Card collectors sometimes get caught up in trying to become “card investors,” which is a fine thing that our spouses would certainly appreciate. But why did we first become card collectors? Because it was fun! (Unless you got into it as an investor only, which means your fun is measured by dollar signs, which… I get.) But for the fun-seekers, if we can increase fun without increasing costs, then we’re all for it!
I talked to some industry experts and card lovers to help compile this list of the 8 best ways to make the hobby more fun — from getting involved in online communities to embracing your love of the Topps Holiday line!
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1. Get Involved in an Online Community
Whether it’s Twitter, Reddit, Facebook Groups, Discord, or any other social media chatting platform — card-collecting groups are everywhere. Start reading, commenting and sharing your collection, and you’ll find that your happiness will increase in two ways – you’ll be happy for the finds of your friends, and you’ll be happy when they get excited about your finds. The card community is like your grandfather’s handkerchief – it’s mostly clean, with just a few boogers. But the ratio of good people to bad definitely favors the friendly.
Nando Di Fino and I are in a text group with Michael “Big Hurc” Hurcomb and Dave Richard, two guys we used to work with at CBS Sports, and we’re often sharing great finds, things we discovered, asking questions, etc. Monday, for instance, Hurc sent us a CardPurchaser tweet about the Prizm football blaster box drop. One other cool benefit is that your friends learn what you like/collect, and when they come across something, they immediately share it with you. Nando, for instance, loves the holiday-themed releases! (Nando note: How could you not??). Find a couple friends that collect and start your own text group!
Jeremy Fullerton, the Brand Manager at The Topps Company, mentioned the Clubhouse app as a great place for card collectors to congregate. “Heaps of hobby knowledge and tons of different personalities,” he suggested.
Random note about Facebook Groups: Don’t just join a “card collecting” Facebook Group. Join a few of them to see which one resonates with you and join some that are specific. For instance, there are Facebook Groups for SGC Graded Cards, HGA Slabs and even one for Topps Heritage Short Prints & Autos.
2. Rainy Day Rips
I believe I first saw this on Reddit, where the user explained how he will take one pack from every box he opens, including blasters, etc., and he will put it aside for a future rip. I loved the idea! One commenter mentioned how you’d just have to be careful with redemption cards that could expire, however, which would be an absolute heartbreaker. But maybe if you rip those packs within a six-month period of buying the box, you should be OK.
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3. Join the PSA Set Registry
This free card-collecting app is a must if you own any PSA-graded cards. As you build your collection, you can join the community in trying to collect different subsets, like “Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Rookies (1980s Topps),” “Legends of the NBA: 25 Best Players of the 1990s,” “MLB Top 50 All-Time Home Run Hitters,” etc. As you enter your cards (your phone just scans them in), you will compete with all the other collectors to get the best grade and rating on that subset. It’s a lot of fun!… And addictive!
Jeremy Fullerton, Brand Manager at The Topps Company: “After 15 years working at Topps and over 35 years collecting, sometimes you need to find a new project to reinvigorate yourself. I have decided to begin collecting the first Topps sports trading cards, 1951 Topps Ringside, which focuses on boxers and wrestlers. I set up a PSA Set Registry and am aiming to complete the set with cards graded 3 or higher. I am currently just under 20% complete. I am regularly scouring eBay and other leading trading card auctions for new cards to add to my set and have some hopes of finding a few at The National in Atlantic City in late July.”
4. Collect Cards That Make You Happy
This sounds dumb and self-explanatory, but – I’ll explain what I mean. Just because a card is more valuable than other cards, if you’re not into it, don’t get it. For instance, I love the Donruss Optic Rated Rookie cards way more than the Prizm rookie cards, which are more valuable for the most part. The RR cards touch on my nostalgia for the ‘80s and ‘90s, so they bring me more joy. When I can afford the Donruss Optic versions, I get those, but otherwise, I’m happy with just the Donruss versions.
Ryan Hickey, Assistant Brand Manager at The Topps Company: “I collect any Cubs cards that I come across, but specifically, I love the Topps Flagship Independence Day parallel #/76. The design, along with the team color match to the Cubs. makes for a beautiful card. I’m currently working on the team set since the Independence Day launched in 2017.”
Kyle Maslan, Assistant Brand Manager at The Topps Company: While cards can often serve as an investment, and grow in value over time – if you collect cards of players who make you happy, even if they decrease in monetary value from where you purchased it, you get other value out of the card if it brings up good memories associated with a certain player or event.” (Ed. note: Great story on this topic by Questlove)
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5. Collect Your Favorite Player, Even Though They Aren’t Hobby Superstars
I’m a Bucs fan, and Mike Alstott is the greatest player in the history of sports and I say he can beat up your favorite player! (Maybe I’m biased.) But his cards aren’t that valuable… except in my heart (Oh boy). Which players got you excited as a kid? Bucky Dent and Mark Grace made me love baseball as a kid, and neither are big-money rookie cards. Once again, collect cards that make you smile!
6. Collect For Someone Else!
I don’t mean collect for me, which could be really fun for you! I mean, start a collection for kids in your family, whether it’s your own son/daughter/nephew/niece, or it’s a friend’s kid — help their collection! One especially cool thing to do is buy a complete set from their birth year, or some specific rookie cards from that year. Then you can give it to them as a gift later. The great thing about that is even if you didn’t do it back when they were born, you can still buy that set, or cards from that set now, and give it as a gift.
Ryan Hickey, Assistant Brand Manager at The Topps Company: “My dad got me into sports card collecting from a young age. He’s a Minnesota Twins fan who collects Topps team sets from 1961-present, so anytime I have the chance to pick up Twins cards that fit his set, I do. We both collect different players and teams, so it makes for a good card show duo looking through bargain boxes.”
7. Try To Complete a Set of One Player’s Base Cards
If you collect all the base cards of a player from the ‘70s or ‘80s, you’re not looking at a large number of cards. But if you collect a player in the past 20 years, you’ll likely have to whittle down what you plan to collect.
For instance, if you decide to collect Mike Schmidt cards, you’re only looking at buying his Donruss, Fleer and Topps cards throughout his career. But if you try to collect Steph Curry cards, you might have to focus that collection on one Panini brand, like Prizm or Donruss, then go to another brand once you’ve picked up all the base cards and maybe some inserts and parallels.
You can also choose to chase the rainbow (getting all the colored parallels) on a player — hopefully not a superstar if you don’t have deep pockets. For instance, as much as Wander Franco is the Rays’ superstar, I can cheaply put together a rainbow for his teammate, Brandon Lowe.
The point is – you want to try to build a collection that’s difficult to assemble, but not impossible!
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Kyle Maslan, Assistant Brand Manager at The Topps Company: “If you have a favorite player, collecting all their base cards throughout a year, you will likely have a very cool collection of cards with images capturing them in all different facets of their play. Especially if you expand this search across seasons, it can serve as a time capsule to see how a player grows up and evolves from their rookie year, usually in the early 20s, all the way to their last season – potentially in their late 30s to early 40s.”
8. Review Parts of Your Collection Once a Month!
When you collect cards, you sometimes can’t stop thinking about the next card you plan to get. That probably is the case with anything, for that matter — even money! But if you stop looking forward, take some time to look back — go through different parts of your collection each month. That could mean going over your cards from one sport, one set, one year – just rotate what you’ll look at each month and you’ll enjoy your collection more than obsessing over what you don’t have.
Kyle Maslan, Assistant Brand Manager at The Topps Company: “Sports is an ever-changing landscape — there are always players who come out of nowhere to become fan favorites, and sometimes MVP contenders. If you take the time and review parts of your collection every so often, you will likely find some RCs, or parallels of players who didn’t catch your eye a year ago, but now are meaningful contributors. They could now be worth moving out of a box and into a top-loader or one-touch, and potentially be worth moving to fund other cards you may get more joy out of.”
Got some other ways you enjoy your collection that you can share with us? Let us know in the comments section!
(Top photo images via Topps, Panini, Leaf)
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