What does ‘PWE’ mean – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
PWE stands for Plain White Envelope. It’s an abbreviation that is used often within the card collecting community on Twitter, Facebook, IG, etc., when referencing how a trading card will…
How to Select Cards for Grading: Assessing Condition and Profitability
This post is part of a larger series called How To Grade Sports Cards – The Best Step-By-Step Guide. Be sure to check out the entire guide! What’s your motivation?…
How To Grade Sports Cards – The Best Step-By-Step Guide
I've graded hundreds of cards in the last few years and have maintained a high gem rate over that time. On my social media accounts, regularly get asked questions about…
What does ‘BMWT’ mean – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
BMWT stands for Bubble Mailer With Tracking. It's an abbreviation that is used often within the card collecting community on Twitter, Facebook, IG, etc., when referencing how a trading card…
What are ‘Raw’ cards – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
The hobby usage of 'raw' must be one of the strangest examples of sports card jargon to outsiders. Raw sports cards aren't uncooked sports cards. You don't cook raw sports…
Drop off your sports cards in-person for grading
The popular card grading companies regularly attend card shows and host up drop-off events, for collectors that want to drop off (and optionally grade) their sports card submissions in person.…
The most valuable baseball cards of the 1990s
While the early 90s saw baseball card skyrocket during the junk wax era, it also saw some really great sports card innovations that led to some really valuable cards being…
My thoughts on PSA’s acquisition of SGC – It’s about innovation
In the telecom industry, there's this concept called "flanker brands". Verizon has Visible, AT&T has Cricket Wireless and T-Mobile has Metro. The purpose of these flanker brands is to innovate…
What is ‘Wax’ – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
When card collectors say "wax", they're referring to sealed packs of cards. ("Junk wax" is another common term, but the meaning is different than "wax". See definition: What is junk…
What are ‘Refractors’ – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
Refractor sports cards are a type of sports trading card that features a special reflective finish that gives the cards a shiny and sometimes colorful, rainbow-like appearance. Refractor cards are…
