Help for a brand new collector

[jonefriedman]

Hi everyone,

I recently just started collecting cards again after over twenty years and I am just adjusting to the new world of cards. I started out with collecting hockey cards and now am turning back to baseball for the first time. I purchased a hobby box of 2011 Allen and Ginter and pulled the two autos below. I tried to find out more about the the inscriptions on the cards and their value but I couldn't find anything akin online. Could someone please help me out with that?
Also, as I am new here, could someone please point me in the right direction? I am looking to collect for a while so I don't want to overbuy. Is there a series or sets of cards that tend to hold value more than others? I see a ton of Chrome being sold but before I start trying to buy hobby boxes, I just could use a little guidance. Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,
Jon

[DaveTaplin]

Buy what you like first and foremost. In my opinion the only thing that can hold its value is Bowman Draft, and that is only for about 6 years at most. That product generally puts out a few good players every year which props the value up. Once it stops giving it crashes.

Heritage & Ginter start high but they drop quick and level out.

[tajikey]

You actually did quite well pulling 1 auto, let alone 2, out of a single box of Ginter. In terms of baseball, most will tell you that "Chrome is king," and in terms of potential value, that is definitely true. You would do best by keeping your sights focused on the Box Break sections of this forum, as well as following Chri5784 (The Hobby Box) on YouTube. He breaks product regularly, and will help you get a really good idea of what types of stuff you could be interested in buying/busting/breaking.

Welcome to BO, by the way!