investment alternatives for retirement:graded baseball cards

Are there any true investments that stand the test of time besides having to spend a fortune on gold? Well, just ask the men who sold their baseball collection to several dealers throughout the continental United States about the time when grading card companies

came about ten years ago. Most collectors and hobby shop owners thought that this was a passing fancy, something that would be a trend that would not last more than three years. Well, well, well, how wrong they were, by all observation - their short sightedness and false presumption about graded sports cards has changed the face of the hobby in ways most of us could not have imagined. Indeed, the face of the sports card hobby has changed drastically for the better of the consumer in the past ten years.

There were many collectors that lost a fortune ten to twelve years ago by selling their collections for a few thousand dollars, not knowing what the future would hold for the sports card hobby. There have been many documented articles about the presence of the premier grading companies. Sports card collectors of many ages are now well aware of the value concerning graded sports card memorabilia. The investment return on modern day and vintage sought after sports cards has reached a phenomena market value. There are many choices that the collectors of today, hobbyist now know how to get the most out of their sports card collectibles.

1. SportsCard Guaranty

This is one of the most comprehensive grading companies when it comes to grading vintage sports card memorabilia. Many of their previous premium graded cards have sold on eBay for several thousand dollars. Most collectors that have sports cards that are in mint condition - especially placed in premium three ring binders will get the most from their investment. According to SGC, "Today's sophisticated sportscard market requires a specific grading scale. SGC uses a scale which eliminates the grades known as "tweeners": no grading scale is more accurate or consistent. Many industry experts agree that accurate grades mean more accurate prices for your sportscards." SportsCard Guaranty website provides the collector/investor with vital information that has many options catered to each individual's need. http://www.sgccard.com/

2. Beckett Grading Services

The Beckett sports card publication entered into the grading business to give collectors another distinct view on the hobby world and what it means to the world of graded memorabilia. It was not by mistake that Beckett publications would enter into this lucrative business venture - which has been in service for over ten years. The Beckett publishing company has engaged the sports card hobby in a most positive way, knowing the importance of key players in every sport. http://www.beckett.com/bccg/

3. PSA Grading Services

The Professional Sports Authenticator may be one of the most important companies to grade and authenticate rare and important sports cards and memorabilia. PSA has graded some of the most important sports cards in the hobby, and many of them have sold for record prices. The listing for PSA graded cards on eBay is at an all time high, standing tall in this rough and tough economic climate. PSA professional authenticators can verify most autographs on sports cards, not only does this add to the overall value of the sports card - it will contain a special PSA/DNA sticker attached to the graded memorabilia. Many seasoned collectors have turned to this service due to its overwhelming investment return appeal. http://www.psacard.com/

In the modern age of sports card collecting there are many great football players to invest in, here are a few to buy now, and due to their popularity their cards will only increase in value throughout the years. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Torry Holt, Donovan McNabb, just to name a few. Believe it or not, many of these player cards can be found at bargain prices on eBay and several other online stores. Collecting is not about how much money you have, it is more so looking at each purchase as an investment for the future.