Football cards for the beginner - What do I have?

Have you found a football card and wondered?
“Is this worth anything?”
or
“What kind of card is this?”

You are not alone.

Football cards come in many different varieties, and for a beginner it can be difficult to understand what is common – and what is more special. In this guide, we will go through the most common types of cards you will find in a card series , and explain the differences in a simple way.

What is a card series?

A card series is a collection of football cards that are released in the same year, with the same design and theme.
Examples of famous series:

• Topps Match Attax 25/26
• Topps Premier League 25/26 - This one I will use example images from.
• Topps UCC Merlin 24/25
• Topps Chrome Premier League 25/26
• Panini Select
• Panini Prizm

I tried to make a list of series that will appeal to both beginners and those with a bit more experience, with series that you either have or may have heard of.
Within one series, there can be several types of cards , and this is where many people get confused.

Base Cards - the most common cards

Base Cards are the basic cards in a series.

Characteristics:

• Same design throughout the series
• Shows players from the league/tournament (often grouped by team at the start of the binder)
• Not numbered
• Not autograph

These are the most common cards, and most packs contain several base cards.

Insert cards - special designs

Insert cards are cards that are visually different from base cards.

Characteristics:

• Unique design
• Often theme-based (stars, rookies, legends)
• Found less frequently than base cards in packs
• Not always numbered, but can be

Insert cards are often more sought after, especially if the design is popular or it is by a major player.

Parallels - same card, new design

Parallels are the same card as the base card , but in a different design.

The difference may be:

• Color (Blue, Yellow, Green, etc.)
• Gloss (holographic, prism effect, raindrop, etc.)

Some parallels are:

• Common
• Rare
• Or numbered

This means that two cards, of the same player and series, can have different values. If one is a base card and the other is a parallel card, then the parallel card will be worth more than the base card.

Numbered cards

Numbered cards are where it says, for example, 38/99 on the card.

This means:

• There are only 99 of that card in the world.
• That card is card number 23 in the series of the 99

The lower the number, the fewer cards and the higher the value.
Supply and demand will also come into play here.

Autograph and memorabilia cards

This is often among the most sought-after cards.

Autograph card

There are 3 different types of autographs on cards.

1. Printed autograph, this does not increase the value of a card much
2. Autograph on sticker, here the player has signed the sticker and then placed on the card.
3. On-Card Autograph, these are cards the player has held while signing it.

On-Card autographs are the most valuable. However, not all series have this type of autograph. It is in High-end series where you find them.

Autograph on stickers is the one you see most today, you will recognize it by seeing the edges of the sticker itself around the autograph. You will find this type of autograph in the cheaper series as well, but not in the cheapest.

Printed autograph, the one with the least value, which you also find in the cheapest series. Those cards are mass produced and do not hold any special value from the autograph.

Memorabilia cards

Memrobilia cards, often referred to as relic cards, are divided into 3 categories.

1. Relic
2. Jersey Relic
3. Jersey Relic Autograph

A relic can be a memrobilia from a player's career, such as a medallion of how many games they have played, etc.

Jersey Relic is a piece of a jersey or other item of clothing that the player has worn.
Here it is good to distinguish between player-worn and game-used relics.
Player-worn means the player has worn it, and game-used means it says on the back of the card which match the player has worn it.

Jersey Relic Autograph is, as the text suggests, the same as Jersey Relic but with Autograph in addition.

What should you look for first?

If you are new:

1. Is the card numbered?
2. Does it have an autograph or memorabilia?
3. Does the design differ clearly from the base card?
4. Is the player popular or current?

The value is always determined by several factors, some of which are:

• The player
• Rarity
• State
• Demand

 

Football cards can be a collector's item, a hobby, and an investment – but it always starts with understanding. When you know the difference between the different card types in a series, it becomes much easier to assess what you actually have in your hand.