This article is meant for all of us enthusiasts, whether you’re a card-collecting newbie, a 30-year grizzled veteran, a renewed collector (a Renewbie!), or a “sports card investor” looking to flip some cards for a profit.

Approximate Odds Per Column of Finding –

• Tips for Buying Cards on Social Media 1:1
• Review of Topps Gold Label baseball 1:1
• Group Break Mock Draft for 2021 Basketball Cards 1:1
• 5 Reason To Submit Cards For Grading
• My Top 5 Topps #Project70 cards 1:1
• More Collectibles Mailbag answers 1:1
• Free PSA 10 Trae Young rookie card 1:1,000,000,000,000 (on average)

Let’s rip this open!

9 Tips For Buying Cards on Social Media

One reason the sports card industry has blossomed in recent years is because of social media. Can you imagine if you could have easily traded cards with someone from the other side of the country back when you were a kid in the ‘90s? As someone who’s been using Facebook and Twitter to trade and buy cards, I wanted to prep a mini-guide on how to help your social media trading experience.

1. Buy from someone with good vouches from other people on that platform. Don’t buy blindly, make sure they’ve done sales and things have gone well for others before you risk your own money.
2. Have a PayPal or Venmo account.
3. Feel free to ask for more pictures.
4. Make an offer and see if they’ll do a deal for a lower amount. Or find another card or cards they’re selling and see if you can get a deal for the lot of them. This will usually cost them less in shipping, so they can pass the savings on to you.
5. Don’t buy big-money cards unless you’ve done a couple small-money deals with an account.
6. Use this glossary for social media buying:
   • BMWT: Bubble mailer with tracking – this is how they’ll ship your cards, which is a little more expensive than…
   • PWE: Plain white envelope (don’t get any card worth more than $15-20 shipped to you in a plain white envelope – pay them for a bubble mailer). This is literally a card in an envelope — not tracking, actual Forever stamps, and the ominous downside that the card never shows and the seller claims he sent it.
   • LCS: Local card shop
   • RPA: Rookie / Patch / Auto – These are considered some of the most sought-after cards, as they have a piece of game-worn/used memorabilia, and an autograph on the same rookie card.
   • PC: Personal collection
   • RAK: Random act of kindness – usually when someone tosses in something for free or sends something to help someone’s PC.
   • RAZZ: A raffle where people buy virtual tickets to try and win one card being raffled off.
7. If you like the card, but you aren’t going to buy it, give it a retweet/share and comment. The seller will be appreciative and might hook you up on a later deal.
8. Try to stick to one social media platform for buying, so you get to know the characters well – and they get to know you. Don’t spread yourself too thin. I like Twitter, so here are seven Twitter accounts I’d reccomend: @CardPurchaser, @sportscards, @HobbyConnector, @OnWiscardsin, @TheHobbyAI, @HiveCards, @Hobby_Connect
9. Track what you bought on a spreadsheet, tracking when you bought it, for how much and from whom, along with an ETA for its arrival.

Do you have some good tips for buying cards on different social media platforms? Drop them below in the comments section!

2021 Topps Gold Label Set Review

I got a box of Topps Gold Label baseball cards this week, so I thought I’d share some thoughts on the series.

Just the Facts:

• There are 33-35 cards in a box (fewer cards depending on some special possible inserts)
• 7 packs in a box, 5 cards in each pack
• One framed on-card autograph per box
• Average cost of a box is about $115
• 100 cards in the base set
• Three base parallels (Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3), with five color parallels of each card in each class

Gonos says: This set is one of the best-looking sets of the year, just from an aesthetic perspective, with both action and portrait pictures that are high quality in design and color. I spoke with a couple people at Topps who worked on this set to get a little more background.

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“Gold Label Baseball came back in 2016.,” according to Colin Butler, Topps Associate Brand Manager. “We took what collectors loved about the brand in the late 1990s and modernized it. In addition to the multiple levels of rarity found in the base cards, now there are framed autograph cards, relic cards featuring game-used memorabilia from legendary players, and recently we added cards that feature actual gold nuggets embedded in the them.”

The fact there are just 100 cards in the entire base set makes this a very collectible set, even if you choose to mix up the different classes. While the main base cards are Class 1, there is one Class 2 card per pack, and one Class 3 card in every two packs, on average. From there, each card in those classes have different parallels — including four that are numbered (black, blue, purple, red and gold in order of scarcity).

“2021 Topps Gold Label was such a blast. As a collector, base cards are what make the hobby fun for me and everything else is a cherry on top,” Butler says. “Gold Label was one of my favorite brands of the 90s, chasing every Ken Griffey Jr. card.”

The big attraction, as with most sets these days, are the autographed cards — which come already framed! Those on-card autographs also come in different color numbered parallels, which can make a great thing even greater. It’s like when someone gives you a wallet as a gift, and when you look inside, it has money in it! Best uncle ever! (There are also framed dual autographs to chase, but that’s like someone giving you a wallet that has a new car in it!)

One of the all-time coolest inserts is their Gold Prospect Relics, which Colin mentioned, with a real gold nugget embedded in the card!

“The creativity of Topps shows throughout the product,” says Topps Editor Tyler Hoffman. “The multi-image base cards are some of the best-looking cards I have ever seen. Joey Votto is always the player I look forward to pulling his images.”

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My only complaint about this set? It’s a little difficult to see which class of card you got. In the top right, the class comes swooping down across several lines diagonally in tiny text, but you have to turn the card a couple times to really see if it’s a Class 1, 2 or 3.

I love the look of these cards, though, and I’m definitely going to get in on another box. It’s a simple set, without a ton of weird inserts or subsets that don’t make sense. It’s a short list of 100 players in the base set, with some really beautiful photography and card design.

Check out my box break below, and feel free to make fun of my awkwardness! I have newfound respect for box breakers everywhere! (Spoiler alert – the framed autograph card was of a Hall of Famer and one of the hobby’s classic stars from the ‘70s!)

Have you gotten any Topps Gold Label this year? Let us know which framed autograph card you got in the comments section!

Mock Drafting The Best Teams To Get in a Group Break For 2021 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks

Whether you’re picking the team you want, or you are at the mercy of a random draw, here’s my order for the best teams to get in a group break for this series.

1. Houston Rockets: Jalen Green is the preseason pick for Rookie of the Year by many, plus he has flash that translates well to hobby love. Not to mention the Rockets picked up two other first-rounders in promising guard Josh Richardson and forward Usman Garuba.
2. Orlando Magic: Two Top 10 picks makes for a great group-break team to get, especially when one of them is Jalen Suggs out of Gonzaga.
3. Detroit Pistons: Getting the team with the No. 1 overall pick is always good, and while Cade Cunningham might not be as electric as Green, he still has top-pick talent.
4. Golden State Warriors: Jonathan Kuminga was once thought to be a top-five pick, plus playmaking guard Moses Moody fell to them at 14th.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley was the best big man in the draft – and in group breaks.
6. Toronto Raptors: The Raptors surprised everyone by taking Scottie Barnes over Suggs, but the former is thought to have Scottie Pippen comps.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder: This team is stockpiling young talent (three first-round picks in 2021), making Australian guard Josh Giddey a top-six pick. Also, 16th-pick Alperen Sengun out of Turkey has been tabbed as one of the best values in the draft.
8. Charlotte Hornets: UConn’s James Bouknight should pair nicely with LaMelo Ball, and Bouknight has already turned heads this preseason.
9. Sacramento Kings: Davion Mitchell had a great NCAA Tournament run with Baylor, and while his defensive prowess might not translate to hobby excitement, his speed has helped him pattern his game after Chris Paul.
10. San Antonio Spurs: Josh Primo excited Spurs fans this NBA Preseason, as they recently chanted his name at the end of an exhibition game in which he scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting (3-of-4 from downtown).

Check out how just about every #Spurs player, and even a couple members of the Jazz, came over to Josh Primo as soon as the final buzzer sounded.

The crowd started chanting “Primo, Primo, Primo” in the waning seconds#GoSpursGo

— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) October 5, 2021

Which rookie cards are you targeting for this upcoming NBA season?

5 Reasons To Submit Cards For Grading

Many people wonder why they should get their cards graded it all. If it’s their own personal collection and they don’t plan on selling anytime soon, why should they sink more money into their cards — just to have it be judged, critiqued and plastiqued?

We posed that question to Max Spiegel, the President of Certified Collectibles Group, who runs the CSG grading company.

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“There are many reasons to get your cards graded by a third party” Spiegel explains, “from ensuring they are genuine to preserving their condition to maximizing their value. Not all third-party grading services are the same, however, so it’s important that you do your research before choosing a company to grade your cards.

“Some things to consider include the expertise, experience and size of the company, whether the company offers a strong guarantee of authenticity and grade, and the quality and eye appeal of the company’s holder.”

I’m in complete agreement with all of that – and here are my expanded five reasons for grading.

1. It preserves your card’s integrity for the long haul. I have accidentally dinged cards I protected for years, but by sealing them, they have a much better chance of keeping their value. (Remember when we used rubber bands?)
2. You’ll have a much easier time understanding the value of your cards, and your entire collection, making cards easier to trade or sell.
3. Your family will have a much easier time understanding the true worth of your collection (downer alert) upon your death.
4. Graded cards can increase the value of your cards significantly, especially in this online shopping age. Buyers can be certain that what you are selling is authentic because a professional third party appraised it.
5. Opening a box of graded cards you just got back in the mail is very exciting, and it’s even better than opening a box of cards because you already know you got great cards! Knowing they could have great grades or disappointing grades will set your nerves on edge! Plus, saying “my slabs” makes me sound cool. Yes, it does!

My 5 Favorite Topps Project70 Cards… So Far

After last year’s Project 2020 set came out, Topps came up with their Project70 set for their 70th anniversary – and I am very grateful! From Jacob deGrom throwing a ball through the fourth wall/window, to Bo Jackson’s rookie cards in both sports being commemorated, these are my five favorite cards from this fantastic set, so far.

1. Jacob deGrom 1991 by Sophia Chang: The image of a ball being thrown through the card protector just blew my mind. I bought the Artist’s Proof of this one because I loved it so much.
2. Satchel Paige 1971 by Efdot: This card is gorgeous, with the high leg kick of one of the Negro League greats.
3. Mickey Mantle 1975 by Quiccs: My wife bought me my very first Project70 card (a Mickey Mantle) because she knew how important Mantle cards are to me in this hobby. That made me go and buy two more Mantles – including this one from the ’75 set, which just has gorgeous coloring.
4. Shohei Ohtani 1986 by Ben Baller: There is no shortage of awesome Ohtani cards on Project70, including a pretty cool Super Mario version, but this is by far my favorite.
5. Bo Jackson 1986/1987 by Bobby Hundreds: A card that combines Bo’s rookie cards in both baseball and football? Yes, please!

Bonus No. 6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1977 by Mimsbandz: If you know a Vlad fan, you need to track one of these cards down for them. Mimsbandz were hand-sewn wristbands created by South Central L.A.’s James Mims a few decades ago. Baseball legends like Darryl Strawberry, Reggie Jackson, Barry Larkin and others wore these bands with their images sewn on them, and this Vlad card looks just like a hand-sewn wristband!

Tell us what your favorite Project 70 cards are in the comments section!

3 NBA Players Whose Upside I Bought This Preseason

Here are three guys I believe are about to trend upward because of their new situations, which led me to buy some of their rookie cards.

1. Patrick Williams, Chicago: Last year’s No. 4 overall pick has talent around him now, which should open up opportunities. This is a long-term play, also.
2. Kevin Porter Jr., Houston: The Cavs drama is behind him and now he’ll help make Jalen Green a superstar.
3. Gary Trent Jr., Toronto: Can he continue heating up with the Raptors, like he did once he came over in trade last season?

Collectibles Mailbag Q&A

Several weeks ago, we asked for you to submit your collectibles questions for our panel of experts — ranging from a local card shop owner to representatives from grading companies and card manufacturers. Here are more of you questions and our answers!

Are we in the middle of a new junk wax era? — Michael D.

Gonos: There are a few things that make me think we are NOT in another junk wax era, but I also understand why people think we might be living in another over-saturated era.

There were several problems with the junk wax era, and it all stemmed from the rise in card collecting popularity in the ‘80s. Sports leagues handed out licenses to everybody and their grandmother, and card companies started over-printing cards like they grew on trees (you know what I mean).

With that said, our current situation has very few card companies with licenses in each sport (Panini owns several brands, so it still seems like there are many companies producing cards). But even though there are many different cards, the print runs are far fewer than we saw 30 years ago.

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I feel we’re near a peak right now, but I don’t see us falling into a valley any time soon. Card companies are getting creative, and eBay and social media change how we collect cards in the 21st century. 

What’s the safest recommended way to get a high-end card graded? (Meaning, if you don’t live in the states, is it best to travel and drop them off or is shipping them safe enough?) — Adrian R.

We went and got Peter Steinberg, President of card-grading company SGC (the company that graded the current record-holder for highest price paid for a card) for this one: “At SGC, we receive thousands of cards daily via the Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS. When sending a high value card, you’ll want to make sure that you are insured by the carrier at a level you’re comfortable with, just in case something happens to the package while it is in the carrier’s possession.

“As soon as your package arrives at our facility, SGC unboxes and checks the order into our system, sending you an email alert that your package has arrived. We recommend FedEx when sending high value cards because they are much more helpful and attentive if there is ever an issue with a lost or damaged package.”

There has been a lot of talk about base cards being dead. Obviously, the market for them at their peak was probably unsustainable, but I have a lot of raw cards I was hoping to grade when PSA suspended its lower-level submission tiers. There have been rumors about PSA raising its prices when they re-open their lower tiers to basically discourage base cards being subbed. Is that likely to be the case? I get that base cards slow down their return times on all cards, but wouldn’t that also significantly hinder the growth of the hobby/market? Fewer people are going to break into the market if it’s going to cost them $500 just to get started. — Ben G.

Gonos: You’re in a spot many collectors are probably stuck in, waiting to get their raw cards graded. It’s true that PSA increased their prices, which will stifle submissions for sure. I don’t believe it will hinder hobby growth, though, since getting cards graded has become the new “supply costs,” that we’ve always had. It used to just be card protectors, sleeves and boxes. Well, now we’re adding a grading charge, which improves our collection in several ways.

Remember when you’d get the latest Beckett or “Baseball Cards” magazine to see how much your Scottie Pippen rookie card was worth? Well, that didn’t really give you a full picture, since your Pippen might have been greatly off-centered, with a couple dinged corners.

It’s true that fewer people would break into the market if it costs them $500 to get started. The good news is, breaking into the market is a subjective term. Some might just consider buying one blaster each week, including some great singles on Twitter, and hunting down old favorites on eBay to be enough to feed their collecting jones.

Consider getting your base cards graded with a company like CSG, which still offers lower-tiered pricing based on bulk.

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I have about a dozen raw cards I want to get graded and slabbed – the oldest is a 1933 Goudey and the most recent one is ‘89 Upper Deck (obvious one there). My entire graded collection to this point is PSA graded because they are the “standard.” My question is, with PSA completely overwhelmed with submissions, crazy prices for their services, and a shakeup at the top of their management, should I explore another service like SGC or BGS for the first time? — Joseph L.S.

Gonos: First, congrats on what sounds like an amazing collection! Secondly, make sure you spell my name correctly in your will.

Second, your question is definitely a common one many collectors, including myself, are considering. What I’ve been telling people is – yes, try a different grading service. Try two! But since most of your collection is PSA graded, then maybe you only send some doubles in to a new service.

I am waiting on 45 cards to come back from PSA, but I have another 75 cards ready to send in. Among those are several duplicates, so I sent a handful of the duplicates in to SGC a couple months ago (I made a reveal video for when they came back!).

They cost $30 per card, which is more than the old PSA price, but odds are we might never see those old PSA grading prices again. I got these SGC slabs back within a month, and while they’re currently saying their lead time is pushed out close to 45 days, that’s still a great turnaround. I sent some more cards in to SGC already (a rookie Kevin Durant!) and I’m sending a handful to CSG this month, as well.

If you love the PSA slabs, and this is for your personal collection, then just wait until they take them again. If you need to turn some slabs around quickly, or you think your card would look better in a different kind of slab, then grading through SGC, Beckett or CSG might make more sense than waiting.

Card Purchaser said it best on Twitter, though:

Everyone chill about which grading company is best. PSA, BGS, SGC have history. CSG has history grading other types of non-sports cards and collectibles. HGA is still new. It’s a slab and the price is affordable. You can choose where to put your money can always reslab at another

— Card Purchaser (@CardPurchaser) October 5, 2021

I used to collect hockey cards when I was a kid and I loved organizing cards in big binders. I’d love to dive back into this hobby — potentially in a way that might make me a little bit of money in the future. But I have no idea where to start, like which card brands are the most reliable/well known/best quality? I’d also love to expand from hockey and dip into basketball and football as well. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! — Marty S

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Gonos: A hockey card collector! Awesome. That part of the industry is sorely underappreciated in my book. If you collected when you were a kid, then I’m guessing you collected Upper Deck hockey cards. The good news is – they still rule the hockey card roost! Start out buying Upper Deck packs, then shop around and see what other cards catch your fancy. Collect what you like – and then I guarantee you’ll start learning which cards other people value highly. Then you can start adding those to your collection. Try to gather cards in Upper Deck’s Young Guns subset and you’ll be just fine.

One very important note of news, though: Upper Deck just announced they’re delaying production on this season’s cards (and revealed that they’re still turning around cards from last season). So keep an eye on that as it develops.

I have a Corey Perry Anaheim Ducks trading card given to me for free by a shop. I don’t really know if I should frame it or just keep it as is. What do I do with a hockey trading card? — Steven Maxwell

Gonos: What I’m getting from this is that you are likely a Corey Perry fan (so am I, now that he’s with my Lightning!), and the card probably means something to you, since you took the time to ask me a question about it. You can buy a card stand to put it on your desk, or put it in a frame and hang it on your wall.

I’m going to my first card show in a couple weeks, are there any tips or anything I should know about going to a show like that? — Owen D.

I went to our old friend, Michael Salfino, for this one. He didn’t disappoint.

Michael Salfino’s Fantastic Card Show Tips!

1. Have a shopping list, know what things are worth and buy aggressively from the fairly priced dealers.
2. The show may have a preview admission price for $25, allowing you get in early on the first day for a few hours early, versus, say, $10 general admission. Pay the premium to get the first crack at what you want.
3. Otherwise, the end of the day and the end of the last day are the best times to buy.
4. Pay cash so you save on the taxes.
5. Try to find a dealer who has two or three things on your list, so you can get a multi-purchase discount.
6. Unless the price is super fair to start with, never pay more than 85% of the ask.
7. It is so critical to know the value of the card based on recent sales in the grade. If you’re buying raw cards, only pay for the average of the last 3-to-5 sales (you can use the PSA site or Vintage Card Prices) for a grade one below what you think the card is. So if you think it’s NM-7, pay an EX-MT 6 price. You need to give yourself some room on raw cards because you’re way more likely to overestimate the card than to underestimate it.
8. If buying Vintage, you should look to see the quality of the card in the grade if the price seems to be an outlier. A well-centered card is about a 1-grade premium in mid-grade. A poorly centered one, about a one-grade drop. And this goes for non-qualified cards. If it’s qualified with something like (OC), it’s two grades. I would only buy (OC) as a qualifier in 8s or better. (Note: OC = “off-center”)
9. I would never buy other qualified cards — miscuts, stains, marks, etc. SGC factors everything into their grade but you can see clearly if the card was docked for sub-75-25 centered (in a 7).

David Gonos’ Much Weaker Card Show Tips

Walk around and check out as much as you can before you start spending your money. Mark down which booths you want to come back to, and for which pieces. If you try to trade, understand that they’re going to want a better card than what they are giving up – this is their business. They need to profit. Feel free to make an offer on a card, or just ask them, “What’s your rock-bottom price on this card?” But don’t do it in front of other customers, if you can, or else you could be forcing them to give the same discount on all their cards – or not give you any discount at all. Also, ask them what deal he could give you if you buy two different cards.

Check the dollar bins early for deals, since those are the least likely to get a dealer’s full attention for repricing on a week-to-week basis. Take a final walk-through on the last day of the show – you might see some price slashing at that point. Don’t be rude. Don’t be bullied. Don’t be shy. Don’t lean on their cases. Don’t carry full conversations with random people standing in front of their booth, shielding buyers from their goods. And don’t spill your root beer all over everything – they hate that.

I don’t care about how much cards are worth, I just like collecting junk wax from the ‘80s and ‘90s. I’ve collected a lot of the wax from that era. One problem is that a lot of the cards from that era become stuck together when you open a pack. Any way I can save the cards or find out which brand’s years to avoid? — From Ladanian M.

Gonos: Fleer Ultra, Topps Stadium Club and Upper Deck from the mid-‘90s always seem to form big blocks of cards, like you said. It’s called, “bricking,” and it’s the bane of our mid-‘90s existence. There are different opinions on the best way to separate them, from slamming the brick on a table (watch the corners!) to freezing them or blow-drying them. Personally, I’ve just found that a patient pair of hands pulling them apart singularly works best. Maybe put them into penny sleeves once they are separated, to save from re-bricking. Then again, if it does that, you could have a “rebricks cube!”

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I’m an avid autograph collector (mostly minor league baseball and top prospects). Do I buy a handful of autographed cards of lower prospects at cheaper prices, which allows me to save money? But I wonder, should I save that money instead to buy one relatively expensive card of a much better player? Mind you, this is all done on a budget. What would your strategy be? — Scott B.

Let’s go back to Michael Salfino: I would only buy hitters and subscribe to Baseball America or some other site that extensively covers Minor League Baseball, so you can have a sense in June who the big risers are likely to be in the midseason rankings update. You want to be about a month ahead of that July update. Focus on hitters who are exhibiting power, on-base percentage, speed and lower strikeout rates, in that order.

The rate of return is approximately the same regardless of the card you buy, but obviously hitting on a 10-times rate of return on a $1,000 card is way more impactful than hitting 10 times on a $10 one. But there are huge risks involved with the scarce autographed cards. Even guys like Jarred Kelenic — who were viewed as slam dunks — struggle and may never realize their forecasts. I do think a good strategy is to buy on the dip with guys like Kelenic, especially cheaper, ungraded base cards.

Remember too that player outcomes are strongly tethered to the MLB Draft, for U.S. players. A guy doesn’t have to be a first-round pick; but a pick below the fifth round is usually a bad bet even if they are performing well in the minors. We all know the exceptions, but this is a solid rule. Many times, these lower-round picks from college crush it in the low minors — but it’s mostly because they are old for their levels.

Gonos: Whether it’s autograph cards or just regular cards, we all have that problem – do we buy fewer, better cards, or do we buy more cheaper cards with the hopes that they turn into one of those better cards?

Investing in the stock market is a fair comparison for card collecting because we’re investing in a brand, essentially. Do we think this brand/product/player is going to increase in value?

Do you invest your money in a cheap stock with lots of good press (growth stocks), or a well-known stock that’s expensive, but will likely retain and slowly improve on its current price (value stock)?

It’s a personal decision. But from a financial advisor’s standpoint, you should consider when you plan to sell it. If you’re close to retirement, and you can’t afford to lose money on your investments, then the value stock is the way to go (the expensive autographed cards). But if you are young and you have plenty of time to let your stocks mature, you can be more aggressive, and invest in a wide array of cheaper autographs, with the hopes that a few will hit and turn into those value-stock types. Aim for the on-card rookie/patch/autos for the best value with the lowest population.

Sorry this pack didn’t have a Trae Young rookie card for you, but you’re almost guaranteed to get one in the next 1,000,000,000 articles you read! Do you have some questions for our mailbag crew? Do you disagree with some of my tips/suggestions?