Okay, so the other day I was digging through my old stuff, and I found a box full of baseball cards from when I was a kid. I totally forgot I even had these! Of course, the first thing that popped into my head was, “Are any of these worth anything?” And you know, Ken Griffey Jr. was HUGE back then, so I had a bunch of his cards.
So I started my little investigation.
Getting Started – Looking Through Cards
First, I sorted through all the cards. I separated the Griffey Jr. cards from the rest to make it easier. I had, like, maybe 20 or so of his cards. Some were in pretty good shape, still shiny and all, but others? Well, let’s just say they’ve seen better days. Corners were bent, a little surface wear… you know, the usual stuff from being handled by a kid.
The Research Phase
Next, I needed to figure out what to even look for. I grabbed my phone and started searching online. I quickly realized there’s a TON of info out there, and not all Griffey cards are created equal.
- I learned that the year the card was made is super important.
- I found out that condition is EVERYTHING. Like, a tiny crease can drastically reduce the value.
- I discovered that certain rookie cards, and cards with special features (like autographs or limited edition prints) are the ones that can be worth the big bucks.
It was a little overwhelming, to be honest. I started to make a list of the different cards I had, noting the year and any unique details. I’d search for each specific card and see what people were saying about it, what it had sold for, and get some basic info.
The “Aha!” Moment (Or Not)
So, after spending a good chunk of time on this, I had a better idea of what I was dealing with. I identified a couple of cards that might be worth something, a few of the Upper Deck ones, and maybe a rookie card but it has a little bit of corner damage. I compared my cards to pictures online to get a feel for the condition grading – was it “mint,” “near mint,” or just “okay”? It’s tougher than it sounds!
The (Slightly Disappointing) Conclusion
In the end, it looks like I don’t have any hidden treasures. Maybe some cards is worth $5, $10, max. Bummer, no early retirement for me! Some of them is the more common ones, and they’re not in perfect condition. But, honestly, it was still pretty fun going through them all and remembering those days. It brought back a lot of memories, and that’s worth something, right?
I am going to hold on to most of these cards. It is fun to look back.
