Need Some Advice on Collecting

[BigLiquid530]

So my son and I want to start collecting cards, and I have Been doing some research and I just don't know where to start. What hobby boxes would be good to start off with? I was looking at "Upper Deck SP Hobby Boxes", "Topps Chrome", Panini Black and Gold". But honestly not sure where to start. I would love to buy a box of National Treasure but out of my price range at the moment. I just want to get the best value for my money. I know it's all a gamble and that's fine, just want to start off right.

What about getting in on box breaks?

I'm I better off just buying individual cards off people?


Any help is appreciated and thanks. Look forward to being a part of this community.

[tsdst5]

Buying individual cards is the way to go if you are investing. But if you are a gambler, the bust away! I love Topps chrome. Higher end stuff like NT is for group breaks if you can't afford a box. But just have fun, don't let it become an addiction. Awesome hobby to share with your son if you set strict money boundaries. Have fun!


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[BigLiquid530]

Buying individual cards is the way to go if you are investing. But if you are a gambler, the bust away! I love Topps chrome. Higher end stuff like NT is for group breaks if you can't afford a box. But just have fun, don't let it become an addiction. Awesome hobby to share with your son if you set strict money boundaries. Have fun!


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I've been having fun just doing research, but there are so many options is crazy. Thank you for you input much appreciated.

[Lockdown32]

I would say buy single cards of players and teams you like to start off with. Maybe break a box every now and then also. Breaking boxes is fun, but it can become costly. I would stay away from group box breaks. They can be fun also, but you aren't guaranteed anything for your money and they can be very high risk. At least if you buy your own boxes you get everything.

[SelfDestruct808]

Since its your son's first time collecting, Id say buy him a few boxes to break for fun. I don't break boxes and stick to singles, but maybe like 2015 certified football. It's like less than $60 on BO. Chance to pull a mariota/Winston auto. Heck, u might just pull a mariota, I have a feeling. *And if u don't pull one, forget I even said that,haha.

[BigLiquid530]

I would say buy single cards of players and teams you like to start off with. Maybe break a box every now and then also. Breaking boxes is fun, but it can become costly. I would stay away from group box breaks. They can be fun also, but you aren't guaranteed anything for your money and they can be very high risk. At least if you buy your own boxes you get everything.

It seems like most people on this forum price there cards pretty fare. I think I will buy a box of Chrome, and buy some individual cards. Not sure what year I should buy when it comes to the hobby box

[Ottomatic]

Yes, buy a box of 2015 chrome and buy some singles of guys you like. Chrome rookie cards are always held in high regard, can't go wrong with chrome.

[bojesphob]

If you want to get a feel for what you might be getting into, if you have a local card shop, go in and see if they have any 3+ year old boxes reduced price. Maybe a 2011 Topps or chrome or maybe a 13 prizm, and get the box and break it. See what you get to get a feel for what cards from a few years ago were like. Then work your way to some cheap clearance blasters from Walmart or target, just to see what retail is like. After a few boxes/blasters you'll get a feel for what you like don't like and you can decide what focus you and your son want your collection to have.

[Stifle]

Not sure how far you are away from shows but you will know exactly what you are investing your money into. After spending thousands of dollars on breaking each year, " Extremely Fun, " but rarely a positive investment. Open a product that you will be happy having as a PC if the box isn't loaded, College uniformed if you like a college team or player and a pro uniformed if you have a pro team / player you collect.
I think everyone should open a box at one time as a collector just to realize what the end results are for collecting or investing. It's like lottery but you do have something to show even if the cards you pull don't add up to much value.
Good Luck to you and your son.
Doug

[BigLiquid530]

Our teams are Chicago Bears, Sacramento Kings, and Oakland A's. I think the next card show out here is next year. I just have to control my spending because once I get into a hobby I just start going, next thing you know the wife is watching my every move lol.....

[Sooner]

Buy some singles from ebay/comc from the major brands (Chrome, national treasures, contenders, five star, prizm, immaculate, flawless) and once you have the cards in hand you can get a feel for what products you like.

[packerfan4200]

Yeah buy a few boxes of chrome for sure and maybe some cheaper stuff like score so your son can have some fun ripping. But definitely stick to singles for a majority of your purchases. Build a collection of your favorite teams/players, that you can be proud of rather than piss away money on wax.

I will say this though, have fun, that's number 1. If you can show the old lady how much your son enjoys it, you'll be able to get away with a lot more :)!

[majestik101]

Stay away from Black Gold. It's junk.

Stick to Chrome if you want to build up some sets and some color refractors. If Chrome's not your thing, then buy 2015 or 2014 Topps Regular Football Jumbo. Lots of cards, lots of inserts, plus two autos and 1 patch/relic, plus the boxes wont cost an arm and a leg (you can find them in the $55-$70 range if you shop around)

I also like 2014 Elite Football. I like the design plus most rookies are on card autos.

[tribetown]

I think you should try 2014 Bowman Chrome. 26 dollars a box. You get 3 numbered, some inserts an auto, and every 4 boxes has a bonus auto. It is a cheap way to get started, and I love it. Also the chrome design usually appeals to kids.

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[BigLiquid530]

A ton of info, I really appreciate it. I'm definitely gonna by a box or two tomorrow

[hugh]

if you prefer pro uniforms, don't buy any Upper Deck products because it's all college uniforms. Topps lost their pro license as well and starting next year will also be only college uniforms. So, Panini is it right now

[hairysasquatch]

if you prefer pro uniforms, don't buy any Upper Deck products because it's all college uniforms. Topps lost their pro license as well and starting next year will also be only college uniforms. So, Panini is it right now

And because of this it is an unfortunate time to begin collecting football because Panini is simply flooding the market with a succession of garbage products. This year marked the end of buying new football releases for me.

Constructive suggestion - buy the discounted Topps blasters from 2015 and earlier at your local Wally's or Target.

[ssbledsoe]

The best suggestion:

ONLY buy cards you actually want. Buying boxes and mass buying cards "because it's a good deal" will only lead to disappointment. Frankly, almost ANY card you want will be available at some point in the future, so don't get too wrapped up in chasing hot rookies. The vast majority don't pan out and can be had cheaper when the next rookie class comes out.

If you really do want to bust wax, I recommend to avoid busting new releases. Box prices for almost all new releases drop after release, and the vast majority of boxes don't deliver their asking price in resale value.

[twenty4seven]

Any facet of card collecting can be fun.

-Hobby boxes
-Retail boxes
-Group breaks
-Individual breaks
-Single purchases
-Pack purchases

The most common are PC (personal player collections)
There are also set collectors (collecting every player in a certain product)
Some collectors also chase rainbows (obtaining every card for a player in a product)
Collecting HoF's (Hall of Famers) is also popular.

There are many other categories than the ones mentioned above but it should be what you and your son are really interested in and also what you are wiling to spend.

I mostly collect Carson Palmer; everything from his base cards, autograph cards, auto jersey cards, patch cards, and, my favorite, 1/1 base cards. I only collect his AZ Cardinals cards. Another Cardinals player that I collect is Larry Fitzgerald.

A collection should reflect what is important to you both and what is meaningful. It shouldn't matter about the resell value of the card but rather what you deem worthy.

Some advice on this forum will come from those that 'invest' in cards. Rarely do cards return an investment but are rather sentient or capsules of memories.

Card collecting is a hobby. It, by it's purest definition, is a hobby of collecting memories and time frames of events or encapsulated events.

No matter what you decide to collect with your son, it will certainly be a shared and rewarding experience.

[smoothy207]

I got back into the hobby after a 20 year absence, and its changed a bit : )
One thing I noticed was getting into, or even watching, group breaks gave me a feel for what I like and didn't like in each product. Find an online breaker you like and watch new products get opened there.....learning with other people's money.
After about 12-18 months, I was able to determine there are 3 or 4 releases I enjoy, then I can just ignore the rest. I arrived at these choices by learning that 1) I do not like sticker autos 2) I tolerate, but do not like redemptions 3) I do not like Panini points.
I also make sure to check out the checklist on each product to make sure I know what I'm getting into/chasing.

[BigLiquid530]

The best suggestion:

ONLY buy cards you actually want. Buying boxes and mass buying cards "because it's a good deal" will only lead to disappointment. Frankly, almost ANY card you want will be available at some point in the future, so don't get too wrapped up in chasing hot rookies. The vast majority don't pan out and can be had cheaper when the next rookie class comes out.

If you really do want to bust wax, I recommend to avoid busting new releases. Box prices for almost all new releases drop after release, and the vast majority of boxes don't deliver their asking price in resale value.

That's definitely some great advice, much appreciated

[BigLiquid530]

Any facet of card collecting can be fun.

-Hobby boxes
-Retail boxes
-Group breaks
-Individual breaks
-Single purchases
-Pack purchases

The most common are PC (personal player collections)
There are also set collectors (collecting every player in a certain product)
Some collectors also chase rainbows (obtaining every card for a player in a product)
Collecting HoF's (Hall of Famers) is also popular.

There are many other categories than the ones mentioned above but it should be what you and your son are really interested in and also what you are wiling to spend.

I mostly collect Carson Palmer; everything from his base cards, autograph cards, auto jersey cards, patch cards, and, my favorite, 1/1 base cards. I only collect his AZ Cardinals cards. Another Cardinals player that I collect is Larry Fitzgerald.

A collection should reflect what is important to you both and what is meaningful. It shouldn't matter about the resell value of the card but rather what you deem worthy.

Some advice on this forum will come from those that 'invest' in cards. Rarely do cards return an investment but are rather sentient or capsules of memories.

Card collecting is a hobby. It, by it's purest definition, is a hobby of collecting memories and time frames of events or encapsulated events.

No matter what you decide to collect with your son, it will certainly be a shared and rewarding experience.

I definitely see what your saying. I'm a huge Randy Moss, and Tim Duncan fan so I will probably be focusing on them, and some others. My son loves Marshawn Lynch, Damarcus Cousins, and of course all the kids love Curry. But the finals really made him appreciate Kyrie Irving so I'm sure there won't be any shortage of cards. Thanks for the advice.

[CardMonopoly]

Our teams are Chicago Bears, Sacramento Kings, and Oakland A's. I think the next card show out here is next year. I just have to control my spending because once I get into a hobby I just start going, next thing you know the wife is watching my every move lol.....

To get the most out of your money, buy singles. Do not open boxes or participate in group breaks. While opening wax and group breaks are fun, and a gamble, you'll almost always get a lot less back than you spent.

If you do want to open boxes, watch people opening boxes on YouTube and see if you can live with what they're getting out of their boxes. You'll see people pulling some amazing cards for sure, but there will be a lot more average and dud boxes too.

[IpcSteveYoung]

I got back into the hobby after a 20 year absence, and its changed a bit : )
One thing I noticed was getting into, or even watching, group breaks gave me a feel for what I like and didn't like in each product. Find an online breaker you like and watch new products get opened there.....learning with other people's money.
After about 12-18 months, I was able to determine there are 3 or 4 releases I enjoy, then I can just ignore the rest. I arrived at these choices by learning that 1) I do not like sticker autos 2) I tolerate, but do not like redemptions 3) I do not like Panini points.
I also make sure to check out the checklist on each product to make sure I know what I'm getting into/chasing.

I agree, watching breaks on YouTube is a great way to get an idea of what you can expect when it becomes time to make a purchase.

[Gustomania]

I also started back into collecting around 2012 and the rush of buying and breaking boxes was amazing!!

However, here is my advice. Since you are a Bears and A's fan buy singles of the greats!! In the end, you would want to own a nice Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson, Walter Payton RC.....

In addition, hit your LCS and buy a few hobby pack to quench the thirst. You likely would be able to find some 89-90 topps or score boxes for like $7-10 so your son has the thrill of opening packs.

In summary, buy key singles and don't try collect the world, keep a daddy stash of more expensive cards and let the little guy play with the inexpensive stuff in his own box!!

Have fun!!!!! You don't always have to spend $100 to enjoy the hobby and you don't have to spend tons of $$$ on box breaks to enjoy the thrill... as others pointed out buying hobby is playing the lottery, you lose 90% of the time!!!

[Coventry6546]

I think an important question has yet to be asked/answered and that is;

What is your goal behind the new interest in this particular hobby, specifically with your son?

If it is indeed for "investment" purposes then what everyone else has said about staying away from busting and only buy singles is 100% correct. It's the only way to maintain and in some cases gain value.

However, if you are looking for something you and your son can spend some time and enjoy together, singles may not be the best bet. How much fun is it to search eBay, get the card in the mail, look at it briefly and then stick it in a box only to be viewed on an occasion.

I got back into the hobby in 2012 after a hiatus since I was a kid and collected with my dad. Believe it or not, the most enjoyment I got out of the hobby since coming back was attempting to build complete sets of Topps flagship, chrome and magic. It really gave me a lot of nostalgia of collecting with my dad. Breaking packs, sorting, updating my checklists (link below), and in some cases putting them in binders. I remember going to the local card shop with my dad with my checklists looking to trade or buy the singles I needed and the feeling of excitement when I found something I needed. Of course, that would more so be done on here (B/S/T section is actually really good for this and many Members get a lot of enjoyment out of helping younger collectors out) or eBay/COMC now, but maybe your local LCS also has singles.

Now with that said, I probably have six or seven almost complete sets of Topps flagship and Magic sitting in a box and there really isn't too much value to them.

If that's the direction you want to go, I would suggest the following sets. Maybe look at years where the bears have a decent rookie or two, so not only can you have fun building sets, but you would also have the chance of pulling/hitting in break a nice PC card;

Topps Flagship
Chrome
Score
Magic

Really, I would only suggest those sets at this time, maybe Prizm, Classics is a new release and looks like it would be a fun set to build too. To make it a little more challenging, you could try to complete a high numbered parallel set.

Welcome back, just wanted to provide an alternative opinion to just buying singles.

baseball card check lists (http://www.sportscardfun.com/checklist_info.asp)

[BigLiquid530]

I think an important question has yet to be asked/answered and that is;

What is your goal behind the new interest in this particular hobby, specifically with your son?

If it is indeed for "investment" purposes then what everyone else has said about staying away from busting and only buy singles is 100% correct. It's the only way to maintain and in some cases gain value.

However, if you are looking for something you and your son can spend some time and enjoy together, singles may not be the best bet. How much fun is it to search eBay, get the card in the mail, look at it briefly and then stick it in a box only to be viewed on an occasion.

I got back into the hobby in 2012 after a hiatus since I was a kid and collected with my dad. Believe it or not, the most enjoyment I got out of the hobby since coming back was attempting to build complete sets of Topps flagship, chrome and magic. It really gave me a lot of nostalgia of collecting with my dad. Breaking packs, sorting, updating my checklists (link below), and in some cases putting them in binders. I remember going to the local card shop with my dad with my checklists looking to trade or buy the singles I needed and the feeling of excitement when I found something I needed. Of course, that would more so be done on here (B/S/T section is actually really good for this and many Members get a lot of enjoyment out of helping younger collectors out) or eBay/COMC now, but maybe your local LCS also has singles.

Now with that said, I probably have six or seven almost complete sets of Topps flagship and Magic sitting in a box and there really isn't too much value to them.

If that's the direction you want to go, I would suggest the following sets. Maybe look at years where the bears have a decent rookie or two, so not only can you have fun building sets, but you would also have the chance of pulling/hitting in break a nice PC card;

Topps Flagship
Chrome
Score
Magic

Really, I would only suggest those sets at this time, maybe Prizm, Classics is a new release and looks like it would be a fun set to build too. To make it a little more challenging, you could try to complete a high numbered parallel set.

Welcome back, just wanted to provide an alternative opinion to just buying singles.

baseball card check lists (http://www.sportscardfun.com/checklist_info.asp)

The investment part is always a plus, but it's just more for my son and I to later in life have something in common Hobby wise. I know once kids get older they start taking different roads in life , and I just want to always have that one road that always connect's us. We both love sports, and he always had a ton of questions, like who is this guy, is he good, etc. Gives him a different way to learn some of the history behind some of these teams. It's a fun way to learn sports in my opinion. The investment part is always nice, but for now it plays a small role. As he and I grow in this card thing the investment will come. Just having something my son and I can enjoy together is a pretty good investment for me, anything else is a plus.

[cowboyfan611]

2014,2015 crown royale. 4 packs, 4hits.about 52.00 a box

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[meandsharon11]

Honestly? I would buy a few different types of boxes with different types of sets. That will give you a better idea of what y'all like. Then start focusing more on the type of cards you like with singles.

Example:

One box of topps chrome, has a vast rookie list and has a lot of variations and 24 packs per box.

One box of topps inception, one pack per box. 7 cards per box, small amount of cards but has 3 hits and 2 variations per box. One box usually has one jersey, one patch and one jersey/patch auto or some combination of that.

One box of panini certified or panini elite. Has a lot of different possibilities for hits and several different types of inserts and has 12 or more packs per box.


This would let y'all see several different types of cards and designs and have fun too. Then go through them and find out what y'all like most and go with singles from there. If you want to see something different at some point buy a different box you haven't opened yet and repeat the process.

[ryknow216]

If you go the box break direction, definitely pick up a box or 2 of Contenders. Maybe a 2014 and 2015. Those, Chrome and NT are the heavy hitters and the most collected. Plus, Contenders is a super fun break. Good luck!