Everything you ever wanted to know about the beautiful hobby of sports cards all wrapped up in a nice little bow! Read this article about how to collect sports cards and you will be ready to master the hobby!
Check out the set checklists section! If you are a set builder swing on in! We have most of the post war baseball vintage checklists up for Topps and new checklists will be added every week!
I have a quick confession to make. The title of this post is actually a joke. There is no “how to” collect sports cards article out there that will give you the tools or know-how to understand and eventually collect sports cards.
This isn’t meant to sound like some gatekeeper BS that is meant to drive you away from the hobby. That’s not my goal at all. I love when new people show up to learn and start their own collection, but that’s the crux, there is no one way to go about it. There is no class to teach you the “art of sports card collecting” that I, or any serious member of the hobby would point you too.
What I will say is, there are many people looking to make a dime off your ignorance. I am not referring to people trying to sell you cards at above market prices, although that will happen. I am talking more about the various blood sucking vampires and various influencers who will tell you to buy, buy, buy their “service” or their software. There is very little along the lines of “information” that is worth buying in this industry. Most anything someone is willing to sell you, is probably also free somewhere with a little due diligence.
So it’s great that you want to start collecting, or pick it back up again, but there is nothing for you to buy that will kick start your true journey.
“Collect What You Love”
You’ll hear those words every so often. It basically means, nobody can tell you what cards you like and should collect. Nobody can tell you what to collect or how to collect them. More importantly, nobody can tell you where to spend your money and how best to do so.
The best part of this hobby, is that it is up to you to determine what, and what kind of collector you will be. Where and how you make purchases, whether you choose to hold, invest, or flip your cards, it’s all up to you!
“Collect What You Love” is a simple and corny statement, but it’s true. Hey, if you like 1991 Donruss baseball, don’t let us stop you…but do your research.
But where do I find information?
When people ask for info about the hobby, instead of saying, “Here is how to collect sports cards”, I say, “here are some good resources for information.” There isn’t a “how” but there is a lot of info to “help.”
In the coming weeks, I will posting more about the resources I use to help research the cards I collect. For those that need it, I hope you join me and read along. For those that are seasoned vets that know this stuff, feel free to add comments or better ideas and practices to the comment section below. Everyone can add something to this journey for a new collector.
Just remember, only one person can determine the “how” when it comes to collecting cards and that person is you.
Here are a few resources for shipping & packaging cards along with a few other informative articles we have written here in the past. For those ready, you can get started here:
- How To Fail At Selling On eBay
- 2023 Topps MVP Buyback Program – The “How To” Guide
- The Fine Art of Collecting Football Cards
- How To Ship Sports Cards The Right Way – Part 1 : Supplies
- How To Ship Sports Cards The Right Way – Part 2 : Shipping Services
I wanted to say a quick thank you to all the readers out there who enjoy coming here for the checklists and my idle banter. This marks our 40th post and really just the beginning. This has been a fun project and grows by the day. Keep in touch on social media and keep on collecting!
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Need Penny Sleeves? Here is a discounted lot, they are going fast though!!
How about Top Loaders? Here is 100 Ultra Pro discounted! Why not save and grab a case here?!?!?
Tip #1: If you are looking for a display case, I just bought two of these and like them a lot. Sturdy enough for the price and they look nice, better yet, they won’t break the bank!
Tip #2: After attending a local card show I noticed all the cool kids have one of these! A slab case definitely makes carrying your graded cards around with you a bit easier!
