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Exact details to spot on football trading cards that could make them worth up to £12,000 – do you have one?
There is a 'hidden' test when grading cards
IF you think trading cards are just for kids and teenagers, you’d be sorely mistaken - they're big business and could earn you thousands of pounds.
The Brighton Football Card and Memorabilia Show is one of the biggest in the country and is attended by more than 40 different vendors and football trading card collectors - and it’s a great place to make a mint.
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As an avid football fan, I've often considered delving into trading cards.
Football stickers have undergone a resurgence in recent years, with both kids and adult footie fans keen to finish their albums as quickly as possible.
As the event was right on my doorstep, I thought it would be a great time to test the waters.
But, I found out quickly that I had a lot to learn and that if I wanted to get my hands on one of the top cards, I'd have to fork out a small fortune.
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Most of the items up for grabs at the show were worth thousands of pounds, with some on offer for an eye-watering sum of £12,000.
Even more interestingly, Kevin Hawthorne, owner and founder of Uncle Fora Sports Cards and co-founder of the show, said it’s possible for someone to have a card of this value hiding in their collection.
Kevin said: “I’m always finding old boxes of cards and stickers in my storage that I forget about.
“I then look up prices of what these items are selling for, and it never ceases to me amaze me how much the values increase”.
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Kevin took up the hobby 37 years ago and now has around one million cards.
The crown jewel in his collection is a Panini Bobby Moore card from 1963.
He said: "It is a very, very early sticker for Bobby Moore and really quite rare to find, especially in this great condition.
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"Because it's so old, so rare and so hard to find in this kind of condition, it's still really valuable.
"A card like this sold for about £2,000 not so long ago.
"This particular one would sell for between £650 and £800."
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Among the most valuable cards at the show was a rare Cristiano Ronaldo card from his early days at Sporting Lisbon.
It has been valued at up to £2,000.
The Portuguese International seemed to be the name on everyone's lips at the showcase, with another of his cards also attracting attention.
A one-of-a-kind Ronaldo card from the 2018/19 Panini collection was valued at £12,000 - making it one of the most expensive there.
'There are so many new collectors'
TIM Lau from Hong Kong joined got into card collecting as a hobby three years ago.
He said: "There was not such a big scene in Hong Kong, but there has been a boom in interest since Covid.
"There are so many new collectors that were stuck at home and I was one of them.
"I am a big football fan, and that is why I found this really interesting; instead of other investments like crypto, I like physical items like cards.
"I mostly like to collect the rookie fist cards, which are the first ones of players in their careers."
How to spot a rare and valuable card in your collection
The popularity of collecting and swapping stickers show no signs of slowing down.
But some stickers - especially older ones in good condition - can sometimes sell for hefty sums.
Cards and other items can see their value increase and decrease through the process of grading.
The system ranks cards from one to ten, with the higher number typically meaning the better condition of the card.
However, for some vintage cards, a lower number may be more acceptable due to its age.
The Sun spoke to grader Aaron Clarke, 36, from The Grading Club, at the event and asked him to give his top tips for spotting the best cards.
He said: "When assessing a card, there are four major criteria that Grading companies will look at.
"The first is the centring, which is how central the subject of the card is. It's usually easy to tell by looking at the card's border.
"The second thing they check is the corners to see if there is any damage.
"The third thing they will look at is the edges to see if there is any damage or whitening.
"And the fourth one is about the surface of the card - scratches or marks will affect the grade."
Aaron also revealed that there is a "hidden" element that look out for - this is called eye appeal.
He added: "Are your eyes drawn to anything? Are there any marks? Is the centring really off? That can also affect the final grade of a card."
It's important to remember that you aren't guaranteed to fetch huge amounts if you do choose to sell your stickers, as prices can fluctuate based on a number of factors.
For example, demand at the time you come to sell and how common it is in circulation can affect its value.
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And remember that anyone can list a sticker on eBay and charge whatever amount they wish, but it's only ever worth what someone is willing to pay.
So, looking at listing prices isn't necessarily a reflection of what the are actually selling for.
How to cash in on sports memorabilia
HERE'S how to cash in on sports memorabilia.
Senior Consumer reporter Olivia Marshall shares her tips.
Match worn football shirts
If you're lucky enough to have a match worn football shirt from the right player, era and game you could be sitting on a goldmine.
Match worn shirts is a really big market and for a player on an average team.
Some have sold on eBay for nearly £3,000.
A shirt said to have been worn by David Beckham for Manchester United with his famous number 7 on the back sold for £2,850 on the site just before the 2022 World Cup.
But you may need to be careful when buying on eBay, as it can be difficult to verify authenticity.
Replica shirts
While the big money is in match worn shirts, some replica shirts can also be valuable.
There has been a particular boom in sales of shirts from the 80s and 90s, with one rare Arsenal top selling for hundreds of pounds.
Football programmes
Modern day football programmes aren’t worth much, but if you’re sitting on a collection from before the 1960s you could be on to a winner.
Football memorabilia expert Dave Alexander from Football Wanted told The Sun he sold a collection of paper football programmes from before WWII for £35,000.
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