ACEO (art cards, editions and originals) movement

A set of nine ATC's (Artist trading cards)

      ACEOs are valued in much the same way as artist prints. However there are a few differences particular to this type of collectable. I have included here a listing of those attributes collectors keep in mind when selecting cards for their own collections. Not all of these attributes may be relevant to every collector. Some people collect ACEOs and ACTs primarily for sentimental reasons and are completely uninterested in the monetary "value" given to cards within their possession. 

• Appropriate information about the artist located on the back of the card. What is most usually listed? A full signature, copyright symbol and date, printed name of that same artist, title of art or set, theme, eBay ID, website, email, city where the artist lives, medium, trademark, etc... Remember that not all artists bother with this detailed information and copyrights are automatic for artworks unless your artwork primarily includes the collage of copyrighted or public domain images. 
• A collaged image should never be misrepresented by the individual using it for his or her own creation. If this imagery is cut from printed product and that product is currently copyrighted it may be collaged into a unique work but not copyrighted. The image should never be photo-copied and then pasted within the collage. Only the actual product may be collaged in order for the production of the ACT or ACEO to be legitimately crafted without legal ramifications. For instance, you may cut apart an original comic book to collage onto collectible card, but you should never duplicate copyrighted comic by either means of a photocopier or by hand and then paste this material on your own creation; this conduct is considered illegal.
• If your collaged elements are from the public domain and you have printed and pasted these into a crafted ACT or ACEO, you may do so without fear of breaking the law. That being said, however, it is unethical to misrepresent these as your own artwork. Collaged public domain imagery is considered acceptable but not something you may copyright unless you have altered it quite significantly. Copyright law will not defend those copyrights that have entered the public domain, hence, the term "public domain." This means the public is free to use the copy freely.
• Copyright is automatic in the United States for original artworks. Artists do not need to copyright their drawings or paintings in order to successfully file lawsuits against someone who infringes upon their work. However the burden of proof falls upon the artist. Artwork that is published, exhibited and publicly attributed to a living artist should never be copied or photographed and included in an ACT or ACEO without prior consent of that artist and this prior consent must be obvious and legally binding. 
• Print editions on ACEOs should be attributed on the backside of the card in the depiction of a fraction. The top number shown is the specific number applied to that unique card, the bottom number shown is the number of prints made for that artist's particular limited edition printing. So if the edition mark looks something like this 3/300, it means that this is the third card printed out of three hundred cards that will be printed and sold of that particular image. The lower the number printed in the entire addition, the more valuable the print. If your edition is 35 compared to 305, the edition is more collectible. Artist additions for prints traditionally number below 50.
• Authentic papers and period correct imagery are important to sophisticated collectors. Many collectors are very discerning when it comes to graphics and ephemera included in a collaged or hand-sewn ACEO.  They will look for those trading cards that include both patterns and graphics originating from the same time period. In other words, if an artist collages a 20s flapper girl, the collector will also look to see if the background graphics originate from the 1920s. 
• ACEOs including valuable embellishments such as original antique photographs, fragments of actual maps, old textiles, bobbin lace, needle point, collectible buttons and stamps are considered more desirable.
• Original artwork is more collectible than prints made from photographed artworks. Expect these art cards to be priced differently.
• If a printed ACEO is embellished with hand-coloring, it's value is greater than a "untouched print." 
• Savvy collectors also look for authentic signatures belonging to artists not printed signatures. However, these signatures need not include the artists full name if that particular artist does not typically sign their larger works in such a manner.
• The topic or themes illustrated in art cards also will affect the collectability of a card and/or set of cards. Both popularity and rarity are important. Topics that are in demand are frequently produced by artists and collectors have a tendency to assume that this means that popular topics are more important. That being said, rarity of a particular subject also will influence a sophisticated collector, although these cards may be initially more difficult to sell.
• Card condition is one aspect of trading cards that determine the value of a card. There are four areas of interest in determining a cards condition. Centering, corners, edges and surface are taken into consideration, for imperfections, such as color spots and blurred images, and wear, such as creases, scratches and tears, when determining a trading cards value. Cards are considered poor to pristine based on their condition, or in some cases rated 1 through 10. A card in pristine condition, for example, will generally be valued higher than a card in poor condition.

Condition	Description
Pristine	Perfect card. No imperfections or damage to the naked eye and upon close inspection.Shiny
Mint condition	No printing imperfections or damage to the naked eye. Very minor printing imperfections or damage upon close inspection. Clean gloss with one or two scratches.
Near Mint/Mint	No printing imperfections or damage to the naked eye, but slight printing imperfections or damage upon close inspection. Solid gloss with very minor scratches.
Near Mint	Noticeable, but minor, imperfections or wear on the card. Solid gloss with very minor scratches.
Excellent Mint	Noticeable, but minor, imperfections or wear on the card. Mostly solid gloss with minor scratches.
Excellent	Noticeable imperfections or moderate wear on the card. Some gloss lost with minor scratches.
Very Good/Excellent	Noticeable imperfections or moderate wear on the card. Heavy gloss lost with very minor scuffing, and an extremely subtle tear.
Very Good	Heavy imperfections or heavy wear on the card. Almost no gloss. Minor scuffing or very minor tear.
Good	Severe imperfections or wear on the card. No gloss. Noticeable scuffing or tear.
Poor	Destructive imperfections or wear on the card. No gloss. Heavy scuffing, severe tear or heavy creases.