There are many factors that determine a rookie card's value. The most obvious is the scarcity of the card. For rookie cards published before the 1980s, supply is more limited due to smaller production runs. As card collecting became more popular, trading card companies increased the number of issues in a printing, reducing scarcity. Besides scarcity the most common determinant of a rookie cards value is its condition or grade.

PSA Rookie Baseball Cards On Sale

1982 82 Topps Baseball Cal Ripken Rookie Card Psa 8

Price: $29.99    

2 Card Ken Griffey Jr Baseball Rookie Lot Graded Psa 9

Price: $5.51    

1968 Topps Baseball Nolan Ryan Rookie Card Psa 75

Price: $699.99    

1957 Topps Baseball Brooks Robinson Rookie Card Psa 8

Price: $1,049.99    

1954 54 Topps Baseball Ernie Banks Rookie Card Psa 7

Price: $1,349.99    

1968 Topps Baseball Nolan Ryan Rookie Card Psa 7

Price: $579.99    

1982 Fleer Baseball Cal Ripken Rookie Card Psa 10

Price: $429.99    

1975 Topps Mini Baseball George Brett Rookie Card Psa 9

Price: $484.99    

1969 Topps Baseball Reggie Jackson Rookie Card Psa 8

Price: $669.99    

1975 Topps Baseball 624 Rookie Cards Psa 9

Price: $10.51    

Lot Of 10 Rookie Psa Baseball Cards Future Hofers

Price: $9.99    

1954 54 Topps Baseball Hank Aaron Rookie Card Psa 5

Price: $699.00    

Randy Johnson Rookie Baseball Card Psa Graded Upper Dek

Price: $2.99    

Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck Baseball Rookie Card Psa 9

Price: $20.00    

Estate Find Baseball Card Collection Psa Rookies Insert

Price: $4.00    

1962 Topps Baseball Tim Mccarver Rookie Card 167 Psa 9

Price: $499.99    

100 Old Baseball Cards Pack Lot Rookie Auto Hof Psa 10

Price: $6.99    

Derek Jeter 1993 Upper Deck Rookie Baseball Card Psa 7

Price: $13.95    

Cards are graded based on several criteria. Among these are the centering of the image on the card, the presence of gum or tobacco stains on the card and the condition of the corners of the card. Based on these (and other) factors cards are graded on a continuum. Each card is ultimately assigned a value from this continuum. All cards receive one of the following classifications: Gem Mint, Mint, Near Mint–Mint, Near Mint, Excellent-Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor.

The better on the continuum a particular rookie cards places, the more value will be attached to the card. Collectors are forever in search of a rare rookie card in gem mint condition. That classification offers the highest potential financial reward should the owner ever wish to sell and also indicates that the card has an impeccable aesthetic value so long as it is kept in pristine condition.

Rookie cards have demonstrated that they appreciate in price more dramatically than any other baseball card. For this reason the popularity of rookie cards shows no signs of waning.