Rate your excitement within our Hobby

[minnesotachill]

On a scale of 1 to 10

I'm probably at a 2, literally bored out of my mind with basketball cards.

Ebay is pretty dead, way too many predictable, low end releases coming out of Panini. I spend way more time on the football board than on basketball.
For the first time in my life, I'm actually considering spending money on a football product (2014 Contenders), which looks nicer than anything Panin has made so far this year.

[Nyfancam01]

10 for me. Chasing Iverson, Bron GU, 2006 Ultimate Premium patches and 2004-05 Upper Deck Basketball :) All very fun!!

current releases though? ZERO. Boring!!!! Jeez I miss UD & Topps. Even the last few releases of UD and topps were better than Panini.

Murad, Treasury, SPGU, Exquisite, SPX,... so many.

I have fun with what I collect/chase but have zero interest for the most part in these newer basketball sets. they are quite boring to be honest. I still pick up Iverson cards though.

-----------------------------------------

2014 panini contenders football is awesome. I will say that.

[AbraCalabro]

0.5

- low budget collecting
- can only get rare/top 10 PC cards in a right place/right time scenario
- have to watch as rare/top 10 PC cards come and go, not much to buy because I have pretty much everything except aforementioned rare cards
- Panini is still putting out cards, but that's like saying ice cream is still being made, but only in one flavor: sh*t
- Autographs, GU, RPA, Patch, Jersey, Hat, Sneaker, etc... type cards, all common. This was the case even before Panini.
- Seen enough MJ, Kobe, Lebron autographed high end items to make them a common sight and tough to get overly excited about.
- Cool 1/1 card, seen a billion of those.
- Panini likely to usurp sports card business altogether, except maybe Topps/baseball
- Scour the B/S/T board, everything on there is 12-13 Panini, 13-14 Panini, 14-15 Panini of guys I've never even heard of
- Biggest joy currently is building sets that are considered low end these days.

[hairyangryfella]

About a 2 as well.

I think Panini are pathetic - overpricing, under-delivering, pillaging successful ideas to the point of idiocy.
I think ebay is horrible, it screws/takes advantage of people in many ways.
I think Paypal has so many loopholes and I can't believe more people aren't being cheated. Their fees and particularly conversion rates are also a ripoff.

I used to browse ebay for up to an hour or two almost every night. I now might glance at it for 5 minutes.

I'm just basically waiting to pay off a large purchase and then probably won't buy anything new. I do still enjoy this forum and following the actual games, but the hobby has lost so much interest for me.

[kairi-2008]

A 9 for me, my PC player is over 90%.
I really like Panini and Topps, no love for UD.
The people I have met through the hobby are super friendly and helpful.
I really can't put my finger on anything negative.

[dasiegel]

I'd say a 5. I think that all the points and reasons above are valid and obviously fine but overly negative. I am bored with Panini... but i like Court Kings and Select looks decent. i think many of us were expecting a better rookie class, it may be a year or two until we really see fully value on this class. Ebay and I don't get along, etc etc. But i do like the sports card forum here a lot. I also have been going to a few more live shows. I feel the relationships and BSing that goes on is just as fun as the buyign and selling. And let's face it, just as many people were probably bitching when Topps was putting out Co-Signers and UD was putting out 5 "SP" products (remember the complaining about SP Game Used!).

So in a nutsack, I think it's def come down a bit but I'm not miserable with the hobby and would suggest for everyone to get more involved here or with live shows until some better products come back, other manufacturers come back etc.

[crm44]

I still love the hobby, but yea, panini is still here...

[Doublexthebeast]

New Releases: -10
96-99 Products: +10

I hate new Panini releases and most of their products in the last 5 years. I will bust the occasional box here and there but they are usually 12-13 products like Select and Prizm. I also enjoy some of the early to mid 00's products. I absolutely will not buy anything right at release anymore. Up until 09-10 I was busting about 20 cases per year of new products. Now I bust about 200 boxes per year of mid to late 90's basketball and I love that stuff.

[tristan20]

1

Mostly because I have the majority of the cards I have been chasing for years.

Boring products, boring designs. Can't even look forward to any releases, but on the flip side it saves me money lol

Anyone that thinks Panini is doing a great job and the products are super, clearly wasn't around when UD was pumping out SPGU, SP Authentic, Chronology, Ultimate, Premier, UD Black, Exquisite, Radiance, SPX, Trilogy, heck even Artifacts. And the prices were reasonable!

Topps Chrome stuff as well. These were products you would look forward to, and basically saving up to buy month after month.

Nothing in Panini's product lineup does that, with the exception of Immaculate. They have the destroyed NT and Flawless name.

[TheVolta]

Not to get off topic... but how much more 2013 and 2014 Prizm were produced than 2012 Prizm?

[Yaga]

I'm about a 3.

Nothing can even come close to the excitement I used to feel when Topps Chrome or Topps Finest was about to drop. I'd love hitting the lcs on day one and grabbing a box or 2. Now it's whatever. I pick up singles here and there, but there's not a lot to get excited for now.

[Italy61587]

0.5

- low budget collecting
- can only get rare/top 10 PC cards in a right place/right time scenario
- have to watch as rare/top 10 PC cards come and go, not much to buy because I have pretty much everything except aforementioned rare cards
- Panini is still putting out cards, but that's like saying ice cream is still being made, but only in one flavor: sh*t
- Autographs, GU, RPA, Patch, Jersey, Hat, Sneaker, etc... type cards, all common. This was the case even before Panini.
- Seen enough MJ, Kobe, Lebron autographed high end items to make them a common sight and tough to get overly excited about.
- Cool 1/1 card, seen a billion of those.
- Panini likely to usurp sports card business altogether, except maybe Topps/baseball
- Scour the B/S/T board, everything on there is 12-13 Panini, 13-14 Panini, 14-15 Panini of guys I've never even heard of
- Biggest joy currently is building sets that are considered low end these days.

The bolded comment pretty much sums it up.

I would probably rate my hobby excitement at 3.5. The stuff panini puts out is underwhelming. And as a Bulls collector, anything worth buying goes for way to much and the good stuff from years ago seems to have all gone into PCs never to be seen again

[smalltown]

5. Hoops started things off well, if not for court kings this would be lower for me. I never break much prizm so bought most of the singles i wanted.

[jprk31]

3 - I'm starting to get tired of Panini products. I miss UD and Topps. It would be nice to have competition and a chance to at least get an MJ and Lebron on their Nba uniform. I feel like Panini is taking this hobby down the drain with the same products every year and same players signing.

[xavieronly1]

8 on buying single. Pretty much you can buy anything due to heavy supply.

Zero for opening boxes. I even went to pay a full price on 2014 finest baseball than paying Black Friday price on panini products. That is how much I can say with panini junk box.

Zero on trading. I start to think this hobby has no trading other than just selling/buying.

[Hornet21]

I'd say 2 or 3. I'm living off 12-13 product, but I'm not sure how much longer that can last for. I haven't been interested in any 13-14 or 14-15 product at all (flawless & Immac were nice but nothing that screamed WOW. Flawless was a step backward)

[Quigley24]

I'm at about a 2.

Was at a 1 for several months before taking nearly a year off, and while baseball looks better, basketball still looks exactly the same. Overpriced products (even months after release), loaded with sticker autographs and underwhelming designs. Panini football looks better than basketball, probably due to Topps' competition, but unfortunately I just don't collect football.

[bigcwd2000]

I will go with a 5 right now. It would be higher if professional basketball cards had Topps and Upper Deck.

[Andy5]

About a 6. Could've been much lower if COMC didn't exist. No interest in new products unless it contains Andrew Nicholson cards. Even then it just becomes a chore.

[bkcardcollector]

8- COMC is the #@#@#@#@!!!! First time I can collect basketball living in Canada. Also I love that I can pick up 90s insert for peanuts if I stray away from the super popular stuff. Vince carter raptors autos are affordable. Not overly excited about the new releases but I have always been more of a singles guy. Doing group breaks of 2012-13 stuff is really cool at 50% off. Absolutely loving this years rookie crop. Lots of stars in the making the way I see it. All this doom and gloom about the new releases sucking is ridiculous. Fact of the matter is that 90% off the stuff that has come out for the last 20 years is junk. This is not a new Panini thing. Just picking out a few things I like and going after that.

[inopethflames]

everyone does realize that if upper deck was the sole provider, boxes would cost probably 25%-50% more on average because they charged a higher price because of jordan/lebron.

if ud had the sole license now we could replace the word panini with upper deck in this thread, and same for topps. people will never like what the current situation is, they will always look back in time and only remember the good stuff & ignore the bad stuff. if you want all 3 companies back, there will be 75 products per year with veteran exclusives and possibly rookie exclusives. so decide if thats better than the current situation.

id say my level is about 2 right now, itll be 10 when immaculate comes out and ill be interested to see the select breaks.

[tristan20]

everyone does realize that if upper deck was the sole provider, boxes would cost probably 25%-50% more on average because they charged a higher price because of jordan/lebron.

if ud had the sole license now we could replace the word panini with upper deck in this thread, and same for topps. people will never like what the current situation is, they will always look back in time and only remember the good stuff & ignore the bad stuff. if you want all 3 companies back, there will be 75 products per year with veteran exclusives and possibly rookie exclusives. so decide if thats better than the current situation.

id say my level is about 2 right now, itll be 10 when immaculate comes out and ill be interested to see the select breaks.


Absolutely not true, Panini came in and starting selling products with prices as if they had Jordan and Lebron. They still do.

Upperdeck was always affordable, no matter what. With the exception of Exquisite, but Panini makes that look like a BARGIN

[bkcardcollector]

Absolutely not true, Panini came in and starting selling products with prices as if they had Jordan and Lebron. They still do.

Upperdeck was always affordable, no matter what. With the exception of Exquisite, but Panini makes that look like a BARGIN

I remember to this day paying well over $100 for a box of 2001 UD Black Diamond at release. I didn't get anything worth over $1. No good rc. No jersey. No auto. Then and there I promised myself never to pay full price for a box ever again.

Panini is overcharging but so was UD. Ripping boxes has always and will always be a rip off. It is a gamble at best and equivalent to burning money at worst. box breakers are paying a huge premium for their cards with the bulk of the payoff being the entertainment value.

I do think UD delivered a better quality product over all but Panini does some nice stuff too. Just gotta be selective and not buy every product to hit the shelf.

That is the way I see it anyways.

[kyle1707]

Hate Panini But if they could get Jordan and Lebron...

Could you imagine the massive change in the hobby...

It would be crazy. it would instantly make it the sport to buy...

[XARZY]

I'm at a 4. My pc is booming but new releases are meh

[nera20]

Hate Panini But if they could get Jordan and Lebron...

Could you imagine the massive change in the hobby...

It would be crazy. it would instantly make it the sport to buy...

Yeah and you could get affordable Jordan and Lebron autos in pro uniforms for cheap once they mass produce it which is good and bad

[thor_rider08]

I am at a solid 7 with the hobby.
Not buying new release crap is awesome! Don't get me wrong I have bought into breaks but not buying cases or boxes is just that much better. I cant be mad b/c I have not bought any of the #@#@#@#@ing garbage out there.

I have been able to purchase some nice pc cards for a great price and have been able to sell some of my crap and buy other members crap.
I have had a great time and met a few new awesome people.
I am sad that the #@#@#@#@ing crap Panini is putting out is a #@#@#@#@ing joke..

I guess I am optimistic about my crap.

[bkcardcollector]

I am at a solid 7 with the hobby.
Not buying new release crap is awesome! Don't get me wrong I have bought into breaks but not buying cases or boxes is just that much better. I cant be mad b/c I have not bought any of the #@#@#@#@ing garbage out there.

I have been able to purchase some nice pc cards for a great price and have been able to sell some of my crap and buy other members crap.
I have had a great time and met a few new awesome people.
I am sad that the #@#@#@#@ing crap Panini is putting out is a #@#@#@#@ing joke..

I guess I am optimistic about my crap.

haha love this post. basically exactly how I am feeling too

[xavieronly1]

I remember to this day paying well over $100 for a box of 2001 UD Black Diamond at release. I didn't get anything worth over $1. No good rc. No jersey. No auto. Then and there I promised myself never to pay full price for a box ever again.

Panini is overcharging but so was UD. Ripping boxes has always and will always be a rip off. It is a gamble at best and equivalent to burning money at worst. box breakers are paying a huge premium for their cards with the bulk of the payoff being the entertainment value.

I do think UD delivered a better quality product over all but Panini does some nice stuff too. Just gotta be selective and not buy every product to hit the shelf.

That is the way I see it anyways.

You must be joking if you want great RC in 2000/2001 year. That class was crap for hobby.

Just got to be selective and not buy bad rookie year product.

[airball]

8-9. Waiting for new releases, new players signing (hope), an amazing season (wild west race...). Panini improving (auto quads on card)

[IronMonkey415]

10 out of 10

i sell cards to fund my gambling.

[starvela]

On a scale of 1 to 10

I'm probably at a 2, literally bored out of my mind with basketball cards.

Ebay is pretty dead, way too many predictable, low end releases coming out of Panini. I spend way more time on the football board than on basketball.
For the first time in my life, I'm actually considering spending money on a football product (2014 Contenders), which looks nicer than anything Panin has made so far this year.

I'm with you on this...I started buying some football and love it, also some 90's baseball inserts!

[Bizzydesigner]

As far as basketball goes, I'm at a 1-2. I've moved on to more football and even hockey in the past year or two and I really have not missed it much. I'm this close to clearing out the majority of my basketball collection.

[daeve]

I am at a solid 7 with the hobby.
Not buying new release crap is awesome! Don't get me wrong I have bought into breaks but not buying cases or boxes is just that much better. .

same. this is a great NBA season, cards could be better but theyre not as terrible as many are making them out to be. and Topps is doing the same exact thing with their Bowman Chrome line in baseball. thats just the state of our hobby today. inserts/parallels rammed down our throats with not much new to get excited about. so just collect what interests you and it'll still be fun

[thetruefinale2]

Overall 8, current Panini releases range from 0-5

[bkcardcollector]

You must be joking if you want great RC in 2000/2001 year. That class was crap for hobby.

Just got to be selective and not buy bad rookie year product.

bought it hot off the shelf and did not hit any rookies let alone a good one!!!Pulling a darius miles at that date would have been great but it did not happen very often at all. There is also other hits you can conceivably hit besides just rcs. The hits were there at the time just highly unlikely to hit them and even if you did it would be hard to get enough for them to pay off the box even back when they were hot.

my whole point is that boxes have always and will always be a rip off if you buy it upon release. Maybe one or two products per decade you could expect to get your money back.

I totally agree with you that you should be selective and even stated that in my post. For example from what I see coming out of Court Kings it is not a terrible gamble but prestige premium is another story. All boxes are a rip off some more than others and it has nothing to do with UD or Panini it has to do with us paying ridiculous prices for the entertainment of ripping.

[goehring9]

I'm about a 5 hoping to climb a little bit. Having been away for a few years, I cam back to find Panini the only dog in town and acting like it. Ugh! But we always remember the good ol' days through rose colored glasses.

Breaking boxes will never pay off but it's for fun more than investment- cannot beat the rush when you pull a great card. Some of the Panini today is just crazy over priced, but hey I paid $500 for a box of Exquisite and got crap back in the day.

[GC1980]

I'm at a 10 but I lump all sports cards into the "hobby". Between eBay, auction hours and the occasional shows, anything I want can't be had. Vintage baseball has been great to me and 90s and earlier basketball is a blast whether it's picking up singles or ripping some older boxes.

I don't colectect anything post 97 so panini stuff means nothing to me.

Love my hobby.

[bkcardcollector]

I'm at a 10 but I lump all sports cards into the "hobby". Between eBay, auction hours and the occasional shows, anything I want can't be had. Vintage baseball has been great to me and 90s and earlier basketball is a blast whether it's picking up singles or ripping some older boxes.

I don't colectect anything post 97 so panini stuff means nothing to me.

Love my hobby.

All those who hate Panini take note. Good on you sir I wish I had your restraint :)!

[hairyangryfella]

8-9. Waiting for new releases, new players signing (hope), an amazing season (wild west race...). Panini improving (auto quads on card)

Ahhh but are they "on card" or did they just say that they are but they're actually not...? ;)

The season itself also, while related to, should not be considered as part of the hobby IMO. The hobby is the actual collecting/busting of cards and things involved with those.

[k13]

Absolutely not true, Panini came in and starting selling products with prices as if they had Jordan and Lebron. They still do.

Upperdeck was always affordable, no matter what. With the exception of Exquisite, but Panini makes that look like a BARGIN

UD affordable. ...joke.

Look at the crap they put out in hockey at the prices.
You guys are stuck in the past and and exquisite looks stale now with small patches... Some nice cards but starting to age.

UD will put out 22 products this year in hockey and 20 of them will suck. Full of crap jerseys and sticker auto's. ...who's that sound like??? Value per box is terrible for most boxes except s1/S2. ..

You guys thin UD will make spa/ultimate for $100 box with jordan lebron autos and everything hard signed.....
yeah if the odds are 1:47374883884 getting them and getting anything remotely good 1 in 20 cases...

yes basketball is dead except immaculate/nt but that's what the high end market did... no one wants low - mid anymore..

[XARZY]

I get more excited seeing the Stuff that's coming out of Asia (ebay) than what is coming out of Panini

[rodmanmartinez]

I get more excited seeing the Stuff that's coming out of Asia (ebay) than what is coming out of Panini

You´re right ive seen some great listings.. even mj autos go for cheap.

[rodmanmartinez]

Im at a 4, ebay is dry of good singles, the good part is most of them are going for cheap, except for Steph Curry and John Wall stuff which is still on the rise. My pc guy is selling for a record low, and im low on cash, and its hard for me to trade. So its a really boring time without high end releases.

Im considering picking up some exquisite goodies.

[Koiz]

I'm probably at a 3 right now. Still love the hobby but i got no more motivation to spend so much money with too much stuff coming out. I'm happy with my collection even if it's a small PC. But i lost something since late last year and i'm trying to get it back. I think i hit my ceiling (early part) last year. I was at a 10 from early 2012 to the first quarter of 2014. That was my peak. I hope i can get back to atleast 5 and up.. Having a rating of 10 can burn you out. As they say, what goes up must come down.

[hermanotarjeta]

I think it's as low as it has ever been - i'm not pursuing any sets or any white whales at this time. I'm even starting to sell stuff off.

Damn menopause.

[imbluestreak23]

1

I've owned 1 Panini card since they took over the reign.

I will continue to have only "owned" 1 Panini card making it my only new basketball card acquisition unless Upper Deck or Topps gains a license.

High end Exquisite, SPX, Topps Chrome and Topps Finest need to make a glorious return...otherwise NBA trading cards will continue to spiral down the toilet.

[currycurrycurry]

10/10. I love the game of basketball, watching basketball, playing basketball, managing basketball, collecting cards, etc etc. :)

[tristan20]

UD affordable. ...joke.

Look at the crap they put out in hockey at the prices.
You guys are stuck in the past and and exquisite looks stale now with small patches... Some nice cards but starting to age.

UD will put out 22 products this year in hockey and 20 of them will suck. Full of crap jerseys and sticker auto's. ...who's that sound like??? Value per box is terrible for most boxes except s1/S2. ..

You guys thin UD will make spa/ultimate for $100 box with jordan lebron autos and everything hard signed.....
yeah if the odds are 1:47374883884 getting them and getting anything remotely good 1 in 20 cases...

yes basketball is dead except immaculate/nt but that's what the high end market did... no one wants low - mid anymore..

At least you get a chance to pull a JORDAN or LEBRON and different design.

With Panini sure you will get the same looking card as the other 20 products in that same season, a fat lever or some retired old grandfather. And most likely a sticker.

Affordable based on the junk you get from Panini for the money.

Trust me I have been busting tons of Wax for many many years, put it this way with UD it felt like "Oh maybe next time I can pull that Jordan, sucks", with panini its like "Where is the razor?"

[TBarn291]

About 9 or 10 for me. I've collected cards since the 90s but have never enjoyed the hobby as much as I do now. Immaculate is my all time favorite product and I really enjoy collecting Chris Paul and Tristan Thompson as well as all my other chases. I still like 90's products and pick up cards for my PCs, but from about 2000-2012 there are really only a few products/sets I like, most of it looks the same to me, and I really dislike a lot of UD products. So for me, with Panini at the reigns, this is the best time to be in the hobby, at least for singles.



UD affordable. ...joke.

Look at the crap they put out in hockey at the prices.
You guys are stuck in the past and and exquisite looks stale now with small patches... Some nice cards but starting to age.

UD will put out 22 products this year in hockey and 20 of them will suck. Full of crap jerseys and sticker auto's. ...who's that sound like??? Value per box is terrible for most boxes except s1/S2. ..

You guys thin UD will make spa/ultimate for $100 box with jordan lebron autos and everything hard signed.....
yeah if the odds are 1:47374883884 getting them and getting anything remotely good 1 in 20 cases...

yes basketball is dead except immaculate/nt but that's what the high end market did... no one wants low - mid anymore..

This is dead on! UD puts out majority junk, they might have been creative in the past, but Panini blows their current crap out of the water. The prices they put on these unlicensed releases is insane. Jordan and Lebron are not enough to ever have me consider buying boxes of the UD junk.

[brandonlec]

I'm 10/10 too. I can't enough of sports cards!!

-Brandon

[hairyangryfella]

10/10. I love the game of basketball, watching basketball, playing basketball, managing basketball, collecting cards, etc etc. :)

But what about the hobby itself, not the rest of it? See below -


The season itself also, while related to, should not be considered as part of the hobby IMO. The hobby is the actual collecting/busting of cards and things involved with those.

I love the game, watching it etc. but I don't love the hobby. How do you feel about the hobby specifically?

[justdagoodstuff]

1

Mostly because I have the majority of the cards I have been chasing for years.

Boring products, boring designs. Can't even look forward to any releases, but on the flip side it saves me money lol

Anyone that thinks Panini is doing a great job and the products are super, clearly wasn't around when UD was pumping out SPGU, SP Authentic, Chronology, Ultimate, Premier, UD Black, Exquisite, Radiance, SPX, Trilogy, heck even Artifacts. And the prices were reasonable!

Topps Chrome stuff as well. These were products you would look forward to, and basically saving up to buy month after month.

Nothing in Panini's product lineup does that, with the exception of Immaculate. They have the destroyed NT and Flawless name.

5 and the above.

5 because I still enjoy what I enjoy about it. Use to be higher before Panini.

[currycurrycurry]

But what about the hobby itself, not the rest of it? See below -



I love the game, watching it etc. but I don't love the hobby. How do you feel about the hobby specifically?

To be honest I think Panini isn't as bad as what some people make it out to be; I actually really like some of the stuff they put out. That's just my opinion of course and granted, I haven't been collecting as long as some of the older guys on here who grew up with UD or Topps and now have to live with just Panini. I go after the stuff I like and don't bother with the stuff I don't like; that's pretty straight forward and I'm pretty happy with that.

The only thing I can really pick at in the hobby is the shipping time it takes for cards to arrive overseas (since I'm living in Korea at the moment).

[GC1980]

So many negative opinions. My question, if you aren't excited or enjoying the hobby, why stay involved?

There are so many little niches in the hobby you can delve into, player collecting, teams, sets, eras, products, different sports etc. Unlike the 90s and earlier, virtually everything is a keystroke away. I worked in a card shop from when i was 11-15. I went to every one in my neighborhood and never once saw a Star Mj or a 52 Mantle in person. Go on ebay, boom, click and buy.

Any box from the 70s-present you want to rip, its out there to be had.

Curse Panini, maybe I'm not the one to talk since I don't collect modern, but some of this stuff looks nice.

I guess I just don't understand the saltiness. Life/work etc can be stressful enough. This hobby should be a carefree, fun distraction. If you aren't having fun, might be time to reevalute what you want out of it, change your collector focus or simply take a break.

[mrveggieman]

Right now about an 8.5. I am always excited about the hobby. I do a lot of IP graphing so I am always checking the calendars for releases of low end products so I can get more base for graphing. It am currently graphing the NBA and it got so deep for me that I had a dream about baseball which I graph during the summer. The day that I lose my zeal for collecting and graphing is the day that I leave the hobby and find something else to do with my time and money. I might go back to gambling and blowing all my money at the strip club.

[wheeler281]

9.5 for me. I Love me some cardboard. I am generally always excited about the hobby

[trixstar]

I'm still surprised so many people want Panini to get Jordan and Lebron to only have the values of their autos destroyed just like Kobe and Durant have been. All so you can "afford" one, laughable.

[ManInTheMirror]

9.5 or hell even 10. If my answer was 5 or something then I wouldn't even be here to answer the question.

[fullmetal]

Once was 11/10. Now sitting around 2/10

[TBarn291]

I'm still surprised so many people want Panini to get Jordan and Lebron to only have the values of their autos destroyed just like Kobe and Durant have been. All so you can "afford" one, laughable.

I don't think Panini getting Jordan and Lebron would effect the old licensed stuff. I would assume then you are happy UD lost their license and were unable to continue churning them out? Maybe affordability isn't the only factor, maybe some want them with Panini because they prefer Panini cards and have no interest in buying UD products?

[trixstar]

I don't think Panini getting Jordan and Lebron would effect the old licensed stuff. I would assume then you are happy UD lost their license and were unable to continue churning them out? Maybe affordability isn't the only factor, maybe some want them with Panini because they prefer Panini cards and have no interest in buy UD products?

I stopped collecting Basketball cards in the 90's, I still follow the hobby overall but I don't really care who has what license because I don't buy any singles for hoops or products. I just find it funny that on one hand everyone moans about players autos being watered down and on the other hand want the same company that waters down autos to get the 2 biggest names so they can....water down their value.

[dasiegel]

I'd say 2 or 3. I'm living off 12-13 product, but I'm not sure how much longer that can last for. I haven't been interested in any 13-14 or 14-15 product at all (flawless & Immac were nice but nothing that screamed WOW. Flawless was a step backward)

That was a great year, i think eventually 13-14 to some extent and this year will be solid to buy also, the young guys just have to develop. We are seeing Oladipo, Burke, McLemore, Dieng, M. Plumlee and some other guys really growing before our eyes so stay tuned.

8- COMC is the #@#@#@#@!!!! First time I can collect basketball living in Canada. Also I love that I can pick up 90s insert for peanuts if I stray away from the super popular stuff. Vince carter raptors autos are affordable. Not overly excited about the new releases but I have always been more of a singles guy. Doing group breaks of 2012-13 stuff is really cool at 50% off. Absolutely loving this years rookie crop. Lots of stars in the making the way I see it. All this doom and gloom about the new releases sucking is ridiculous. Fact of the matter is that 90% off the stuff that has come out for the last 20 years is junk. This is not a new Panini thing. Just picking out a few things I like and going after that.

Is it any good for the new stuff or high end?

[Beavers98]

I'm going to go with a 5, maybe slightly over 5 1/2

I still enjoy the hobby and a few of the sets I'm chasing, but as far as trying to buy new products on release. That's a 0. I don't think there will come a time anytime soon where I buy a product on release. I used to buy Topps Chrome on release every year. Maybe a few others..

I think Panini does have SOME nice cards and I buy boxes, but I'll buy at the 50% or more discount, many times just a few months after release. I've picked up things like Limited for $30, momentum for $50, which what was like what, $180 at release? It's worth the risk/bust at that the reduced price, but again no way at release... Haven't bought a box this year yet, and only 13-14 box I bought was a $30 box of crusade on Black friday. Doubt I would go 2 years or so with like 1 somewhat current box before..

I've also trimmed down my collection some. I used to have multipe monster boxes of GU and AU cards..Over the past couple years it's down to about a box and a half now. It took months sometimes, but I would sell like 50-75 $1-2 cards and buy a Kobe AU, Durant AU, Set needs like PSA 86-87 Fleer, or whatever...


Anyway, still having some fun, but not super crazy high on the scale overall.



...

[cardbored]

10/10 for me.

Last year, I started my Archie Goodwin PC (now super-collection) and it has turned into a daily treasure hunt. I met Archie in-person back in September, and he's even tweeted my pickups a few times. When you collect a guy who turns out to be really good to his fans, it engages you much more.

I don't open wax unless it's extremely low risk. I've won several free boxes from Panini's blog/Twitter, and as far as affordability, on Black Friday, I picked up 7 boxes of 13/14 Crusade for $210 DLVD. I hit an Oladipo RC auto, a Kawhi auto, a Bob McAdoo HOF auto, a Clyde Drexler patch, a Tom Chambers auto /10, a Spud Webb /10, some other autos, patches, & jerseys, and a bunch of great looking Crusade cards. I thought it was a great value, and I'd probably rip that product (or Court Kings) again at that price.

[camoutwest]

I'm at a 1-2 with Panini right now. The last Hobby box of Basketball I opened was summer of 2013. I've been opening packs for 35 years and will always love collecting cards. But Panini has lost me as a current customer because of the long waits to fulfill my open redemptions. I don't feel they deserve my $, if they are leaving my promised cards open for over 2 years on 5 separate redemption orders. The oldest is 3 years 7 months at this point! Every time I have called for replacement on a couple of them I get low balled and that just infuriates me that much more. This is one of the reasons I'm extremely mad about them taking football too. If Panini as a company can't even fulfill the responsibilities on Basketball redemptions, how are they going to get any better adding the additional sport of athletes to chase around. I'm a Chromie collector and do enjoy Prizm and Select, but I will not reward Panini with my $ like I use too until they take care of the unfilled promises made to me years ago. I did recently buy a retail Blaster box of Prizm because as a collector I want to bust and enjoy this product, but only because Walmart had them marked down 40% because of this years showing up. This is only way I might buy Panini, $12 on discount. And as other collectors have said, I feel their designs are boring and similar. And too many white bordered sets too, especially in the high dollar sets.
My open redemptions beyond two years old:
Redemption Camron (11/02/12 12:08 PM) Pending Initial Request Active
Redemption Camron (11/02/12 12:05 PM) Panini America (03/11/14 10:34 AM) 1 Response Active
Redemption Camron (10/23/12 05:30 PM) Camron (10/23/12 05:31 PM) 1 Response Active
Redemption Camron (04/05/12 06:45 PM) Pending Initial Request Active
Redemption Camron (06/03/11 09:35 PM) Panini America (02/06/12 09:43 AM) 1 Response Active
Love the sport, love collecting cards, but Panini just has not improved anything in this hobby since they took over the exclusive license.

[nickha2]

I think the numbers are low for a lot of people for many reasons.

1) Too much disposable income. When you can buy anything you want how fun is it to get a high end card or cards you pc. Why not get cards for special moments that you are less likely to part with

2) Prices on high end products. When you spend 4K on flawless you could get all HOF and Top players from now and still be disappointed because you didn't break even. I broke Leaf best of baskeball and it was not even fun to open because A) I was so nervous about getting nothing in return and B) got nothing worth noting.

3) Half the people I would say keep there cards in boxes and cant even seem them. What is the point of having them. I bought a 20 card display on ebay and filled it with cobb cards. I have 4 empty spots on it for remaining cards. I am not going to just go on ebay and buy 4 cards to fill. Filling it is half the fun.

Just my 2 cents.

[imbluestreak23]

So many negative opinions. My question, if you aren't excited or enjoying the hobby, why stay involved?

There are so many little niches in the hobby you can delve into, player collecting, teams, sets, eras, products, different sports etc. Unlike the 90s and earlier, virtually everything is a keystroke away. I worked in a card shop from when i was 11-15. I went to every one in my neighborhood and never once saw a Star Mj or a 52 Mantle in person. Go on ebay, boom, click and buy.

Any box from the 70s-present you want to rip, its out there to be had.

Curse Panini, maybe I'm not the one to talk since I don't collect modern, but some of this stuff looks nice.

I guess I just don't understand the saltiness. Life/work etc can be stressful enough. This hobby should be a carefree, fun distraction. If you aren't having fun, might be time to reevalute what you want out of it, change your collector focus or simply take a break.

The current state of the hobby FORCES you into these niches. My passion growing up as a kid was basketball. That is no longer the case.

[GC1980]

The current state of the hobby FORCES you into these niches. My passion growing up as a kid was basketball. That is no longer the case.

Basketball certainly isn't as deep as baseball but I too love basketball and it was my primary collection through my early teens, baseball secondary and when I was younger.

I still shop for and have a blast ripping some 90s products, sorting the cards, pulling an insert I remember. Plenty of joy there.

If you don't like the current stuff why worry about it? Why not go back to what you loved as a kid and collect that? I won't buy this years Select or whatnot but I can enjoy busting a 93-94 topps finest ;)

[TownyBE]

9.5 or hell even 10. If my answer was 5 or something then I wouldn't even be here to answer the question.

Nice one!! :)! :D :D

[imbluestreak23]

Basketball certainly isn't as deep as baseball but I too love basketball and it was my primary collection through my early teens, baseball secondary and when I was younger.

I still shop for and have a blast ripping some 90s products, sorting the cards, pulling an insert I remember. Plenty of joy there.

If you don't like the current stuff why worry about it? Why not go back to what you loved as a kid and collect that? I won't buy this years Select or whatnot but I can enjoy busting a 93-94 topps finest ;)'

I have done that and it's quite enjoyable. However not being able to go after an SPX Anthony Davis Auto jersey, or buy 20 Anthony Davis Topps Chrome RC's or perhaps a refractor, or a Topps Pristine Gold Refractor /99 is...sad. Panini forces me to not enjoy RC cards of players post 2009.

I'm not "worried" about it. I'm simply responding to the question posed. New stuff does not get me excited, and the only thing that would change that is if Panini disappeared in the basketball market.

[xavieronly1]

Basketball certainly isn't as deep as baseball but I too love basketball and it was my primary collection through my early teens, baseball secondary and when I was younger.

I still shop for and have a blast ripping some 90s products, sorting the cards, pulling an insert I remember. Plenty of joy there.

If you don't like the current stuff why worry about it? Why not go back to what you loved as a kid and collect that? I won't buy this years Select or whatnot but I can enjoy busting a 93-94 topps finest ;)

The joy from 90's was because you were young. You thought only big dealer or card owner could find super rare cards. You thought your 1:36 insert is the best thing in the whole town. Now? Excitement of pulling the same card will not be the same. That is the true hard fact. People almost need a case hit or kobe auto to feel the same excitement.

Because 93-94 topps finest does not have current players. You are taking about the same thing as those topps fans are asking for. Where is 2014-15 finest? It just does not exist. One would buy a 93-94 finest is just because of the set. But most in BO would like to continue to collect and find new players to collect. Hence, we need better 2014-15 products.

[GC1980]

The joy from 90's was because you were young. You thought only big dealer or card owner could find super rare cards. You thought your 1:36 insert is the best thing in the whole town. Now? Excitement of pulling the same card will not be the same. That is the true hard fact. People almost need a case hit or kobe auto to feel the same excitement.

Because 93-94 topps finest does not have current players. You are taking about the same thing as those topps fans are asking for. Where is 2014-15 finest? It just does not exist. One would buy a 93-94 finest is just because of the set. But most in BO would like to continue to collect and find new players to collect. Hence, we need better 2014-15 products.

I can see that but I do disagree with there being no excitement. I pull a Shaq Beam Team from a $30 box of 92-93 Stadium club last year and pulled a Scoring Kings MJ from 93-94 Ultra as well. Both were amazing and very exciting 1:box inserts.

My question is if there is no excitement over the new stuff and you can't enjoy the old stuff...why stay in the hobby at all?

[DajuanWagner]

10 for me. Chasing Iverson, Bron GU, 2006 Ultimate Premium patches and 2004-05 Upper Deck Basketball :) All very fun!!

current releases though? ZERO. Boring!!!! Jeez I miss UD & Topps. Even the last few releases of UD and topps were better than Panini.

Murad, Treasury, SPGU, Exquisite, SPX,... so many.

I have fun with what I collect/chase but have zero interest for the most part in these newer basketball sets. they are quite boring to be honest. I still pick up Iverson cards though.

-----------------------------------------

2014 panini contenders football is awesome. I will say that.





This is me........minus collecting Iverson.............

[dropshot808]

3. I look for and bid on the occasional Hakeem Olajuwon or Aaron Gordon card, but recently I have been more into getting signed pics of my favorite players than getting their cards.

[justdagoodstuff]

I think the numbers are low for a lot of people for many reasons.

1) Too much disposable income. When you can buy anything you want how fun is it to get a high end card or cards you pc. Why not get cards for special moments that you are less likely to part with

2) Prices on high end products. When you spend 4K on flawless you could get all HOF and Top players from now and still be disappointed because you didn't break even. I broke Leaf best of baskeball and it was not even fun to open because A) I was so nervous about getting nothing in return and B) got nothing worth noting.

3) Half the people I would say keep there cards in boxes and cant even seem them. What is the point of having them. I bought a 20 card display on ebay and filled it with cobb cards. I have 4 empty spots on it for remaining cards. I am not going to just go on ebay and buy 4 cards to fill. Filling it is half the fun.

Just my 2 cents.


Yeah, I only keep a few cards at a time. I'm pretty picky.

[xavieronly1]

I can see that but I do disagree with there being no excitement. I pull a Shaq Beam Team from a $30 box of 92-93 Stadium club last year and pulled a Scoring Kings MJ from 93-94 Ultra as well. Both were amazing and very exciting 1:box inserts.

My question is if there is no excitement over the new stuff and you can't enjoy the old stuff...why stay in the hobby at all?

You are still talking 91-92 product. I am talking pulling a 1:36 insert in 2014-15 box. It is just not the same.

The hobby has more than just finding excitement. At least for me, I am looking for finishing collection sets, but about buying the next big thing. Many still here because of the talk, because of the flipping, because they want to see anything new to keep themselves updated.

[AbraCalabro]

I think the numbers are low for a lot of people for many reasons.

1) Too much disposable income.


I would love to have this problem.

[Adam85]

I would rate my excitement at an 8. I am looking forward to Donruss Basketball because it reminds me of the cards when I was a kid and also looking forward to Select.

The hobby is more fulfilling to me if I focus on building sets first and getting hits 2nd. Don't get me wrong I love getting Auto and Patch cards but I feel more satisfied hunting/trading to complete a set than having a stack of random cards I pulled/bought.

[vitin01]

I started a few years ago and it was at a 10 with all new to me. This past year it came down to 5, mostly because it's hard to get to my LCS and some of the recent prices are a bit ridiculous. Now, I try to slowly build particular sets, there are some nicely designed inserts and parallel cards out there that I'd like to get. I'm staying away from ebay at the moment, shipping prices make it dificult to buy low end stuff. I haven't pinned down my PC player yet. Sometimes is discouraging to read the comments in the forum about how much todays NBA/hobby sucks. I've never watch Michael Jordan or the Detroit's bad boys play, and I don't give a crap about them. To each their own I guess, even though it does not apply here.

[DajuanWagner]

I would love to have this problem.



I think he meant, "too little disposable income"........I don't know anyone with too much disposable income (except my ex when I was paying child support).

[nickha2]

I think he meant, "too little disposable income"........I don't know anyone with too much disposable income (except my ex when I was paying child support).

I clearly meant too much if you kept reading. If you go into the breaks section alot of people are dropping thousands for each release. If you have that kind of money how much fun is to to break product. Its not special when you can constantly do it. Its the same principle with the rich. When you have so much money you can do anything you want you tend to be board. This is the same thing only smaller scale.

[darscards35kd]

Obviously panini sucking Ball$ puts a damper on the hobby a bit...but I still greatly enjoy buying/selling/trading!!

[DajuanWagner]

I clearly meant too much if you kept reading. If you go into the breaks section alot of people are dropping thousands for each release. If you have that kind of money how much fun is to to break product. Its not special when you can constantly do it. Its the same principle with the rich. When you have so much money you can do anything you want you tend to be board. This is the same thing only smaller scale.



We should all wish for this problem......well, the too much money part and not the board part.

[xavieronly1]

I clearly meant too much if you kept reading. If you go into the breaks section alot of people are dropping thousands for each release. If you have that kind of money how much fun is to to break product. Its not special when you can constantly do it. Its the same principle with the rich. When you have so much money you can do anything you want you tend to be board. This is the same thing only smaller scale.

That is not true. No idea where this idea comes from.

[blastman]

My excitement is at an all time low. I think I'm going to bail.

[Whodey14]

In terms of basketball it is relatively low. Maybe a 3 or so. However the hobby as a whole I am around a 7. It is enjoyable to make the day go by and have something to do. At times I do wish I was less financinally invested though.

[tacoma34]

This era of basketball players does absolutely nothing for me. I LOVED basketball during the early 2000's. Class of 96 was amazing to watch in their prime. For some reason I just think the players are getting worse and worse every year.

I have never been sucked into the endless money dump that Panini has plagued on basketball cards. I think the people that get burned out are the ones that collect the disgrace that Panini puts out every week. I would advise them to collect a player that has stuff that is harder to come by. The chase for different Iverson gold refractors and patch cards that had insane odds is what makes it fun for me. Early 2000 products have so much to offer but are still modern enough to enjoy patch cards and lots of auto's.

[bkcardcollector]

That was a great year, i think eventually 13-14 to some extent and this year will be solid to buy also, the young guys just have to develop. We are seeing Oladipo, Burke, McLemore, Dieng, M. Plumlee and some other guys really growing before our eyes so stay tuned.



Is it any good for the new stuff or high end?


Ya COMC is not too great for high end and it takes awhile for the new stuff to filter in but that is basically the same for all markets. The high end stuff is hard to get and that is what makes it high end.

I clearly meant too much if you kept reading. If you go into the breaks section alot of people are dropping thousands for each release. If you have that kind of money how much fun is to to break product. Its not special when you can constantly do it. Its the same principle with the rich. When you have so much money you can do anything you want you tend to be board. This is the same thing only smaller scale.

I hear ya man and it makes perfect sense to me. As with all things in life if it is to easy to get it is meaningless and the excitement is gone.