"Hello all" says the beginner! - Page 2

Bambino22 · 10-04-2022, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BambinoShuffle

I am new here as well, it’s great getting see everyone’s collections and it is truly an honor being part of this awesome collector community. Cheers all!

Nice username!

Welcome guys.

dodgerfanjohn · 10-04-2022, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punkbuster

Funny. We have a similar attitude here in Germany with certain soccer clubs. For example, Red Bull Leipzig. The club was founded almost completely artificially, with an incredible amount of money from Red Bull. Or Wolfsburg. Volkswagen has its headquarters in Wolfsburg, and the club is a factory club in that sense. Lots of money, no tradition. There's something like that in baseball, too. Or do you just not like the Yankees?

Best
Punkbuster

The New York Yankees are the most storied team in baseball with a deep history that really fired up when they bought Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox in 1920.

The Yankees have won the most World Series, have had tons of legendary Hall of Fame players, and starting under owner George Steinbrenner in the late 1970’s, have had an exhorbinate payroll that is frequently the highest in mlb.

They are the most beloved and most hated franchised in baseball though the Los Angeles Dodgers are starting to catch up.

Punkbuster · 10-04-2022, 05:51 AM

THX for info. In knew some of those details but not all.

EastonElite · 10-04-2022, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoreToppsPlease

“What would you recommend to me as a beginner in the baseball card world? ”

Seems you’re best served by re-reading my comments and engaging in some self reflection.

Any newbie needs to learn the agendas of others.

OP, this post illustrates how someone confuses a hobby and a side-gig. Or primary gig. Or is someone who works for an auction house that constantly encourages people to mindlessly buy and sell so they get a cut of the action. Or is trying to inflate the value of cards for themselves or others. Or is trying to discredit pure collectors who don’t have to sell to stay in their hobby because it interferes with their profit agenda.

In real stock markets many people can receive substantial fines when endorsing buying or selling positions when not disclosing their personal interests or connections.

It still remains that selling cards is not a hobby, it’s a job.

OP, see how quickly my point was proven

Nice how this example shows a high count member basically repeating the same tired take, while providing more details on his opinions and assumptions, none of which can be proven correct.
#morefanaticsplease
Collect how you want to collect.

base set · 10-04-2022, 10:09 AM

Bad news: there is no right way to do it.

Good news: there is no wrong way to do it.

mchenrycards · 10-04-2022, 11:38 AM

I have been collecting for nearly 50 years and still cling to the old hobby philosophy.....

Collect what you like and not for profit.

If you make money consider that a bonus. Many here at Blowout and other boards will offer opinions and tell you what you should collect but I encourage you to do your homework and really see if you genuinely like a certain product or just buying into the hype.

I know this doesn't answer any of your questions but hopefully it will set some guidelines for you as you start this hobby quest.

By the way...where in Germany are you located? I ask because I still have relatives there and have four previous exchange students that we stay in contact that live in various areas of Germany.

Punkbuster · 10-04-2022, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mchenrycards

I have been collecting for nearly 50 years and still cling to the old hobby philosophy.....

Collect what you like and not for profit.

If you make money consider that a bonus. Many here at Blowout and other boards will offer opinions and tell you what you should collect but I encourage you to do your homework and really see if you genuinely like a certain product or just buying into the hype.

I know this doesn't answer any of your questions but hopefully it will set some guidelines for you as you start this hobby quest.

By the way...where in Germany are you located? I ask because I still have relatives there and have four previous exchange students that we stay in contact that live in various areas of Germany.

Hi there.

Originally I come from Heidelberg. Then I lived in Frankfurt am Main for a while. Then for a few years in Berlin, and now with child in the countryside in Lower Saxony.

kind regards
Christian

ItsMeJordanD · 10-04-2022, 01:08 PM

Opening a box of cards is fun, but buying single cards is the best way to build a collection of cards that you like. COMC might be a good option for you since you can buy singles on that site and keep them in your account inventory until you want to request a shipment.

Do you know about Max Kepler? He's a German player in the MLB who grew up in Berlin. He's also one of the batters who are expected to benefit the most from next year's rule change that limits the infield shift. I would expect any German baseball card collector to have at least a few Max Kepler cards!

gmoney328 · 10-04-2022, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punkbuster

Funny. We have a similar attitude here in Germany with certain soccer clubs. For example, Red Bull Leipzig. The club was founded almost completely artificially, with an incredible amount of money from Red Bull. Or Wolfsburg. Volkswagen has its headquarters in Wolfsburg, and the club is a factory club in that sense. Lots of money, no tradition. There's something like that in baseball, too. Or do you just not like the Yankees?

Best
Punkbuster

NO ONE likes the Yankees in the USA, unless you're a Yankees fan. They're still the Evil Empire.

grens404 · 10-04-2022, 01:16 PM

As someone who is getting back into the hobby I narrowed down what I enjoy and how to do it without breaking the bank.

I personally collect Phillies base set cards and Greg Maddux cards from when he was a Cub. I'll buy the new factory set every year (series 1 and 2), and boom I have my base Phillies cards until the Update comes out. That satisfies that, but it's also enjoyable to go through the factory set. I like to pick out the top 10 rookies who have potential to be great and the top 10 players likely to be Hall of Famers and display them in a binder. Easy, fun, not expensive.

I'll buy individual Phillies cards and Maddux cards for around $1-$2 on ebay as I'm not interested in autos.

Hope this gives you an idea of what you might collect and how to do it without breaking the bank!

Edit: for an example of cost, I bought most of the 90s base set series 1, series 2, and/traded Phillies cards for around $20ish.

Punkbuster · 10-04-2022, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItsMeJordanD

Opening a box of cards is fun, but buying single cards is the best way to build a collection of cards that you like. COMC might be a good option for you since you can buy singles on that site and keep them in your account inventory until you want to request a shipment.

Do you know about Max Kepler? He's a German player in the MLB who grew up in Berlin. He's also one of the batters who are expected to benefit the most from next year's rule change that limits the infield shift. I would expect any German baseball card collector to have at least a few Max Kepler cards!

I will keep Max in mind.

Fargo? Wow. One of the best movies and series I have ever seen.

Punkbuster · 10-04-2022, 03:16 PM

I have one more question.You guys mention "auto" a lot. What does that mean?

grens404 · 10-04-2022, 03:44 PM

Autograph

MiamiMarlinsFan · 10-04-2022, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punkbuster

I have one more question.You guys mention "auto" a lot. What does that mean?

Specifically a Topps/Panini certified autographed card.

f2tornado · 10-04-2022, 04:12 PM

There is no salary cap in MLB and therefore the Yankees can and do outspend nearly every team year after year. The age old root for the underdog at play.

International shipping costs will be a challenge. Find a seller who has a lot of inventory and ships international. You can get a lot of cards of your favorite players relatively cheap. There's a Topps UK site and I'm sure Panini has something over there since they're headquartered in Italy. Have fun.

Punkbuster · 10-04-2022, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f2tornado

There is no salary cap in MLB and therefore the Yankees can and do outspend nearly every team year after year. The age old root for the underdog at play.

International shipping costs will be a challenge. Find a seller who has a lot of inventory and ships international. You can get a lot of cards of your favorite players relatively cheap. There's a Topps UK site and I'm sure Panini has something over there since they're headquartered in Italy. Have fun.

The exchange rate of the euro against the dollar is not so great right now. On top of that, there is the customs duty. But that is sometimes very complicated. For example, I've paid customs for Pokemon cards from the US, but none for my constant purchases in Japan. The UK side is interesting. Since however I must chekcne times like that with the customs is. BREXIT sux!

jbmm161 · 10-05-2022, 12:23 AM

I don’t collect baseball anymore but the most fun I had was collecting a few players from the 2010-2012 Texas Rangers. Buying base, inserts, game used and autographs of a few of the Star players.

I would also buy boxes but just be prepared to be stuck with cards of players/teams your not a fan of. May have a hard time selling or trading being in Germany. I always preferred buying boxes to build complete sets and display in binders/9-pocket pages.

Which game did you attend? Maybe pick a few players from that time and collect them.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Punkbuster · 10-05-2022, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbmm161

I don’t collect baseball anymore but the most fun I had was collecting a few players from the 2010-2012 Texas Rangers. Buying base, inserts, game used and autographs of a few of the Star players.

I would also buy boxes but just be prepared to be stuck with cards of players/teams your not a fan of. May have a hard time selling or trading being in Germany. I always preferred buying boxes to build complete sets and display in binders/9-pocket pages.

Which game did you attend? Maybe pick a few players from that time and collect them.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was 1996 vs Kansas City Royals. Well, maybe that's a good suggestion to collect those players. Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams... Why not?

Punkbuster · 10-05-2022, 08:50 AM

Sorry, but I still have no answer about "where to buy". The problem here in Germany is, that those local sellers only have Pokemon, Digimon, Yuhigo, FIFA and if you are lucky football. The thing is, that football become more and more popular here in Germany because of the superbowl. They broadcast that event every year and celebrates little parties in sportbars. That would be unthinkable in terms of baseball here in my country.

I think it's because of the simplicity of the rules in football and the action. After all, since March I've been able to watch up to 150 MLB Games on a German streaming platform. Before that, no German broadcaster offered that.

Well, coming back to the cards. So, do you have any suggestions which online Shops are serious. We have one here in Germany but it has not that good reviews.

Thanks in advance

Punkbuster · 10-07-2022, 05:31 AM

Sorry for the update of the thread, but maybe but maybe someone can still give me a tip where I can order boxes. I have looked directly in the store of Blowout, but... unfortunately that does not work at all. The shipping costs are simply outrageous. For a small hobby box to Germany I should pay 104$. I have already ordered things in the USA. Or all the Pokemon cards, which I still only order in Japan. Just as an example: If I order Pokemon Displays in Japan, I pay with DHL "EXPRESS" 39$.

So, I would be very happy if someone can still give me a tip for an online store. Google has not really helped me.

Thanks in advance

Pacmeyer · 10-07-2022, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punkbuster

So, I would be very happy if someone can still give me a tip for an online store. Google has not really helped me.

Thanks in advance

It has always been cheaper to ship from Europe to North America than the other way around. Express mail, UPS, and Fedex flats rates to international addresses are all high.

Try a smaller online store to see if they will quote you a custom rate. You can find a list of stores by googling Topps million card rip party. I ordered from some of the smaller sellers on the list and service was better than any of the big 3.

Punkbuster · 10-07-2022, 06:45 AM

You are absolutely right. DHL would be cheaper, but still much higher than from Germany to USA. That's crazy that the prices differ so much.

I have to think about something else. Finally, there are 19% import sales tax and customs. Maybe I'll try to find a community here in Germany, which may organize collective orders. That would make more sense.

10-04-2022, 01:08 PM	#33
ItsMeJordanD Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Fargo, ND Posts: 214 thisoneisforever JordanD89	Opening a box of cards is fun, but buying single cards is the best way to build a collection of cards that you like. COMC might be a good option for you since you can buy singles on that site and keep them in your account inventory until you want to request a shipment. Do you know about Max Kepler? He's a German player in the MLB who grew up in Berlin. He's also one of the batters who are expected to benefit the most from next year's rule change that limits the infield shift. I would expect any German baseball card collector to have at least a few Max Kepler cards! __________________ Collecting: Topps Chrome parallels of Minnesota Twins Maybe the real gem mint 10s were the friends we made along the way...

10-04-2022, 01:16 PM	#35
grens404 Member Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: NJ Posts: 54	As someone who is getting back into the hobby I narrowed down what I enjoy and how to do it without breaking the bank. I personally collect Phillies base set cards and Greg Maddux cards from when he was a Cub. I'll buy the new factory set every year (series 1 and 2), and boom I have my base Phillies cards until the Update comes out. That satisfies that, but it's also enjoyable to go through the factory set. I like to pick out the top 10 rookies who have potential to be great and the top 10 players likely to be Hall of Famers and display them in a binder. Easy, fun, not expensive. I'll buy individual Phillies cards and Maddux cards for around $1-$2 on ebay as I'm not interested in autos. Hope this gives you an idea of what you might collect and how to do it without breaking the bank! Edit: for an example of cost, I bought most of the 90s base set series 1, series 2, and/traded Phillies cards for around $20ish. Last edited by grens404; 10-04-2022 at 01:21 PM.

10-04-2022, 05:51 AM	#28
Punkbuster Member Join Date: Oct 2022 Location: Germany Posts: 14	THX for info. In knew some of those details but not all.

10-04-2022, 10:09 AM	#30
base set Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: NW Michigan Posts: 9,471	Bad news: there is no right way to do it. Good news: there is no wrong way to do it.

10-04-2022, 11:38 AM	#31
mchenrycards Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Southern Wisconsin Posts: 381	I have been collecting for nearly 50 years and still cling to the old hobby philosophy..... Collect what you like and not for profit. If you make money consider that a bonus. Many here at Blowout and other boards will offer opinions and tell you what you should collect but I encourage you to do your homework and really see if you genuinely like a certain product or just buying into the hype. I know this doesn't answer any of your questions but hopefully it will set some guidelines for you as you start this hobby quest. By the way...where in Germany are you located? I ask because I still have relatives there and have four previous exchange students that we stay in contact that live in various areas of Germany.

10-04-2022, 03:16 PM	#37
Punkbuster Member Join Date: Oct 2022 Location: Germany Posts: 14	I have one more question.You guys mention "auto" a lot. What does that mean?

10-04-2022, 03:44 PM	#38
grens404 Member Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: NJ Posts: 54	Autograph

10-04-2022, 04:12 PM	#40
f2tornado Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Bismarck, ND Posts: 2,267 f2tornado f2tornado	There is no salary cap in MLB and therefore the Yankees can and do outspend nearly every team year after year. The age old root for the underdog at play. International shipping costs will be a challenge. Find a seller who has a lot of inventory and ships international. You can get a lot of cards of your favorite players relatively cheap. There's a Topps UK site and I'm sure Panini has something over there since they're headquartered in Italy. Have fun.

10-05-2022, 12:23 AM	#42
jbmm161 Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Ft Worth Posts: 664 jbmm161	I don’t collect baseball anymore but the most fun I had was collecting a few players from the 2010-2012 Texas Rangers. Buying base, inserts, game used and autographs of a few of the Star players. I would also buy boxes but just be prepared to be stuck with cards of players/teams your not a fan of. May have a hard time selling or trading being in Germany. I always preferred buying boxes to build complete sets and display in binders/9-pocket pages. Which game did you attend? Maybe pick a few players from that time and collect them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10-05-2022, 08:50 AM	#44
Punkbuster Member Join Date: Oct 2022 Location: Germany Posts: 14	Sorry, but I still have no answer about "where to buy". The problem here in Germany is, that those local sellers only have Pokemon, Digimon, Yuhigo, FIFA and if you are lucky football. The thing is, that football become more and more popular here in Germany because of the superbowl. They broadcast that event every year and celebrates little parties in sportbars. That would be unthinkable in terms of baseball here in my country. I think it's because of the simplicity of the rules in football and the action. After all, since March I've been able to watch up to 150 MLB Games on a German streaming platform. Before that, no German broadcaster offered that. Well, coming back to the cards. So, do you have any suggestions which online Shops are serious. We have one here in Germany but it has not that good reviews. Thanks in advance

10-07-2022, 05:31 AM	#45
Punkbuster Member Join Date: Oct 2022 Location: Germany Posts: 14	Sorry for the update of the thread, but maybe but maybe someone can still give me a tip where I can order boxes. I have looked directly in the store of Blowout, but... unfortunately that does not work at all. The shipping costs are simply outrageous. For a small hobby box to Germany I should pay 104$. I have already ordered things in the USA. Or all the Pokemon cards, which I still only order in Japan. Just as an example: If I order Pokemon Displays in Japan, I pay with DHL "EXPRESS" 39$. So, I would be very happy if someone can still give me a tip for an online store. Google has not really helped me. Thanks in advance

10-07-2022, 06:45 AM	#47
Punkbuster Member Join Date: Oct 2022 Location: Germany Posts: 14	You are absolutely right. DHL would be cheaper, but still much higher than from Germany to USA. That's crazy that the prices differ so much. I have to think about something else. Finally, there are 19% import sales tax and customs. Maybe I'll try to find a community here in Germany, which may organize collective orders. That would make more sense.