New Member: ObsessedWithSports

[ObsessedWithSports]

Hey all,

I am the newest member here at Net54. A little bit about myself.

[*]I am a HUGE Cleveland Indians fan.
[*]I am also a Lions fan.
[*]I am only 13, so my budget isn't huge, and I fund my collection by selling cards I no longer want/need.
[*]I am planning on starting up in the vintage market, so advice is wanted.
[*]I recently started a sports blog: https://obsessedwithsportsblog.wordpress.com/[/LIST]

Thanks!

[rhettyeakley]

Welcome!

Awesome to see some younger members here. I also began buying/selling at a very early as well (I was 11 when I first started selling at card shows alongside my brother Rhys). There is so much to learn and getting an early start is great. Take your time and really get to know the cards before making any purchases you aren't 100% sure of, also having a community like this to bounce ideas off would have been great when I was first starting to collect. Be patient.

I am (obviously) not that young anymore but over the years I have shifted to different areas in the hobby, which I feel is necessary to maintain interest.

Good luck and let us know if there is ever anything you need help with!

[nat]

Welcome OwS! My main piece of advice for collecting on a budget is to be patient. Whatever card you're looking at, another one will come along eventually, so don't wreck your budget because you want this one right now. Wait for the one that comes around at your price. It'll show up eventually.

[BruceinGa]

Welcome!!

[ObsessedWithSports]

Thanks guys! I used to collect everything, but now am starting just to collect Indians and Lions, along with vintage, although I JUST started vintage. I think I will build some sets to go with my modern sports card collection. Any ideas on good designs from the 60s? Preferably something relativity cheap.

[icollectDCsports]

Welcome. You have a lifetime ahead of you, so don't be discouraged if your budget is limited. And you don't have to accumulate a lot in order to enjoy the hobby. Just seeing all of the great collectibles that are out there (cards and other memorabilia, too) and learning about it all can be so much fun.

[sterlingfox]

Welcome! It's great to see someone so young be interested in vintage!

I was around your age when I received a complete set of 1987 Topps baseball cards, which sparked my interest in collecting. I had virtually no budget then, so I mainly stuck with whatever cheap packs were available at my local shop, but always dreamed of owning vintage! At that time there was no eBay... heck, there wasn't even an internet, so my favorite thing to drag my older friends (who could drive) to was card shows! You are lucky to start collecting in an age where virtually anything is attainable at any budget online.

[njdunkin1]

Originally Posted by ObsessedWithSports

. Any ideas on good designs from the 60s? Preferably something relativity cheap.

Welcome! I love seeing other younger collectors here on the board. If you are going after 1960's, my favorites are 1960 + 1965 Topps. Should be relatively affordable in lower grade, and both sets have great designs to boot.
Best of luck, we are glad you're here!
NJ

[ObsessedWithSports]

Thanks all! I just wrote a article on Justin Tucker, check it out! I can't wait to get started in vintage!

[btcarfagno]

Maybe concentrate on some of the Indians great teams of the past....1954....1948...even 1920. Try to complete a 1954 Bowman or Topps Indians team set. That team didn't win the World Series, but it was one of the best regular season teams of all time. 1948 Bowman won't help you much in terms of a "team set" for the Indians unfortunately (likely just 2 or 3 of the 48 card set will be Indians)...maybe you can try to find cards of the players from that team?

The real challenge would be going way back and finding cards of players from the champion 1920 Indians team. They are out there, and some examples such as Exhibit cards or strip cards would be rather inexpensive. Great way to introduce yourself to pre-war cards as well.

Above all, whatever you do, have fun with it.

Tom C

[clydepepper]

Glad to hear your passion for the hobby!

I think you're being wise beyond your years by having specialized goals for the beginning of your collection.

Feel free to ask any question at any time. Those of us who know will respond and those of us who don't may connect you with someone who does.

What should we call you?


Good Luck,

-Raymond

[Rookiemonster]

Welcome to the board

[Shoebox]

Welcome to the board! Good luck in your collecting pursuits!

[mechanicalman]

Welcome from a fellow Lion's fan/sufferer.

A mid-grade Bobby Layne from the 1957 Topps set might be a wonderful place to look if you're interested in football. Relatively affordable and a great looking card.

[ObsessedWithSports]

Originally Posted by btcarfagno

Maybe concentrate on some of the Indians great teams of the past....1954....1948...even 1920. Try to complete a 1954 Bowman or Topps Indians team set. That team didn't win the World Series, but it was one of the best regular season teams of all time. 1948 Bowman won't help you much in terms of a "team set" for the Indians unfortunately (likely just 2 or 3 of the 48 card set will be Indians)...maybe you can try to find cards of the players from that team?

The real challenge would be going way back and finding cards of players from the champion 1920 Indians team. They are out there, and some examples such as Exhibit cards or strip cards would be rather inexpensive. Great way to introduce yourself to pre-war cards as well.

Above all, whatever you do, have fun with it.

Tom C

I may channel my inner Jobu, and get a card from each player from the 1948 World Series team. That should break the Indians curse, right?

Originally Posted by clydepepper

Glad to hear your passion for the hobby!

I think you're being wise beyond your years by having specialized goals for the beginning of your collection.

Feel free to ask any question at any time. Those of us who know will respond and those of us who don't may connect you with someone who does.

What should we call you?


Good Luck,

-Raymond

My name is John. This seems like a great site, thanks for the welcome!

Originally Posted by Rookiemonster

Welcome to the board

Originally Posted by Shoebox

Welcome to the board! Good luck in your collecting pursuits!

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

Welcome from a fellow Lion's fan/sufferer.

A mid-grade Bobby Layne from the 1957 Topps set might be a wonderful place to look if you're interested in football. Relatively affordable and a great looking card.

Thanks guys! I hope to add a bunch of random Lions, that sounds like a nice one. Where do you guys get your cards? My thing with eBay is you always don't know condition. Is that why most of you buy graded?

[nat]

I don't know that most of us do mostly buy graded. I certainly don't. It's a good idea if you're after something that's actually expensive, but for the lower-tier stuff I think it's usually not necessary.

It's true that there's somewhat more risk with buying raw cards, but it's a risk that can be mitigated. Spend some time learning to spot fakes. A few commons from the sets you're interested in, plus a loup will go a long way towards that. Also don't buy from sketchy sellers, don't buy cards listed as "unknown".

[ObsessedWithSports]

Originally Posted by nat

I don't know that most of us do mostly buy graded. I certainly don't. It's a good idea if you're after something that's actually expensive, but for the lower-tier stuff I think it's usually not necessary.

It's true that there's somewhat more risk with buying raw cards, but it's a risk that can be mitigated. Spend some time learning to spot fakes. A few commons from the sets you're interested in, plus a loup will go a long way towards that. Also don't buy from sketchy sellers, don't buy cards listed as "unknown".

Alright, I just assumed that since most of the cards I see are graded.

[icollectDCsports]

Originally Posted by ObsessedWithSports

Where do you guys get your cards? My thing with eBay is you always don't know condition. Is that why most of you buy graded?

eBay is one online source for cards, but you should check out the Buy-Sell-Trade section of this site. (I'm not a seller, so I'm not saying this out of self-interest.) Also, if you have baseball card stores or shows in your area, there is no substitute for seeing and handling cards in person. I highly recommend you do that if at all possible.

As for graded vs. raw, I recommend you start with lower-value cards that are not graded and then later purchase graded cards if they suit your collecting needs.

[JustinD]

Welcome from another longtime Lions fan and season ticket holder!

Indians and Lions is a odd combo, is there a story behind it? It seems blanket, but all the Lions fans seem to be Tigers fans because we are all local, lol.

[ObsessedWithSports]

Originally Posted by JustinD

Welcome from another longtime Lions fan and season ticket holder!

Indians and Lions is a odd combo, is there a story behind it? It seems blanket, but all the Lions fans seem to be Tigers fans because we are all local, lol.

Thanks. I am spread out equally. I liked all these teams when they were bad, so I am happy with the performance.

MLB: Indians
NFL: Lions
NCAA: Michigan
NBA: Cavs
NHL: Penguins

[Leon]

As I let one of our youngest members know yesterday, he will need his parents approval in order to be on our BST. The rule is enforced as much as possible on being 18 yrs old or older on the BST. Of course there are probably a few young'uns over there but when we find out we do enforce the rules. We have a few approvals from parents on file. The rule is only to help keep it safe over there..... .

Originally Posted by icollectDCsports

eBay is one online source for cards, but you should check out the Buy-Sell-Trade section of this site. (I'm not a seller, so I'm not saying this out of self-interest.) Also, if you have baseball card stores or shows in your area, there is no substitute for seeing and handling cards in person. I highly recommend you do that if at all possible.

As for graded vs. raw, I recommend you start with lower-value cards that are not graded and then later purchase graded cards if they suit your collecting needs.

[Paul S]

I pass the age test for the BST but I can be pretty juvenile

[drcy]

Low grade cards are cool. Collectors concerned with collecting perfect grade cards have something wrong with them.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by drcy

Low grade cards are cool. Collectors concerned with collecting perfect grade cards have something wrong with them.

We all have something wrong with us.

Registry guys just deal with it in a slightly different manner than you and I.

[Golfcollector]

Just my $.02

Might want to check into the 1960 and 1961 Fleer baseball greats. Smaller sized sets and loaded with HOF players. Most cards are not crazy expensive and you can pick up some nice examples for a fraction of what their original playing days cards would cost.

Good Luck and Welcome, the folks here are very knowledgeable, and if you do nothing than but just read posts you will enjoy this site very very much.

[ObsessedWithSports]

Thanks all! Yes, I need to get permission, trying to get educated on what I want to pursue before I start B/S/T. Here is what I will try to do I think.


Build a set (TBD, I have to figure out what set)
Pick up a card graded above 4 for each member of the 1948 Indians World Series team. Plus, a collectible of Jobu to break the curse. The cards are about $25 each, so semi in budget.

[7nohitter]

OwS-

I am a middle school English teacher and I have to say that I am very impressed with your ability to succinctly express yourself in a clear and cogent way!

Have fun with the collecting!

[ObsessedWithSports]

Thanks! Good luck with your 57 Topps set.

[irv]

Welcome, OWS.

Like what has already been said, it is not only great having a youngster on the board, it is also great to hear you're into collecting baseball cards, especially vintage!

[mrvster]

Great to hear you posting!

try on a T206 sometime

Peace

Johnny