By David Gonos
Over the past few months, I’ve started to build out my YouTube card-collecting channel. In doing so, I’ve had to focus on who my audience is and what my point of view truly is, which has slowly been refined by the commenters on these articles I’ve been writing for The Athletic. I thought I’d share what I’ve observed! This article series and my YouTube channel are meant to help new and returning collectors get a better understanding of the hobby right now.
Something I’ve noticed is there are currently several different segments of collectors. They’re like a pack of cards! Some are future Hall-of-Famers who have been collecting for decades, some are All-Star veterans, some are rookies, and a few have dinged corners, but we still like them!
New Collectors: They love sports and decided this is a nice extension from their fantasy teams, which is very true! But because they’re new, they are apt to fall prey to unscrupulous people in this industry. Like all industries, we have good guys and bad guys. The “bad guy” card collector ranks among the lowest forms of villain, taking advantage of young collectors, new collectors and collectors whose nostalgia sometimes clouds their judgment on good business.
Things New Collectors might be heard saying: “I just bought a rookie LeBron on Twitter for $50 shipped! It wasn’t graded, the picture was blurry and the seller was new to Twitter with zero followers, but still, what a deal!”
Investors: This version of “collectors” just wants to diversify their portfolio. Old school collectors aren’t particularly fond of these folks, but in reality, they’re great because they bring a lot of money and interest into the hobby. There are many more cards available to collectors because these Wall Streeters like cards. Also, since a lot of money is involved, more unscrupulous people get uncovered, which helps everyone.
Things Investors might be heard saying: “I just bought a 1/1 tri-colored rookie patch auto card of Gandhi. I have it locked in a vault, surrounded by a moat, guarded by a team of ninjas. No human eyes have ever seen this card. I heard it’s beautiful.”
Card Flippers: While these folks are essentially a subset of the investor category, card flippers are the day traders of this industry. They’ll buy cards for short-term investments, which usually means they’re prospecting. They buy cheaper cards/players with plans to sell them as soon as they have big games/weeks.
Things Card Flippers might be heard saying: “Zach Wilson’s hurt! Buy, buy!… Zach Wilson returned and ran for a touchdown? Sell, sell!” “I trampled six little kids and a pregnant mother at Target to get these 25 blaster boxes! Now pay me double!”
Renewed Collectors: Finally, we get to this group, which is where I sort myself, and likely many of our readers do, as well. We collected in our youth, maybe buying some packs or singles once in a while when we came across them during a nostalgic moment, but buying boxes was in our rearview mirror. As mainstream media started reporting on the most recent card boom, we remembered our stowed away collections, and we brought them out to find some gems that others now appreciate as much (or more) than we did!
Things Renewed Collectors might be heard saying: “I’m so glad I kept all those 1991 Upper Deck hologram inserts! I gotta get those graded!”
Old School Collectors: These men and women have continued to buy singles, packs and boxes over the years, even before it became a hot asset class just a couple years ago. For many of these collectors, graded cards were more of a luxury than the necessity they’ve become to current collectors.
Things Old School Collectors might be heard saying: “I hate card investors, card flippers and these renewed collectors that just found all their childhood cards somehow still in mint condition. I hate them all.”
Before you go too far, you should consider which type of collector you are, and formulate a strategy based on that. A new collector should try to focus on what exactly they’d like to collect, whether that’s by the sport, by the brand or even by the player. If you are a flipper, then daily/weekly production by players will matter much more to you than a long-term collector. A renewed collector might be working on filling holes in their old collection, while adding great cards from the past decade or so.
While this article series is for everyone in a generic sense, my hope is that something in each column is helpful for each type of collector. I’m curious, though, to know which type of collector you consider yourself? Let us know in the comments!
Which Sports? Which Manufacturers? Which Brands? Which Boxes? Which Cards?
There are a lot of things to sort through if you just got back into collecting.
Which Sports?
While Fanatics will soon unify the three main sports again, you currently have to look to Topps for baseball cards, and Panini for basketball/football cards. (Upper Deck still has the NHL license for hockey cards.) There are some exceptions to both (Panini, for instance, makes baseball cards but they have no MLB contract so the logos are all airbrushed out), but for the most part, these sports are owned by each of these manufacturers. As you can imagine, the Topps cards are more sought after for MLB, although, autographed cards are still nice in any box, and that goes for Leaf Baseball, too.
Which Manufacturers?
Fanatics recently purchased Topps, which means status quo for now in the baseball card world, since Topps was still going to produce baseball cards for the next few years anyway. But we should see innovations in baseball cards sooner than we will in basketball/football. Fanatics will be the prime license-holder for MLB, NFL and NBA leagues and players’ associations.
Panini currently still has the league licenses to produce NBA and NFL cards until Fanatics takes over in 2025.
Leaf doesn’t have a license with any of the major sports, but they do get licenses with individuals and will often produce some great autographed cards.
If you’re into F1, soccer, or college hoops you may want to check out Topps Now. And with the World Cup around the corner, we’ll seethe ubiquitous Panini stickers again soon!
Which Brands?
Both Topps and Panini produce multiple brands each year, but new collectors might be overwhelmed by all the different sets. Here’s a quick look at the main ones to consider:
Topps:
- Topps (Flagship): This is the main paper series that will be celebrating its 71st anniversary in 2022 (Series 1 comes out Wednesday, Feb. 16!). You’ll see Topps Series 1, Topps Series 2 and Topps Update under this flagship series. A player’s first card in their pro uniform in this series is generally considered their true rookie card. While other series (like Topps Heritage, Topps Archives, etc.) will still have rookie cards, Topps and Topps Chrome are considered their true rookie cards. There is a great recap in Susan Lulgjuraj’s Card Chat newsletter about what makes a rookie card, as there’s currently a debate raging about which set Wander Franco’s “real” rookie is in.
- Topps Chrome: The chromium version of Topps flagship – which means it’s a shiny, premium stock and more expensive than the paper Topps. The rookie base cards in this set are generally considered the most desirable. There are fewer cards in the set, and fewer cards per pack/box.
- Bowman (prospects): This is where things get interesting, because Bowman “1st” Cards are highly sought after, too. These are usually a player’s first cards in a professional uniform, and this extra layer of collectability makes baseball card collecting different from other sports. For instance, a Bowman 1st card for a player can often be as valuable as that player’s Topps rookie card once he eventually makes the majors. But there are a couple years in between those two cards, where a player will still get some Bowman cards, but aren’t his “Bowman 1st” or his Topps RC. It’s also important to note that Bowman will also produce some rookie cards – denoted with the RC logo – for players who end up reaching the majors. Those, however, are not usually as valuable as Topps RCs. Note: If you’re buying Bowman 1st cards on eBay, make sure you know the difference between this cheaper set, known colloquially as “paper,” and the more desirable…
- Bowman Chrome (prospects): Obviously, this is the more sought-after product for prospect card collectors, and it is more expensive because of the chromium finish. Again, fewer cards in the set, with fewer cards per pack/box.
While there are other brands that Topps puts out, both lower end (Topps Fire, Topps Opening Day, etc.) and higher end (Topps Gold Label, Topps Chrome Black, etc.), the Topps flagship and Topps Chrome products are what most baseball card collectors seek.
Panini:
- Prizm: This is essentially the flagship product for Panini, and along with Select and Optic, these are the mid-tier products that Panini’s foundation is built on. When people refer to specific rookie basketball cards, they are generally referring to their Prizm base or Prizm Silver cards (which are the premium cards of this premium product). Select also has Silver versions, as well as three different sections, like Concourse (common), Premier Level (uncommon) and Courtside (rare).
- National Treasures: Ultra premium sets with thick card stock, these cards are for the big ballers in the hobby. Boxes can run into the thousands of dollars.
- NBA Hoops and Donruss: These are paper cards (less premium), but they’re usually among the first releases of newer seasons.
- Chronicles Draft Picks: These are also among the first releases, and they usually have players still in their college uniforms. Chronicles also sets itself apart from the other sets because it has multiple base sets under its umbrella. So if you buy a blaster of Chronicles, each player has multiple cards in different formats, like Luminance, Flux, Essentials, Gala and others.
- Donruss Optic: For collectors from the ‘80s, they might want to lean toward this premium brand, as their Rated Rookie subset harkens back a fondness for our youth, while also holding great value for good players. Personally, I seek out the Optic RR cards over the Prizm rookies because I love the look and the uniformity.
There are dozens of Panini products (Ed. note: We very much likey Mosiac for football), but those are some of the major ones. Panini is still relatively new to the industry, compared to Topps, so they can’t really do a lot of throwback cards, like Topps does with Heritage and Archives. But their cards are generally tougher to find in retail stores or in local card shops, so that scarcity certainly adds value, too.
Which Boxes?
Even after you decide which sports to buy and which brands, now you have to decide which boxes to get! Basically, in which vehicle do you want your cards delivered?
- Hobby Boxes vs. Retail Boxes: The hobby boxes are only through distributors, online or through local card shops, whereas retail boxes are available at retail stores like Wal-Mart and Target. The major difference between the two are the amount of “hits” you can get. Hobby boxes are usually more expensive, tougher to find and they usually have better chances at autographs, relics, parallels and special hobby-only cards. Retail boxes often have exclusive parallels in their boxes, too, so they’re still good to buy. They’re just more plentiful, usually. Jumbo boxes are also considered hobby boxes, but they usually have more cards.
- Lite Boxes: These are hobby boxes with fewer cards and hits, but with a cheaper price tag and different exclusive cards.
- Mega Boxes vs. Blasters: Both are often available in retail stores and have less cards than hobby/retail boxes. There are usually more cards in a Mega box, with different exclusive cards.
- Hangers, Fat Packs and Cello Packs: These are just big packs of cards, with hangers usually having more cards than fat packs, but both have less than blasters. Cellos are usually one pack with packs inside it.
There are certainly more that I haven’t mentioned, and there will probably be even more types of boxes/packs created in the coming year. But this should give you a good start!
Which Cards?
When our grandfathers collected, each pack was filled with just regular cards from the base set. The best they could hope for was to get a card with their favorite player or a card with a player from their favorite team. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, inserts were introduced, causing us to chase cards in hopes of getting a special card that’s not among the common set.
Things have escalated since then. They’ve escalated so much, in fact, that many collectors frown on base cards altogether. While a rookie card in the base set is coveted, many believe that over-production has killed the value of base rookies, which makes the rare and super-rare cards the chase cards of the 21st century.
Base: These are the common cards that are part of the main set. True rookie cards come from the base set.
Inserts: Uncommon cards that are part of a subset. There are usually a few different insert sets in each series, with different themes, like celebrating a historic anniversary, or highlighting a Hall-of-Famer’s career. Some of my personal favorites are the “throwback” cards which harken back to a previous set a few decades ago. In the 2022 Topps series, they’ll have an insert set of current and former stars in the 1987 Topps set format, with the wood border. As an old school collector, seeing a Wander Franco card in that 35th anniversary set is going to be special.
Parallels: These cards have the same look as their base cards, but with a different color border, or a different finish or card stock. They’re also usually serial numbered, which makes them more attractive for card hunters. Unfortunately, there are often so many different parallels, that the rarity is muddied a bit. Getting a parallel whose color (red, purple, gold, black, etc.) matches a player’s team colors, called a color-match parallel, is sought after more than many of the other colors. Also, some colors are just generally more attractive, like the black, gold or red colors. Numbered cards can range from 1 / 2022 (Topps’ Gold parallels are usually numbered to the current year of that set), down to 1 / 1, which are obviously ultra-valuable.
Relics: These cards have a swatch of game-used memorabilia on the card, like a jersey or bat. Some collectors put more value on “game-used” rather than “player-worn,” as the latter could just mean a player, any player, put the jersey on for a second and took it off immediately. They’re gimmicks, for sure, but they’re still fun to get! Getting a multi-color game-used jersey patch is a bigger deal, and if you get a patch with part of a logo, it’s even better.
Image Variations, Short Prints, Super Short Prints: The image variations make for another version of chase cards, as they are usually short-printed and rare. An example of an image variation might be Shohei Ohtani pitching on the base card, but swinging a bat on the image variation. But they both have the same card number. The only way to know they’re different is by checking the serial numbers, which are different from the base set. And SSPs are like finding a restaurant where everyone in your family is happy with what they got. Always check the serial numbers, as you may not know you got a SSP!
Autographs: This is what everyone’s chasing. This is why many people buy hobby boxes, since they’ll often guarantee one or two autographs per box. (Beware of some boxes that just say, “Find an Autograph” as they are not actually guaranteeing anything.
RPAs: Finally, these are considered the most sought-after rookie cards. “Rookie Patch Autos” are signed cards for a player’s first year, with a jersey patch. The trifecta! It’s not unlike someone bringing you a pizza, beer and garlic knots!… I think I’m hungry. RPAs that are numbered first, or the same number as the player’s jersey or one with a multi-color patch are the most hunted.
Which Grading Companies?
Many renewed collectors have returned to find a bevy of grading companies, so it might be difficult to figure out which ones they should use. Here’s a quick breakdown of the major grading companies, but just know that there are several unnamed ones you could choose as well.
The three main reasons you should get a card graded is to authenticate, encapsulate and to get the condition appraised. You want it authenticated to know it’s not a fake. You want to encapsulate it to make sure it never gets altered and the condition never worsens. Finally, you want the condition appraised to make it easier to value, whether you are selling it, trading it or leaving it as an inheritance to your family members. Grading your cards removes sales friction, as a third party has determined the condition of the card you are buying or selling.
PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator): They are the original card-grading company, starting in 1991, and they’ve certainly set the standard. Resale of these “slabs” (graded, encapsulated cards) is generally higher than the same card in a comparable grade from another grading company. They are so popular, however, that they had millions of cards sent to them in 2019 and 2020, forcing them to stop taking submissions in the spring of 2020. They have begun taking submissions again, but the lower-tiered value pricing is still not available. Many people are still waiting on slabs to come back, which means a lot more graded cards from 2019/2020 will be hitting eBay (I have 45 cards I submitted just before the doors closed that I’m still waiting for. I’ve forgotten their face. My cards never write me or anything.)
BGS (Beckett Grading Services): Outside of Topps, Beckett might be the most known brand name for any collector raised in the ‘80s/’90s. They began grading cards in 1999, and they introduced the collecting world to subgrades, which gives four individual grades on each slab for centering, corners, edges, and surface grades. They also introduced half-point grades to help differentiate an “8” that’s actually almost a “9.” Interestingly, a BGS 9.5 is generally considered equal to a PSA 10, and a BGS 10 is considered better than PSA 10. Remember that classic Dudley Moore comedy with Bo Derek, “9.5”?
SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation): In the past couple years, SGC has clawed their way into the top three grading card services, and many are even starting to prefer them. Their quick turnaround times, consistent pricing and gorgeous tuxedo slabs are three of the main reasons a lot of people are yelling, “It’s Tuxedo Time!” when their slabs come in. I’ve graded with them three times so far, and I’ve had a great experience each time. If you have an autographed card, they’ll give the signature a separate grade along with your card’s grade – for free. Other companies charge you for the autograph grade. They started grading cards in 1998, but they changed their slabs in 2018, which was key in their ascension in collector’s eyes.
CSG (Certified Sports Guaranty): As part of the Certified Collectibles Group, CSG began grading cards in early 2021, and they’ve quickly moved into the top-five grading companies. They hired two veteran graders from Beckett who have a combined 30 years of experience in card grading. Their parent company has been grading other collectibles, like comics, coins, stamps and currency, for about 30 years. Their green label is a turnoff to many, but they do offer subgrades, and they have the clearest acrylic slabs in the game. (I got a submission back recently and I reviewed the pros and cons of submitting with CSG here.) My guess is they change the color of the label relatively soon, which will increase their grading company profile. They do have great pricing and turnaround times, as well.
HGA (Hybrid Grading Approach): Another new company launching in early 2021, HGA entered the industry like the rich, new kid in school. HGA uses high-def scanning technology to help their graders determine a card’s condition. I recently submitted five cards to them, but haven’t gotten them back yet to deliver a real opinion. I will say I own HGA slabs, and they’re gorgeous. This company is on my radar as an innovative disruptor, already adding features I’m shocked other companies haven’t thought of. For instance, you can choose the color and style of your label, and even have custom labels created. They also caught my attention because they now have horizontal slabs for horizontal photos on cards. Brilliant! Unfortunately, HGA was recently in the news for grading a counterfeit Patrick Mahomes autographed card. The good news is – they’re hopefully more alert now than ever.
nth, but instead, I’m going to share fan favorites that common folk like myself can afford!
