Any help would be appreciated

[creasecollector]

Some amazing tips in here for sure. Don't forget there are numerous ways to collect -- some people pick a player, some pick a team, I know people who only collect Autos, some pick a brand and build a set, others just look for the best looking card they happen upon.

What drew you back into the hobby? Have your kids expressed interest in breaking open packs of cards or do they prefer going and buying singles and holding a specific card in their hands, etc?
Have fun with it. Don't take things TOO seriously and talk with people on the boards -- the greatest resource out there -- and be part of the community. It's what draws me back time and time again.

Agreed! Such good advice here!

[Sharky94]

Don't buy any product expecting to MAKE money on the hits.

+1. Doing that is no different than gambling. You'll win occasionally, and that can get a lot of people in trouble because that is all they remember. You tend to forget all the other losses. If you think you'll buy boxes (or whatever) and make enough off it to pay for the ones you want to keep, and the whole collecting thing will be cost free, then you probably believe in unicorns and the Tooth Fairy.

My #1 rule is that I treat any money I spend on cards as disposable income and don't expect to ever see any of it back. If you buy a nice $200 card of that "Can't Miss" rookie and are going to worry about your "lost" money when its only worth $100 in a year and $50 in three years, then you should probably not buy any cards at all. Treat collecting as a hobby that will cost you money. That way, you will be much happier with your hobby, and you'll actually enjoy it much more.

Tip #2: Never buy a Beckett and don't let your kids look at one. Too many kids these days (as well as many adults) are only concerned about what their card is "worth" and fail to get any enjoyment out of collecting a card for the sake of collecting it. If you need to find a value to make sure you don't get screwed in a trade, just check EBay. Those prices are the real value of a card because it shows what someone will actually pay for it. I know a lot of dealers that are sitting on boxes of $200 cards because they wouldn't accept that offer of $50 or $75 that someone would actually pay because Beckett says its worth $200. Most of them will be buried with those cards.

#3: Try to find a shop somewhere that has "Trading Nights." It can be lots of fun for your kids to get rid of all those Sidney cards they don't want for something they DO want. It will also help the 'ol "learning how to get along with others" that many people have trouble with these days. When you trade cards, you have to see the trade in the eyes of the other person to see what they want, what they value, etc. It's an important life trait that would help anyone. If you can't find a shop, try going to a big card show. There is almost always a spot somewhere where people sit and break open boxes and packs, and you can usually find kids there that would be open to trading.

[creasecollector]

+1. Doing that is no different than gambling. You'll win occasionally, and that can get a lot of people in trouble because that is all they remember. You tend to forget all the other losses. If you think you'll buy boxes (or whatever) and make enough off it to pay for the ones you want to keep, and the whole collecting thing will be cost free, then you probably believe in unicorns and the Tooth Fairy.

My #1 rule is that I treat any money I spend on cards as disposable income and don't expect to ever see any of it back. If you buy a nice $200 card of that "Can't Miss" rookie and are going to worry about your "lost" money when its only worth $100 in a year and $50 in three years, then you should probably not buy any cards at all. Treat collecting as a hobby that will cost you money. That way, you will be much happier with your hobby, and you'll actually enjoy it much more.

Tip #2: Never buy a Beckett and don't let your kids look at one. Too many kids these days (as well as many adults) are only concerned about what their card is "worth" and fail to get any enjoyment out of collecting a card for the sake of collecting it. If you need to find a value to make sure you don't get screwed in a trade, just check EBay. Those prices are the real value of a card because it shows what someone will actually pay for it. I know a lot of dealers that are sitting on boxes of $200 cards because they wouldn't accept that offer of $50 or $75 that someone would actually pay because Beckett says its worth $200. Most of them will be buried with those cards.

#3: Try to find a shop somewhere that has "Trading Nights." It can be lots of fun for your kids to get rid of all those Sidney cards they don't want for something they DO want. It will also help the 'ol "learning how to get along with others" that many people have trouble with these days. When you trade cards, you have to see the trade in the eyes of the other person to see what they want, what they value, etc. It's an important life trait that would help anyone. If you can't find a shop, try going to a big card show. There is almost always a spot somewhere where people sit and break open boxes and packs, and you can usually find kids there that would be open to trading.

Great advice here, @Sharky94 ! Bolded point #2 because of how spot on it is in my personal experience. I bought one of those when I was younger and just started getting into collecting. I thought my small collection was worth WAY more than it actually was. Then when I looked on eBay for the first time and I was a little disappointed, haha. Live and learn I guess. And the cards I had were only cheap inserts, etc, so I didn't get suckered into The Cup rookies or anything like that. 13 y/o me didn't have that kind of cash to even dream about those types of cards!

And obsessing over "worth" 100% of the time can kill your happiness in the hobby. I've seen it happen with some younger collectors who I've met in the hobby. Is value important? Okay, yeah, but it's not everything. There is more to a hobby than just money. So much more.

But yeah, solid advice all around everyone. A thread like this should be "sticky'd" in the New Member introduction section or something. I think all collectors should see this great advice when they first start collecting, as it will save them a lot of bad experiences and some $$$.

[QuickCollector]

I've given up busting wax unless it's cheap and with the kids and they keep the cards, pick a player and collect and to narrow it down a little collect something consistent eg autos, jerseys, patches, die cut etc.