Across the 426,765 cards on the checklists we have parsed, 21,696 are autographs and 20,054 carry a relic. Together they are roughly 10 per cent of everything catalogued, which is a much larger share of a modern set than most people expect.
How common are autograph cards now?
Common enough that their presence is not the thing that distinguishes a card. 21,696 autograph entries across 313 published sets means the average set carries several hundred, once parallel finishes of each signed card are counted separately.
What still varies enormously is which signature, how it was applied, and how many were made. A signed card with no serial number states nothing about quantity at all.
On-card or sticker?
A signature applied directly to the card is described as on-card. A signature collected on a clear label and applied afterwards is a sticker autograph. Manufacturers do not always state which, and where a sheet does not say, we do not record one.
What is a relic card?
A card with a piece of material set into it, usually fabric. 20,054 entries in our database carry one. What the material is, and whether it was used in a game, is a separate claim that a manufacturer may or may not make on the card itself. Where the sheet is silent, so are we.
Does an autograph make a card scarce?
Not by itself. Scarcity is stated by a print run, and plenty of signed cards carry none. The useful reading is the pair: what the card is, and what number it states. 128,589 of our entries state a print run, and that is the figure that answers the question.
