Final answer:
The value of the baseball card when Robert originally purchased it was $39, as determined by substituting x = 0 into the given linear equation y = 3x + 39.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the original value of the baseball card when Robert purchased it, we need to determine the value of y when x is zero, since x represents the number of years Robert has owned the card. According to the given equation y = 3x + 39, which describes the value of the card over time, we can plug in x = 0 to find the initial value of the card.
By substituting x = 0 into the equation, we get:
y = 3(0) + 39
y = 0 + 39
y = 39
Therefore, the value of the card when Robert originally purchased it was $39.