[savagenate]

I knew getting into collecting it was an expensive hobby...but I really had no idea just how expensive it could be lol. I don't have a ton of money to spend, on a very limited budget, and I feel I have been way overpaying on some cards, so I've put my foot down. I've been missing out on a lot of low numbered cards because I set a price I feel is fair on a card, and won't pay more.
I have hard time justifying paying as much for a 1/1 backup card, as I would for a star rookie, or even a star player. Take Tyrann Mathieu for instance, obviously a starter, but unproven. Some of his 1/1's are well over $500! Especially his Super...
Or Johnathan Franklin, who will probably be no more than a change of pace guy in GB, at least unless Lacy is hurt, yet his 1/1's started at $50, which wasn't so bad, but now many are asking $150 or more! To me that's crazy!
I've decided to go on strike and only pay what I think a card should be worth, no matter how bad I want it...I just hope I can stick too that :p lol. Anyone else feel the same?

[ZSDOne]

The crazy part is looking at the prices of rookie autographs when you realize how cheap you can get on card autographs of Hall of Famers for. Of course, some of those guys sign for everyone so there are thousands of total cards out there - but its not like the rookies aren't signing thousands of cards.

Of course, in the 1/1 area, part of it is simply that some people have a lot of money and are willing to pay it to have the only one - I say let them. I'm perfectly happy getting 10 autograph cards out of the $5 bin and would rather get 5 $20 or 10 $10 cards than 1 $100 card - maybe its because I like variety and with the 10 $10 cards you are probably getting different years and different sets. I'm not buying cards to resell, I'm not looking to make money. I'll do my thing and others will do their thing. I have exactly three 1/1 cards - every one of which I've pulled myself.

I agree that the prices for unproven rookies are often insane - but there are plenty of star players you can get cards for - even their rookie cards for relatively reasonable amounts - wide receiver cards tend to be relatively low priced. Defensive players also are relatively low priced even for stars - and often they are lower priced despite having much fewer autograph cards out there. There are ways to get some very nice cards without breaking the bank. I sometimes will get some lesser cards from high end sets which is a way to get some really cool looking stuff without paying very much. Press Pass Legends college licensed sets from a few years ago can also get you some legitimate legends (Heisman Trophy winners, legendary coaches, NFL Hall of Famers) for a relatively low price and all of the autos are on card.

[savagenate]

I agree...I like the 1/1's, but I'm not going to pay the prices they want lol. I like building set collections of the players I like...I'm doing it for several with Topps, Topps Chrome, Prime, Platinum, etc...Those are just as fun to collect for me as the super patch cards. I just try to get a nice card or 2 of each guy I really like, and stick with the cheaper sets. Can't play the rich man's game lol.

[jywilli69]

I can honestly say that you both hit the nail. I love collecting and I have spent as much as $50 for a card. It really depends on who you want to collect to be honest. I started collecting football again in December and I decided to collect Quinton Patton. For the most part, I do get real good deals, and then you got those who do mark prices up. I would love to collect tons of cards, but as always Budget dictates my collecting. I have put collecting on the back burner, just so I can get some really cool pieces for my new Football Team. It does stink not trading for a while, but worth it once I get some Autographed Memorialbilia to add to the Man Cave. Wife is helping me with my addiction, lol. Then once I get some of my key pieces, I will pick back up on my card collection. When I found out that Panini Spectra and Panini National Treasure was $400 +, I just went to Ebay to pick up some cards I wanted to add. Way cheaper than busting the product.





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[butterworth1326]

Prices are crazy. Brian Hartline is a good player, but will be a career No. 2, but yet I've paid crazy amounts. But like you, I pay what I think they are worth. I let his natty treasure 1/1 reebok patch auto sit on eBay for 18 months before he came around. It's hard and I have been doing a lot more second guessing these past few months. But it's fun to look and get new stuff, just at my prices from now on

[ugameck]

I haven't bought a rookie auto for top dollar in years. I'm still waiting on purchasing a Jarvis Jones and Ogletree because I was t gonna pay stupid amounts before 1000s more autos were released.

I will, however, spend a pretty penny on my HOF PC.

[savagenate]

Prices are crazy. Brian Hartline is a good player, but will be a career No. 2, but yet I've paid crazy amounts. But like you, I pay what I think they are worth. I let his natty treasure 1/1 reebok patch auto sit on eBay for 18 months before he came around. It's hard and I have been doing a lot more second guessing these past few months. But it's fun to look and get new stuff, just at my prices from now on

Exactly how I'll be handling thing from now on...

---

I haven't bought a rookie auto for top dollar in years. I'm still waiting on purchasing a Jarvis Jones and Ogletree because I was t gonna pay stupid amounts before 1000s more autos were released.

I will, however, spend a pretty penny on my HOF PC.

That's a good way to go at times. Sometimes their prices shoot up in their second year, other times prices drop. I'm hoping that happens with some of my guys when the new rookies hit the market...

[Harv72b]

When I pulled that Eddie Lacy contenders playoff ticket a few weeks ago & saw it listed as $200 in the price guide, I about flipped. Then I chuckled. Then I remembered seeing the same thing back in the 90s, as I was just wrapping up my childhood collection.

Rookie cards are always overvalued, because there is always a larger market for them. People like the potential there--right now he's just Eddie Lacy, but a few decades from now he might be mentioned in the same breath with Walter Payton, or Barry Sanders, or Emmitt Smith. Or, he might be compared to Christian Okoye, or Barry Word, Natrone Means. Or we might have been invaded by aliens and silly things like sports cards will have no value whatsoever. Point is, you're always going to find plenty of people who subscribe to belief #1 and are willing to pay top dollar for the privilege of owning one of his first genuine autograph cards...along with more than a few people who subscribe to beliefs #2 or 3 and who are more than willing to be paid top dollar for those cards.

Plain and simple, and regardless of what Beckett or eBay or the guy at your LCS says, the value of a card to you is exactly what you're willing to pay for it and not a penny more. Collect the cards you want which fall into your price range--even if we're talking about a plain old base card that just has a cool design or interesting picture. Heck, my favorite card from a blaster of Sage I broke last month is of some player I'd never even heard of, but he's wearing a t-shirt that says "Piss excellence" in his photos and that makes the card worth more than a Teddy Bridgewater or Jadeveon Clowney to me.

[chibearsboy]

i will dump buckets of cash at my sets...but as far as rookies, inserts and autos...skrew that they are Sooooo overpriced it aint funny...they sign THOUSANDS of autos...i aint paying $100 for any cept mabye a HOFer or two
its a JOKE...cardmakers and sellers....JOKE

[kollectornet]

I use to feel that way and somewhat think of the same thing now. The only problems is I know that for most cards that are 1/1's, you may never see it again. I just paid about $125 for a Harry Douglas, yes Harry Douglas 2013 national treasures auto nike patch. He is a #3 wide receiver on his team. But, I wanted that card. I didn't want to pay that much, but that is what it ended at.

Some people too list items high to either, advertise for their other cards, or they know if they list it high, they will get a higher offer. As for people who list card at BIN only at a high price, it only greed. I stay away from that and just watch it and hope the price drops.


Think too, many people over price rookies because they think that most rookies don't make it so let me get what I can right now for them. The odds of another Brady is really rare. So let me sell this 1/1 rookie at a high price