Any Trading Cards guys? (Sports, etc) (1 Viewer)

[Major]

I don't see newer cards holding value long term because there are too many of them graded so high. That will drive down the price long term.

This is true. It's funny how the cards everyone took such great care of in the 80s are almost worthless now but the stuff we didn't like toys, video games and even Garbage Pail Kids are worth a pretty penny in great condition. Essentially the same theory. Only thing these modern cards have going for them is they have their production numbers in check for the chaser cards.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Eying up Dickerson and Singletary RC's in the psa 9 range. Super sweet cards that won't break the bank. Got a little side fund slowly building for them and a bunch of others.

Me and my buddies used to collect cans to buy packs in the 80s, 55 cents a pack, 6 cans, and you get a 5 cent candy for your troubles. The nostalgia of saving up a few bucks here and there is part of the fun for me. The day i got my first Canseco rated rookie is still one of my best memories. I thought i was going to be a millionaire by the 7th grade.

 

[JohnnyU]

I don't see newer cards holding value long term because there are too many of them graded so high. That will drive down the price long term.

This is true. It's funny how the cards everyone took such great care of in the 80s are almost worthless now but the stuff we didn't like toys, video games and even Garbage Pail Kids are worth a pretty penny in great condition. Essentially the same theory. Only thing these modern cards have going for them is they have their production numbers in check for the chaser cards.

Even the newer short printed chaser cards are only worth what someone is willing to pay and I think that goes down the longer you wait, regardless of perceived value. I think some of them, not all, lose their luster over time. Just like error cards do. They may be valuable, but to who?

 

[Major]

Eying up Dickerson and Singletary RC's in the psa 9 range. Super sweet cards that won't break the bank. Got a little side fund slowly building for them and a bunch of others.

Me and my buddies used to collect cans to buy packs in the 80s, 55 cents a pack, 6 cans, and you get a 5 cent candy for your troubles. The nostalgia of saving up a few bucks here and there is part of the fun for me. The day i got my first Canseco rated rookie is still one of my best memories. I thought i was going to be a millionaire by the 7th grade.

That 86 Donruss Canseco was a grail back then. Get that 87 Topps rookie cup trash out of my face

 

[FairWarning]

Anyone attending the National in Chicago at the end of this month?

50/50 for me.

Nice surprise to see the 2025 Score football out already.

 

[Gottabesweet]

Missed my chance to sell my Ovechkin PSA10 YG two weeks before he broke the record. My problem is when I miss selling at a high (like many of the Covid high prices) I’m reluctant to sell anything now know what it once was.

 

[shuke]

I don't see newer cards holding value long term because there are too many of them graded so high. That will drive down the price long term.

This is true. It's funny how the cards everyone took such great care of in the 80s are almost worthless now but the stuff we didn't like toys, video games and even Garbage Pail Kids are worth a pretty penny in great condition. Essentially the same theory. Only thing these modern cards have going for them is they have their production numbers in check for the chaser cards.

Yes, this is the collectibles market in a nutshell. Things that are really sought out are those that were widely available, so that they invoke nostalgia in a wider audience, but that no one kept or kept in good condition.

 

[Fat Nick]

I don't see newer cards holding value long term because there are too many of them graded so high. That will drive down the price long term.

This is true. It's funny how the cards everyone took such great care of in the 80s are almost worthless now but the stuff we didn't like toys, video games and even Garbage Pail Kids are worth a pretty penny in great condition. Essentially the same theory. Only thing these modern cards have going for them is they have their production numbers in check for the chaser cards.

Yep. This. Collectability (i.e. price appreciation) only works when the supply < demand.

• The pre-1980's stuff is somewhat scarce...at least compared to junk wax and modern commons. There is intrinsic value in even ungraded or beat up cards. The supply and demand is probably slightly skewed to the demand slide, but it's sensitive to player, grade and set. I think vintage stuff will continue a modest appreciation over time, with faster appreciation to really high end cards of high end players.
• In the '80's, junk was was massive supply >>> demand. Nothing was scarce. Enter grading companies, who via the assignment of numerical grades, managed to cut the population of Greg Jefferies rookies into segments, where there were maybe 5% - 10% 10's. So only 10's are scarce and have high $$$ I see this market as stable at the high grades personally.
• The modern stuff relies on limited print run inserts and variants (i.e. 1/1's). In my opinion, grading really doesn't serve as much of a purpose here, but people use it anyway. There's no real value in grading a 1/1 numerically. You either want it or you don't. But people grade them anyway, and they value accordingly. It's 10 or bust. To me, the modern market is in line for a major crash. 1/1's are priced as if they are the ONLY card...in reality, there are 1/1's for 15 different sets, one auto, one patch, one just 1/1...so little is truly unique. Also - I don't know who would pay crazy prices for a guy who might be out of the league in a year or two. As someone said earlier, it's because it's liquid now, and young kids are in and out so fast that they don't care if a guy is set for a long career - it's about whether he's good right now.

To me, the best investments are reliant on extreme scarcity and attractiveness. Vintage HOF players at grades high enough to be one of the 10 or 20 best of that card. Junk wax 10's of HOF players (nothing - I mean NOTHING outside of a 10 will ever be worth massive amounts here excluding errors and oddities like STAR basketball). Modern stuff - where to start...if I was buying and holding, I wouldn't buy anything except true, guaranteed HOF rookies in rare variants...but truthfully I don't see even those appreciating over the long term.

I'm currently buying really high value vintage for the long-term as an alternative investment...I'm up ~20% on the year...now admittedly I'd take a hit to that value when I try and sell, but I'd still be up some. It's a lot more fun to browse my collection here vs. my stock portfolio...

 

[Fat Nick]

Missed my chance to sell my Ovechkin PSA10 YG two weeks before he broke the record. My problem is when I miss selling at a high (like many of the Covid high prices) I’m reluctant to sell anything now know what it once was.

His stuff honestly peaked when he got hot this year, with maybe a lull when he first broke his leg. By the time breaking the record became a "when" and not an "if" prices were already coming down because everybody was selling. I wish I got a PSA 10 back when I first got back into collecting. I got a PSA 8 just to have it, but wish I had saved up for a 10 in retrospect.

 

[JohnnyU]

I don't see newer cards holding value long term because there are too many of them graded so high. That will drive down the price long term.

This is true. It's funny how the cards everyone took such great care of in the 80s are almost worthless now but the stuff we didn't like toys, video games and even Garbage Pail Kids are worth a pretty penny in great condition. Essentially the same theory. Only thing these modern cards have going for them is they have their production numbers in check for the chaser cards.

Yep. This. Collectability (i.e. price appreciation) only works when the supply < demand.

• The pre-1980's stuff is somewhat scarce...at least compared to junk wax and modern commons. There is intrinsic value in even ungraded or beat up cards. The supply and demand is probably slightly skewed to the demand slide, but it's sensitive to player, grade and set. I think vintage stuff will continue a modest appreciation over time, with faster appreciation to really high end cards of high end players.
• In the '80's, junk was was massive supply >>> demand. Nothing was scarce. Enter grading companies, who via the assignment of numerical grades, managed to cut the population of Greg Jefferies rookies into segments, where there were maybe 5% - 10% 10's. So only 10's are scarce and have high $$$ I see this market as stable at the high grades personally.
• The modern stuff relies on limited print run inserts and variants (i.e. 1/1's). In my opinion, grading really doesn't serve as much of a purpose here, but people use it anyway. There's no real value in grading a 1/1 numerically. You either want it or you don't. But people grade them anyway, and they value accordingly. It's 10 or bust. To me, the modern market is in line for a major crash. 1/1's are priced as if they are the ONLY card...in reality, there are 1/1's for 15 different sets, one auto, one patch, one just 1/1...so little is truly unique. Also - I don't know who would pay crazy prices for a guy who might be out of the league in a year or two. As someone said earlier, it's because it's liquid now, and young kids are in and out so fast that they don't care if a guy is set for a long career - it's about whether he's good right now.

To me, the best investments are reliant on extreme scarcity and attractiveness. Vintage HOF players at grades high enough to be one of the 10 or 20 best of that card. Junk wax 10's of HOF players (nothing - I mean NOTHING outside of a 10 will ever be worth massive amounts here excluding errors and oddities like STAR basketball). Modern stuff - where to start...if I was buying and holding, I wouldn't buy anything except true, guaranteed HOF rookies in rare variants...but truthfully I don't see even those appreciating over the long term.

I'm currently buying really high value vintage for the long-term as an alternative investment...I'm up ~20% on the year...now admittedly I'd take a hit to that value when I try and sell, but I'd still be up some. It's a lot more fun to browse my collection here vs. my stock portfolio...

This guy knows what the hell he is talking about and is inline with my thinking, but he went into a lot of valuable detail that I didn't. Thanks for such a great post.

 

[STBootleg]

I have every Orioles Topps team set from 1978 to current year. I display them in a binder and it's for my own enjoyment since I'm a life long O's fan.
Some cards are missing from those sets but that is the fun for me in finding the missing ones. I'll keep going with each new year for as long as I'm alive.

I've started over the past few years putting together the Orioles Topps Heritage team sets because I like the way they look.

 

[Fat Nick]

I have every Orioles Topps team set from 1978 to current year. I display them in a binder and it's for my own enjoyment since I'm a life long O's fan.
Some cards are missing from those sets but that is the fun for me in finding the missing ones. I'll keep going with each new year for as long as I'm alive.

I've started over the past few years putting together the Orioles Topps Heritage team sets because I like the way they look.

That's awesome - even more so as an O's fan here too. I have a bunch of Ripken cards from when I was a kid that I'll never part with.

I've started doing these kinds of things for fun too just to have something cheap to collect. I'm trying to get every Nolan Ryan Topps card in an SGC 7 grade specifically. I have a bunch in other grades that I need to try and swap/upgrade/downgrade to 7's. The ones from the early 90's are going to be a nightmare becuase nobody would ever grade a card that looks like it would get a 7 when even a 10 is only $15...I'll probably have a harder time just finding a 1992 Topps SGC 7 than I will a 1968 rookie in a 7.

 

[STBootleg]

I have every Orioles Topps team set from 1978 to current year. I display them in a binder and it's for my own enjoyment since I'm a life long O's fan.
Some cards are missing from those sets but that is the fun for me in finding the missing ones. I'll keep going with each new year for as long as I'm alive.

I've started over the past few years putting together the Orioles Topps Heritage team sets because I like the way they look.

That's awesome - even more so as an O's fan here too. I have a bunch of Ripken cards from when I was a kid that I'll never part with.

I've started doing these kinds of things for fun too just to have something cheap to collect. I'm trying to get every Nolan Ryan Topps card in an SGC 7 grade specifically. I have a bunch in other grades that I need to try and swap/upgrade/downgrade to 7's. The ones from the early 90's are going to be a nightmare becuase nobody would ever grade a card that looks like it would get a 7 when even a 10 is only $15...I'll probably have a harder time just finding a 1992 Topps SGC 7 than I will a 1968 rookie in a 7.

That's great. Yeah, I'm collecting more for myself than anything. I'll just but the graded O's I like, I've purchased Holliday, Henderson, Cowser PSA 9's and 10's for anywhere from $20-30.
Just base cards with some Chromes mixed in but they are their rookie cards. It costs more than that to send them in and have graded myself.

 

[Fat Nick]

I have every Orioles Topps team set from 1978 to current year. I display them in a binder and it's for my own enjoyment since I'm a life long O's fan.
Some cards are missing from those sets but that is the fun for me in finding the missing ones. I'll keep going with each new year for as long as I'm alive.

I've started over the past few years putting together the Orioles Topps Heritage team sets because I like the way they look.

That's awesome - even more so as an O's fan here too. I have a bunch of Ripken cards from when I was a kid that I'll never part with.

I've started doing these kinds of things for fun too just to have something cheap to collect. I'm trying to get every Nolan Ryan Topps card in an SGC 7 grade specifically. I have a bunch in other grades that I need to try and swap/upgrade/downgrade to 7's. The ones from the early 90's are going to be a nightmare becuase nobody would ever grade a card that looks like it would get a 7 when even a 10 is only $15...I'll probably have a harder time just finding a 1992 Topps SGC 7 than I will a 1968 rookie in a 7.

That's great. Yeah, I'm collecting more for myself than anything. I'll just but the graded O's I like, I've purchased Holliday, Henderson, Cowser PSA 9's and 10's for anywhere from $20-30.
Just base cards with some Chromes mixed in but they are their rookie cards. It costs more than that to send them in and have graded myself.

If you're missing any specifics from ~1985 to 1992, let me know. I have tons of boxes of commons in the basement from those years...

 

[STBootleg]

I have every Orioles Topps team set from 1978 to current year. I display them in a binder and it's for my own enjoyment since I'm a life long O's fan.
Some cards are missing from those sets but that is the fun for me in finding the missing ones. I'll keep going with each new year for as long as I'm alive.

I've started over the past few years putting together the Orioles Topps Heritage team sets because I like the way they look.

That's awesome - even more so as an O's fan here too. I have a bunch of Ripken cards from when I was a kid that I'll never part with.

I've started doing these kinds of things for fun too just to have something cheap to collect. I'm trying to get every Nolan Ryan Topps card in an SGC 7 grade specifically. I have a bunch in other grades that I need to try and swap/upgrade/downgrade to 7's. The ones from the early 90's are going to be a nightmare becuase nobody would ever grade a card that looks like it would get a 7 when even a 10 is only $15...I'll probably have a harder time just finding a 1992 Topps SGC 7 than I will a 1968 rookie in a 7.

That's great. Yeah, I'm collecting more for myself than anything. I'll just but the graded O's I like, I've purchased Holliday, Henderson, Cowser PSA 9's and 10's for anywhere from $20-30.
Just base cards with some Chromes mixed in but they are their rookie cards. It costs more than that to send them in and have graded myself.

If you're missing any specifics from ~1985 to 1992, let me know. I have tons of boxes of commons in the basement from those years...

Thanks. A lot of the missing ones were the updates. When I was younger I would buy that years team set at the local card store then later in the year the update series would come out.
I wasn't disciplined enough to go back for them as a younger person, now I try and find updates at shows or Ebay.

 

[Fat Nick]

I have every Orioles Topps team set from 1978 to current year. I display them in a binder and it's for my own enjoyment since I'm a life long O's fan.
Some cards are missing from those sets but that is the fun for me in finding the missing ones. I'll keep going with each new year for as long as I'm alive.

I've started over the past few years putting together the Orioles Topps Heritage team sets because I like the way they look.

That's awesome - even more so as an O's fan here too. I have a bunch of Ripken cards from when I was a kid that I'll never part with.

I've started doing these kinds of things for fun too just to have something cheap to collect. I'm trying to get every Nolan Ryan Topps card in an SGC 7 grade specifically. I have a bunch in other grades that I need to try and swap/upgrade/downgrade to 7's. The ones from the early 90's are going to be a nightmare becuase nobody would ever grade a card that looks like it would get a 7 when even a 10 is only $15...I'll probably have a harder time just finding a 1992 Topps SGC 7 than I will a 1968 rookie in a 7.

That's great. Yeah, I'm collecting more for myself than anything. I'll just but the graded O's I like, I've purchased Holliday, Henderson, Cowser PSA 9's and 10's for anywhere from $20-30.
Just base cards with some Chromes mixed in but they are their rookie cards. It costs more than that to send them in and have graded myself.

If you're missing any specifics from ~1985 to 1992, let me know. I have tons of boxes of commons in the basement from those years...

Thanks. A lot of the missing ones were the updates. When I was younger I would buy that years team set at the local card store then later in the year the update series would come out.
I wasn't disciplined enough to go back for them as a younger person, now I try and find updates at shows or Ebay.

When I finally started going back through my childhood collection, I quickly realized how many good cards I was missing for just this reason. I never thought about the update sets, and that's where so many of the good players made their card debuts...I also swore I had way more good cards than I really did!

 

[Major]

I have every Orioles Topps team set from 1978 to current year. I display them in a binder and it's for my own enjoyment since I'm a life long O's fan.
Some cards are missing from those sets but that is the fun for me in finding the missing ones. I'll keep going with each new year for as long as I'm alive.

I've started over the past few years putting together the Orioles Topps Heritage team sets because I like the way they look.

That's awesome - even more so as an O's fan here too. I have a bunch of Ripken cards from when I was a kid that I'll never part with.

I've started doing these kinds of things for fun too just to have something cheap to collect. I'm trying to get every Nolan Ryan Topps card in an SGC 7 grade specifically. I have a bunch in other grades that I need to try and swap/upgrade/downgrade to 7's. The ones from the early 90's are going to be a nightmare becuase nobody would ever grade a card that looks like it would get a 7 when even a 10 is only $15...I'll probably have a harder time just finding a 1992 Topps SGC 7 than I will a 1968 rookie in a 7.

That's great. Yeah, I'm collecting more for myself than anything. I'll just but the graded O's I like, I've purchased Holliday, Henderson, Cowser PSA 9's and 10's for anywhere from $20-30.
Just base cards with some Chromes mixed in but they are their rookie cards. It costs more than that to send them in and have graded myself.

If you're missing any specifics from ~1985 to 1992, let me know. I have tons of boxes of commons in the basement from those years...

Thanks. A lot of the missing ones were the updates. When I was younger I would buy that years team set at the local card store then later in the year the update series would come out.
I wasn't disciplined enough to go back for them as a younger person, now I try and find updates at shows or Ebay.

When I finally started going back through my childhood collection, I quickly realized how many good cards I was missing for just this reason. I never thought about the update sets, and that's where so many of the good players made their card debuts...I also swore I had way more good cards than I really did!

That 84 Fleer Traded was one grail I never acquired but always wanted during the 80s boom. Way out of my price range at the time but so many first cards of the 85 class. It’s kind of lost its luster with guys like Puckett and Clemens falling off but man that set was everything to me when I was a kid.

 

[warpig33]

 

[comfortably numb]

I don't see newer cards holding value long term because there are too many of them graded so high. That will drive down the price long term.

This is true. It's funny how the cards everyone took such great care of in the 80s are almost worthless now but the stuff we didn't like toys, video games and even Garbage Pail Kids are worth a pretty penny in great condition. Essentially the same theory. Only thing these modern cards have going for them is they have their production numbers in check for the chaser cards.

Yep. This. Collectability (i.e. price appreciation) only works when the supply < demand.

• The pre-1980's stuff is somewhat scarce...at least compared to junk wax and modern commons. There is intrinsic value in even ungraded or beat up cards. The supply and demand is probably slightly skewed to the demand slide, but it's sensitive to player, grade and set. I think vintage stuff will continue a modest appreciation over time, with faster appreciation to really high end cards of high end players.
• In the '80's, junk was was massive supply >>> demand. Nothing was scarce. Enter grading companies, who via the assignment of numerical grades, managed to cut the population of Greg Jefferies rookies into segments, where there were maybe 5% - 10% 10's. So only 10's are scarce and have high $$$ I see this market as stable at the high grades personally.
• The modern stuff relies on limited print run inserts and variants (i.e. 1/1's). In my opinion, grading really doesn't serve as much of a purpose here, but people use it anyway. There's no real value in grading a 1/1 numerically. You either want it or you don't. But people grade them anyway, and they value accordingly. It's 10 or bust. To me, the modern market is in line for a major crash. 1/1's are priced as if they are the ONLY card...in reality, there are 1/1's for 15 different sets, one auto, one patch, one just 1/1...so little is truly unique. Also - I don't know who would pay crazy prices for a guy who might be out of the league in a year or two. As someone said earlier, it's because it's liquid now, and young kids are in and out so fast that they don't care if a guy is set for a long career - it's about whether he's good right now.

To me, the best investments are reliant on extreme scarcity and attractiveness. Vintage HOF players at grades high enough to be one of the 10 or 20 best of that card. Junk wax 10's of HOF players (nothing - I mean NOTHING outside of a 10 will ever be worth massive amounts here excluding errors and oddities like STAR basketball). Modern stuff - where to start...if I was buying and holding, I wouldn't buy anything except true, guaranteed HOF rookies in rare variants...but truthfully I don't see even those appreciating over the long term.

I'm currently buying really high value vintage for the long-term as an alternative investment...I'm up ~20% on the year...now admittedly I'd take a hit to that value when I try and sell, but I'd still be up some. It's a lot more fun to browse my collection here vs. my stock portfolio...

Yep good info

Re: the grading of the 1/1
I can see a world where a player has (24) 1/1 cards and the appeal of having a 1/1 PSA 10 vs a 1/1 PSA 7 is greater...not to mention making sure its not a fake

 

[Fat Nick]

I don't see newer cards holding value long term because there are too many of them graded so high. That will drive down the price long term.

This is true. It's funny how the cards everyone took such great care of in the 80s are almost worthless now but the stuff we didn't like toys, video games and even Garbage Pail Kids are worth a pretty penny in great condition. Essentially the same theory. Only thing these modern cards have going for them is they have their production numbers in check for the chaser cards.

Yep. This. Collectability (i.e. price appreciation) only works when the supply < demand.

• The pre-1980's stuff is somewhat scarce...at least compared to junk wax and modern commons. There is intrinsic value in even ungraded or beat up cards. The supply and demand is probably slightly skewed to the demand slide, but it's sensitive to player, grade and set. I think vintage stuff will continue a modest appreciation over time, with faster appreciation to really high end cards of high end players.
• In the '80's, junk was was massive supply >>> demand. Nothing was scarce. Enter grading companies, who via the assignment of numerical grades, managed to cut the population of Greg Jefferies rookies into segments, where there were maybe 5% - 10% 10's. So only 10's are scarce and have high $$$ I see this market as stable at the high grades personally.
• The modern stuff relies on limited print run inserts and variants (i.e. 1/1's). In my opinion, grading really doesn't serve as much of a purpose here, but people use it anyway. There's no real value in grading a 1/1 numerically. You either want it or you don't. But people grade them anyway, and they value accordingly. It's 10 or bust. To me, the modern market is in line for a major crash. 1/1's are priced as if they are the ONLY card...in reality, there are 1/1's for 15 different sets, one auto, one patch, one just 1/1...so little is truly unique. Also - I don't know who would pay crazy prices for a guy who might be out of the league in a year or two. As someone said earlier, it's because it's liquid now, and young kids are in and out so fast that they don't care if a guy is set for a long career - it's about whether he's good right now.

To me, the best investments are reliant on extreme scarcity and attractiveness. Vintage HOF players at grades high enough to be one of the 10 or 20 best of that card. Junk wax 10's of HOF players (nothing - I mean NOTHING outside of a 10 will ever be worth massive amounts here excluding errors and oddities like STAR basketball). Modern stuff - where to start...if I was buying and holding, I wouldn't buy anything except true, guaranteed HOF rookies in rare variants...but truthfully I don't see even those appreciating over the long term.

I'm currently buying really high value vintage for the long-term as an alternative investment...I'm up ~20% on the year...now admittedly I'd take a hit to that value when I try and sell, but I'd still be up some. It's a lot more fun to browse my collection here vs. my stock portfolio...

Yep good info

Re: the grading of the 1/1
I can see a world where a player has (24) 1/1 cards and the appeal of having a 1/1 PSA 10 vs a 1/1 PSA 7 is greater...not to mention making sure its not a fake

I get grading them authentic for the authenticity angle...but I think you risk more harm than good getting a numerical grade.

I think I'm like most people where I view grading as a necessary evil. It's frustrating because it takes forever to get raw cards graded, it's inconsistent, and it's expensive...but without it, the hobby would be full of fraud/counterfeits, and it would be really challenging to buy cards online without seeing them first hand. To me, AI grading is the future - unbiased with clearly defined, consistent parameters.

 

[Fat Nick]

I have every Orioles Topps team set from 1978 to current year. I display them in a binder and it's for my own enjoyment since I'm a life long O's fan.
Some cards are missing from those sets but that is the fun for me in finding the missing ones. I'll keep going with each new year for as long as I'm alive.

I've started over the past few years putting together the Orioles Topps Heritage team sets because I like the way they look.

That's awesome - even more so as an O's fan here too. I have a bunch of Ripken cards from when I was a kid that I'll never part with.

I've started doing these kinds of things for fun too just to have something cheap to collect. I'm trying to get every Nolan Ryan Topps card in an SGC 7 grade specifically. I have a bunch in other grades that I need to try and swap/upgrade/downgrade to 7's. The ones from the early 90's are going to be a nightmare becuase nobody would ever grade a card that looks like it would get a 7 when even a 10 is only $15...I'll probably have a harder time just finding a 1992 Topps SGC 7 than I will a 1968 rookie in a 7.

That's great. Yeah, I'm collecting more for myself than anything. I'll just but the graded O's I like, I've purchased Holliday, Henderson, Cowser PSA 9's and 10's for anywhere from $20-30.
Just base cards with some Chromes mixed in but they are their rookie cards. It costs more than that to send them in and have graded myself.

If you're missing any specifics from ~1985 to 1992, let me know. I have tons of boxes of commons in the basement from those years...

Thanks. A lot of the missing ones were the updates. When I was younger I would buy that years team set at the local card store then later in the year the update series would come out.
I wasn't disciplined enough to go back for them as a younger person, now I try and find updates at shows or Ebay.

When I finally started going back through my childhood collection, I quickly realized how many good cards I was missing for just this reason. I never thought about the update sets, and that's where so many of the good players made their card debuts...I also swore I had way more good cards than I really did!

That 84 Fleer Traded was one grail I never acquired but always wanted during the 80s boom. Way out of my price range at the time but so many first cards of the 85 class. It’s kind of lost its luster with guys like Puckett and Clemens falling off but man that set was everything to me when I was a kid.

Great set. One of the first cards I bought when I got back into the hobby was the 1985 Topps Mark McGwire Team USA card. I always wanted that as a kid but could never find one. I got one at a card shop on a work trip for like $15.

It's crazy to think how limited our ability to buy was back then. You could only get what you pulled, or saw at a local card shop or maybe a show. So much less than you can see in 5 minutes now on eBay or an auction site or FB group.

 

[comfortably numb]

anyone at the National?
Not me
Been seeing some vidoes.

Looks fun

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

anyone get the email from topps/fanatics about the eTopps program?? I have almost 200 cards. They're asking $1/card for shipping if you take delivery. Or "store credit" whatever TF that is.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

anyone get the email from topps/fanatics about the eTopps program?? I have almost 200 cards. They're asking $1/card for shipping if you take delivery. Or "store credit" whatever TF that is.

I went thru my whole list and narrowed it down to these to be delivered. LEBRON RC! Walter Payton and a few good hockey rookies. Just hoping they arrive in good condition. Why? Because these #)*@#)*@# are literally throwing the cards IN NO CASES into a ziplock bag!! WTAF. But worth the gamble if Lebron arrives in good shape.

https://x.com/yanxchick/status/1958900227856891960

Cal Ripken 2001

Ichiro Suzuki 2001

Barry Bonds 2002

D'Angelo Jimenez 2002

Ichiro Suzuki 2002

C.C. Sabathia 2002

Carlos Delgado 2002

Mariano Rivera 2002

Jason Giambi 2002

Ken Griffey Jr. 2002

Hideo Nomo 2002

Adam Dunn 2002

Pedro Martinez 2002

Mark Prior 2003

Rasheed Wallace 2001

John Stockton 2002

Lebron James 2003

Carmelo Anthony 2003

Eddie George 2000

Ray Lewis 2001

Jay Fiedler 2001

Emmitt Smith 2001

Ahman Green 2001

Reggie Wayne 2001

Doug Flutie 2002

Drew Brees 2002

Eddie George 2002

Julius Peppers 2002

Ladainian Tomlinson 2002

Ricky Williams 2002

Tony Gonzalez 2002

Deuce McAllister 2002

Brian Urlacher 2002

Laveranues Coles 2003

Tom Brady 2004

Peyton Manning 2004

Eli Manning 2004

Larry Fitzgerald 2004

Antonio Gates 2004

Alexander Svitov 2002

Chuck Kobasew 2002

Jarome Iginla 2002

Jaromir Jagr 2002

Peter Bondra 2002

Simon Gagne 2002

Olli Jokinen 2002

Marian Hossa 2002

Markus Naslund 2002

Joe Thornton 2003

Bob Gibson

Harmon Killebrew

Brooks Robinson

Sterling Marlin 2003

Walter Payton

Bo Jackson (F)

 

[shuke]

I thought these were digital cards.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

I thought these were digital cards.

They were but they were backed by physical copies, which you could take delivery on if you wanted to.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant card becomes most expensive sports card ever

Jordan and Bryant take a joint place atop the sports card world

www.nytimes.com

 

[comfortably numb]

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant card becomes most expensive sports card ever

Jordan and Bryant take a joint place atop the sports card world

www.nytimes.com

Can't believe i got outbid at the last minute!

 

[Fat Nick]

Prices on everything are kind of nuts right now IMO...I've only bought two cards in the last 3 months or so. I'm heading to the Philly show in September, hoping it's a bit better than the garbage that was the last Brotherly Love show I went to. I wasn't at the National, but talked to some guys who were there. Dealers offering 60% of comps, and wanting 120% of comps when they sell was apparently the norm. It's their business, but to me, this will just drive people away from shows over time. I'm already struggling to make live deals anymore because of the buy/sell spreads that dealers think is reasonable.

I may be looking to liquidate a lot of my lower end cards at some point (not at shows obviously) if prices keep climbing. I'll keep my big cards, but on the stuff I can find at most any show or on eBay at any time, I'll take my chances on a market dip.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant card becomes most expensive sports card ever

Jordan and Bryant take a joint place atop the sports card world

www.nytimes.com

Can't believe i got outbid at the last minute!

I saw later it was Kevin OLeary (from Shark Tank) and a couple of other investors that won it.

 

[Major]

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant card becomes most expensive sports card ever

Jordan and Bryant take a joint place atop the sports card world

www.nytimes.com

Can't believe i got outbid at the last minute!

Damn snipers

 

[Major]

Prices on everything are kind of nuts right now IMO...I've only bought two cards in the last 3 months or so. I'm heading to the Philly show in September, hoping it's a bit better than the garbage that was the last Brotherly Love show I went to. I wasn't at the National, but talked to some guys who were there. Dealers offering 60% of comps, and wanting 120% of comps when they sell was apparently the norm. It's their business, but to me, this will just drive people away from shows over time. I'm already struggling to make live deals anymore because of the buy/sell spreads that dealers think is reasonable.

I may be looking to liquidate a lot of my lower end cards at some point (not at shows obviously) if prices keep climbing. I'll keep my big cards, but on the stuff I can find at most any show or on eBay at any time, I'll take my chances on a market dip.

120% of comps? so you're paying a premium to have the honor of buying at the National? weird

 

[Fat Nick]

Prices on everything are kind of nuts right now IMO...I've only bought two cards in the last 3 months or so. I'm heading to the Philly show in September, hoping it's a bit better than the garbage that was the last Brotherly Love show I went to. I wasn't at the National, but talked to some guys who were there. Dealers offering 60% of comps, and wanting 120% of comps when they sell was apparently the norm. It's their business, but to me, this will just drive people away from shows over time. I'm already struggling to make live deals anymore because of the buy/sell spreads that dealers think is reasonable.

I may be looking to liquidate a lot of my lower end cards at some point (not at shows obviously) if prices keep climbing. I'll keep my big cards, but on the stuff I can find at most any show or on eBay at any time, I'll take my chances on a market dip.

120% of comps? so you're paying a premium to have the honor of buying at the National? weird

That's what I've seen from quite a few dealers lately. I think part of it is people figure if you've invested the time and in some cases, the travel cost to go to a show like the National, you didn't go to just look.

The best place I've found to get cards at or around comps these days is off Facebook from some groups, and even then it's hit or miss. I used to get them below comps there because you were essentially finding the middle ground on the 12% or so that used to be the eBay fee. Now most sellers don't even give you that. I haven't bought off Robert Edwards much in the last few auctions either - stuff just goes so high. I know that's a sign the market is rising, because the higher price becomes the new comp, but it feels like it's forced sometimes. But I guess if somebody else pays it, I'm the cheap guy who missed out.

 

[TripItUp]

Went to the largest card show on the West coast this past weekend at the Anaheim convention center. A ton of fun.

Bought some 2024 donruss optic blasters chasing Downtowns and hit a Jayden Purple shock in the first box, looks PSA10ish!! 7 more boxes to go!

 

[TripItUp]

If you put in work, you can make money flipping on eBay...the fees are tough but it can be done on bigger cards or lots.

Also, if you scavenge shows it's not difficult to get good deals...especially if you bundle.

 

[TripItUp]

quickest way to burn cash, doing online breaks(unlelss you are good at hunting deals/angles) and also buying product to rip.

Buying singles easily the most cost effective way to win in the hobby.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

Wow! Got this email today. Good on them. (and good for me! )

Dear eTopps Community,

We want to follow up on our earlier communication regarding the eTopps closure and directly address questions you may have relating to shipping and packaging. First, we sincerely apologize for any concerns this may have caused. We’ve taken your feedback seriously and have implemented changes. Moving forward:

1. All cards will be shipped in hard cases or top loaders.
2. Each package will be secured with eTopps stickers and authenticated with appropriate labels.

While these steps may extend fulfillment times, they are necessary to ensure quality. Please note that some orders may take longer to ship, though we will work to complete shipments as quickly as possible.

Lastly, we’ve also heard your feedback regarding unavailable cards and the store credit process. Starting August 26, 2025, the Topps.com store credit you receive for any unavailable card will be the greater of $1.50 per card or its fair market value, as determined by Topps.

If you’ve already received store credit, don’t worry — you’ll receive an additional adjustment based on this updated policy within the next 2–3 weeks.

As a reminder, eTopps program will come to an end on September 30th, 2025, at which point your account will be locked. If you haven’t already, please log in to your account and close out your portfolio by September 30th, 2025. If no selection is made by that date, you will forfeit your portfolio, and store credit will be the only option available.

We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete this final stage of the eTopps journey, and we look forward to sharing new product experiences with you in the future.

Thank you,

Topps Collector Support

 

[The Dweeze]

 

[comfortably numb]

anyone heading to the Philly show this weekend?
I plan to go today

 

[comfortably numb]

@phillycardshow
sold a bunch of stuff
dropped off stuff for Greg Morris, 4 sharp corners, and PSA

Was looking to buy/trade for a Topps Chrome Curry RC but only say a topps PSA 8 and and a nice topps gold auto BGS authentic

I was only there Friday from 2-7 seemed like usual and fairly crowded. I imagine Sat was a madhouse.