Baseball cards

[Money99]

Is Topps still the best card to get?
I'd like to get my kids into collecting cards but unlike when I was younger, and only had Topps and O-pee-chee, it seems there's a million brands out there now.

[Chef Matt]

Quote: Originally Posted by matthewk

How much is a jumbo box? I usually wait for the factory sets, but that's not until around the all-star game.

My hobby shop has them for $120.00. I called when I saw this posted! lol

[PhilliesFan13]

Quote: Originally Posted by matthewk

How much is a jumbo box? I usually wait for the factory sets, but that's not until around the all-star game.

What Chef Matt said...usually around $120. My local shop priced it at $119 and it came to about $126 after taxes. The 2007-2011 sets I did factory sets. Starting last year I decided to go the jumbo box route. It's a good way to go if you want guaranteed inserts, autographs, and relic cards. Of the 3 jumbo boxes I have gotten so far since last year I've gotten Jarrod Parker, Ralph Kiner, and Dwight Gooden autographs. Also scored a Cole Hamels 2008 World Series pin card, Mariano Rivera 2009 World Series pin card, Vernon Wells game worn jersey card, and a David Ortiz 2012 All-Star Game worn workout jersey card. So, as you can see, you can get some good finds in the jumbo boxes compared to hobby boxes, blaster boxes, or single packs. Another plus is that with the jumbo you are pretty much guaranteed to get the whole 331 base card set as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

Is Topps still the best card to get? I'd like to get my kids into collecting cards but unlike when I was younger, and only had Topps and O-pee-chee, it seems there's a million brands out there now.

It's all personal preference. Me personally, I love the Topps brand and it is all I get. It's a clean and simple card. Not a big fan of base cards with crazy designs and colors.

[matthewk]

Quote: Originally Posted by PhilliesFan13

I have a weird system for organizing the cards in the binders. I start with the American League and put the teams in alphabetical order with each player on those teams in alphabetical order as well. I do the same thing for the National League too. Helps make finding cards a lot easier. I don't buy the update sets.

I've got complete Topps sets going back to 1974. I've used a variety of "systems" for organizing the cards in binders. I was using an approach similar to what you mentioned for a lot of recent sets, which was to group them by team, but then order the teams in the binder by performance that year. So if the Cardinals won the WS they would be the first team in the binder.

Topps of course, had to make that system a mess by releasing multiple base cards for a single player. So I'd have cards for Nyger Morgan as a National and a Brewer. I can't believe how sloppy they are with their sets. Players with incorrect pictures, numbering errors, etc. This isn't 1973. You have computers to keep track of this stuff prior to printing. Their carelessness has taken some of the fun out of it, but I still get a set each year. I don't care what they are worth (which isn't much other than the pre-1980 sets), I just love having them.

I also stopped getting the update sets. 330 more cards, most of which are players I already have, and most of the rest of which are players I'll never see in a major league game. I'm done getting these just for the few rookie cards that end up being solid MLB players.

[matthewk]

$120?!? Wow. That's a lot for 1/2 a set. Guess I'm an old cheap SOB. I don't really care for the special insert cards, unless it is certain players. In that case I may be better off just getting a jersey card or 2 on Ebay.

I think Topps is the only company that has the MLB license, so if you get Upper Deck now they have the players, but can't use the MLB team names or logos. I Like the base Topps because it is the biggest set and it's the standard across the years. Oh, and it's cheap, relatively speaking

[PhilliesFan13]

Quote: Originally Posted by matthewk

I've got complete Topps sets going back to 1974. I've used a variety of "systems" for organizing the cards in binders. I was using an approach similar to what you mentioned for a lot of recent sets, which was to group them by team, but then order the teams in the binder by performance that year. So if the Cardinals won the WS they would be the first team in the binder. Topps of course, had to make that system a mess by releasing multiple base cards for a single player. So I'd have cards for Nyger Morgan as a National and a Brewer. I can't believe how sloppy they are with their sets. Players with incorrect pictures, numbering errors, etc. This isn't 1973. You have computers to keep track of this stuff prior to printing. Their carelessness has taken some of the fun out of it, but I still get a set each year. I don't care what they are worth (which isn't much other than the pre-1980 sets), I just love having them. I also stopped getting the update sets. 330 more cards, most of which are players I already have, and most of the rest of which are players I'll never see in a major league game. I'm done getting these just for the few rookie cards that end up being solid MLB players.

I mentioned in a previous post last year that I don't get update sets, but I ended up getting the 2012 update set. Kind of wish I hadn't though. Haha. To include the update set with the 2012 cards in my binder wouldn't work because the binder won't hold the extra set. Oh well though. I've thought about going online and buying the update sets for 2007-2011.

Quote: Originally Posted by matthewk

I've got complete Topps sets going back to 1974. I've used a variety of "systems" for organizing the cards in binders. I was using an approach similar to what you mentioned for a lot of recent sets, which was to group them by team, but then order the teams in the binder by performance that year. So if the Cardinals won the WS they would be the first team in the binder.

That's actually a pretty cool way to organize them. Would have never thought about that.

[BDKiiing]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

Is Topps still the best card to get? I'd like to get my kids into collecting cards but unlike when I was younger, and only had Topps and O-pee-chee, it seems there's a million brands out there now.

I would say Bowman or Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects. Bowman Sterling is sweet, but a little more. Today a players "1st Bowman (chrome) card" are better to have than an RC.

I mainly buy bowman, but I do buy a lot of singles, I three, 2 column boxes of nothing but RCs and 1st bowmans of high up prospects now to guys who've been in the league for 3 or 4 years.

This is my Harper collection so far.

Spoiler

It is missing his first bowman chrome team usa card, but I'm not sure how much I want to spend on it yet.

I did recently pick this gem up though.

Spoiler

[seanjeezy]

My dad was/is a huge collector, he picks and chooses now and mostly sticks to boxed sets. He literally has two closets filled to the brim with boxes of baseball cards, and a few that are probably worth some money... I used to be a big collector myself, but cards are so expensive nowadays lol. My cousin gave me a set of cards from the 60's that he got off ebay and one of them was a 1961 Topps Hank Aaron all-star card in pretty good condition, if I were to sell all of my cards that's the only one I would keep.