Reviewing the Mass Buy Sites

For those of you new collectors and first worlders out there, I wanted to quickly go over a few things that may be of interest for you. If you were like me coming back into collecting, you wanted a bunch of cards of your favorite player/team, and you wanted them fast and cheap. You were really unsure of value and you were probably wondering where to buy them. Well, besides eBay, there are actually a few sites worth checking out.

Naxcom/Sportsbuy

If your favorite player is not a top tier guy and you just want a bunch of cards to start your collection, you may want to check this place out. It is probably the biggest of all the sites, but it is also the most expensive. This is because all the listings are either from people who just want to list their cards on the off chance that people will buy them, or they are sync listings from inflated ebay stores. The problem with this is that most of the cards are priced at or above the already ridiculous/arbitrary book value if you want high-end stuff. Due to this fact, it makes little sense to buy that kind of stuff from them. It does make sense to buy a few base cards or crap cards of your guy because the shipping is standardized (I think) and the sellers who have them also have searchable inventories. Ebay should be your first stop, this may be your last due to price.

However, the process is great, and they have buyer protection if you are unsatisfied. I have ordered before with no problem on two occasions and both times I have been happy. The problem is that the scan on the site is not the scan of the card you are getting, and sometimes it comes in a PWE if the card is cheap. I would say for crap cards you can be rest assured you will get what you expect.

Inventory: **** out of five
Price: * 1/2
Scam Prevention: ***
Best Feature(s): Buyer Protection, Huge Inventory
Worst Feature(s): Cards are listed if buy offers are listed, search not based on available cards.

Sport Lots

Sportlots.com is cool because they have tons of shit for every player you can think of. Plus its much easier to buy in bulk, which is great for baseball prospectors. Also, for each player and brand, the cards are listed by set and by availability, so it is ridiculously easy to find the set you are looking for. If you are looking to complete a set, GO HERE. Prices are okay on base, high end can still border on naxcom prices. They take paypal, but the site just looks like it is prone to a lot of problems with satisfaction.

Shipping prices are standardized on the site, so that can save you from the uncertainty of eBay shipping. The problem is that there are a complete lack of scans completely on the search functions of the site. If you dont know what the card looks like - forget it - no help here. They do offer some protection from their "star sellers" but if you buy from Joe Collector Schmoe, you are out of luck unless you used paypal.

Personally, I have never bought from Sportlots because I dont collect base sets or base cards. I have been tempted on a few occasions, but eBay always drew me back. If there is someone out there who can elaborate on this site, I will add your comments here.

Inventory: ****
Price: ***
Scam Prevention **
Best Feature(s): Organization, Searching
Worst Feature(s): Lack of scans, buyer protection, overall site design

CheckOutMyCards

The name of the site bugs me, but there are a few other things that I like. The site design is nice, and the process is pretty streamlined. The problem is that EVERY GODDAMN THING on this site goes by book value. They have calculated all pricing based on it, and even give the idiots a percentage they are saving in regards to BV. That sucks a barrel of donkey balls.

This site is also pretty new, so the inventory is good not great. I would say this is a more baseball focused site as well, although they are trying to beef it up for the other sports. The other thing is that most of the sellers wont have much experience either, so I would maybe check out Sport Lots first. This could become a nice site eventually, but right now its still a beta version.

Shipping on the site is standardized again, and that is always a nice feature. They also promote the fact that all cards are scanned, so you should have a picture of the card you are ACTUALLY getting. They are also looking at adding a standardized trading site, so that might be cool too. Lastly, they have a return policy, so I would say that if you get scammed, it should be easy to return. Also, CheckOutMyCards keeps all the cards that are for sale, so you buy directly from them. I guess if the cards sucked, they wouldnt list them. The problem with that is that you are at their mercy if you are the seller and you think the condition is better than what they say.

Inventory: ** 1/2
Price: ** - for the way it is displayed
Scam Prevention: ****
Best Feature(s): Cards are expected to sell, this is not a display site. Very nice set up too.
Worst Feature(s): Site inventory isnt as expansive.

The Pit

When this was invented, I thought it was really cool. Then I saw what actually happens on the site. Basically, you buy cards like you buy an IPO and they keep it in their "warehouse" for you. That way you can buy and sell like stock trades, and the prices reflect those sales. They solely deal in graded and uncirculated cards, so dont go looking for base crap here. The Pit does have the option to receive the cards you bought, but they dont reccommend that.

Personally this type of site is not for collectors, but rather for people looking to play a game with real money. The inventory and site interest has dropped dramatically since the beginning, but when it was bought by naxcom, it picked up a little.

Really, go somewhere else.

Inventory: 1/2
Price: *
Best Feature(s): All cards are graded or uncirculated so there is no possibility of condition problems or fakes
Worst Feature(s): Its more of a game than a real collecting site

I know that eBay will always be the best and the cheapest, but not every card is on eBay at all times. Plus, for newbies and first worlders, they may want the base cards that ebay neglects. I figured that because the newbie collector journal is a living document, this should be added for the sake of all involved. Im glad the newbie collector world is safe for another day. Click the tag below to see the rest.

And The Winner Is...

Based on my experiences over the last few months and couple years, I have become a person who never strives for anything less than full transparency in my collecting. Because of that, I have become a connoisseur of sports card info websites, mainly so I can go and get what I need whenever I need it. Because so many people come here for news and other info, I thought I would go over some of my favorites. I would call this the Gellmies, but that is lamer than a Joey Arrington hail mary pass.

Best Place For Card News: Wax Heaven

I would put all card blogs in general, but Mario is the face of most of the bloggers, so he gets the award for his constant hard work on covering the widest range of topics. I think a lot of people solely go to him for news, and he has made an impact on the mainstream sports blogs like Deadspin and others too - something none of the rest of us have done. He doesn’t shy away from biting commentary, and has a lot of heart behind his writing.

Best Place for Board Box Breaks: Blowout Cards Forum

Every time a new box is released I head straight for this forum because they bust cases more than single boxes. Its slowed down lately because of the lack of money going around, but it still has its loyalists. Even better than all that is certain words are NOT tolerated AT ALL, and there is never going to be a long drawn out pack by pack break to boost a post count. This place is as straightforward as you can get, and I LOVE it.

Best Place for YouTube Box Breaks: ARPlatinum

The only reason Chris doesn’t win this award is because he has drastically cut back his videos. AR does it by the case and you get to see it all. Every pack. The commentary isnt as back burner as Chris' breaks are, so that can get bothersome, but a mute button works great. He busts everything from Football to Baseball, and does a lot of higher end stuff. Its always fun to watch, especially if you have never busted a case.

Best Written Card Articles: Fielder's Choice

I get excited every time Dave posts one of his commentary pieces. His style is so easy to read that its easy to forget that you arent talking to him personally about it. The best thing about Dave is that he isnt afraid to stand up to anyone, and has done so on numerous occasions. His battle with Beckett over on the comments for Mario's blog was classic. Even though Dave has cut back lately, he hasn’t given up, according to my own contact with him. Plus, I think its pretty standard that people eventually scale back the posting once they find out that blogging is not a full time job.

Best Place to Go And Communicate With Other Collectors: Sports Card Forum

The people over there are entrenched in a beckett world, which sucks fucking ass, but it is the best place to go and talk to other people. They have the most members and they have the widest range of forum subjects on the net in my opinion. The trading system is TOP NOTCH, but the people only care about book value which is ludicrious. If you are new and you want to find people to talk to on a frequently updated forum, this is it. Thankfully it hasn’t turned into a place where every topic becomes a flame war, but it could head down that way like the IBMB did.

Best Place to Lose Yourself In: Cardboard Junkie

I swear to god, dayf has the most expansive card site ever created. The links alone can keep you busy for hours, and there are more articles than Shawn Kemp has kids - that’s talent. He covers mostly baseball, though other topics are sprinkled in. Its basically a first world blog, but it was one of the original first world blogs to come around. Go take a look around, ill see you in two hours.

Best Place To Buy Cards From Online: Blowout Cards and DA Cardworld (tie)

I think they both cater to the customers in Different ways. Blowout has the lowest prices at the fastest pace. If a box drops in price, they have it down the quickest. If you need a lot of boxes, Blowout is your place. If you need older products going back SUPER far, DA is your store. They have great customer service and will do anything to make you happy. They also sell tons of singles, and their exclusive auto contracts make them the Blowout cards of the auto market. They also donate to charity and are a supporter of Diabetes, which makes them winners in my book.

Best Place To House Your Collection Online: Photobucket

If you have a collection, get it scanned and on Photobucket. Its free, its easy, and the features are the best. You can edit/crop pics with the greatest of ease, and they have ready made, easy copy link codes to copy onto any site, including blogs. Best thing about the bucket? NO POP UP ADS.

Best Place To Start a Blog: Blogger

I would say wordpress for the features, but I tried it, and it is ridiculously confusing for people like me who have never blogged before. Get started on blogger and post your thoughts - frequently updated sites are good on my list any day. To tell you the truth, you don’t even have to make it public, do it for yourself and make you a better you. I started writing because I needed a place to share how I felt. There is no more cathartic experience.

Congrats to the winners, your trophy is being made and will be sent out via redemption. I hope that sets expectations...

New Kids On The Block Pt 2 - Get More Out of Your Initial Investment

If you are new to this hobby, most likely the first thing you want to do is bust, bust, bust. Normally I would deplore this idea, but with new people that is exactly what you should do. You will need some cash, and I would expect you to have some if you are taking on a new interest. I get daily emails from people asking what they should bust, and so, instead of answering all individually, I will give you my top picks for football.

1. SP Authentic - At around 100 bucks a box, this stuff is usually a great mix of veteran and RC. You will get one big hit and two small hits per box (all autographed), though that may change to more content this year. The RC Patch autos trump even National Treasures, and they are usually on card. In fact, last year, all autos for this set were on card. This could be the best product to bust all around if you are new or old.

2. Leaf Limited - Again a 100 dollar price tag, and a good mix of jersey and auto cards. The set almost always looks ridiculously good, and you have a shot at some really big hits with logos, letters, and cuts. They switched back to packs this year, which I hate, but is good for new people. Plus, the RC patch autos, though not worth as much as SPA, are a little more common and the pics are usually nicer.

3. Donruss Gridiron Gear - This box usually runs at about 90, but the price may come down this year. Last year, this was one of the best looking products of the year, and for 2008 I wouldn’t expect any different. They have some creative ideas for the set with the pullout jersey autos and the rubber helmet autos, though jersey cards for this set are exceedingly common. The good thing about this product for newbies is the possibility of an 8 hit hot box at one per inner case.

4.Topps Chrome - This is the best low end product out there, and this year it got lower, even though the content got better. You get some base RCs that hold their value better than any numbered RC out there, and the autos are the only cards where the 2004 style foil stickers actually look okay. There isnt much of a veteran content other than the refractors, but the value of the bust is way up there.

5. Playoff National Treasures - The only reason I am putting this on here is because of what you get in the box. For the price of a few boxes of the other stuff I mentioned, you can get 6-7 hits of really high end stuff. You could buy 3 boxes of Gridiron Gear and end up with eight $3 jersey cards, or buy one box of this and end up with 6-7 jersey cards that are worth much more. With the chance of hitting it big, its worth saving up for as a newbie, and it will give you stuff to trade. It doesn’t hurt that the cards look amazing and there arent too many boxes with nothing - unlike Exquisite.

6. Bowman Chrome - Normally this would be a staple for new Baseball collectors, but for Football, its not as popular. That doesn’t mean it isnt a good bust, but you are mainly looking for the same thing as you would in the other sports. The colored refractors look great, and the autos look much better, but the bust has a bigger potential to suck than Topps Chrome. Now that they are at or around the same price point, its probably better to go with the other chrome.

7. Leaf Certified Materials - I love the fabric of the game cards, and so does everyone else. You get one per box, and if its autoed, you have a huge hit (usually). Up until this year, I loved the freshman fabric cards, and you definitely have huge potential with the first mid end logo cards of the year. It’s a good place to start.

That’s pretty much all I would recommend in terms of products, but I would say as long as you stay away from high end Topps and Exquisite, you should be fine. Feel free to ask around if you want more suggestions on how to better invest your initial buy in.

New Kids On The Block

Getting into any hobby or area of expertise is always a challenge. Then, even after you have endured the training phase, there are always new things to learn. This can be especially frustrating if the training part of the new venture has left you with a bunch of stuff that is irrelevant to a lot of the elders. I think that the hobby we have chosen falls under this description. I get emails EVERY DAY from new people in the hobby, some who are just starting, some who are coming back after a long absence, and the first words are always to the tune of "wow, I had no idea it was like this..." You know what? I agree with the feeling. Its is shocking that there could be this much wrong with a hobby that has been around for over 100 years. Granted, around 1996 a lot of things changed with the first jersey card, maybe even 1993 with Finest, or 1989 with the creation of UD, but that doesnt mean that the widespread dumbfoundedness of new people is any less tolerable.

Just to give you an idea of what I am talking about, here is what happened to me, and I am sure a lot of people who returned to the hobby did the exact same thing:

Around 2001, I was about to go off to college when I discovered an old shoe box filled with Shawn Kemp cards. He was my favorite player growing up, and I had everything of his - even the fugly shoes. I was curious what they were worth, so naturally, I picked up a Beckett from the newsstand and started my hour long quest with a calculator. After coming up with a number I went to eBay, because I knew that TWGM was the place to sell this kind of stuff. Plus, I needed a ton of money, and the Beckett gave me considerable hope. What I saw on eBay was fucking appauling, as the number from Beckett was off by 95% in the WRONG direction. I couldnt understand how something could be 95% wrong and still be considered a price guide.

Either way, I didnt think much of it, and took my cards to the local shop to see if they wanted them. I knew that I didnt, and I knew I wouldnt get much, but I thought I would get some. I got 5 bucks, about 1/100th of what I had spent as a kid! With that, I took the money and bought a pack of cards and a burger. It was a tasty burger and the pack contained a Mark McGwire jersey card, much to my happiness. I had heard about recent revelations in the industry, so I thought I had something...

...I didnt. But I was hooked. Over the next few years, I casually bought stuff here and there, mostly with the local players. Due to limited funds, I didnt have much, but it was still cool to have autographs of my favorite players. My favorites were the Sweet Spot autos, because I thought is was beyond a great idea that they had put the leather of a ball in the card and got it signed.

Soon after I bought my first Sweet Spot auto, I bought my first sweet spot box. I dont think I could have had a worse pull. Something like Geoff Blum or some shit like that. Beckett had it at 25 bucks, but that was still much less than I had paid for the box. So, I went on ebay, sold my card for 2 dollars - yes, that is correct - and stumbled across something that I had never seen before, hot packs. I thought, why buy the whole box when you can buy the hit for less? I bought three and waited for my packages. When they came, the packs looked weird, but I didnt know anything, so I opened them. I got a Jacque Jones, and two pitchers I had never heard of. Needless to say I was crushed, so I started searching for info on who these people were. I came across the BMB, and low and behold, I was litterally lynched for my purchase. No one understood how I could be so stupid.

NOTE: Ill admit, I constantly write about these stupid people on here a lot, and just to let you know, I was one of them. Call me a reformed Joe Collector (the term is still retired, but it fit here).

After a while, I learned about fake patches, trimmed cards, grading tendencies, and all the other scams in the hobby. Most importantly, I learned about the biggest scam artists in the industry (Beckett), and I didnt feel so bad about before.

This process to get to an acceptable amount of understanding took about a year and a half. Thats a long fucking time, people. Why do you think it takes that long to get aquainted with how the business works? Thats easy, as people are presented with tons of information they believe to be correct, when in reality, it is a shell of what the actual info is. People develop expectations based on what they consider trusted news sources, and those expectations are crap if your news sources are Beckett, Tuff Stuff and the Mainstream media. If you think I have a superiority complex because I have this blog, you are dead wrong. This blog provides expectations that are closer to what they should be, but it is definitely not all of what it should be.

Let me tell you, I know I am overly critical of stupid people, and Im sure some of them dont deserve it. Im sure some of them are new just like I was, and I am sorry to those people, especially if I savaged you and you didnt know better. Yet, I know that for every new person that didnt deserve it, there were four that did - so a continued "fuck you" to them.

Lastly, if you are new and you are reading this blog, dont hesitate to contact me via the link on the right. Also, be sure to check out the following posts, as they explain a lot of the problems your expectations may not have included. That is the most important thing - expand those horizons of thinking. Remember, correct information is always at a premium, and will be worth more than any of your prized cards.

The First Post Here and Explanation Of The Exquisite Scam
Say no to MOJO
The First Explanation of Why Book Value is a Scam
My Take on Jersey Cards
A Few Comments On Busting Wax
The Grading Service vs The Grading Business
The Overwhelmingly Craptastic Printing Plate
A Comment On Ebay Tendencies
More Book Value Bullshit
Joe Collector Makes His First Appearance
Five Reasons Why The Hobby Is Good And Why It Is Fucking Awful
My Take on Hot Packs and Pack Searchers
What to Expect When Watching Breaks on YouTube
Ebay 1/1s are the Devil
My Beckett War Cry - If You Read One Thing, Read This
Why Manufactured Letters Suck
Maybe a Good Way To Approach A Card Show?