“Why is one card worth more than another?”

This is a question we receive at least once a week from visitors to our web site.

The question usually from new footy card collectors — kids just starting out, and while the answer to this innocent question might seem straight forward there is often a little more to it than meets the eye.

Let’s start with the basics… Insert cards (also called “Inserts” or “Chase Cards”) are some of the most valuable cards available today.

Inserts are included randomly in packs of footy cards or can be purchased individually from card dealers.

Inserts are much harder to find in packs than regular issue cards (called “commons”). Inserts are less common.

For example, chances are you would have to buy eight packs of the 2006 AFL Supreme Series before you found just one All Australian Insert! That’s a ratio of 1:8 packs.

To collect all 22 All Australian Inserts you would have to open at least 176 packs of cards (22 x 8 packs = 176). More if you got doubles.

Because insert cards are less common and harder to find, they usually are worth more money than a common card. Inserts also are more valuable because they have special features that regular cards don’t.

While most novice collectors believe it’s only the ratio of inserts that determines the value (1:8 packs), true card collectors understand the ratio is only a tiny part of the equation.

Of far more importance to true collectors are things like:

• the actual players featured,
• their achievements to date,
• premierships won,
• representative honours,
• popularity of the player and
• the level of expectation for future success of the star;

particularly if they are at the beginning of their career.

The level of differentiation in the insert set cards can also raise their value or hold it back. Inserts have some of the flashiest most unique designs and recently Select have shown their keeness to include a healthy dose of gold or silver foil print to their insert cards.

If the insert set features its own special mark, logo or shape that instantly shows a difference between this and the common set the value will be higher. The perfect example is the Jersey Die Cut Cards that were introduced to the NRL series for the first time this year.

With just 1 Jersey Die Cut in each pack, it’s unique look and the high profile players featured, it was always going to be a valuable insert set.

Of course there are many other features that make one card more valuable than another, but I might save that part of the story for another issue of the newsletter.

One thing is for sure… footy card collectors believe the insert trend has added an exciting new dimension to footy card collecting… and I have to agree whole heartedly!