Some hobby thoughts

[DredJAw]

So I've been pretty much out of the hobby for the last 5-6 years and because of the state of the Leafs and now having a son I got really excited to perhaps collect some cards again this season. I was anxiously looking forward to some of the releases.

After lurking a bit and doing some ebay searches I've noticed a TON has changed. While Black Diamond is still the second season release after Upper Deck Series 1, I see that its now bordering on a high end product.

This brings me to my discussion here...

I realize now that I don't know what the heck a true RC is anymore?

I googled "Black Diamond RC Mitch Marner" and see 10 distinct Marner cards.

Is the RC the one out of rookie gems /399? the draft day /199? auto /99? jersey /299? diamond relic /99?

(I'm being facestious here... I ended up figuring it out thanks to frankiesfives).

Now I know a lot of you have kept up over the years so it's an easy answer for you, but I feel the products look as though they only cater to rookie collectors now? This is probably a good thing for breaking wax, but for player collectors or someone like me, who just wants to grab RC's and rookie year cards it's pretty much a nightmare now.

Anyone that knows me, knows I would go full bore into something I like and want to collect but when you can't even figure out what a rookie card is anymore I'm rethinking my position now.

 

[27Leafs27]

Good to see you in here Ernie. This would be a great year to collect all of those Leafs rookies. Hopefully you can figure something out where you can maybe collect only Leafs rookies for your son. Not sure what age he is but I do remember my two boys being responsible for me getting reacquainted with the hobby in the late 80's. Whatever you decide, have fun first and foremost.
Cheers.
Dan.

 

[TheGriceBoys]

Ern,

It was nice catching up the other day outside of here, you're one of those "real life" friends I've made in this hobby.

I know we kind of covered all this the other day in our hobby chat about what this hobby ha come to. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd go full bore anymore on this hobby, it'll frustrate the hell out of you. It's not like when we were collecting in the "good ol days".

If you're thinking of doing Leafs rookies for your son might I add my unsolicited (or solicited?) input? Please don't listen if you don't want, I'm a dinosaur in this game now, everyone hates us "vets".:laugh:

I would say maybe grab an entry level, mid tier, and a high end rookie of the Leafs big 3 (Matthews, Marner, Nylander) and then fill in the blanks from there. When next season rolls around and prices will plummet more and people will shift funds to the next latest and greatest rookie. Also will help keep your money in the safest and best place of all; invested in your family.

I'd say get the YG, Ice, and The Cup rookie and then expand from there. Just my opinion of course. Great to see you on here and not in "real life" cheers pal. :beer:

 

[aflamesfan]

I'd say get the YG, Ice, and The Cup rookie and then expand from there. Just my opinion of course. Great to see you on here and not in "real life" cheers pal. :beer:

Don't forget the Future Watch rookie cards! Although I imagine all 3 leafs will be Autos.

 

[FrozenInferno]

If I was to pick one RC card to cover as many bases as possible it would be the Future Watch autograph. It's not as mass produced as a Young Gun but at the same time not as super limited as an Ice #/99 (or Cup or Ultimate #/99 if it's a tier one player), it's a reasonable print run that still manages to hold decent value over time. And you get a hard signed auto from a staple brand and the peace of mind that comes with knowing there aren't a dozen different parallels trying to confuse you and compete for your attention. Everyone knows the FWA is the true RC from SP Authentic.

 

[yzerberg]

Don't forget the Future Watch rookie cards! Although I imagine all 3 leafs will be Autos.

...and the ultimate, I would think two of those three will be auto'ed to /99 (true rookie cards), no gimmicky photoshoot patches, just nice design super limited with an auto. In my opinion I would have to say it beats out the ice /99 since ice is missing the the hard signed auto.

Sean.

 

[chefjason]

...and the ultimate, I would think two of those three will be auto'ed to /99 (true rookie cards), no gimmicky photoshoot patches, just nice design super limited with an auto. In my opinion I would have to say it beats out the ice /99 since ice is missing the the hard signed auto.

Sean.

yeah i would second this, the FWA and the ultimate are going to be reasonably priced and likely very attainable with hard signed auto's

 

[frankiefives]

It's the new era of the hobby Ernie. It ain't what it used to be lol

That being said, my opinion is just grab a few of the better true rookies. No need to get them all. FWA, YGs, Ultimate and if the pocket book allows it, Cup ARPs

 

[bamlinden]

I think the changes in the hobby (and the economy) have forced many of us to re-evaluate how we approach collecting. But I feel that one can greatly enjoy this hobby more than ever. There are so many options and choices and there is a tremendous community both online and in person that can aide in the search for both cards and information. Patience and staying within my budget (most of the time) as well as a solid definition of what I'm going after has created a fun hobby environment for me.

Yes, there are a bunch of cards I'd love to chase but instead let pass by - maybe to never be seen again. I learned years ago that nobody can have it all.

All the best in finding that slice of hobby enjoyment for you.

 

[odjickfan]

I think the changes in the hobby (and the economy) have forced many of us to re-evaluate how we approach collecting. But I feel that one can greatly enjoy this hobby more than ever. There are so many options and choices and there is a tremendous community both online and in person that can aide in the search for both cards and information. Patience and staying within my budget (most of the time) as well as a solid definition of what I'm going after has created a fun hobby environment for me.

Yes, there are a bunch of cards I'd love to chase but instead let pass by - maybe to never be seen again. I learned years ago that nobody can have it all.

All the best in finding that slice of hobby enjoyment for you.

Somebody on a small budget can still build a nice collection hunting for deals on singles. Many cards from 200+$ boxes are selling for less than 5$

 

[gallinator]

I've had ebbs and flows during my 35 years of collecting and I can honestly say I am feeling the flow right now! I keep myself on a generally tight budget, carefully research product checklists when they come out, buy into a few group breaks from trusted sellers and then pick up a mix of retail and hobby boxes during the next couple of months. I cruise eBay for specific needs and rely on the friendly folks of a couple of message boards for other good things.

I spent about $250 on Upper Deck last year and failed to hit a McDavid. No worries, I got some other sweet cards nonetheless. On this year's Upper Deck, I bought a hobby box and hit a Nylander. Bought two tins and scored a Matthews! YAY! I'll pick up the rest later on COMC (which is "Check Out My Cards" - .com - and something the OP should look at if just now getting back into things).

For Xmas, I bought myself two boxes of 15/16 Series II @$40 each. A smoking deal! The first box was pretty standard, but the second box had both an Eichel Young Gun *and* a McDavid POE Canvas card. Great stuff!

My point here is to be patient, set a budget and stick to it, don't fret if you don't score the big hit and just concentrate on making the hobby work for you.

 

[FrozenInferno]

I've had ebbs and flows during my 35 years of collecting and I can honestly say I am feeling the flow right now! I keep myself on a generally tight budget, carefully research product checklists when they come out, buy into a few group breaks from trusted sellers and then pick up a mix of retail and hobby boxes during the next couple of months. I cruise eBay for specific needs and rely on the friendly folks of a couple of message boards for other good things.

I spent about $250 on Upper Deck last year and failed to hit a McDavid. No worries, I got some other sweet cards nonetheless. On this year's Upper Deck, I bought a hobby box and hit a Nylander. Bought two tins and scored a Matthews! YAY! I'll pick up the rest later on COMC (which is "Check Out My Cards" - .com - and something the OP should look at if just now getting back into things).

For Xmas, I bought myself two boxes of 15/16 Series II @$40 each. A smoking deal! The first box was pretty standard, but the second box had both an Eichel Young Gun *and* a McDavid POE Canvas card. Great stuff!

My point here is to be patient, set a budget and stick to it, don't fret if you don't score the big hit and just concentrate on making the hobby work for you.

Pulling cards like that yourself is a lot more fun than just buying them. I managed to pull my McDavid YG last year and it's a card I'll never give up. I'm not even much of a rookie collector, I just got into the hype, bought a box and got lucky. I never would have spent the money to buy one on the secondary market and even if I had I wouldn't have appreciated it as much as the one I pulled. I was going to wait for ePack to release and prices to settle lower before buying an Auston Matthews YG but now I think I'd rather take my chances trying to pull one instead. It may never happen, and in the end I might spend a lot more than it would have cost to buy one, but at least some PC cards should be pulled rather than cherry-picked, right?

 

[gallinator]

Pulling cards like that yourself is a lot more fun than just buying them. I managed to pull my McDavid YG last year and it's a card I'll never give up. I'm not even much of a rookie collector, I just got into the hype, bought a box and got lucky. I never would have spent the money to buy one on the secondary market and even if I had I wouldn't have appreciated it as much as the one I pulled. I was going to wait for ePack to release and prices to settle lower before buying an Auston Matthews YG but now I think I'd rather take my chances trying to pull one instead. It may never happen, and in the end I might spend a lot more than it would have cost to buy one, but at least some PC cards should be pulled rather than cherry-picked, right?

Totally agree - the ones you snag from packs are the ones you remember! My wife (who doesn't get it but supports me anyway) asked, "Why don't you just buy one on eBay?" It's the chase - the chase!!