Collecting cards from the 90's

[millej11]

hello all. I'm new to this forum. I've been collecting cards for almost 14 years. I've gone in and out of collecting but recently my addiction to the hobby has sparked up bigger than ever. I usually only buy cards when I get "the urge" around the start of the NFL season, and in my haste to tame the beast I make poor buys (most blaster boxes = ) So I have several collecting questions and I hope the more business savvy members can.

One of my more recent fascinations is buying packs or boxes ranging from 94 to early 00's (but not 1999. horrible rookie class). I love the early "ultra rare" inserts with the nice foil designs. The earlier parallels looked very classy, the diecuts, even better. I don't have to worry about buying a box and not getting an auto or patch. Rather it seems the nicer looking the insert = the more valuable. But I'm afraid I'm just throwing away cash because the real money seems to be in the current or year old releases. So here are my questions regarding football cards from about 94 to early 00's:

~Is it worth it, money wise, to buy boxes of these older brands

~If so, which brands have the best return on your money?

~Which brands sport the best inserts?

~Which is more worthwhile, if at all...buying a lot of packs, buying a hobby/retail box, or buying factory sets?

~Other than '98, which years produced the hottest rookies?

~Which current brands resemble the brands from the 90's, with the rare inserts and parallels?

I know I'm asking a lot of questions covering a lot of brands, but help a newb out. I'm looking for answers that may one day help me own my own card business.

Thanks for your time

[mack10290]

Those old sets are cool to look at, but theres very little resale value in that stuff. If you have any chance to make a buck, you gotta get the newest thing out there and sell it right away. Superstar RCs like P. Manning, Moss etc from '98, Brady from '00, etc. will bring some money if you can pull them, but collectors of those players have most of that stuff by now already in their collections. Best tip I could give, if you wanna buy that old stuff, look for bargains, bust it for fun, and forget about making money.

Also dont buy loose packs....pack searchers and scammers are everywhere. Most low-end and mid-level sets have parallels. Topps Chrome is always a hit with set and team collectors. Good luck!