Back In After 17 years!

[3bucks]

Hey All,

Well I'm back into the card collecting after a long hiatus. Got back in due to both my boys being into it now that they are older and understand the hobby a little bit. We are mostly just doing the football card thing right now, is that the best of the 3 major card sports to start into or would my money be better spent in hoops or baseball? They like football the best and know more players than they do the other sports, so that's part of the like as well.

Just wondering since I've been out so long where to spend the money/time for collecting? Any suggestions on brands would be appreciated as well. We have done mostly Topps, Topps Platinum, Score so far and done fairly well with the inserts and such. But again, looking for best bang for buck.

This is a great site, wish I had something like this back in they day when I was collecting as a teenager!

Thanks,
3B

[Murphy03]

I would start off with football and probably 2012 product. The 2013 class was kind of weak and there are a lot more opportunities with last years products. With that said, if you can find blaster boxes of 2013 Contenders or 2013 Topps Chrome at any retail outlet, you could probably do decent for very low cost ($20). I have an 8 and a 6 year old that collect with me and Topps usually offers the most bang for the buck but most card companies are seemingly getting smarter by providing more 'hit' opportunities in their retail products. Let me know if you have any other questions and welcome back to the hobby!!

[drubacca117]

Welcome back to the hobby! I am much in the same boat as you (about a 15 year hiatus), and I decided to stick with football for now. I hear many of the basketball products are too similar to one another, and if you aren't a big hoops fan, you may not like it. As for baseball, I'd like to get back in to it, but so many of the products seem to be about prospect hits. This is great if you know all the players and prospects, and get lucky with the hits, but I have heard far too many people complain that they have a collection of "junk autos" from players that just never panned out.

As for football products, you can probably do all right with a few boxes of 2013 stuff, if you can get it at a decent price. As mentioned before, the 2013 draft class was a little underwhelming for many people compared to 2012, so there really aren't the huge hits that collectors seem to want. 2012 products on the other hand, are still commanding high prices, often more expensive than 2013 products. If you are looking for the most bang (and fun) for your collecting dollars, I would open 2012 hobby boxes, and the occasional 2013 products if the price is right. Many people here are putting a little money aside for the 2014 products, as this draft class looks like it could compete with 2012 with all the rookie potential out there.

[hayn]

Hey All,

Well I'm back into the card collecting after a long hiatus. Got back in due to both my boys being into it now that they are older and understand the hobby a little bit. We are mostly just doing the football card thing right now, is that the best of the 3 major card sports to start into or would my money be better spent in hoops or baseball? They like football the best and know more players than they do the other sports, so that's part of the like as well.

Just wondering since I've been out so long where to spend the money/time for collecting? Any suggestions on brands would be appreciated as well. We have done mostly Topps, Topps Platinum, Score so far and done fairly well with the inserts and such. But again, looking for best bang for buck.

This is a great site, wish I had something like this back in they day when I was collecting as a teenager!

Thanks,
3B

Yes, this is a fantastic site, as you get to know the many forum members, you will find that the information, knowledge from veteran collectors, and the ability to trade are priceless.

Now to answer your question in regards to your two children. Since they are acclimated with football, stick to it. In time as they get older, they will eventually play and or watch different types of sports. This is not an if, it's a definite when. Of course the issue with money now comes to play as they want cards of football and or baseball or the many other sports cards that are readily available. LOL!

The Topps products you've purchased are a perfect match for you and your children. At 47 years old and collecting football cards for the first time in 2012, these steps you take are in line with how Mrs. Toshi and I have started. Topps and Topps Platinum are great products. The most popular product bar none is Topps Chrome. Most if not all collectors gravitate and eagerly await each years debut of Topps Chrome. As for Score, that is a branded item from Panini. Score is a great entry level product and wonderful way for families like yours and set collectors to see and enjoy cards of veteran players and rookies. These cards are affordable and extremely fun to open. Continue what you're doing and always remember; "There are no correct ways nor incorrect ways in the sports card collecting hobby"!

Topps and Panini are the two major sports card producers. The other companies are Upper Deck, Leaf, Press Pass, and there are specialty companies that make cards from movies, pop culture, historical, and even popular TV shows. ie: The Walking Dead and The Big Bang Theory come to mind. Your current purchases are what's known as retail products. Sometimes, there are special sets that advertise "Retail Exclusive", "Walmart Exclusive", and "Target Exclusive". These items are made especially for this genre of collecting and can at times be very lucrative. Autographs and rare sought after cards can be found but the majority of hits fall into the hobby box category

These other type of cards are strictly hobby box('s)/card('s). These can only be found at your local card shop or via an internet dealer, Blowout Cards and Dacradworld are two major players. In general, hobby boxes will carry a premium, with that said, the hits involved can be great and lead all the way to astronomical hits! Normally hits include autographs, autographs with the players jersey, jersey, multi-colored patches, special inserts, colored parallels, printing plates, Superfractors, and finally 1/1's. The last two fall into the 1/1 category . These hobby products can occasionally be sold as packs. This allows you to actually see what the potential hobby card will look like.

As Murphy03 and drubacca117 suggests, they are correct in their statements on 2013 products. 2012 was a fantastic year for football card collectors. You can still purchase 2012 products on line. I'm told that the 2014 NFL Draft Class will be an exciting year for collectors.

As for personal taste, first get a Beckett periodical. This will help you with what your cards can be sold, purchased, or traded for. You can even check on your old cards, you might be surprised. Products Mrs. Toshi and I enjoy are Topps Chrome, Topps Platinum, Topps Supreme, and Topps Triple Threads. As for Panini, Certified, Prestige, Elite, Momentum, and our all time favorite Panini Black. What you read here is just a glimpse of my humble opinion. In the end, just have fun!

Toshi

[3bucks]

Wow, thanks for the insight guys! Lots of very useful info for me to digest and consider. I'm glad we started out down the right path. I agree on the baseball drubacca, so many players, prospects, teams, etc. it gets very confusing and the boys only know the "star" players in that sport. They are pretty good with football though, know the starts and semi stars as well as most players on their favorite teams.

It looks like I should be searching for 2012 product whenever I can now, which I will do. I'm sure Wilson winning the big one will help drive demand and pricing. We have probably gotten about 5 hobby boxes of Platinum and some decent hits as well as blaster packs with decent stuff and the smaller boxes, retail boxes I think? Those have paid off okay also. Fun to know that the 2014 stuff will be good to collect as well, I'm sure the boys will be keen on knowing when the new products will come out.

Thanks again for all the info from you all, it's nice to have a path to head down right from the gate. I've gotten the Beckett hoops and football mags so will page through those and see what else I might be missing....

[drubacca117]

There are still a ton of hits left in the 2012 products; just in the past two weeks I have pulled RGIII, Ryan Tannehill, and Nick Foles autos. The only downside really is that many companies rely on redemptions for some of their hits. The problem is, many of those redemptions are expiring soon. My Foles auto I pulled was a redemption that was set to expire in three weeks in fact.

Panini is known for their customer service, and trying to honor expired redemptions with either the cards or fairly suitable replacements. Other card companies do not have that same reputation, to include Topps and Upper Deck.

Good luck with your collection, and have fun with your boys!

[azdbacks1998]

...what they said!!...lol


Welcome back to the game!!


With that said, let me be the first to ask of you..... if you pull any Nick Foles out of those soon-to-come 2012 boxes (or any years for that matter), please let me know. Being from my hometown college team, the U of A Wildcats, I collect him on a regular basis...along with other local boys (and girls) who played thru my town over the years.

Well, good luck and we'll be seeing you around the office.

[3bucks]

My son did grab a 2012 Score regular rookie card of Foles that is signed. He might be interested in parting with it for some Packer players, esp Lacy.

[azdbacks1998]

I do in fact need that one, this is the one, correct?


Sending PM...

[3bucks]

That's the one.