[hempick]

I feel like there are so many threads about things that we don't like (redemptions, sticker autos, exclusive licenses, blah blah blah) that we should have a topic that focuses on things we enjoy.

--I love the rush I get from busting packs. I don't really care if they are junk wax or high-end packs. There is just something about busting that makes me feel good.
--I like parallels, but I **LOVE** blue parallels. Blue refractors, blue prizms, blue anything. Blue, blue, blue. I love blue and I love sports cards, therefore I love blue sports cards!
--I really like minis. I'm kind of a mini-sized person and mini cards are right up my alley. The 1975 Topps Minis, for example. A few years back when Topps was still making NFL cards, they made a mini Chrome product. Loved those, too.
--Die-cut cards. They might not be such a novelty anymore, but I still enjoy them.
--The feeling that collecting a certain player/team brings me closer to them, in a way. I share their successes and also their heartaches.

Those are just off the top of my head right now, but I might have some more later.

Would love to hear anyone else's likes/loves about collecting cards!

[jbissell]

Good thread topic!

I agree with the rush of opening a pack of cards. Not too long ago, I was the winning bidder for 2 packs of 1980 Topps in a silent auction. It was ridiculously exciting, especially when a Nolan Ryan was found!

I love prospecting and watching a card of what once was a "nobody" sometimes jump well over 1000% as they become the next star.

Finally, getting back into trading baseball cards has been a blast, and reminds me of my childhood a lot!

[hempick]

I love prospecting and watching a card of what once was a "nobody" sometimes jump well over 1000% as they become the next star.

Yes!! So true!

Finding that Ryan in the 1980 packs must have been exhilarating!

[kerryandbeth]

Silver or shiny cards
Blue cards
Purple cards (not lavender, but true purple like the Vikings)
Refractors
Inserts
Young prospects that become major stars that you forgot you had in your collection
Opening packs with more than 4 cards inside
Talking about all this with other collectors

[hempick]

Silver or shiny cards

Ohhh, true. I forgot about shiny. I like shiny. I like sparkly, too. Especially if it is BLUE and sparkly/shiny

Opening packs with more than 4 cards inside

Ahhh, same! 10-12 is a good number, but jumbo packs are even better!

[kerryandbeth]

I forgot to mention trading...it is a great part of the hobby!

[zeprock]

I too love the rush of pulling a nice card from a fresh pack. I don't play the lottery but I'm sure it is the same feeling. Back in 2002 I bought a pack of Stadium Club and carefully opened the pack to see a Barry Bonds jersey card inside and I immediately passed the pack to my young son and told him to go through the cards and see if I got anything good. You should have seen the excitement when he pulled out the Bonds card. That was priceless.

I don't buy much wax anymore and concentrate more on singles of my favorite players and am always excited when I acquire a card I didn't already have. I personally collect so many different players that I will always be able to find cards to add so there is no finality of completing a set or a collection. I like that I don't have to end a search.

What I love the most is going to a card show and going through boxes of 10 for a dollar or similar deals and pulling piles of cards to go home with me. It's been way too long since I've been able to attend a show in my area so I miss that a lot.

I enjoy the entire process of adding cards to my collection. Entering them on Beckett, entering them into my backup files on my computer, sleeving the most valuable cards and putting them in their new homes and marking them off my want list. Some find that tedious but not me. I enjoy sitting in front of the tv with a binder of cards in my lap shuffling each card to the right to make room for my newest addition to fit in order while my wife drones on about whatever it is that she drones on about. As long as I nod a lot and say, "Yes Dear", I'm good.

I like maintaining my website at Zeprock.com. I bought a The Idiot's Guide to HTML book and used that to design my site myself back in 2002. I have a Gallery that features my favorite and most valuable cards of all of the players I collect and love getting a "new" card to feature.

I like browsing through the forums here on Beckett and sharing my knowledge and gaining knowledge too at times. This site is the first site I log on to after my email each morning and I keep the site up all day while I'm working and am fortunate that I can constantly check in and out.

I love the history of the game. I love the nuances. I love the stats and the comparisons. What a great game!

I love to play. I played sandlot ball, little league, junior high school and varsity, men's softball, pickup games, coached little league and senior little league and softball. I'm 60 and still go to the batting cages and face 90mph pitches and I can still make contact and every once in a while drive one. I still go to the school ball field with friends and pitch and hit and field.

I could go on and on about Cooperstown and fellow collectors and such but this post is already fairly long. I guess I love that I can talk and discuss this hobby at length most anytime.

God first. Wife second. Baseball third. Everything else falls after that.

[mberger]

I love trading and talking about the hobby to those who have been collecting for a long time.

I love finding cards of guys buried in common/rookie boxes that end up making it big.

I love going through the dime and quarter boxes at shows (although time consuming). Have found some good ones doing this including 9 Topps Update Scherzer RCs in a dollar box (within the past year).

I love getting minor league cards (THM, TPD, BD, BP) signed in Spring Training and Florida State League (High A Minors), and following the guys as they (hopefully) make the majors a few years later. I think only 10% of guys in Single A make the majors, but I've done well with guys like Hoskins, Kingery, Acuna, Vlad Jr., Alonso, Andujar, etc.

I love it when I get a card signed for my 1997 Fleer Set (500 cards). All in person, no paid signings, no trading, no mailing. Up to 342/500 and I get about 2-3 a year now. No active players left, sometimes a guy I need will pop up as an mlb or milb coach or instructor. Before I go on vacations, I write to guys who live in that area to see if they will meet me to sign my card. Probably sent 15 letters out and 1 former player did meet me (so it gives me motivation to continue). Years ago I figured 350 was about the limit which would be 70% of the set. The funny thing is one player I need owns a business literally two miles from my dad's house and he would not let me stop by to get my card signed (his secretary said to send it in the mail after I had clearly said it had to be in person).

---

Hempick, if you're interested in trading I have a bunch of blue refractor type cards as well as some Allen and Ginter baseball minis.

Mike

[soey10]

I love everything about collecting, the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion. Whenever I travel I like going to the local card shop and see what it is all about. I love being able to purchase cards now that I only dreamed about as a kid. I would take my Beckett and highlight the cards that I would love to own as a kid and now I have been able to purchase most of them. I love oddball cards, due to the fact that they are cards that I have never seen before. This is a great hobby and there are so many things to love, I love the prospect of being able to pass these on to my 3 year old son one day

[bonds20001]

Wow..where to start..make it simple
Collecting SF Giants cards, for me is a great release. I have a stressful (but satisfying practice) and this is a great "get-away"
Opening packs to get my Giants and hitting a Soto or Ohtani AU..great..sell or trade to get my Giants.
Obvious trading is important and fun for me: have 2270+ trades on this site.
Traders are great honest people
I am doing Prizm now and LOVE the colored parallels..reminds me of the old Pacific days.

I want to thank everyone here for the great experience you are involved with.

Also..nice to see a positive thread concerning collecting and collectors