This is the first of many pet peeves because, well, I have a lot of 'em. Perhaps in externalizing my annoyances I can help others get through the hobby a little easier. OK, that's probably a long shot.
Anyway, my first Pet Peeve is something that happens with some frequency on the message boards. It's when people ask "What should I buy?" It could be in reference to a particular card, box, or even player (a close cousin to the "Who should I collect?" question that we'll tackle here as well).
Why is it a peeve? Because we're all a bunch of strangers to you (and you to us) and we could care less what you spend your money on. That would be like me asking you what my favorite brand of tomato sauce should be. Oh sure, you'll get the occasional "Whatever you do, don't collect Brooks Orpik because I don't need anymore competition!" but that's usually a self-righteous attempt by that particular poster to advertise their own collection, and really doesn't help out the person asking the question. I can easily name a hundred players someone shouldn't collect!
That brings me to a series of questions and scenarios that someone should look over before asking a bunch of people, the vast majority whom you will never meet, how you should spend your hard earned money.
Player collecting
1) Veteran or rookie? Is cost a factor? Some rookie cards are outrageously expensive, and some rookies fizzle out in a season never to be heard from again. Some veterans have a ton of cards but are cheap to pick up.
2) Do you want a bunch of cards to chase, or something more manageable? Some popular veterans have literally thousands of cards out there (especially if they appeared in Pacific sets from the mid-/late-90s to early 00's!). Are those going to be fun to chase or will you be ripping your hair out just trying to maintain a checklist?
3) Any players from your favorite or local teams that you follow? Chances are if you live in San Jose, you'll have at least some faint interest in the Sharks, for example. Or maybe you like alumni from the Univ of North Dakota because that's where you went.
4) Favorite position? Get your mind out of the gutter. Some people have a soft spot for defensemen, some people are goalie collectors. Don't believe me, check out this guy's very thorough site filled with nothing but goalie-oriented sets. Still others like the enforcers. And with a face like this, who wouldn't?
5) Favorite player. This is an easy one, and the reason I collected Jaromir Jagr for years. He was just my favorite player, plain and simple. As an extension to that, consider what you would do if your favorite player retired or, worse yet, got traded. Would you continue to collect that person if they went to your favorite team's rival?
What to collect
This one sort of follows the player collector mentality to an extent, though some of the questions are exclusive to non-player collectors.
1) Specific manufacturers? Some people hate UD, some don't like ITG's designs.
2) Vintage cards or newer stuff? Pretty self-explanatory.
3) Everything. When I started out collecting Jagr I collected any and everything I could find. Mini Foodland cards, UD Predictors, Swedish Semic Wien cards, even those terrible Starting Lineup figures that in no way resembled the player. Later on I decided to collect just...
4) Game-used cards. These would be the jersey cards or any number of patch cards (Numbers, Emblems, Nameplates, Logos, etc.). In addition to game-used cards, I also collected just...
5) Auto cards. This could be further divided into hard-signed cards only, since some people break out into hives over the thought of sticker autos.
These are just some examples.
Some other quick snapshots of peoples' collections:
- -rookie cards
- -complete sets (much more popular before the mid-90s)
- -team sets with all cards from a particular team
- -graded cards, especially BGS 9.5s
- -ticket stubs
- -pocket schedules (affectionately known as skeds)
- -mini helmets
- -TTM (through the mail) autos
The list goes on and on. The point is that you can collect anything you want. It's completely up to you. The more unique your collection the more enjoyment you will gain from it. And asking other people what you should spend your time on futile, because at the end of the day hobbies are a very individual thing.
If you're just not sure what it out there, both Beckett and Hobby Insider have forums for box breaks. In case you are not sure what those are, they is the ultimate in vicarious living. Someone buys a box (or pack, as some products are quite expensive) and they list some of the cards they pulled. If you're lucky, you'll also get scans. Browsing the appropriate forums is an easy way to see what sorts of cards people are pulling.
Who knows, it may also lead to you some great trades as well.
Also keep in mind that card prices stretch from nickels to thousands. Box and pack prices are almost as varied. You can easily find a box of cards on clearance at your local hobby shop for $10, or the hottest new products easily for $125. There are the "ultra high end" (because "high end" just wasn't good enough...) boxes that can cost $400-$500. Just because it's out there doesn't mean you have to have it.
