We all envy that lady who was in the news because she made an amazing discovery of a valuable baseball card recently — and she wasn’t even an enthusiastic collector of baseball cards, unlike other people who have struck it rich.

The great American pastime of collecting baseball cards unfortunately seems to lost a little of its appeal, especially with the economic crisis forcing people to cut spending on non-essential purchases. But it’s a testament to how big a part of people’s lives collecting baseball cards has been for years, that in spite of a troubled economy, collecting still goes on.

Baseball cards have been produced for more than a century and so many have been produced of so many different varieties that it can be quite confusing. To prospective collectors of baseball cards, however, this diversity can provide them freedom of selection between types of cards, themes or just collect whatever strikes their fancy at the moment.

Of course once you decide to collect baseball cards, it’s up to you to select a way of displaying them. You could of course just take all the cards and stuff them in a box, but that wouldn’t let you enjoy them properly or — what’s maybe more important — you wouldn’t be able to show them off properly.

But before you can organize them you first have to purchase them. If you weren’t fortunate enough to have valuable baseball cards show up when you don’t expect them like that lady, you may have to actually go out and get some yourself. So where do you go to start your collection of baseball cards?

Before you begin, it’s a good idea to make your search easier by determining what kind of cards you want. A local shop is the go-to place for new cards. Checking out card conventions and card shows is also a good way of meeting other collectors. Before you go out on your hunt, select which baseball cards you want — make a “shopping list”. You should also have some idea of what your cards are worth, so invest in a price guide to help you along.

Once you have a collection that’s big enough, you’ll need to think about how you’re going to store and protect it. There are several ways of keeping your baseball cards safe, like putting them in plastic sleeves or top-loaders. These should be picked based on how valuable the card is and how much you’re willing to spend on protecting it.

Bottom line: collect because you enjoy it, not as an investment.