What is a ‘Break’ – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
One phenomenon that has gained a lot of traction in The Hobby since about 2020 (during The Pandemic) are "breaks". Breaks are a card buying format where, rather than buying…
What does ‘FOTL’ mean – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
FOTL stands for First Off The Line and refers to the small percentage of Panini cards that are delivered early to collectors when they purchase products directly from the Panini…
What does ‘RPA’ mean – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
RPA stands for "Rookie Patch Autograph". RPA sports cards are arguably the most coveted class of modern sports cards in production today. Rookie Patch Auto (RPA) sports cards are rookie…
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…
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…
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…
What is ‘Junk Wax’ – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
What are junk wax sports cards? Junk wax sports cards refer to a large volume of sports trading cards, particularly from baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, that were produced between…
What are ‘Unlicensed Sports Cards’ – Definition – The Sports Card Glossary
What are unlicensed sports cards? Unlicensed sports cards are sports trading cards that feature athletes, teams, or sports imagery but do not have official permission or licensing from the leagues,…