What Makes a Trading Card a ‘Holy Grail’?

“T he interesting thing about trading cards,” says Alex Goddard, an Associate Specialist, Trading Cards & Modern Collectibles at Sotheby’s, “is that there are a lot of different ways to collect.” Cards mean different things to different people – maybe they’re investment pieces, maybe they offer a moment of nostalgia, perhaps they serve as a connection to a grandparent – but whichever way you slice it, collecting is choose your own adventure, a game for adults with high stakes (and high prices).

Determining whether a card is a “grail” (i.e. extraordinarily sought after but difficult to attain) means assessing its value. But whether a card is valuable for objective reasons (such as whether it’s highly graded and rare) or subjective reasons (it’s important to you specifically), the thrill is in the hunt.

Past Auction

Holy Grails

24 September 2024 | 7:30 PM EDT | New York

What Is a Grail?

Sometimes a card is a grail due to “sheer consensus” as Goddard says – “it’s the one that everyone wants.” Through the years, the “one” has been a Wayne Gretzky rookie, the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, the T206 Honus Wagner and the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie – all among the most valuable trading cards ever sold. New records are set all the time as trends change or new superstars emerge. Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James are examples of current sportsmen who have cards that have sold for millions – who knows who will be next?

However, sometimes “grail” status is a little murkier, a little more personal. If you have deep pockets and want a big one, then identifying the hot cards is fairly simple. But if you’re into collecting for the love of the game, a grail can come to mean something a little bit different.

Maybe you want to complete a set that you could never get as a kid. Perhaps you have a love for a particular player and want to collect every card ever made when they were playing. Finding these cards may prove to be trickier than locating a Mantle or a Gretzky, it may involve diving into the trading community and tracking down unusual or unassuming cards.

Roberto Clemente’s MLB Rookie Card for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Published in 1955 by Topps Trading Cards. Graded 9 (mint) by PSA. Estimate upon request

Completing a set can make normally unremarkable cards extremely special and therefore expensive. Goddard points to the relatively unknown Spurs player Johnny Moore, who was in the NBA around the same time as Michael Jordan. The 1986 Fleer set is one of Jordan’s most iconic cards and to complete the set you’ll need a Moore. Few remember Moore as a player, but his PSA 10 from the same set sold two years ago for $90,000. “For some folks,” says Goddard, speaking of completionists, “the card can be really significant.”

Completing a “rainbow” is another form of collecting that involves assembling every parallel made of a card. Unfortunately, it’s often not as simple as ROYGBIV – true rainbows can consist of more than 50 cards.

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How to Get Your Grails

Autographed LeBron James 2006-06 NBA Card for the Cleveland Caveliers. Published in 2005-06 by Upper Deck Exquisite Collection. Graded 8.5 (Near Mint) by Beckett Grading Services. Estimate: $350,000-600,000

Do you want a biggie or do you love the thrill of the chase? If you’re going for a collection, you’ve got to start somewhere.

“Find a design that you like, or a cornerstone piece that you like or that you already have,” suggests Goddard, “and build around that.” This can mean tracking down and outright buying the cards you need, or trading with other collectors at shows or card stores. “You can sell or trade your way to a set,” says Goddard.

He also suggests doing some market research and then trying to “bite at good moments.” If it’s an active player in an active set you’re after, he recommends waiting for the off-season of their sport when prices may dip. Team USA’s basketball team, for example, pushed card prices up during the gold metal run at the Paris Olympics. If you’re trying to find a deal, it’s probably best to wait until hype moments die down.

Of course, you could also simply open packs and go from there. Maybe you’ll be lucky and hit on a one-of-one and you can build from there. Ultimately there’s no wrong way to find your grail, you just need to find the card that speaks to you.