Noob needs help

[Robertos87]

Hey guys, new to not just this forum but the whole world of trading cards. I'm a big NFL fan with two young kids. I thought collecting cards with my boys would be a nice hobby for us all to share, so I jumped on a Amazon and bought a box of Topps Fire. I opened it with my four year old and we had a ball seeing what cards we got and putting them into their sleeves. Everyday he grabs the folder and looks through it. I'm very happy I decided to start this with my boys, and will be buying a box each pay day. One problem. I kind of have no idea what I'm doing. I see all this jargon and am lost as to which cards are average and which are good. Is there any resource out there that I can read to familiarise myself with the hobby? Because right now I don't have a clue. Thanks guys.

 

[OutlawNinja]

Rule of thumb to go by, if the card is numbered (usually in silver or gold lettering) on the card then it is a score or 'hit' as we call them.
Secondly the better the player, then the more the value of the card.
The good cards are usually significantly thicker (fatter), than the normal or 'base' cards.
Look for autographs and patch (piece of uniform) cards.

 

[vansan]

Welcome aboard good to have another NFL fan obviously you can Always list your cards here for advice as the guys on here are pretty helpful.
What team do you follow ?
The hits as we call them should be easy to tell from the base as explained by ninja either autos patches or numbered

 

[Robertos87]

Im a Ravens fan. Thanks for helping out guys. I have two numbered cards, a Troy Aikman green (its shiny, dont know what to call it?) card thats numbered on the bottom 16/99 and Terry Bradshaw green (not shiny) card thats numbered 173/299. I also got a bunch of cards that stood out to me, forged by fire, competitive fire with Favre and Manziel, and out of this world rookies. Can I get autos and patches in blaster boxes?

 

[vansan]

I am pretty sure you can get autos in most products just google tops and look on website at that product for hits and checklist.
I have not busted that perticular product so not sure of the hits
I would be happy to trade you for the Aikman as I am a Cowboys man lol

 

[Robertos87]

Oh ok. Do they call the shiny cards refractors? Yeah man just give me a little while to learn it all we can do a trade. Tbh id prefer till after I get my second pack just because I think it might be the only decent card I got atm haha. Do you guys buy off amazon? Just takes so long to get here.

 

[vansan]

I do not but I am sure there might be others that do
post a few pics as I would not mind checking them out as I am sure there would be a few other guys keen to see

 

[Robertos87]

I think these are the best I got from my first box. Sorry photo quality is bad. The numbers on Aikman and Bradshaw are 16/99 and 173/299

 

[vansan]

They look like a nice card as I say I am not all that familiar with that product as I have not personally purchased any but hey any Aikman is a good card lol

 

[Muzza]

Check out - www.dacardworld.com
I buy nearly all my boxes from them - great service and decent prices (although the current exchange rate hurts), the only setback is you'll be paying another decent slug for postage (but you'll have you order within the week).

 

[Robertos87]

seems like a nice site, some great deals and clearances by the looks of it (comparing elsewhere) but the postage just seems so high. Guess its good if your spending a bit. My brothers missus lives in America, am I better off sending it to her and her sending it here?

 

[vansan]

That would work I suppose but it would then become a time issue unless you don't mind waiting a few weeks.
Sadly because of the ozzy $ you are still paying more no matter which way you go the guys you could try are the guys who regularly ship in from US like CherryCollectables and another who I can't think of there name who are on this site which offers fair prices

 

[Muzza]

I usually get 2 to 3 boxes (at least) at a time to save on postage. You couldn't do single boxes at a time at those rates. The only sweetener is the fast shipping with tracking.

 

[Ozsportsfan]

Im a Ravens fan. Thanks for helping out guys. I have two numbered cards, a Troy Aikman green (its shiny, dont know what to call it?) card thats numbered on the bottom 16/99 and Terry Bradshaw green (not shiny) card thats numbered 173/299. I also got a bunch of cards that stood out to me, forged by fire, competitive fire with Favre and Manziel, and out of this world rookies. Can I get autos and patches in blaster boxes?

Great to see another Ravens fan on the forum

 

[Ozsportsfan]

With the boasters (retail) you don't have the guaranteed hits. Hobby boxes have guaranteed hits (autos and relics). With topps Fire, there is the colour variations with the higher number then I think the /99 is green foils. The inserts fall at a set ration and the die cut I believe is rarer than the other inserts (don't know the odds exactly)

 

[Rusty Nail]

All the Ravens fans coming out of the woodwork!!!! SB50 here we go

Robertos87 if you want any Ravens base cards let me know and can put a little package together for you.

To get a bit of info on the cards look on Cardboard Connection, they usually have checklists too - http://www.cardboardconnection.com/sports-cards-sets/nfl-football-cards/

 

[sgt_pepper]

yeah, just be careful which boxes you buy. not so much which product but whether or not theyre 'retail' or 'hobby' boxes. hobby is the way to go as there are more hits. booster boxes are also a bit of a waste. stick with 'hobby' boxes and youll do fine.
maybe think about getting a 'beckett' price guide. its not really used as a price guide anymore, but itll give you an idea of what products are out there and which cards in those products are the better hits.

 

[edygriff21]

For information on products, general discussions, questions etc, blowout card forums will probably help you learn the ropes. Ebay searches will help with pricing of cards and what's on the market. Retail boxes will be cheap, but you're only really going to pull base cards. Buying boxes can be fun, but it's pretty rare that you get your moneys worth from them. Most of the time it is easier (and cheaper) to just buy the single cards you need or want (not as much fun though, and I guess that's what it's about with your son).
When picking sets to collect or buy, I generally stick to the better looking sets with on card auto's. I detest sticker autos, so it's all about appearance for me. These will be a little more expensive, so it'll depend on your own budget, and probably what your young bloke likes anyway. Stuff like Topps jumbos will get lots of inserts and still get you autos and jersey cards fairly cheaply.

There's plenty of good people on the boards, so any questions you need answered, don't be afraid to ask.

Good luck with it. The addiction has begun!!!!!
Ed.