Need info on NFL

[Muzza]

I'm looking for info on NFL cards.
With NRL in hiatus (and looking dodgy) and cricket done and dusted, I'm seriously considering getting into collecting NFL.
Not a "huge" fan but more interested since finding a few fanatics at work, always followed results and particularly Denver (despite them being the Broncos).
So I have several questions - a) how many manufacturers are there, b) what's a good box to start with, c) ball-park cost of boxes, d) are there base sets, or how close, in every box?

 

[AusRam]

Couple of manufacturers, way too many products to detail, but this might help -
http://www.dacardworld.com/sports-cards/2012-football-card-boxes

Depends on what you want really and what your budget is, a decent product is usuallt around $100 or so....you can buy boxes with base of a lot of players and RC's like Topps, or you can buy the 8 card $200+ box that will deliver a couple of hits, but very few cards.
Pretty rare to get a base set in any football box these days...

If you want to get a lot of cards got Topps, if you want better better quality cards and hits, go Topps Finest, Platinum or Prime, Donruss Elite, Panini Prestige etc

 

[Muzza]

Thanks Trevor, very helpful. I'll have to do a bit more research now I know what to look for. Probably try to get a base set and build on that for starters.

 

[ekalb]

a) Main manufacturers are Topps and Panini. Upper Deck make quite a few sets but as they have lost their NFL licence most are in college uniforms. Press Pass and Sage also do sets but like Upper Deck tend to be uniforms from College. Each of these manufacturers have multiple different products.

b) A person favoutite of mine is Elite (I love the Acetate insert cards). Certified has just recently been released but only features 10 packs of 5 cards (4 auto/mem hits per box though) and normally a good number of serial numbered cards.

c) Lower end boxes normally around the $80USD mark, mid-range $100-$120USD and higher end could be $300USD +

d) I can't say I have even really checked about base sets when purchasing boxes! Very few NFL collectors I know actually collect whole base sets, with most being team and / or player collectors. I collect the odd insert set myself but not base. If you are more of a base set collector I would recommend Topps (they have jumbo pack boxes which gets you around 500 cards for $110USD or so) or Score. From memory I think Elite would have netted pretty close to a full base set.

Whatever you pick good luck and have fun!

 

[Lazlow]

I've contemplated trying to complete the Prestige base set. 200 regular base set + 100 rookies. I really like the design and they're boxes that wont break the bank.

 

[ekalb]

Prestige a nice cards and indeed quite affordable (less than $90 from memory). I am working on the Elite Hard Hats set at the moment (non-auto although I am collecting up a few of the lesser rookie auto versions also) and the Topps Captian Patches (non-pink at the moment).

 

[Muzza]

Some great feedback, thanks all. Looking at Topps initially for a big haul of cards - 36 packs of 10 and relatively cheap, but I'll need 2 boxes at least with a 440 card base set!! Plenty of variety with inserts in all NFL releases, locals could learn a few things. I'm keenest on the patch cards and they seem to be a staple in every release. This could be fun.

 

[Jonathon M]

2011 boxes are good value at DA's at the moment ($55 for prestige) and the 2011 rookie crop is still very solid... Don't be fooled by Newton's sophomore slump, dude's a beast

 

[ekalb]

If you intend on going for some standard Topps they come in different type of boxes:
Standard Hobby box around $50-$60USD 36 packs of 10 cards with 1 Auto/Relic per box
Jumbo box (as I mentioned before) around $100-$110USD 10 packs of 50 cards with 2 Autos and 1 Rookie Patch per box
Special blaster boxes (off ebay for example) which i think are Retail that have a bout 10 packs and feature a special Captains Patch card per blaster (come in standard and Pink patches #d)

Also Topps have a few SP printed cards too within the Base cards to keep an eye out for...
http://sportscardradio.com/index.ph...334-2012-topps-football-photo-variation-cards

 

[Muzza]

Thanks again for all the feedback people, just an update and a few more questions. I jumped in and bought a box of Panini Prestige from Dacardworld. Couldn't get over the number of NFL releases they have, and heaps of pre-sells as well. Also got a base set off ebay for $25 delivered so looking forward to posting results.
Question time again - are there albums/folders put out by any of these manufacturers for individual sets/releases or are there just generic folders for different sports? and can someone fully explain the box breaks that I've been seeing - do you buy in for a certain team(s) and whatever you've nominated that comes out of the box is yours, or maybe you get nothing, is it that simple?

 

[ekalb]

As far as I am aware, folders like you get with NRL cards for example do not exist. I guess because very few people actually go for the "base sets" as most are player / team collectors.

As for the box breaks, you are bang on. The two most popular sites that people here seem to use are crazy8 and boxbreakings.com. Different sites do them different, but they are all run pretty similar. Some will let the buyers pick the team they want until they have all been sold, and others may do it has a random break where the team you get is randomized. Some also do breaks by players last name etc too. Also a lot of the breaks will only ship you out the "hits" of that team - so the Autos or Relics only - and not the base.

 

[Muzza]

Thanks ekalb, I've seen folders on Dacardworld's site for NBL, NHA, NFL etc. so I figured that was it. Not sure about these box breaks yet, bit hit & miss. If you have a checklist beforehand at least you know what's on offer, but if you're going in blind it's a bit dodgy. Seems that with so many franchises there isn't too many hits to be had for each.

 

[ekalb]

Yeah you will find that certain teams go for a lot more than others because of this. Teams like Colts and Redskins this year are the most expensive with the two "hot" rookies with Browns, Seahawks and Dolphins probably being the next tier because of their rookie class (all having rookie QBs starting this year with Browns having the best rookie RB also).

Al's box breaks (boxbreakings) can have some very cheap breaks (some as cheap as $1 for the lower teams that don't have many hits) but they can take a while to happen. Crazy8 from what I have seen tend to do case breaks so the hit chances increase and tend to do the break the day they go on sale. It is very much a lottery however.

 

[Muzza]

Interesting the status in which they hold rookies in the NFL, is this a common thread through all sport in the States? I would expect some serious attrition rate with regards to the long term value of "Rookie Cards" overall. But then again, what are the Rookie cards for eventual superstars worth these days?

Not sold on the box break lucky dip atm, just gunna dip my toe for now and see what I get. Hoping to get Broncos hits but not likely to part with anything straight away.

 

[jamieson]

I just signed up today to ozcardtrader, I havent collect nfl cards since 1993 upper deck.... im looking at getting back into it and have been following your conversation muzza and ekalb.

I was thinking of going for a box of 2012 topps football, just the standard type, from what I can understand, Topps have platinium and chrome brands as well, are these just shorter print runs, more autos etc???

As well, I had a question about rookies, is there just as much attention given to baseball and/or basketball rookie cards as in NFL rookie cards??

 

[ooneil]

It's all about Andrew Luck and RG3 this year!!! There is a 1000 of them already!!

 

[ekalb]

Topps have multiple different brands. There is their standard Topps base range which would be classed as a low-end product which will give you one "hit" (Auto or Relic) per box. This product has a larger base set with a bigger range of players.

Then they have various other sets Prime (10 packs, 2 autos & 2 relics per box); Platinum (20 packs, 3 autos per box); Supreme (1 pack of 4 cards per box); Inception (1 pack of 7 cards with 2 x autos and 1 jumbo relic per box) - with soon to be released sets like Strata (18 packs, 2 autos & 1 relic per box); Magic (24 packs, 3 autos + lots of other inserts per box); Chrome (24 packs, 1 auto per box) and a couple other higher end products where you only get 1 pack per box.

Rookie Cards from the standard low-end to mid-range products don't tend to fetch much even for the big name Rookies (maybe $10). With these it is all about the "hits" and hoping you land a big name rookie hit to getting some value if you ar buying a box worth.

 

[Muzza]

I just signed up today to ozcardtrader, I havent collect nfl cards since 1993 upper deck.... im looking at getting back into it and have been following your conversation muzza and ekalb.

I was thinking of going for a box of 2012 topps football, just the standard type, from what I can understand, Topps have platinium and chrome brands as well, are these just shorter print runs, more autos etc???

As well, I had a question about rookies, is there just as much attention given to baseball and/or basketball rookie cards as in NFL rookie cards??

Hey welcome mate, I'm a complete rookie when it comes to NFL - been watching for years and enjoy the game but since I've hooked up with OZCT I've now got the card bug. Hope you get as much out of the site. Been collecting NRL & cricket for years, now maybe NFL.

Which brings me to the box I got from Dacardworld - Panini Prestige arrived today, only ordered on Tuesday, crazy fast delivery. Gunna bust & post results over the weekend, out tonight & work tomorrow - the anticipation is excruciating.

 

[Jonathon M]

Hey welcome mate, I'm a complete rookie when it comes to NFL - been watching for years and enjoy the game but since I've hooked up with OZCT I've now got the card bug. Hope you get as much out of the site. Been collecting NRL & cricket for years, now maybe NFL.

Which brings me to the box I got from Dacardworld - Panini Prestige arrived today, only ordered on Tuesday, crazy fast delivery. Gunna bust & post results over the weekend, out tonight & work tomorrow - the anticipation is excruciating.

Ive busted 2 boxes of these Muzza, if ya need some base to complete your set let me know

Sorry mate, just read you bought a base set

 

[ekalb]

Hey welcome mate, I'm a complete rookie when it comes to NFL - been watching for years and enjoy the game but since I've hooked up with OZCT I've now got the card bug. Hope you get as much out of the site. Been collecting NRL & cricket for years, now maybe NFL.

Which brings me to the box I got from Dacardworld - Panini Prestige arrived today, only ordered on Tuesday, crazy fast delivery. Gunna bust & post results over the weekend, out tonight & work tomorrow - the anticipation is excruciating.

Looking forward to seeing the results. Good luck!