What brand?

[slimdiggie]

Keep in mind I'm new to collecting... The more and more I read the more questions I have:

How do you determine what type of collector you are by brand? UD, ITG or Panini? What brands really better?

Would u rather buy more boxes at a discount or pay more for one box? For example 3 boxes at 30.00 or 1 at 100?

How did u determine on what u collect? Teams? Players?

I collect about 5 players on the bruins currently and love autos and memrobilla cards.

Thanks,
Slim

[30ranfordfan]

You're doing a disservice to yourself if you collect only one brand. All three companies: UD, Panini, and ITG make some very nice products. All three make ones that I'm not really all that interested in, or ones that don't fit my budget, but I will support any product that gives me what I percieve to be good value.


Lower end stuff, I generally avoid. Not like I've never cracked them before..... but sets like Score or OPC, they don't do much for me. You can get a lot of cards for a good price, but unless you really want to build that set - I don't think there's a whole lot of value there (yes, you can get lucky and get a big hit.... but that's the same as any product). Higher end stuff (where you're paying $150 (or more) for 3-5 cards, I avoid too.

Upper Deck Series 1 / Series 2 is a regular pair of products that I do really like. Build the sets, rookies are challenging enough / valueable enough that there is some effort needed, but not so much so that you'll break the bank doing it.


I really like ITG's Between The Pipes, and crack at least a few boxes of it every year. They've got "Decades 1990s" coming out soon, and that will be the product I buy the most between its release date, and November (when UD Series 1 hits shelves).


That's boxes though. For singles, I'll go after anything I like. Autos, RCs, Game Used mostly.

[BillInDallas]

When you're new to collecting it's easy to become engulfed in all of the new products. When things are really in full swing there's a new product out seemingly every other week. When I came back to the hobby a few years ago, I know I got caught up in it through busting wax and joining group breaks. I wound up with a lot of products I didn't have interest in and a lot of cards to move. But as I did it I learned what I liked and what I didn't. Or so I thought.

As time has gone on, my collecting tastes and preferences have changed a couple of times in a few short years. I thought I settled in on a few different themes and sets, only to realize that my heart wasn't really in them. I wasn't necessarily collecting what I like and was still being led around to some extent.

Fast forward to now. I collect what I like and am cool with my collection. It's a hodge-podge of stuff. I'm putting together one particular ITG set, I pick up Sakic stuff that catches my eye. I grab some Giroux Cup RC when the feeling is right. I am putting together the 2011 Goodwin auto set VERY, VERY slowly. I might not be recognized as the Joe Blow Supercollector or have the "sickest" collection of a particular set, but what I do have is what I like.

What I recommend anyone getting into the hobby to do is look, observe, buy, sell, and trade to figure out what it is that YOU like. Chances are what you think you like now is not what you will like down the road and that's ok. It could be sets. It could be singles. It could be a player or team collection. It could be totally random. It could be Upper Deck, Panini, ITG or some combination of the three. The great thing about collecting is that it is and should be a fairly dynamic and ever-changing thing. The moment it becomes static and rigid is when the fun usually leaves. YOU get to choose the direction your collection takes. Don't let your collection direct you. Make sure you do your experimenting with something resembling a budget. Doing it without one leaves you at risk of becoming jaded and bitter with the hobby. The hobby is supposed to be fun, isn't it?

[slimdiggie]

Thanks for the info you guys.