11 TIPS FOR COLLECTING SPORTS CARDS ON A BUDGET

The only thing better than an awesome card collection is having one without getting a second mortgage!

Each “Happy Hobby Sports Card Newsletter” pack has a handful of great sports card subjects, helping sports card collectors working with limited budgets – like me!

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This is the PAID version of the “Happy Hobby Sports Cards” Newsletter, with the free version coming again next week.

🏈⚾🏀11 TIPS FOR COLLECTING SPORTS CARDS ON A BUDGET!

Collecting sports cards makes me feel like a kid again. You too? Am I the only one? It reminds me of walking up the candy aisle at my local 7-11, hoping there are still a few 25-cent packs of Topps from 1980-something, knowing I’ll have to sacrifice a couple packs for a Butterfinger and a Mountain Dew. It reminds me of opening packs, picking out the winners, then marrying them all into their respective team piles within my already burgeoning collection, dinging every corner on the way.

The resurrection of card collecting has been great on our nostalgia, but our wallets haaaaaate nostalgia. THEY HATE IT!

So, I’m sharing a couple handfuls of tips on how to continue to collect sports cards in a responsible way, while keeping it fun!

1. Start with a Focus

I promise you – you will never collect everything you want. So try to narrow that focus just a bit. Maybe it’s narrowed to a couple sports? Maybe it’s narrowed to certain sets? Here are some ideas:

• Favorite Players: Concentrate on cards of your favorite athletes.

• Teams: Build a collection around your beloved team. I like to make a list of all my favorite players from all my favorite teams through the years.

• Eras: Collect cards from a specific decade or era that interests you, like the years from your childhood! If you were a kid during the junk wax era, then you can really collect on the cheap!

2. Hunt for Bargains

File this one under, Duh. A diligent person can find deals at places like BuySportsCards.com, COMC and in Facebook Groups. Some other spots to look, include:

• Garage Sales and Flea Markets: These are often gold mines for inexpensive sports cards.

• Online Marketplaces: Sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace frequently have sellers offering cards at low prices, especially if you buy in bulk.

• Local Card Shops: Visit regularly to check for sales or clearance items. It’s always fun sorting through the $1-$5 bin. Since these are cheap cards, card shop owners don’t always have the time to go through these to pull out recent hot players.

3. Trade with Friends

Trading cards with friends or fellow collectors can be a fun and cost-effective way to expand your collection:

• Trading Events: Attend local or online trading events where you can swap cards with others.

• Social Media Groups: Join online communities dedicated to sports card trading. Like I mentioned, Facebook Groups is an AMAZING spot for trading cards.

4. Concentrate on Base Rookies

While everyone else is paying big bucks for expensive parallels and rookie autos, you can still pick up base cards for a relatively low price. This plan also allows you to go back a few years and buy base rookies of players from past decades.

5. Buy Singles

Instead of purchasing entire packs or boxes, hoping to get the rookies you want, just buy individual cards:

• Avoid Duplicates: Buying singles helps avoid duplicates and ensures you get the cards you want.

• Budget Control: It’s easier to manage your spending when you buy one card at a time.

6. Condition Matters, But…

While mint condition cards are desirable, slightly less pristine cards can be more affordable:

Consider near-mint cards, which are often significantly cheaper than their mint counterparts but still look great. Aim for PSA 9s of modern cards, and then PSA 8s for anything from the junk wax era. Before that, buy the best grades you can afford.

Be careful of always buying raw vintage cards, as they might be trimmed. Only buy from trusted sources (I can vouch for Ballpark Memories, as I’ve purchased many raw vintage cards from him, and he always discloses if a card has trimming evidence).

7. Look for Underrated Players

Rookies or lesser-known players can offer excellent value.

• Future Stars: Investing in rookie cards of players with potential can pay off if they become stars.

• Underrated Veterans: Some great players are undervalued simply because they aren’t the biggest names.

Keep an eye on Patrick Imhoff’s undervalued rookies and prospects card suggestions from his Thirsty Thursday articles!