[sparty78]

Interesting to read these answers. Some of what is great about the hobby and some of what killed it. I have been collecting sportscards since 1960 when I received my first pack at a birthday party. I have always been a set builder even though I was never able to finish a set until 1968. Through high school and college I worked on finishing what we now refer to as vintage sets. Cards were affordable then. Sadly the memorabilia and autograph cards killed the Hobby and drove the kids and set builders away. Boxes got outrageous in price and in came the "invester". I can't afford to build current sets with the high prices per box and the incredibly poor collation. So now I finish vintage sets and use Beckett, ebay and local shows to collect Spartans and Detroit players. Not much set building with new stuff. I don't have nearly as much fun collecting but I still like to talk cards at the shows. I guess I am a card dinosaur ! Just finished 1954 Bowman baseball this week.

[DrMitchJ]

I'm a self diagnosed ADD collector. I collect everything. Players, Teams, Sets, Vintage, New, Relics, Autos, Prospects, HOF, etc, etc.
I love busting wax, and the majority of that guilty pleasure is satisfied with retail blasters.
I've done group breaks here and there, but found them to be frustrating and time consuming.
EBay is good when you're chasing a specific card. Better to spend $20 on one card then to buy 4 or 5 blasters for a 1,000,000:1 chance of pack-pulling it.
I would occasionally buy boxes from wholesalers, but have slowed down and pick up only a few on Black Friday discount deals.
I don't sell, but I do trade (but not that often)
I'm always amazed when someone can put everything into one focused collecting effort. I guess I'm not cut out for that kind of collecting.
Welcome back to card collecting and I hope you find your own way to enjoy the hobby.

[thof123]

It sounds to me like you're more interested in investing rather than collecting. Prospecting and investing is fine for some but it isn't the same as collecting. You're attempting to acquire specific cards to exchange for what you really want to collect, and that's money. Good luck with that.

I'm not necessarily concerned with making money off of the cards I purchase, but just getting my money's worth out of the cards I buy. I see a lot of quality cards listed online. Basically what I wanted to know was if everyone feels they've gotten more luck out of buying boxes or just by playing it safe and purchasing a specific card.

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It's great when people collect what they want to. As a long-time collector, I'd offer the following advice: 1) watch your spending; and 2) be wary of Topps trying to suck you into too many products. Both require a measure of restraint and thinking prior to making purchases.

Topps spreads different attributes among its products on purpose: some have sticker autos, others don't. Some products are shiny. Some have great photography. Some have crazy patches. Some have HOFers and old-timers. Some have pre-rookies. Some are large-sized, others small. Some are essentially all about gambling. The point being that Topps will mix it up to try to get you to buy it all, it will try to steer people into buying certain products they wouldn't ordinarily purchase. This isn't what the hobby needs per se, it's what Topps needs to profit. Don't go into the hobby with rose-colored glasses!

This is great advice! I'm definitely aware of their business aspect of things but it is very EASY to forget when you're at the store and there are 10 different options and you want them all haha.

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Interesting to read these answers. Some of what is great about the hobby and some of what killed it. I have been collecting sportscards since 1960 when I received my first pack at a birthday party. I have always been a set builder even though I was never able to finish a set until 1968. Through high school and college I worked on finishing what we now refer to as vintage sets. Cards were affordable then. Sadly the memorabilia and autograph cards killed the Hobby and drove the kids and set builders away. Boxes got outrageous in price and in came the "invester". I can't afford to build current sets with the high prices per box and the incredibly poor collation. So now I finish vintage sets and use Beckett, ebay and local shows to collect Spartans and Detroit players. Not much set building with new stuff. I don't have nearly as much fun collecting but I still like to talk cards at the shows. I guess I am a card dinosaur ! Just finished 1954 Bowman baseball this week.

Another really great point! I was actually going through my collection from when I was a kid. (I just recently started collecting again this past year after about a 12 year break). I realized I had little to NO autographs or memorabilia cards. All my cards in top loaders were just my favorite players. Some cards were worth nothing but were really really cool at the time. Now I almost feel disappointed if I don't get a jersey or auto card. It's a much different collecting landscape now I feel like.

[bonds20001]

I am a team collector, SF Giants 1958-now.

I buy boxes, get the Giants and other teams my sons collect and sell the rest or trade for Giants cards.

It is not an investment for me, it is a hobby and enjoy in spare team..do not take time away from family or job, but, when time is available, I get into the collection mode..

My wife understands and knows that it is a losing proposition $wise , but I am not at casinos or bars etc...

Trade off, but the best i got..