The A to Z of Trading Card Collecting: Your Ultimate Guide

Autograph (Auto or AU)

• A card bearing the player's autograph. Autographed cards, known as "autos," are relatively rare and typically hold more value

Base Card

• A standard trading card that forms part of a common card set, often referred to as a base set. 

Blaster Box

• A package of trading cards containing four to 15 card packs, commonly available at major retailers and hobby stores. Blaster boxes are the budget friendly option to the Hobby Box.

Break

• The act of opening one or more boxes of trading cards for distribution to customers, often involving charging collectors for the opportunity to receive a portion of the box's contents, or to just witness the opening. 

Case

• A shipment that holds multiple boxes of cards, shipped by the manufacturer.

Case Hit

• A special, highly valuable card or one with a limited print run that is included in a case. Typically, a case contains only one case hit, making the card rarer and more valuable.

Chase Card

• A card that is more uncommon, valuable, and highly sought after compared to base cards. These are cards that are actively pursued.

Checklist

• A published list featuring all the cards available in a particular card set or series. Checklists assist collectors by allowing them to know what they could pull from a set.

Chrome

• A type of card made from chromium paper, which gives the card a metallic look.

Common Card

• The least rare, least valuable, and most affordable type of card, such as non-rookie base cards.

Die-Cut

• A card with card stock manipulated by the manufacturer to create a unique design or function, such as octagonal or stand-up cards. These are less commonly found.

Factory Set

• A complete card set packaged and sold by the manufacturer in a box.

Game-Used

• Describes memorabilia items that have been used in professional sporting events, such as jerseys, balls and cleats.

Grading

• The process of having a card's physical condition assessed by a specialized grading company. Grading companies are independent companies, the higher the grade the higher the quality. The higher the quality, the higher price the card could be valued.

Hit

• A high-value card.

Hobby Box

• A box of cards available exclusively through hobby store, often containing a higher number of hits compared to retail boxes.

Insert Card

• A type of non-base and non-parallel card with its own unique theme, design and appearance.

Lenticular

• Refers to a printing technology that creates a 3D-like image on a card, with the player's image appearing to move as the card is shifted from side to side.

Logoman

• A card featuring the logo patch from a jersey, often autographed. These cards are highly valuable and sought-after.

Numbered

• Indicates a card's print run, with the number displayed on either the front or back.

On-Card Auto

• An autographed card featuring the player's signature directly on the card itself, rather than on a separate sticker. On-card autos are often more valuable than sticker autos.

One/One (1/1)

• A totally unique, one-of-a-kind card, typically designated as "1/1" to signify its singularity. You want to be pulling one of these!

Parallel

• A card similar to a base card but with modifications or distinctive characteristics, such as different borders & different colours.

Patch Card

• A card containing a multicolored jersey patch embedded within it, sometimes sourced from match worn events.

Personal Collection (PC)

• A set of cards that a collector intends to keep for themselves in their own collection, without any intention to sell or trade them. Everyone has one of these!

Raw

• Describes cards that are not yet graded.

Redemption Card

• A card that the owner can redeem with the manufacturer in exchange for a hit card at a later time. You might receive one of these if the card wasn;t available at the time of release/packing.

Refractor

• A card that features s a multicoloured-like effect on the card's surface.

Relic Card

• A card containing a piece of memorabilia, such as a jersey patch or a piece of a game ball, or part of a cleat.

Rookie Card (RC)

• A card featuring a player in their debut professional season, it is usually accompanied with the abbreviation "RC."

Set Collector

• A collector dedicated to accumulating every card in a specific set.

Short-Print (SP) Card

• A card produced in smaller quantities, making it rarer and more valuable.

Slabbing or Slabbed

• Another term for grading or graded.

Variation (VAR)

• A card that differs from the common cards in its set, such as having a different colour, unique distinctions, or a different image.