Getting back into the hobby and looking for advice.

[Crosscheck]

Hi guys,
I'm new to the boards, and I'm looking for some advice. I used to be a hockey card collector when I was a kid, and now I'm in my 30s and looking to get back into it. I'm thinking of starting with a select number of graded rookie cards from the 80s. I'm leaning towards getting all of them at a PSA-8 grade. I might have a touch of OCD, but I really want them all the same grade and graded by the same company. If I then decide to expand to rookies from the 90s to present, I might go with a higher grade and a different company for those.


So, here's a few questions:

1. Does the plan described seem like something reasonable?

2. I'm completely lost with all of the different sets available these days. If I were to start a rookie collection for the 90s to present, which sets should I get them from? It might be superficial on my part, but I would be most attracted to the rarest and most sought after versions of those rookie cards.

4. I've read somewhere that the grading companies PSA, BGS, and SCG are the most respected for grading older cards. Is that so? Does that mean I could go with another company for the newer cards? If so, which one(s)?

5. Do you have any other advice to give someone like me that is getting back into the hobby?


Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Crosscheck]

By the way, to get a better idea, here are the cards I'm planning to start with:

Wayne Gretzky 79-80
Mario Lemieux 85-86
Mark Messier 80-81
Ray Bourque 80-81
Paul Coffey 81-82
Chris Chelios 84-85
Jari Kurri 81-82
Peter Stastny 81-82
Brett Hull 88-89
Steve Yzerman 84-85
Mike Gartner 80-81
Luc Robitaille 87-88
Ron Francis 82-83
Denis Savard 81-82
Cam Neely 84-85
Scott Stevens 83-84
Bob Probert 88-89

Patrick Roy 86-87
Grant Fuhr 82-83
Mike Vernon 87-88
Tom Barrasso 84-85
Ron Hextall 87-88
Bill Ranford 87-88
Andy Moog 81-82

 

[drkicker]

1- Seems reasonable, other then the Gretzky the others shouldnt cost you to much.

2- Wasent around much in the late 90`s, and dont know when Sp Authentic started.I would go with a recognize brand and widely collected like Young Guns or Sp Authentic auto rc`s.

4- I wouldnt touch any other grading company`s then the big 3.BGS been known to grade sheet cut cards, sure the edge will look nicer but i find its kind of cheating since the cards didnt come out of packs that way.Edge were rough and a dead on 50/50 centered card wasent common.For 80`s-90`s PSA cards are widelly available.For modern stuff it cant be tricky to find a PSA example.

5- Dont be in a hurry, check completed listings to give you an idea of value.Good luck on your quest i know when i came back in 06-07 i was only into graded cards and i shouldnt have change route to beeing a player collector it was more fun collecting graded stuff.

 

[Fred Bear]

1 - Your goal is reasonable. I would urge you to make sure that you will be happy with PSA-8s as your collection grows. Most of the cards you are looking at are fairly 'common' as PSA-8s and there is little-to-no 'premium' attached to them over 'raw' cards. That makes them 'easier' to collect, but your list of HOFers is pretty solid and there will be more long-term 'value' in PSA-9s and -10s. [I wouldn't necessarily endorse hockey cards as a 100% viable long-term investment, but there will likely always be more collector $$$ in the marketplace than there are PSA-10 HOF RCs even from the time-period you are looking at collecting.]

2 - Beckett is a relatively good source for information on the late 90's. UD Young Guns are 'standard' RCs from that time period and since it came around in the late 90's, the SP Authentic Future Watch and Future Watch auto's are quite collectible. I would look at Beckett, though, to find 'other' RCs which seem like they may fit what you are after.

4 - PSA, BGS, and SGC are the most consistent. BGS, as drkicker points out, is known to have graded sheet cut cards from the time period you are starting with, but it's a personal choice. Some collector's don't mind, some do. SGC seems more widely used in vintage. The other companies are not necessarily bad, but, as with anything, a 'buyer beware' behavior is not a bad idea. Make sure you see either really good scans or have the card in hand before you commit to a 'great deal' from a sub-tier grader.

5 - I agree with drkicker. Do your homework up front. I'll also add - Make sure your collecting/collection makes you happy! No matter what advice you get or what you decide, make sure your collection is what YOU enjoy.

Good luck!

 

[Stadium Sports]

We have been (and still are) in the vintage market for a long time and with the exception of SGC, we have experieinced some interesting "conflicts" with all the grading companies. And Beckett is not the only company to grade "cut" RC's.

Of all the folks who trek down here to fill sets from our OPC inventorys, 99% of them are so disenchanted with the grading companys that they now seek and prefer raw cards.

 

[MikeFitz]

Sounds like an awesome plan. Like others said outside of the Gretz it will not be insanely expensive. personally for the 80's and back i'd recommend PSA grading and for the 90's and up I'd go BGS(beckett grading service). Keep us up to date on your progress and who knows what else getting these will branch into!!!

 

[gobuffalo2331]

With how boring game used, autographs, and modern rookies are (in my opinion), I've gained a lot more respect for vintage stuff.

 

[Crosscheck]

Thanks for the good advice so far guys. I'm already starting to feel more comfortable with the direction I'm thinking of taking.

1 - Your goal is reasonable. I would urge you to make sure that you will be happy with PSA-8s as your collection grows. Most of the cards you are looking at are fairly 'common' as PSA-8s and there is little-to-no 'premium' attached to them over 'raw' cards. That makes them 'easier' to collect, but your list of HOFers is pretty solid and there will be more long-term 'value' in PSA-9s and -10s. [I wouldn't necessarily endorse hockey cards as a 100% viable long-term investment, but there will likely always be more collector $$$ in the marketplace than there are PSA-10 HOF RCs even from the time-period you are looking at collecting.]

I'm pretty sure PSA-8 would do the trick for this collection. I think my motivation to get back into the hobby is more driven by nostalgia than anything else. Sure, I would love for the cards I purchase to go up in value, but that's not my main goal. I remember going through my Beckett as a kid, and thinking I would never be able to afford many of the cards on the list today. Just owning a version of those would bring a sense of pride and fulfillment to that 12 year old kid still inside.

2- Wasent around much in the late 90`s, and dont know when Sp Authentic started.I would go with a recognize brand and widely collected like Young Guns or Sp Authentic auto rc`s.

2- Beckett is a relatively good source for information on the late 90's. UD Young Guns are 'standard' RCs from that time period and since it came around in the late 90's, the SP Authentic Future Watch and Future Watch auto's are quite collectible. I would look at Beckett, though, to find 'other' RCs which seem like they may fit what you are after.

Thanks guys, I will keep those series in mind when I get to those years. As far as Beckett goes, is it still mainly books like the way it was back in the early 90s? Or is everything online these days?

5- Dont be in a hurry, check completed listings to give you an idea of value.Good luck on your quest i know when i came back in 06-07 i was only into graded cards and i shouldnt have change route to beeing a player collector it was more fun collecting graded stuff.

Great advice, I got into the habit of checking completed listings with my other hobbies.

Of all the folks who trek down here to fill sets from our OPC inventorys, 99% of them are so disenchanted with the grading companys that they now seek and prefer raw cards.

Well, with what I'm reading about all of the companies having some sort of slipup at one point or another, I don't blame them. But as far as my collection goes, since I will be collecting from different years and won't be buying complete sets, having them all PSA-8 graded just gives them a sense of unity to me.

Sounds like an awesome plan. Like others said outside of the Gretz it will not be insanely expensive. personally for the 80's and back i'd recommend PSA grading and for the 90's and up I'd go BGS(beckett grading service). Keep us up to date on your progress and who knows what else getting these will branch into!!!

Thanks man. I might consider going to BGS after this list. And yes, I'll keep you guys up to date.

With how boring game used, autographs, and modern rookies are (in my opinion), I've gained a lot more respect for vintage stuff.

I tend to agree, but going earlier than 1980 is pretty much useless for me, as I have no emotional ties to the players. Later cards might not be as special, but at least I feel some kind of connection.

 

[Crosscheck]

I think I'll keep my newbie questions in here...

-What do you guys use for storing graded cards?

-Do they make special boxes for them?

Again, any help would be appreciated...

 

[BenDMitchell]

aboxfactory.com

Try aboxfactory.com

 

[Crosscheck]

Try aboxfactory.com

Fantastic!

Thank you

 

[punkoholic]

Not sure if someone mentioned it. You talked about some grading companies. Ones you mentioned are good. Just stay away from KSA imo. Think they give out too many high marks. Lets say PSA or BGS grades a card 8. KSA still might give it a 9 or 9.5. etc.

 

[Crosscheck]

Thanks again guys..

Here are a few more Newbie questions:

-Are Topps cards from 89-90 rarer than O-Pee-Chee cards? What I'm observing seems to be indicating that...

-I updated my list. Do you guys have any suggestions on who I might be missing?

Wayne Gretzky 79-80
Mark Messier 80-81
Ray Bourque 80-81
Mike Gartner 80-81
Paul Coffey 81-82
Jari Kurri 81-82
Peter Stastny 81-82
Denis Savard 81-82
Andy Moog 81-82
Ron Francis 82-83
Dale Hawerchuk 82-83
Joe Mullen 82-83
Ron Francis 82-83
Grant Fuhr 82-83
Scott Stevens 83-84
Chris Chelios 84-85
Steve Yzerman 84-85
Cam Neely 84-85
Doug Gilmour 84-85
Tom Barrasso 84-85
Mario Lemieux 85-86
Al Macinnis 85-86
Patrick Roy 86-87
Luc Robitaille 87-88
Adam Oates 87-88
Vincent Damphousse 87-88
Stephane Richer 87-88
Claude Lemieux 87-88
Mike Vernon 87-88
Ron Hextall 87-88
Bill Ranford 87-88
Brett Hull 88-89
Joe Nieuwendyk 88-89
Brendan Shanahan 88-89
Pierre Turgeon 88-89
Bob Probert 88-89

As always, any feedback is appreciated..
Thank you

 

[Boom Boom]

If you're gonna have Probert on that list then you should have an RC of the reigning all-time penalty minute champ, who could throw the knuckles pretty good himself.........

Dave "Tiger" Williams. (76/77 OPC)