Advice for someone just getting into hobby?

[GoMagicGo]

Hey everyone, name is Charlie and I figured this would be a good way to start to get to know everyone here. I recently decided to get back into card collecting and came across this forum. Needless to say it was obviously the best spot to be, so here I am!

Anyway, I was kind of into the hobby back in 1998-2001 but have not bought a collectible card of any kind since then. Given the time frame between my last purchase and now, what advice would you all have for me as I get my feet wet in this sweet hobby?

I can say right off that I'm not interested in low end/common stuff but at the same time I'm not looking to spend tons of money on elite products (yet? :P ) I am very much into set building, however, and do appreciate getting a little investment value for my money but it is not top priority. Mainly I want to have fun and have something to show for my time.

Let me know what you all think, I have already spent alot of time browsing the forum and getting familiar with some of the stuff that has come out in the last decade. I can already tell I'm probably going to be busting older product and I also want to get into football cards, as I love the sport and hey that's even more good stuff to choose from. amiright?

thx for listenin, looking forward to your responses

[kornbreadchild]

is SP authentic considered high end? if not, thats a nice set to start with and perhaps maybe Topps Jumbo from this year.

Unsure if you know but Upper Deck and Topps will not be releasing NBA licensed trading cards for the next 3-4 years as Panini America has exclusive rights so perhaps give Panini Prestige a shot. That is their first basketball release this year and has some decent stuff inside.

Enjoy yourself!

[kbritt41]

Hi! The best box that is sorta cheap(around 90$) is panini rookies and stars basketball. lots of nice stuff in there. I hope this helps!Enjoy

[jeebus86]

Hey, first off welcome to SCF, and welcome back to the hobby!!!

I really think you should start off with a player collection first and maybe transition into a team collection. Judging from your user name, I take it you are a Magic fan, so maybe you should start with a Dwight Howard PC by first collecting a few of his RCs, buying a few lots of regular base cards, and then move on to getting his gu cards and maybe some of his autos.

From there, you'll get a better understanding of the various sets that are out there and begin deciding which ones are your favorite ones to collect.

[garnett_21]

Welcome back to the hobby! If you like set building, and aren't set on older products, this years (as well as last years) Upper Deck has a nice large base set, along with alot of rookies and legends. But, you said that you'd prefer something that's not low end? Regular UD is considered lower end...maybe try some of the new Panini Prestige - 4 GU or autos per box, and they are relatively cheap - $80 or so, I believe.

If you are after older cards, how old are you thinking? 98-01 range, or newer than that?

[Birdmandig]

get an ebay account for singles on the cheap!

Wax is the devil, dont waste yr monies..

I like the PC idea of a player or a team, or u could pick up autos of ur fav childhood stars?

[whalechaser]

get an ebay account for singles on the cheap!

Wax is the devil, dont waste yr monies..

I like the PC idea of a player or a team, or u could pick up autos of ur fav childhood stars?

Agree with Birdmandig. Also, might be a neat idea to set aside $50 for cards every month for cards if possible or less or more depending on your finances. It's always good to have a budget and not over spending or buy on impulse which many are tempted to do, both of those lead to wasting of money.

Also trade with integrity and be good to others. =)

[GoMagicGo]

thx for the tips so far guys. and girls?

I'm definitely going to be collecting Howard and probably a couple of other current Magic players like Carter, etc.

keep it coming, much appreciated!

[tarheelsnipe]

Just like the others said. Focus your collection. Nobody can collect it all. Team and player collections are popular, but there are plenty of set builders out there too. If you're going to focus you collection to a player and/or team, I also recommend staying away from boxes and sticking to Ebay and card collecting sites. Just like in the late 90's, Beckett's prices still make you scratch your head. Use it at your own peril. I recommend using Ebay's completed auctions search under their advanced search option when researching card values.

Oh yeah, WELCOME BACK!

[sportzking]

Welcome to SCF.
A good starting point is to just buy what you like. My personal recommendation is products like Sp Authentic and Exquisite but that is expensive. Panini will be the only NBA product soon so at least that will make collecting easier.
If you like to buy older wax, beware that some products have expired redemption cards that won't be honored.