know your thoughts on SGC in the comments section.

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SGC Card Grading Review – Is It Better Than PSA?

Beckett Card Grading (A Collector’s Guide) BGS, BVG, BCCG

beckett-grading

Beckett has long been a powerhouse in the media business. 

It's monthly price guide magazines are synonymous with card collecting from the 80s and 90s.

Beckett Card Grading was launched back in 1999 and remains among the top tier of today's card grading companies. 

In this piece, we review the history of Beckett Grading and explore some of the details of its different card grading options.

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Beckett Card Grading (A Collector’s Guide) BGS, BVG, BCCG

Mario Lemieux Rookie Card Guide, Values & Investment Analysis

mario lemieux rookie card guide

If you were a hockey fan during the 1980s, you were lucky enough to witness some of the best hockey players to ever play the game.

Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and of course, the great Mario Lemieux, three players that often are discussed among the ten best hockey players of all time

In terms of hockey cards, the Mario Lemieux rookie card is one of the most valuable hockey cards in the hobby

Of course, Lemieux's rookie card was released during the Junk era; thus, between his two major rookie cards (1985 Topps and O-Pee-Cee), there's plenty of supply for everyone.

In this piece, I'll examine Lemieux's two key rookie cards, examining the scarcity, current values, and long-term investment potential.

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Mario Lemieux Rookie Card Guide, Values & Investment Analysis

The Best Card Grading Companies: A Collector’s Survey

best-grading-companiesWe’ve written extensively about sports card grading and many of the controversies that have surrounded the space.

With the explosion in demand for card grading, collectors have faced long wait times and higher prices.

I felt like it was a good time to get a pulse of the collector community to get opinions on the best grading companies.

Let’s face it, a lot has changed, and new competitors have come into the market.

In what follows, I provide the results of our 2021 Sports Grading Collectors survey while also providing some of my experiences with the different grading companies. 

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The Best Card Grading Companies: A Collector’s Survey

Deal Or No Deal Groups – Don’t Take The Bait

deal no deal

‘Deal or No Deal’ groups have become quite popular on Facebook. One of my collector friends sent me his thoughts on the format, which I’ve published here.  Note, if you’re a collector and would like to see your thoughts on our website, shoot me a line at chris@allvintagecards.com. 

Deal or No Deal Facebook groups annoy me. 

They wouldn’t if I didn’t belong to them, but I am a glutton for punishment.

Simply put, DOND listings are generally sucker bets.

Let me explain why.

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Deal Or No Deal Groups – Don’t Take The Bait

Top 10 Most Valuable Bobby Orr Cards

bobby-orr-rcBobby Orr is one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to witness much of his dominance in the league.

However, as a Bostonian, I’m forever reminded of the legacy of Bobby Orr. 

Orr is not only a Boston sports icon, but one of the most important figures in the history of hockey. 

Orr’s hockey cards have been hot in recent years, as all the GOATs have been bid up by vintage collectors. I still think despite the big increases, Orr’s cards are a great investment.

This is of course dependent on the card and the overall scarcity, so use your best judgment in evaluating any of these cards as an investment for your personal collection.

Let’s take a look at the ten most valuable cards of one Bobby Orr.

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Top 10 Most Valuable Bobby Orr Cards

Can I Still Buy Sports Cards At Target or Walmart?

walmart-targetWhile the bulk of my card collecting and writing on All Vintage Cards is focused on older cards, I admittedly have had the urge to buy some modern cards while shopping at Target or Walmart in the past.

However, when I went to Target recently to pick up some household items, I was disappointed to find the shelves that used to hold sports cards galore completely barren.  So I set out to find the truth.  

Can you still buy sports cards at Walmart or Target?

Unfortunately, it’s much harder today to find sports cards at Walmart or Target, as they both have suspended the selling of many sports and trading cards. They still sell some sports cards in-store and online, however, there is a huge variation in availability based on your specific location. 

The surge in modern card pricing and the resultant ‘rise of the flippers’ has led to some not so pretty situations in these stores.  And while there are rare cases where you might find some cards, the odds are quite slim.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons for the supply disruptions and if you still might be able to score a find at your local Walmart or Target. 

Do you know of a location that is still selling cards?  Drop a note in the comments below to let us know!

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Can I Still Buy Sports Cards At Target or Walmart?

Why Are Rookie Cards More Valuable?

lemieux rcIt’s common knowledge that a player’s rookie card is worth more than any later-issued card.

But why is this true? 

A rookie card is a player’s first official entry into the hobby.
 
The excessive demand for rookie cards leads to the cards having more value than any later-year issues for a player.
 
The first card issued for a player is also their oldest card, which collectors tend to associate as ‘more valuable’ over time.
 
Like the first edition book of a popular novel, a rookie card is an artifact of the player’s rise to fame.
 
Let’s dive into this a bit further.
 
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Why Are Rookie Cards More Valuable?