Starting a PC

723

OzCardTrader
Messages
88
Location
Adel
Real Name
Adam
Yo,

I have collected on and off over the years. I haven’t done a PC since the early 90’s when the Reign Man was relevant and without possession charges . I realise that I had/have been doing it wrong and that I’m really behind the game.

I was a huge KB24 fan and I have had a void in me since his retirement. Being a 36ers fan, last season my son and I took a liking to Josh Giddey and now that he has been drafted to OKC I feel the void is about to be filled and we have decided as a family to start a JG3PC

I have tried searching for info through the forum but found nothing substantial on creating a PC. I have just start to listen to Southside’s podcast which seems very informative so far.

I’m wondering if anyone has any info or can offer some advice on:

- the do’s and don’ts on starting and collecting a PC?
- Websites/Facebook/Insta?
- Or a link to an old posts on here?
- Upcoming releases? (is following the Panini website the way to go?)

Also, would anyone have a list of a recent rookie that they have collected that would cover a good chunk of the RC’s?

I’m more than happy to PayPal some $$ for a mentoring role if you are able to help for you time and advice. As I realise its takes a big effort.

I feel like you only really get one shot and I don’t want to piss our money down the drain..**

Thanks in advance.

**I apologise for:
- my sh1t spelling, grammar and punctuation
- incoherent posts
- if this has been answered in a post and missed something obvious
 
You've already taken the first step - choosing a player. From here on out, I would say this - be realistic in your collecting, don't set out to get every single type of card for your player (too expensive and will never happen) just be happy to get what you can when you can.
 
You've already taken the first step - choosing a player. From here on out, I would say this - be realistic in your collecting, don't set out to get every single type of card for your player (too expensive and will never happen) just be happy to get what you can when you can.
Thanks for the info mate
 
@723 I am happy to share with you a number of tips on PC-ing a player. I have been collecting Shaq since the mid-90s, but have added side PCs over time, one of which is the collection of every South East Asian player who joins the NBA. So it is very similar to you starting a Josh Giddey PC this year. I am not a big budget, deep wallet collector, so I build up my collection slowly via the following channels:
  1. COMC - buy your base/low end cards here (and always make offers), build up your inventory of purchases, send them home in one package for $5 flat rate anywhere in the world. But make sure you keep the total value under AUD $1000 (see below), custom value here is calculated based on your acquisition price. Note: They are very slow at the moment in terms of packaging your cards, so expect turnaround times of a few months. Their expedited shipment is not worth it, as it's not that much faster but a lot more expensive. Patience here will save you lots of money.
  2. Forums - like OzCard, SportsCardForum (US), BlowoutCardsforum (US) are great places to talk about the hobby, find out about products and most importantly, buy/sell/trade for cards you want.
  3. Facebook groups - this has become a very popular way for people to deal cards, similar to forums, but beware of scammers. For small purchases, I would use PayPal friends and family, but anything substantial, I would cover the fees and send with Buyer Protection. Also, always ask for a photo of the package to make sure address is written correctly and ideally a video of the package being dropped into the post. If registered, get tracking number.
  4. eBay - this is still the platform where you will find the biggest listing of cards, general rule is to sit back and watch the auctions end so you get an idea of the current market value. Sometimes prices will go up like if your player has a good game, so be patient and strike at the right time. After a while, you will know what's hard to come by, so when the opportunity presents itself, you may want to capitalise on it. Use a mail forwarding service if you buy from the US.
In order to take advantage of the much bigger market in the US, you need to set up a cost-effective way to get your cards back here without paying $20 every purchase. Set up ShipMyCards account as your mail-forwarding service:
  1. Once you have an account, you can start sending cards you bought/traded for to their address
  2. There is a fee attached per item e.g. $2 a card, $5 for a lot and so on.
  3. Build up your stash here, send them back in one package (via FedEx because they have negotiated a great rate and it's very efficient)
  4. Take advantage of their feature that lets you declare any custom value, so be sure to do the maths (work out the conversion between USD/AUD) and keep your total value (sum of all cards + postage) below AUD $1000.
A few things that I rarely do:
  1. Buying packs and boxes - this is basically gambling and with the prices of boxes these days, this is not a sustainable way to build a PC, you will also end up with a lot of cards that require storage or sale (that requires effort)
  2. Entering group breaks - this is same as buying packs and boxes, except people cannot afford it so they divide up the box by teams. Same as above, pure gambling, not sustainable.
  3. Buying cards that are just released - all cards go through the same pattern in pricing where it starts off hot because everybody wants something new, then it cools off after a few months, then prices rise again when supply drops. So definitely, wait for the price to drop (for the set).
A few other things that will support your collecting:
  1. Recycle everything you receive in the mail: Soft sleeves, toploaders, bubble mailers, stamps (if un-marked)
  2. If you like trading, look out for good cheap bulk lots that you can re-sell or use as trade bait
That's all I can think of for now, but do feel free to PM me if you got more questions.
 
@723 I am happy to share with you a number of tips on PC-ing a player. I have been collecting Shaq since the mid-90s, but have added side PCs over time, one of which is the collection of every South East Asian player who joins the NBA. So it is very similar to you starting a Josh Giddey PC this year. I am not a big budget, deep wallet collector, so I build up my collection slowly via the following channels:
  1. COMC - buy your base/low end cards here (and always make offers), build up your inventory of purchases, send them home in one package for $5 flat rate anywhere in the world. But make sure you keep the total value under AUD $1000 (see below), custom value here is calculated based on your acquisition price. Note: They are very slow at the moment in terms of packaging your cards, so expect turnaround times of a few months. Their expedited shipment is not worth it, as it's not that much faster but a lot more expensive. Patience here will save you lots of money.
  2. Forums - like OzCard, SportsCardForum (US), BlowoutCardsforum (US) are great places to talk about the hobby, find out about products and most importantly, buy/sell/trade for cards you want.
  3. Facebook groups - this has become a very popular way for people to deal cards, similar to forums, but beware of scammers. For small purchases, I would use PayPal friends and family, but anything substantial, I would cover the fees and send with Buyer Protection. Also, always ask for a photo of the package to make sure address is written correctly and ideally a video of the package being dropped into the post. If registered, get tracking number.
  4. eBay - this is still the platform where you will find the biggest listing of cards, general rule is to sit back and watch the auctions end so you get an idea of the current market value. Sometimes prices will go up like if your player has a good game, so be patient and strike at the right time. After a while, you will know what's hard to come by, so when the opportunity presents itself, you may want to capitalise on it. Use a mail forwarding service if you buy from the US.
In order to take advantage of the much bigger market in the US, you need to set up a cost-effective way to get your cards back here without paying $20 every purchase. Set up ShipMyCards account as your mail-forwarding service:
  1. Once you have an account, you can start sending cards you bought/traded for to their address
  2. There is a fee attached per item e.g. $2 a card, $5 for a lot and so on.
  3. Build up your stash here, send them back in one package (via FedEx because they have negotiated a great rate and it's very efficient)
  4. Take advantage of their feature that lets you declare any custom value, so be sure to do the maths (work out the conversion between USD/AUD) and keep your total value (sum of all cards + postage) below AUD $1000.
A few things that I rarely do:
  1. Buying packs and boxes - this is basically gambling and with the prices of boxes these days, this is not a sustainable way to build a PC, you will also end up with a lot of cards that require storage or sale (that requires effort)
  2. Entering group breaks - this is same as buying packs and boxes, except people cannot afford it so they divide up the box by teams. Same as above, pure gambling, not sustainable.
  3. Buying cards that are just released - all cards go through the same pattern in pricing where it starts off hot because everybody wants something new, then it cools off after a few months, then prices rise again when supply drops. So definitely, wait for the price to drop (for the set).
A few other things that will support your collecting:
  1. Recycle everything you receive in the mail: Soft sleeves, toploaders, bubble mailers, stamps (if un-marked)
  2. If you like trading, look out for good cheap bulk lots that you can re-sell or use as trade bait
That's all I can think of for now, but do feel free to PM me if you got more questions.
Amazing, thanks heaps for taking the time for the info.
 
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