D

dealer

A person who buys and sells collectibles professionally for a profit. Sports cards and sports memorabilia dealers are usually very knowledgeable about their specialty, and talking with them is a valuable experience for collectors.

Declared Value

This can be found on PSA submission forms. It is the column where you input the value of your cards prior to grading. You should use a price guide to estimate your values or meet a local authorized dealer for assistance.

Diamond Star

A set of cards that was produced from 1934 to 1936 by National Chicle. The set consists of 108 color cards that feature artwork done from original photos. The set is one of the more popular pre-war issues.

die-cut

A card that has been cut or perforated by the manufacturer. Many modern cards come die-cut in a variety of shapes and sizes. A handful of vintage sets were also die-cut (the most well known are the 1934-36 Batter-Up and the 1964 Topps Stand Ups sets), usually around the player's picture, so the card could be folded in half, and the player’s photo could stand-up.

ding

Damage on the corner of a card. A ding is commonly caused by dropping or mishandling a card. A card with a ding (or dinged corner) is greatly devalued.

Donruss

A sports card manufacturer that began production in 1981 with a baseball set and a golf set.

Double Header

A unique set that was issued by Topps in 1955. The cards are larger than standard and feature colored art drawings of baseball players. When the card is folded in half, another player’s body matches up with the shared feet and legs of the card.

Double Play

Issued by Gum Inc. in 1941. This set features 75 black and white cards, each depicting two different players.

double print

A card that has twice the print run of the rest of the cards in the set. This is due to the fact that, occasionally, two of the same cards will appear on a sheet (usually 132 cards per), which is later cut into individual cards.