« Return to Glossary

Goldin Auctions

A New Jersey-based auction house founded by Ken Goldin that is best known for selling some of the most expensive sports cards and memorabilia in hobby history. In July of 2021, Goldin agreed to terms to sell to Collectors Holdings.

Gem Mint

The condition rating given to a card that receives a PSA 10, BGS 9.5, SGC 10 or CSG 10.

Game-Used/Game-Worn

Refers to memorabilia that has been used in a game by an athlete. This category carries a premium over player- or event-worn memorabilia that didn’t appear in a game.

Full Bleed

Refers to a card design that doesn’t feature a border. These cards feature photos or designs that extend to the edges of the card.

Friends/Family

Shorthand for sending money via PayPal’s Friends and Family option. Sending money this way avoids additional fees and taxes, but doesn’t include Purchase Protection that comes with sending money with the Goods and Services option. Using F&F is not recommended for buyers or sellers you don’t personally know and trust.

FOMO

An acronym for “Fear of Missing Out” that generally refers to hobbyists paying more for a card than what it is worth, often shortly after a product has been released.

Foil

A metallic texture sometimes applied to cards to enhance the design. Foil cards are often highly condition sensitive, like Derek Jeter’s 1993 SP Foil rookie card, which only has a population of 21 in PSA 10.

FS/FT

Shorthand for For Sale and For Trade.

Fleer

Originally a gum manufacturer, Fleer created various sets across multiple sports but stopped production in the early 2000s. The Fleer name is currently owned by Upper Deck, who has produced “Fleer Retro” sets in the 2010’s as an homage to some of the best Fleer designs of all time.

Fanatics

An online retailer that specializes in the selling of sports-related clothing, trading cards, collectibles and other merchandise. Fanatics is responsible for shaking up the sports card market after acquiring exclusive trading card licenses to leagues like the NBA, NFL and MLB in 2021.

Factory Set

A complete set that has been packaged by the manufacturer and sold to collectors. These sets can carry a premium over those put together by the public and can often come with bonuses like extra parallels or packs.

Facsimile

A replica autograph that is stamped on by a manufacturer, rather than authentically signed by the athlete.

Event-Worn

Refers to memorabilia included in a sports or trading card that was simply worn at to an event rather than used in a game, and is typically considered less desirable than game-used.

Error Card

A card that contains a mistake, which often ranges from incorrect photos, names or statistics. Error cards were considered highly valuable in the junk wax era but have since largely fallen out of favor. Some sets like Heritage now include intentional “Error” cards as chase inserts.

Encapsulated

Refers to a card that has been sealed in a protective plastic case, typically associated with grading services.