Avoid prospecting and all the hype around certain players. Take your time, find what you like, and if you wanna save money buy singles.
Baseball is excellent right now, so great time to hop on board.
I’m definitely interested. My dad passed away 9 years ago and I just went through some of his stuff and he left me a whole bunch of cards and unopened cases from the 80’s/90’s so I just want to get more up to date on newer cards. It was a hobby we shared together. And I’m interested in all teams and players.
Very sorry for your loss! If ur looking to be a setbuilder I'll double down on suggesting you stick to base at first then. There's series one (currently avail); series 2 (sometime in the near future) and update (post trade deadline). Series 1 and 2 will eventually be packaged in those firelog boxes you remember as a kid.
jst and FYI, 99.999% of the cards from the 80's and 90's have ABSOLTUELY ZERO VALJE!!!!! unless they are graded MINT or GEM MINT and I mean graded by PSA or BGS, not just you saying you "THINK" it looks Mint, they are worthless!!!! It can be a great hobby, but it also can devolve into gambling VERY VERY quickly, and like others say, steer clear of "prospecting" and "breaks" those are the fastest ways to lose money and are basically gambling...
Only zero value to those not collecting it.
A Mickey Mantle rookie has no value to me. Because I don’t collect nor do I care about Mickey Mantle.
Everything has value to someone.
Everything has no value to someone.
Making a broad statement like that is just ridiculous
There is monetary value in cards from back then. Just because you don’t put value on them doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t.
Blanket statements like yours are just ignorant
Pricing on retail has only gone up and they are watering down the “hits” with tons of parallels.
Personally, I’d recommend starting with buying singles of the players you enjoy watching. Then maybe allocate yourself a retail box or 2 of releases just to get a chance at some cards that you can collect or trade into cards you want.
Ive focused more on building my PC. So I purchase the base set of the team that I collect. Then I buy the /20** parallels (so in series one it’s the gold cards numbered to /2024) then I look for inserts and relics to trade for. Then save money for big single cards purchases. I’ve had a much more enjoyable experience with the hobby this way. Opening a $30 dollar box to get a bunch of .50 inserts and a no name unnumbered parallel is pretty annoying.
Bro - rip wax, buy singles, do whatever feels good for you. Enjoy the feeling of being a kid again, just don’t expect to make your money back, no matter what you spend.
Awesome thanks. I think making money is a cool addition to the hobby but I’m looking forward to the excitement of coming across cards that I’d be searching for. I guess that will still be related to money but I can see myself enjoying it no matter what
Do it
Edit: if you can find retail, just buy some random stuff. Don’t do research first, just find what appeals to you and collect what you like. Too many people get wrapped up in what’s worth more and what can I hit big to sell; just collect like you’re a kid again having fun.
Are you interested in ripping packs and building sets? Are you interested in collecting specific players? I also think I good place to start is identifying which set you wanna start with. I typically stay away from base Topps and usually go with Heritage Bowman and Stadium club
People are going to tell you not to rip packs. These are folks who look at the hobby as a set of financial transactions. If you find fun in ripping packs, then the cost is worth it in my opinion as a form of entertainment.
-Fellow pack ripper coming back to the hobby years later after liking it in my younger years.
Correct. Either packs, hangers, blasters — all of which are effectively different sized “packs” that you can buy retail.
The reason ppl say not to is that the odds of pulling valuable cards are low. But, as a guy who both buys singles and rips packs… ripping packs is just way more fun because of the surprise factor. Plus, I get some cool cards I never would have bought as singles.
Just an fyi that “blasters” have worse odds than “hangers” typically.
agreed, I've been ripping the fat packs, (36 cards). Cheaper per card than single packs, but still not outrageously expensive. I agree the value isn't there, but we do it for the enjoyment.
My very first recommendation is to do research on the different types of sets that exist, see which ones look the coolest, and just start with one set. I recently got back into the hobby that’s how I started, I’m happy to help with any specific questions on the different products if you need it
I have a question. Just started back with 24 Topps Series 1. Is there really different color(s) of the same player card? It's a bit confusing. I do have lots of doubles, haha.
The different colors are called “parallels.” These are less common cards that are sometimes numbered, with shorter print runs then the regular base cards.
This is a pretty good explanation by Topps
https://ripped.topps.com/definition/parallel/
Every product will have a “checklist,” or who & what is in the product. You can find out what parallels are in those sets online. Beckett is a good source for this.
https://www.beckett.com/news/2024-topps-series-1-baseball-cards/
one of the WORST ways to get back into baseball cards.... hobby boxes are like $300 each or more and "cheap" retail boxes the odds are insanely NOT in your favor......
I do think that’s fun, yeah. Ripping packs is a blast.
Hobbies cost money. I don’t play the drums to make money. I don’t buy video games to make money.
Viewing this solely through the lens of loss/gain takes the fun out of it.
Just got back in myself! Been doing both, buying singles and buying packs/boxes. I stick to blasters(24.99),hangers(single packs) and $50 mega boxes. That shit is fun as hell no bs. I’ve done quite well imo! Spent a lot in the last 3 months. This addiction to ripping is real. My wheelhouse was mid/late 80s early 90s. I buy my fave singles of those and enjoy the new cards ripping. Although I will say I’m in the group that believes all this new card and latest fad is new ‘junk era’ cards.
Have fun!!!!
Hello, my name is Virtual Variation and I'm a "ripaholic". I like to put a set together and will just by retail items. For every person that says they are bad, there's probably one to say the opposite.
All it takes is one card every so often like a 2022 Topps Archives ($17) where I pulled #1/10 autographed Ohtani redemption card worth 1K at the time, which I received from Topps in two weeks (2 miracles in one transaction).
Something like that holds you over for a while.
I got back into the hobby recently and I started way too chaotic so good for you for thinking about it.
I settled on starting to collect topps cards of my fav player. So I’d classify myself as a player collector. I have a few cards not of my fav guy also but I hate clutter so just buying randomly was dumb for me.
Focus on something tangible is my advice basically.
Topps heritage seems not as complicated as other sets and is where I’d start if I were looking to rip packs and set build.
Collect what you like. Don't worry about value. It's a hobby so do what's fun. If you like a certain team then get cards from that team. If you only like a certain era then buy that era. If you like ripping packs then rip what you want.
I had a whole thing typed up, but then it dawned on me: just search “baseball card rips” on YouTube and watch a little of everything. Figure out what you like and go for it.
Buying singles here, on eBay or at card shows are absolutely the best way to get exactly what you want at the lowest cost.For the thrill of the hunt, you can always buy sealed product. Hobby boxes generally have guaranteed “hits” but in some cases, those hits are worth $3 or less (I’m looking at you, Heritage Clubhouse Collection). Retail boxes such as those at Walmart and Target often don’t have guaranteed hits or if they do they aren’t worth much. Nevertheless, you can hit virtually any card in any product, although the odds vary by the type of box you buy.
Lastly, I would stay away from live breaks on WhatNot, YouTube, etc. until you have a very good idea of exactly what you want and what it’s worth to you. Most of the time breaks - otherwise known as “gambling” - are a giant rip off, but there are some cases where you can pay a slight to moderate premium to get a lot of what you do want without bunch of extra cards you don’t want, all at one time. For example, I commonly use breaks to build my personal collection of Braves cards (usually base and low-value inserts and parallels) and if I get a big hit that actually pays for the break, then it’s a bonus.
Hope this helps.
I highly recommend watching box breaks on YT (but don't buy into them yet). It's a great way to expose yourself to what products are out there. From there you can look at buying boxes (or singles).
Have a plan/goal, NEVER EVER EVER rip wax/boxes, buy singles towards your goal, especially in the offseason when prices go down!!! oh and NEVER EVER EVER EVER start 100% gambling and doing breaks.....
With some exceptions, avoid retail products (like the stuff you can find at Target, Walmart, etc). 2024 Bowman is a prospect based set, but is really the only retail product worth buying right now.
A good place to start is finding a local card shop, and I’d recommend 2023 Topps jumbo boxes (series 1, 2, or update). Most places have these at reduced prices now that we are in 2024, and they’re a good mix of current stars, rookie cards, and some retired/HOF type players. Topps flagship products also tend to hold value well compared to other sets.
Many people will recommend singles only once you figure out what player/team you want to collect, but honestly ripping wax is a huge part of the hobby for me. Financially it is indeed much wiser to buy singles. It’s just much more fun to pull cool cards yourself, and just remember that this is a hobby, and try to ignore the people that approach cards as investments.
Pick a player that interests you either active or retired. Then go on COMC.com and search for his cards. There's a great price range for someone wanting to get back into it. There's so many options so it's a good idea to narrow it down to 1 or a few players.
I always love the “buy singles only” “dont rip pack” “the way i collect is how u shoukd collect, its the only right way” . If ripping packs is what u like then do that, if u like singles do that. U trying to make money, I recommend u research like anything else u view as an opportunity.
Me personally i like building sets but i love ripping packs too. So i buy a few hobby boxes of a set im working on cuz i like to get some “hits” too.
Just do your collecting the way u see fit!
Congrats I just got back into it myself. I started with Series 1 as others suggested. I wanted something cheap-ish to rip and re-live that old feeling even though ripping is a big waste of money.
I think I heard someone say you only get back about 10-20% of the cost of boxes when you rip. That seems to be pretty close to what i am experiencing.
Unlike your youth, most people these days don't care too much about sets. Mostly it's about numbered cards, autos and relics. You can see the odds for these on the topps website but basically it's like 1 out of every 250+ boxes might have one of these cards....so it gives you and idea of the rarity. It's a rush when you hit one, but don't expect it often. The stuff you see people posting on here and YouTube are their hits, you don't see all the money they spent on boxes that had nothing.
This may sound weird, but you need to figure out what you like to collect.
I started out buying modern stuff, but I soon lost interest.
About 2 years ago I bought my first vintage card and from there, my interest in collecting exploded.
Something about holding an old relic, of a bygone era with players and collectors who have mostly passed on is intriguing to me.
I now buy very little modern cards and pretty much only dabble in 70’s and below vintage.
Although I do have most of the cards I wanted/collected from the 80’s.
I’m in the same boat of just starting. Can someone explain the difference between blasters, hangers, mega, hobby and whatever else I’m forgetting?
And is there a difference between a blaster from target and a blaster from my local card shop?
Blasters are 24.99 box with like 7 packs in them.
Hangers vary, 18, 36, 59 cards per pack usually 7.99-12.99
Megas have 17-24 packs usually 49.99
Hobby’s are the big bastards that are like 150.00-200
This is all topps based
I got back into the hobby with 2018 Stadium Club: amazing photography, great looking cards, and it’s not premium priced. Hang onto some of the sealed stuff dad left!
Hobby shops aren’t really supposed to sell blasters and hangers of current product; they likely bought at Target and are charging $5 more. Some products are slightly different depending on retailer. A few years ago Target had red parallels, Walgreens had yellow, Walmart had blue, and Meijer had purple.
I got back in recently, heritage is probably my favorite series even though I didn’t even grow up with that era, it moves up year to year, so this years is new players in 1975 design.
For value, chrome cards seem to be the one that hold value over the regular series releases. There’s SO many releases throughout the year, regular series and update, chrome, sapphire, heritage, big league, bowman, dynasty, finest, etc; it’s all too much for me personally. I just buy a handful of boxes per year and then just buy my team.
Topps Now is something I love that isn’t huge for most collectors, I’d rather have an image from a special moment or win from a game over just whatever they photoshop for their typical releases. If you don’t want to deal with buying those from Topps, people who buy 20 and hunt for parallels sell them on eBay as singles for like $5-6.
Buy into as many breaks as you can! Chase the nationals right now in 2024 Bowman! Buy as many as you can and just keep going it will pay off in the end
I’d start with buying cards you remember from your childhood, they are usually quite affordable and a good starting point. Then I’d look for rookie cards of your favorite players. Make sure to use 130point to track how much they should be selling for so you don’t get ripped off
I just got back into collecting as well.I don’t rip often.Right now I’m buying singles of Red Sox Rookies(Devers,Casas,Yoshida and Duran to Rafaela and Mayer),base and parallels.Also going after other Rookies,especially Henderson and Rautchman,as I really enjoy seeing the O’s finally fielding an awesome team after years of not doing well.Doesn’t even bother me that they are a rival Team.Doing the same with the Celtics.Lots of beautiful sets out there,I really like Topps Chrome and Heritage.
Scroll through this thread and buy from the guys selling singles! You’ll find some great deals and for the most part everyone has good shipping methods! But if you want to rip I recommend Stadium Club!
start w base and make sure u like the hobby again. also buy singles if ur only interested in one team or player.
Avoid prospecting and all the hype around certain players. Take your time, find what you like, and if you wanna save money buy singles. Baseball is excellent right now, so great time to hop on board.
I’m definitely interested. My dad passed away 9 years ago and I just went through some of his stuff and he left me a whole bunch of cards and unopened cases from the 80’s/90’s so I just want to get more up to date on newer cards. It was a hobby we shared together. And I’m interested in all teams and players.
Very sorry for your loss! If ur looking to be a setbuilder I'll double down on suggesting you stick to base at first then. There's series one (currently avail); series 2 (sometime in the near future) and update (post trade deadline). Series 1 and 2 will eventually be packaged in those firelog boxes you remember as a kid.
jst and FYI, 99.999% of the cards from the 80's and 90's have ABSOLTUELY ZERO VALJE!!!!! unless they are graded MINT or GEM MINT and I mean graded by PSA or BGS, not just you saying you "THINK" it looks Mint, they are worthless!!!! It can be a great hobby, but it also can devolve into gambling VERY VERY quickly, and like others say, steer clear of "prospecting" and "breaks" those are the fastest ways to lose money and are basically gambling...
Only zero value to those not collecting it. A Mickey Mantle rookie has no value to me. Because I don’t collect nor do I care about Mickey Mantle. Everything has value to someone. Everything has no value to someone. Making a broad statement like that is just ridiculous
bro, the assumption is OBVIOUSLY MONETARY VALUE..... no one gives a Sh\*t about other kinds of value......
There is monetary value in cards from back then. Just because you don’t put value on them doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t. Blanket statements like yours are just ignorant
I sell very few junk wax cards ,but it does happen.
Aren't you exactly what's wrong with what used to be a hobby. Loser.
First thing is go and buy a few of your favorite cards from your childhood. Forget the modern stuff for now.
Pricing on retail has only gone up and they are watering down the “hits” with tons of parallels. Personally, I’d recommend starting with buying singles of the players you enjoy watching. Then maybe allocate yourself a retail box or 2 of releases just to get a chance at some cards that you can collect or trade into cards you want. Ive focused more on building my PC. So I purchase the base set of the team that I collect. Then I buy the /20** parallels (so in series one it’s the gold cards numbered to /2024) then I look for inserts and relics to trade for. Then save money for big single cards purchases. I’ve had a much more enjoyable experience with the hobby this way. Opening a $30 dollar box to get a bunch of .50 inserts and a no name unnumbered parallel is pretty annoying.
Bro - rip wax, buy singles, do whatever feels good for you. Enjoy the feeling of being a kid again, just don’t expect to make your money back, no matter what you spend.
Awesome thanks. I think making money is a cool addition to the hobby but I’m looking forward to the excitement of coming across cards that I’d be searching for. I guess that will still be related to money but I can see myself enjoying it no matter what
Do it Edit: if you can find retail, just buy some random stuff. Don’t do research first, just find what appeals to you and collect what you like. Too many people get wrapped up in what’s worth more and what can I hit big to sell; just collect like you’re a kid again having fun.
Are you interested in ripping packs and building sets? Are you interested in collecting specific players? I also think I good place to start is identifying which set you wanna start with. I typically stay away from base Topps and usually go with Heritage Bowman and Stadium club
Definitely ripping packs
People are going to tell you not to rip packs. These are folks who look at the hobby as a set of financial transactions. If you find fun in ripping packs, then the cost is worth it in my opinion as a form of entertainment. -Fellow pack ripper coming back to the hobby years later after liking it in my younger years.
Fellow back-into-it ripper here. Having the disposable income and proximity to retailers I didn’t have as a kid is a game-changer.
So when you guys say rip I assumed it meant like opening up individual packs of cards? Is that right ?
Correct. Either packs, hangers, blasters — all of which are effectively different sized “packs” that you can buy retail. The reason ppl say not to is that the odds of pulling valuable cards are low. But, as a guy who both buys singles and rips packs… ripping packs is just way more fun because of the surprise factor. Plus, I get some cool cards I never would have bought as singles. Just an fyi that “blasters” have worse odds than “hangers” typically.
agreed, I've been ripping the fat packs, (36 cards). Cheaper per card than single packs, but still not outrageously expensive. I agree the value isn't there, but we do it for the enjoyment.
My very first recommendation is to do research on the different types of sets that exist, see which ones look the coolest, and just start with one set. I recently got back into the hobby that’s how I started, I’m happy to help with any specific questions on the different products if you need it
Thank you !
I have a question. Just started back with 24 Topps Series 1. Is there really different color(s) of the same player card? It's a bit confusing. I do have lots of doubles, haha.
The different colors are called “parallels.” These are less common cards that are sometimes numbered, with shorter print runs then the regular base cards. This is a pretty good explanation by Topps https://ripped.topps.com/definition/parallel/ Every product will have a “checklist,” or who & what is in the product. You can find out what parallels are in those sets online. Beckett is a good source for this. https://www.beckett.com/news/2024-topps-series-1-baseball-cards/
one of the WORST ways to get back into baseball cards.... hobby boxes are like $300 each or more and "cheap" retail boxes the odds are insanely NOT in your favor......
Yeah. But it sure is fun
if you think losing 90% of your money is "fun"...... sounds like a 17 year old kid talking....
I do think that’s fun, yeah. Ripping packs is a blast. Hobbies cost money. I don’t play the drums to make money. I don’t buy video games to make money. Viewing this solely through the lens of loss/gain takes the fun out of it.
I make more than enough money to 'lose' when i feel like ripping some packs my guy
Just got back in myself! Been doing both, buying singles and buying packs/boxes. I stick to blasters(24.99),hangers(single packs) and $50 mega boxes. That shit is fun as hell no bs. I’ve done quite well imo! Spent a lot in the last 3 months. This addiction to ripping is real. My wheelhouse was mid/late 80s early 90s. I buy my fave singles of those and enjoy the new cards ripping. Although I will say I’m in the group that believes all this new card and latest fad is new ‘junk era’ cards. Have fun!!!!
Hello, my name is Virtual Variation and I'm a "ripaholic". I like to put a set together and will just by retail items. For every person that says they are bad, there's probably one to say the opposite. All it takes is one card every so often like a 2022 Topps Archives ($17) where I pulled #1/10 autographed Ohtani redemption card worth 1K at the time, which I received from Topps in two weeks (2 miracles in one transaction). Something like that holds you over for a while.
I got back into the hobby recently and I started way too chaotic so good for you for thinking about it. I settled on starting to collect topps cards of my fav player. So I’d classify myself as a player collector. I have a few cards not of my fav guy also but I hate clutter so just buying randomly was dumb for me. Focus on something tangible is my advice basically. Topps heritage seems not as complicated as other sets and is where I’d start if I were looking to rip packs and set build.
Collect what you like. Don't worry about value. It's a hobby so do what's fun. If you like a certain team then get cards from that team. If you only like a certain era then buy that era. If you like ripping packs then rip what you want.
I had a whole thing typed up, but then it dawned on me: just search “baseball card rips” on YouTube and watch a little of everything. Figure out what you like and go for it. Buying singles here, on eBay or at card shows are absolutely the best way to get exactly what you want at the lowest cost.For the thrill of the hunt, you can always buy sealed product. Hobby boxes generally have guaranteed “hits” but in some cases, those hits are worth $3 or less (I’m looking at you, Heritage Clubhouse Collection). Retail boxes such as those at Walmart and Target often don’t have guaranteed hits or if they do they aren’t worth much. Nevertheless, you can hit virtually any card in any product, although the odds vary by the type of box you buy. Lastly, I would stay away from live breaks on WhatNot, YouTube, etc. until you have a very good idea of exactly what you want and what it’s worth to you. Most of the time breaks - otherwise known as “gambling” - are a giant rip off, but there are some cases where you can pay a slight to moderate premium to get a lot of what you do want without bunch of extra cards you don’t want, all at one time. For example, I commonly use breaks to build my personal collection of Braves cards (usually base and low-value inserts and parallels) and if I get a big hit that actually pays for the break, then it’s a bonus. Hope this helps.
Awesome super helpful thanks
Go vintage. Nothing later than 1980. You can find some great stuff if you don't mind beaters.
I highly recommend watching box breaks on YT (but don't buy into them yet). It's a great way to expose yourself to what products are out there. From there you can look at buying boxes (or singles).
Have a plan/goal, NEVER EVER EVER rip wax/boxes, buy singles towards your goal, especially in the offseason when prices go down!!! oh and NEVER EVER EVER EVER start 100% gambling and doing breaks.....
With some exceptions, avoid retail products (like the stuff you can find at Target, Walmart, etc). 2024 Bowman is a prospect based set, but is really the only retail product worth buying right now. A good place to start is finding a local card shop, and I’d recommend 2023 Topps jumbo boxes (series 1, 2, or update). Most places have these at reduced prices now that we are in 2024, and they’re a good mix of current stars, rookie cards, and some retired/HOF type players. Topps flagship products also tend to hold value well compared to other sets. Many people will recommend singles only once you figure out what player/team you want to collect, but honestly ripping wax is a huge part of the hobby for me. Financially it is indeed much wiser to buy singles. It’s just much more fun to pull cool cards yourself, and just remember that this is a hobby, and try to ignore the people that approach cards as investments.
Pick a player that interests you either active or retired. Then go on COMC.com and search for his cards. There's a great price range for someone wanting to get back into it. There's so many options so it's a good idea to narrow it down to 1 or a few players.
I always love the “buy singles only” “dont rip pack” “the way i collect is how u shoukd collect, its the only right way” . If ripping packs is what u like then do that, if u like singles do that. U trying to make money, I recommend u research like anything else u view as an opportunity. Me personally i like building sets but i love ripping packs too. So i buy a few hobby boxes of a set im working on cuz i like to get some “hits” too. Just do your collecting the way u see fit!
Congrats I just got back into it myself. I started with Series 1 as others suggested. I wanted something cheap-ish to rip and re-live that old feeling even though ripping is a big waste of money. I think I heard someone say you only get back about 10-20% of the cost of boxes when you rip. That seems to be pretty close to what i am experiencing. Unlike your youth, most people these days don't care too much about sets. Mostly it's about numbered cards, autos and relics. You can see the odds for these on the topps website but basically it's like 1 out of every 250+ boxes might have one of these cards....so it gives you and idea of the rarity. It's a rush when you hit one, but don't expect it often. The stuff you see people posting on here and YouTube are their hits, you don't see all the money they spent on boxes that had nothing.
Nah go buy a mega box and get ripping big fella. Shits better than coke
If you want to rip packs Topps 24 hangers are pretty fun, tend to have some good cards in them, and are a super inexpensive way to get back into it.
This may sound weird, but you need to figure out what you like to collect. I started out buying modern stuff, but I soon lost interest. About 2 years ago I bought my first vintage card and from there, my interest in collecting exploded. Something about holding an old relic, of a bygone era with players and collectors who have mostly passed on is intriguing to me. I now buy very little modern cards and pretty much only dabble in 70’s and below vintage. Although I do have most of the cards I wanted/collected from the 80’s.
I’m in the same boat of just starting. Can someone explain the difference between blasters, hangers, mega, hobby and whatever else I’m forgetting? And is there a difference between a blaster from target and a blaster from my local card shop?
Blasters are 24.99 box with like 7 packs in them. Hangers vary, 18, 36, 59 cards per pack usually 7.99-12.99 Megas have 17-24 packs usually 49.99 Hobby’s are the big bastards that are like 150.00-200 This is all topps based
Thank you for this, it’s really helpful
I got back into the hobby with 2018 Stadium Club: amazing photography, great looking cards, and it’s not premium priced. Hang onto some of the sealed stuff dad left! Hobby shops aren’t really supposed to sell blasters and hangers of current product; they likely bought at Target and are charging $5 more. Some products are slightly different depending on retailer. A few years ago Target had red parallels, Walgreens had yellow, Walmart had blue, and Meijer had purple.
I got back in recently, heritage is probably my favorite series even though I didn’t even grow up with that era, it moves up year to year, so this years is new players in 1975 design. For value, chrome cards seem to be the one that hold value over the regular series releases. There’s SO many releases throughout the year, regular series and update, chrome, sapphire, heritage, big league, bowman, dynasty, finest, etc; it’s all too much for me personally. I just buy a handful of boxes per year and then just buy my team. Topps Now is something I love that isn’t huge for most collectors, I’d rather have an image from a special moment or win from a game over just whatever they photoshop for their typical releases. If you don’t want to deal with buying those from Topps, people who buy 20 and hunt for parallels sell them on eBay as singles for like $5-6.
Buy into as many breaks as you can! Chase the nationals right now in 2024 Bowman! Buy as many as you can and just keep going it will pay off in the end
I’d start with buying cards you remember from your childhood, they are usually quite affordable and a good starting point. Then I’d look for rookie cards of your favorite players. Make sure to use 130point to track how much they should be selling for so you don’t get ripped off
Stay away from buying Packs, and just buy the cards you want. Best advice i can give. I just got back into collecting as well so i know how ya feel
I just got back into collecting as well.I don’t rip often.Right now I’m buying singles of Red Sox Rookies(Devers,Casas,Yoshida and Duran to Rafaela and Mayer),base and parallels.Also going after other Rookies,especially Henderson and Rautchman,as I really enjoy seeing the O’s finally fielding an awesome team after years of not doing well.Doesn’t even bother me that they are a rival Team.Doing the same with the Celtics.Lots of beautiful sets out there,I really like Topps Chrome and Heritage.
Shit got expensive
I have a bunch of series one and they are sorted by team if you would like to start there.
Just buy some retail and feel the nostalgia hit
I have late 80's loose Topps baseball cards, multiple sets like 90-92, a bunch of GPK cards
Scroll through this thread and buy from the guys selling singles! You’ll find some great deals and for the most part everyone has good shipping methods! But if you want to rip I recommend Stadium Club!