Women's Soccer Collectors

[obenheimer78]

Originally Posted by Angus Con

100%. I have found someone that gets NWSL signatures in-person for me. And I will buy Parkside autos of interest here and there. But I won’t give them a dime directly ever again.



As for the question, I think there are a number of reasons. Hobby is down across the board. USWNT is not very shiny right now. WNBA has more attention because of their 2 rookies. Topps wildly overproduced Topps Chrome UCL last year and didn’t even have much auto/rookie selection. Topps also is too afraid to put out women’s only sets still. And I also think flippers still buy up a lot of the Topps European only releases without realizing how small the collecting crowd is. I would say for this thread specifically, I feel like the cheerleaders for Smith and Rodman have moved on. Maybe they can get back some of their hype at the Olympics.

Smith and Rodman will only get back some of the hype, if they perform really well in the Olympics. Even if team USA wins gold, if neither score a single goal, it won't help their case at all.

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[YayNJ]

Originally Posted by Angus Con

I feel like the cheerleaders for Smith and Rodman have moved on. Maybe they can get back some of their hype at the Olympics.

I think it finally sunk in for a few people that the USWNT is a ways behind many European teams now.

People were convinced that Smith and Rodman were the next coming, but the reality is, outside of the US league, they are decidedly average.

[Ianhatcher]

So now teams are using drones to spy on other teams? Unbelievable.

[YayNJ]

In the Olympics no less... supposed to be the epitome of sportsmanship.

Everything is ruined.

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by abaseballjunkie

In case you were building off my comment, I'll clarify that I haven't given up on Parkside - just decided to direct my funds elsewhere instead of trying to pick up multiple boxes of everything they put out to hit Lynn cards (there weren't many in 2024 v.1 anyway) and have a ton of singles sitting around, cluttering up the space. I never ended up finishing the 2023 base set, so I'm not going to start on 2024.

I'm actually not that put off by the QC; I haven't experienced many of the issues that people have posted about. Number of inserts? Yeah there might be a few too many.

I also have been waiting for the Donruss 2023 WWC blasters to come down in price at my local WM, but they're staying steady around $30. If those come down I might buy more (still need the Lynn /10 parallel) because they were a fun rip, but for now I'm holding off.

Just look for them online. I recently picked up a few for under $20 a piece, fun break. Still haven't finished the base set though.

[glassnickels]

Originally Posted by yiguiri2002

Just look for them online. I recently picked up a few for under $20 a piece, fun break. Still haven't finished the base set though.

This base set never ends! I pick them up randomly too here and there and found some pretty cheap at a random lcs I stopped at. It's a fun set to me, but nobody else much cares as far as selling etc.

[703dispensary]

for the 23 WWC Donruss if you give me an address I'll mail you [probably US only for this ] all my numbered base cards [directed to anyone collecting that set].

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by glassnickels

This base set never ends! I pick them up randomly too here and there and found some pretty cheap at a random lcs I stopped at. It's a fun set to me, but nobody else much cares as far as selling etc.

I got plenty of base to trade, maybe we can work something out.

The one that will be impossible to finish is the SP set, I've opened like 15 blasters and have only gotten one. Picked up another one on COMC. I've gotten more numbered parallels than the actual base for those ones.

[brewtown107]

Still here, still collecting. I don't share the disdain for Parkside, but to each their own. I just haven't been buying as much of anything in any sport right now, with everything falling right now. No need to catch a falling knife. Wax is way too expensive relative to singles prices to justify busting much of it. 2023 Donruss WWC was a fun product to rip, but it always felt like a 20 dollar per blaster product to me, or maybe even 15. So it was annoying to see it stick at 30 and then disappear from shelves, at least in my area.

[DonrussDean]

Originally Posted by brewtown107

Still here, still collecting. I don't share the disdain for Parkside, but to each their own. I just haven't been buying as much of anything in any sport right now, with everything falling right now. No need to catch a falling knife. Wax is way too expensive relative to singles prices to justify busting much of it. 2023 Donruss WWC was a fun product to rip, but it always felt like a 20 dollar per blaster product to me, or maybe even 15. So it was annoying to see it stick at 30 and then disappear from shelves, at least in my area.

Yeah, I am there with you.. I still did the weekly pronto for Parkside.. I have been lucky and have gotten 4 or 5 /10 so far.. I only bought 1 hobby box and thought it was really underwhelming. There just isn't the big names must haves right now.

I have been buying singles off COMC and Ebay mostly, but even at that not very much. As someone says as I have gotten older collecting is kind of moving on from me.

I see Rodman and Smith being mentioned here, is it too early to add Alyssa Thompson to that? I am not sure she has a goal yet this season? I know she is still pretty young and had great potential, but the few games I have seen of her this season, and I really haven't watch the NWSL like I did the last few, she has looked bad.

[YayNJ]

I've never really seen the appeal of Alyssa Thompson, outside of the fact she was young?

It's a problem that plagues soccer in general. The hype and expectation of these young sportsmen and women is crippling. The vast vast majority of them will never reach the unrealistic standards expected of them, and in the card world there's an extra level of ... I don't know the word, stupidness, I guess. The players this 'hobby' have hyped is long, and mainly tragic.

[brewtown107]

Thompson was getting starts over Rodman on the USWNT maybe 18 months ago or so, which fed the hype machine. But it seems like she's plateaued a bit, which can happen to young players.

Totally agree that the "next new young thing" phenomenon in collecting can be harmful to collector interest in the long term. Keep getting burned on the young player of the moment until you lose interest.

I like to collect base and parallel sets, and my issue has been that there are so few women-only sets, and the ones that have come out are so hard to complete. Completing even the base set of 2023 Donruss WWC is the impossible dream with all those base SPs. And the set is so big, a red parallel set is pretty unlikely too. Parkside has exploded the amount of parallels and ultra rare inserts, which has watered down the product. Ditto for Topps Chrome UEFA. So I don't bust product, and only buy a few select singles. Seems like all this stuff will come down in price when the next product releases. Maybe then I'll be able to pick up some lots and build some sets.

[HeyRelaxGuy]

Originally Posted by DonrussDean

Man, as much as I like the NWSL, I am starting to think the league needs shutdown and investigated..

Too dramatic!

Originally Posted by Angus Con

I feel like the cheerleaders for Smith and Rodman have moved on.

Let's go, Smith !!!

Originally Posted by DonrussDean

I see Rodman and Smith being mentioned here, is it too early to add Alyssa Thompson to that? I am not sure she has a goal yet this season? I know she is still pretty young and had great potential, but the few games I have seen of her this season, and I really haven't watch the NWSL like I did the last few, she has looked bad.

She showed a lot of promise in her rookie season, but has been awful in her second year. Zero goals.

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by brewtown107

I like to collect base and parallel sets, and my issue has been that there are so few women-only sets, and the ones that have come out are so hard to complete. Completing even the base set of 2023 Donruss WWC is the impossible dream with all those base SPs. And the set is so big, a red parallel set is pretty unlikely too. Parkside has exploded the amount of parallels and ultra rare inserts, which has watered down the product. Ditto for Topps Chrome UEFA. So I don't bust product, and only buy a few select singles. Seems like all this stuff will come down in price when the next product releases. Maybe then I'll be able to pick up some lots and build some sets.

FWIW I don't consider the SP cards part of the base set. I think there are less than 100 copies of each (probably less).

[Angus Con]

Originally Posted by HeyRelaxGuy

Too dramatic!



Let's go, Smith !!!



She showed a lot of promise in her rookie season, but has been awful in her second year. Zero goals.

Smith is never going to be the next big thing until she becomes the go-to player in big matches for the USWNT. Being the best of the NWSL isn't enough to justify the insane prices for her cards. And for the record, I like Smith a lot. Her hype has just been way too crazy.

[Angus Con]

Originally Posted by brewtown107

Thompson was getting starts over Rodman on the USWNT maybe 18 months ago or so, which fed the hype machine. But it seems like she's plateaued a bit, which can happen to young players.

Totally agree that the "next new young thing" phenomenon in collecting can be harmful to collector interest in the long term. Keep getting burned on the young player of the moment until you lose interest.

I like to collect base and parallel sets, and my issue has been that there are so few women-only sets, and the ones that have come out are so hard to complete. Completing even the base set of 2023 Donruss WWC is the impossible dream with all those base SPs. And the set is so big, a red parallel set is pretty unlikely too. Parkside has exploded the amount of parallels and ultra rare inserts, which has watered down the product. Ditto for Topps Chrome UEFA. So I don't bust product, and only buy a few select singles. Seems like all this stuff will come down in price when the next product releases. Maybe then I'll be able to pick up some lots and build some sets.

Swanson had a similar rise and fall when she was around Thompson's age. Now she has risen back up. At that age, it's hard to know. And with all the openings in the NT now, the competition is going to be fierce. I have not been able to find a lot of time to watch NWSL though; so, I can't say I personally have watched Thompson like I used to watch Swanson at that age.

I said years ago that I thought Rodman should go to Europe on a FB group and was told how silly that was for all the normal reasons Americans give (USA is best, Europe only has a couple of strong teams per league, blah, blah). But the year the Spirit won the NWSL championship, their entire strategy was to just get the ball to Rodman and let her go 1v1 or 1v2 to create everything. That is not a good long-term strategy for a club outside of maybe one season. But now that they have Giraldez there, I'm hopeful that he can bring some of the Barca mentality and technical skills to that group (Rodman and Bethune especially and maybe Ricketts). If the top players could start stringing passes together like Barca does, that combined with their pace and athleticism would make the USWNT lethal like they've never been.

[DonrussDean]

Gotham is the new team to sign a 14 year old and she could play this weekend..

This league really got to stop that.

[HeyRelaxGuy]

Originally Posted by Angus Con

Smith is never going to be the next big thing until she becomes the go-to player in big matches for the USWNT. Being the best of the NWSL isn't enough to justify the insane prices for her cards. And for the record, I like Smith a lot. Her hype has just been way too crazy.

She already is a "big thing" and has been for a couple of years now. She is a very consistent goal-scorer and that's all Americans care about. She doesn't need a gold medal or another NWSL championship.

Reminds me of what happened with Mike Trout. As long as he kept hitting homers, then Americans were happy and his cards stayed hot. The guy never won any championships, heck, I think he only made it to the post season once, but that didn't matter. Now we're seeing the same thing happen with Aaron Judge.

Originally Posted by Angus Con

I said years ago that I thought Rodman should go to Europe on a FB group and was told how silly that was for all the normal reasons Americans give (USA is best, Europe only has a couple of strong teams per league, blah, blah). But the year the Spirit won the NWSL championship, their entire strategy was to just get the ball to Rodman and let her go 1v1 or 1v2 to create everything. That is not a good long-term strategy for a club outside of maybe one season. But now that they have Giraldez there, I'm hopeful that he can bring some of the Barca mentality and technical skills to that group (Rodman and Bethune especially and maybe Ricketts). If the top players could start stringing passes together like Barca does, that combined with their pace and athleticism would make the USWNT lethal like they've never been.

I was surprised when Washington got rid of Ashley Sanchez, but they got some sick players in that draft. Bethune, like you mentioned, and I really think Makenna Morris is gonna' help them a lot as well.

[HeyRelaxGuy]

Originally Posted by DonrussDean

Gotham is the new team to sign a 14 year old and she could play this weekend..

This league really got to stop that.

100% agree with you.

Pretty soon, we're gonna' be seeing NWSL teams signing elementary school girls.

[Crosby 87]

Originally Posted by DonrussDean

Gotham is the new team to sign a 14 year old and she could play this weekend..

This league really got to stop that.

yeah ...Olivia Moultrie sued the NWSL for the right to play despite the league's age restrictions. That's why its happening now

[Angus Con]

Originally Posted by HeyRelaxGuy

She already is a "big thing" and has been for a couple of years now. She is a very consistent goal-scorer and that's all Americans care about. She doesn't need a gold medal or another NWSL championship.

Reminds me of what happened with Mike Trout. As long as he kept hitting homers, then Americans were happy and his cards stayed hot. The guy never won any championships, heck, I think he only made it to the post season once, but that didn't matter. Now we're seeing the same thing happen with Aaron Judge.



I was surprised when Washington got rid of Ashley Sanchez, but they got some sick players in that draft. Bethune, like you mentioned, and I really think Makenna Morris is gonna' help them a lot as well.

I don’t agree that she’s the next big thing right now, at least in the hobby. She’s sort of old news. Women’s football is already a small collector base, but who is going to spend hundreds on a player that only excels in the NWSL year after year? Not many. There’s barely that many before you ask the question of Smith.

[YayNJ]

When you compare the likes of Sophia Smith, who's now 23 years of age - not young in 'soccer' terms, to the likes of Salma Paralluelo who's still 20.. it's night and day.

The youth players coming through in Europe and South America are light years ahead. See the likes of Linda Caicedo, Vicky Lopez, Momoko Tanikawa, Dudinha...

As the USWNT found out recently, resting on your laurels and expecting to win just doesn't come anywhere near cutting it anymore. This isn't meant as an insult, but the United States is a very insular country when it comes to sports, and while everyone else is catching up, or in some cases surpassed [in regards to women's football], the US hasn't kicked on and continued to live in a bubble.

[HeyRelaxGuy]

Originally Posted by Crosby 87

yeah ...Olivia Moultrie sued the NWSL for the right to play despite the league's age restrictions. That's why its happening now

That's pretty bad. I just can't imagine a family suing the NHL or the NBA so that their fifteen-year-old can play professionally.

Moultrie is in her fourth season now as a professional and what she has scored in her entire career is less than what Smith has scored in just 2024 alone. And why is this happening? First Smith played high school ball and then spent a couple years in Stanford University, where she further worked on her skills. By the time she joined the NWSL, she was ready to rumble.

Anybody who thinks that they can just skip all of this and turn professional, and not be faced with any consequences, is dead wrong. They're ruining their careers. Moultrie is definitely not playing like a first-rounder (she was picked 1st overall ) and Barcenas, Ricketts, etc. are just sitting on the bench all the time now. The whole thing is just ridiculous. Are stupid parents going to start suing coaches next ??

[HeyRelaxGuy]

Originally Posted by Angus Con

I don’t agree that she’s the next big thing right now, at least in the hobby. She’s sort of old news. Women’s football is already a small collector base, but who is going to spend hundreds on a player that only excels in the NWSL year after year? Not many. There’s barely that many before you ask the question of Smith.

She dominates the league every single year that she plays - how can she be old news? People love her more than ever. Go look on eBay, I see 1,900+ cards listed and 980 sales over the past few months. You don't know what you're talking about.

[HeyRelaxGuy]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

When you compare the likes of Sophia Smith, who's now 23 years of age - not young in 'soccer' terms, to the likes of Salma Paralluelo who's still 20.. it's night and day.

I'll tell you what's night and day: Liga F and the NWSL. Seriously, Paralluelo could leave Barcelona right now, and hang out with you in Oahu, and her team will still end up winning! Tell her to come down to the NWSL and then we'll talk, alright?