Sports card terms explained: a collector’s glossary
Short answer
The words you will see most: a rookie card (RC) is one of a player’s first cards; a parallel is a version of a card in a different colour or finish; a serial numbered card is stamped with its print run, like 23/99; a slab is a graded card in a sealed case; and a pop report shows how many copies a grading company has graded at each grade.
A to Z
- Autograph (auto)
- A card signed by the player, either directly on the card (on-card) or on a sticker added to it.
- Base card
- The standard version of a card in a set, without a special colour or finish.
- Case hit
- A rare card that turns up about once in a whole case of boxes.
- Centring
- How evenly the picture sits between the borders. Off-centre cards get lower grades.
- Gem Mint
- A near-perfect card. PSA 10 is called Gem Mint.
- Insert
- A special card found in packs alongside the base set, with its own design and theme.
- One of one (1/1)
- A card with a print run of one. It is the only copy.
- Parallel
- A version of a base card in a different colour, pattern or finish. Many parallels are numbered.
- Patch or relic
- A card with a piece of jersey or other material from the player. Patches with several colours are the most wanted.
- Pop report
- A grading company’s count of how many copies of a card it has graded at each grade. A low count at a high grade adds value.
- Prizm
- Panini’s chromium card line, known for its many coloured parallels, which are also called Prizms.
- Raw
- A card that has not been graded.
- Refractor
- A chromium card that shines like a rainbow when tilted in the light, best known from Topps Chrome.
- Rookie card (RC)
- One of a player’s first cards in a major release, often marked with an RC logo. Usually the most collected cards of a player.
- Serial numbered
- A card stamped with its number and print run, like 23/99. The lower the print run, the scarcer the card.
- Short print (SP)
- A card printed in smaller numbers than the rest of the set, often without a number on it. SSP means super short print.
- Slab
- A card graded and sealed in a hard plastic case by a grading company such as PSA, BGS or SGC.
- Subgrades
- Separate scores for centring, corners, edges and surface. BGS can show them on the label.
- Wax
- Sealed, unopened packs and boxes.
Not sure what your card is?
Scan it with SlabID. The app reads the player, year, brand, set, card number, parallel and serial number, spots rookie cards, and shows the estimated value.
Questions and answers
What does RC mean on a card?
RC stands for rookie card. The logo marks one of a player’s first cards in a major release.
What does /99 mean on a card?
It is the print run. A card stamped 23/99 is number 23 of only 99 made.
What is the difference between a parallel and an insert?
A parallel is the base card in a different colour or finish. An insert is a different card with its own design, found in packs alongside the base set.
What is a 1 of 1?
A card with a print run of one, stamped 1/1. It is the only copy.
Sources
Last checked 4 November 2026