General Forum

I enjoy the hobby of collecting and chasing after set completion but I'm looking for some advice from seasoned collectors.  I started collecting Magic cards but soon realized I couldn't possibly keep up with the rate at which new cards were produced so.I decided to get out of Magic and collect sport cards since they retain better value and seem more likely to appreciate over time. I'd like a hobby that doesn't drive me into the poor house chasing sets. Ideally I'd love a hobby that "pays for itself" so I'm willing to buy/trade just for the purpose of making a little money to offset my losses. I'm looking for some tips on how to minimize losses and still chase after set completion. 

I keep seeing the advice online to set a budget and decide what specificaly you want to collect because you can't collect it all.  I THINK I have ideas of what I want to collect now but I'm curious if it's still going to drive me into the poor house or if there are ways to mitigate losses. I'd like to share what I think I'd like to collect and see if I can get advice from seasoned collectors what is realistic or not in my expectations and what strategy YOU would employe to minimize your loses.

• I've never had a local NHL team to root for but finally have the Seattle Kraken so I plan to collect the Kraken specifically.
• I've been to a lot of WHL games and thought it would be fun to collect WHL players who were drafted to the NHL from Tri-City Americans (primary) and Everett Silvertips (secondary).
• I enjoy pack breaking and thought I might start trying to chase set completion on Upper Deck series 1 and 2

Having said all that, is there really any value in cards of former TC American players who are no longer in the NHL like say Olaf Kolzig (former TC American goalie) if he's now retired and didn't set the world on fire? In other words will his cards only decrease in value or will the retain value or possibly go up? Likewise is it better for me just to start collecting rookie cards of NEW TC American and Everett Silvertip players who have a chance to have good careers and see their values go up?

Is pack breaking really just a huge money pit? I noticed already that for a couple hundred bucks I can pretty much get all the base cards minus the Young Guns but now buying boxes to chase Young Guns is getting cost prohibitive.

Is it worth looking for local deals on collectors selling off old collections for cheap so I can have trade stock to trade here with those who have cards I want or is that generally a losing proposition too?

I'm just looking for tips on how I can collect, enjoy set completion, and not lose thousands of dollars every year.

U come to the best damn site there is welcome aboard a lot of people are different I for 1 have a full blown mess on my hands a completely full 5x6x10 storage unit filled top to bottom I've been in this HOBBY for 23 years I have bought cheap from salvation army flea markets ebay once upon a time when the boxes was cheaper it's just a hit and miss anymore with the pandemic going on 

collect what you like and trade with people

before you know it you will have a great collection

Thanks for sharing comments and insights. I'm glad a friend showed me this site.  Seems pretty good. I wish there were a few more database features for matching wantlists and calculating values but pretty good so far!

Don't come in thinking you will make money.  Buying packs and boxes is like buying lottery tickets.  Just find what you like to collect and focus on that. 

Ravensray52. I am pretty sure it would be hard to make money at it but I'm mostly looking to minimize my losses a bit. Besides, I think tradinng and/or looking for value is a big part of the hobby is it not?

Besides, I think tradinng and/or looking for value is a big part of the hobby is it not?

Yes and no. Depends what you're in it for. I think a lot of us were in it way back when with the hopes of the cards going up in value and securing our (future) retirements. Most of us, except for a few lucky ones who had only the few right cards, have not realized the vast expected profits.

Most of us have had our bubbles burst, and now we go after the cards we simply want to have, value be ignored. We have several collectors on here who will trade any card for a card they don't have, not looking at "book values". Some collectors will track a trade down to the penny to ensure the trade is even. You'll find all types here.

Unless you plan to spend a lot of money in the hobby, the chances of you breaking even or making money are very, very low. (You're likely to get lucky and pull that low serial numbered relic auto of Trout and sell it at a huge profit over what you paid for your pack/box/case/cases, but you're more likely to pull the unnumbered relic of Vince Velasquez. Or a low serial numbered card of a Diamondback or a Marlin. And with those, you'll maybe get your pack cost back.

As someone else said - you need to simply figure out what you want to collect, and go after that. I would recommend understanding what normal prices are for those items, and not over-paying, despite your desire to get certain things. (As an example, if a box of the product/sport you collect is normally $100, and you haven't seen it for months, and a box pops up for $250, you don't need it, you might want it, but you don't need it.)

 Or a low serial numbered card of a Diamondback or a Marlin.

What did the Dbacks ever do to you Dan?  lol

It's become increasingly difficult to find people who will pay for cards what you think you should. Years ago I tried doing the collect for investment sole purpose. And very quickly got let down. Ohhh...I have a Barry Bonds insert that Beckett shows is $80? Ebay! Just to see it sell for $6. For money, some buy high end products like Museum collection which is hobby only. I myself have switched over to a handful of pc( private collections) players and some sets. If you're still trying to sell to offset costs some try for sets of Bowman products to pull those rare autos of rookies that are hit and miss. Everybody is different which makes it fun and interesting. Hope this helps a little.

LOL @Shannon. Nothing, but trying to sell them is a very difficult thing.