Trading Cards - so much more than a piece of board.

[wolvesjr34]

I was just writing an entry in my livejournal... and well I decided I wanted to share it with you wonderful folks. Take from it what you will, perhaps share some of your thoughts and memories about this hobby of ours.

From my Livejournal

You know, it's funny... but I absolutely love my hobby of trading cards, basketball cards in particular. I have been incredibly unhappy recently, beyond typical levels. I hadn't been buying or trading cards much in that time either, and being someone who needs something little to go right about every day, not having the cards arrive in the mail for my viewing and sorting pleasure had more impact on me then I realised.

I made the decision to invest in some more cards this week, spent a pretty penny, but already I am enjoying myself again. Today I finally went through my Portland Trailblazer cards that I had procured for my second team collection and sorted them into alphabetical order by surname and removed the doubles. At the end of the day my Trailblazer collection stands at a mere 760 cards, compared to the Minnesota Timberwolves collection, which has a total 1846 cards in it. It has more room to grow though, as the Blazers have been around an incredibly long time compared to the Timberwolves. Although I don't see any player collection for the Blazers reaching the heights of my 375 different Garnett Cards. I really hope he isn't traded, because that will make me sad, I want him to be a career timberwolf. He is the only player of my top four who hasn't played with any other team (number five is McCants and he is only two years into his career, he'll probably move on too).

I really hope to procure some more cards of Rider soon and dream of owning a Printing plate or Flair Masterpiece. It's not really a hobby that will make me any money, but it's not about that. I know I will love this hobby until the day I die. I will always have joy in procurement of cards for my collection. Most of the time they are away in folders and boxes, but when I pull the folder out to search through and see if I need a particular card, I invariably take the time to appreciate the cards I have. It calms me and I feel good. This is something I have been doing for 13 (basketball cards - football cards for 17) years. This has been in my life longer than anyone besides my Mum, Dad, Nan and my sister Rachel and the Hawthorn Football club, but then I was collecting football cards as soon as I knew what the game was about - so perhaps they're on a par.

When everything else is going wrong I know that I can turn to something as simple as a folder of base and low end inserts and I will smile and be grateful for the what I have. It's not just a piece of cardboard. It's a piece of cardboard with artwork, photography, commentary and stats. It's more than that, it's a memory.

It's standing on the street looking through the 30 or so Upper Deck 93/94 Cards you had gotten from a friend's Dad for a few 1994 AFL cards he needed for his set. It's having no clue who the hell is who and one of your Mum's friends taking the cards and having a look and pointing out this guy named Isaiah Rider and saying, "He is going to be a star." It's deciding in that moment that he would be your favourite player, even though you don't know anything about him, or basketball really.

It's having $10 to spend and wandering into a store and buying 4 packs of 94/95 Collectors Choice and getting excited because you know you just got a Michael Jordan silver signature. It's taking this card, and others you get from packs and turning your 4 packs, into 32 packs worth of cards, minus a few silver signatures. It's taking them home and sitting on your bed and sorting through them and finding the ones of Isaiah Rider and the other players you had been told were good, during that hour you spent opening cards in the card store.

It's deciding that you like the Orlando Magic and Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway and the Sonics and Payton and Kemp. It's trading your Jordan's for Payton's. It's doing deals that involve complexities like, "Next Jordan I get worth less than $6 I give to you and next Payton you get worth $5 you give to me," just so a trade could go ahead.

It's getting your first card folder with a bonus pack of Fleer 94/95 and getting a hot pack full of inserts. It's getting your first box of 90/91 Skybox and making the complete set. It's keeping all your cards in shoeboxes that you carry around to your friends places to do trades. It's managing to keep that shoebox under your arm and only damaging a couple cards when when of those friends lost his temper and karate flipped you. Hey, that's true. It damaged a Magic Johnson card and a Penny Hardaway Rookie... oooh did he get shit for that.

It's much more than that. So much more than that.

 

[buyingstuffformikelee]

Interesting read indeed.

Yeah, the cards that have stories behind them are always a lot more special. Whether it was given to you. or Whether it was pushed up in price from your friend accidentally. Or you over paid. Or you got shilled on a card beyond beleif, but you needed the card any way. Or, you paid $25.00 shipping for a $4.00 card.

Whatever it is, there is something in the hobby that everyone gets out of it.

 

[bas]

great read mate, can definitely relate 2 a lot of that, for me it was buying a barkley card knowing he was good(90 hoops base) after deciding to collect him then my younger brother said he liked him so i gave it 2 him just so he would collect bball cards 2 so i found a karl malone 90 hoops base and bought it 4 $3 (bargain haha) and my bro has a nice little sir charles pc and i'm still adding 2 my malone pc, sometimes when all else fails in life it's good 2 have something 2 look at, appreciate and just generally make u happy

 

[ace e]

great read wolvey, unfortunately i didnt get to share the hobby when i was younger - that is why i cant stop posting on this site .

 

[ljandkg]

FROM THE HEART - Great stuff!! I'm a bit pissed u have more KG's than me now though....

Everyone has their stories about cards - you're right - I'm getting the most expensive KG card of my collection this week and it feels like a consolation prize.......how can that be? U will have to read the story and find out....haha!!

 

[wolvesjr34]

great read mate, can definitely relate 2 a lot of that, for me it was buying a barkley card knowing he was good(90 hoops base) after deciding to collect him then my younger brother said he liked him so i gave it 2 him just so he would collect bball cards 2 so i found a karl malone 90 hoops base and bought it 4 $3 (bargain haha) and my bro has a nice little sir charles pc and i'm still adding 2 my malone pc, sometimes when all else fails in life it's good 2 have something 2 look at, appreciate and just generally make u happy

That is so awesome! I am doing the same now, I give my younger sisters football cards, so they can at least appreciate that hobby, I wouldn't expect them to get big into basketball cards - Mum couldn't afford it if they wanted them heehee - but just to share something with them.

It was a very cool thing you did for your brother. My sister ocllected for a little while, she collected Pippen - you know I might just see if I can get her a few pippens Just for nostalgia reasons - so if anyone wants to send me some freebie Pippens I'll give her the Bulls and keep the Blazers

great read wolvey, unfortunately i didnt get to share the hobby when i was younger - that is why i cant stop posting on this site .

More power to you mate I enjoy having you around this place.

FROM THE HEART - Great stuff!! I'm a bit pissed u have more KG's than me now though....

Everyone has their stories about cards - you're right - I'm getting the most expensive KG card of my collection this week and it feels like a consolation prize.......how can that be? U will have to read the story and find out....haha!!

I'm sure you're KG's are better than mine though. Not that I care... I love every KG I have co sput together they make one nearly full folders worth.

Oh and Mike... I'd never over pay that much for a card Mainly becuase I just cannot afford to

Thanks for the replies guys. In a way I really needed that tonight, so thanks.

 

[nexxus]

For me it's a way of socialising with my mates from where I grew up (one of which is Bas) who I have known for like 10-15 yrs and since giving it up, lost contact with.

When it comes to my mates, I'll do the right thing always, helped one of them out last night, gave them 15 GU's for a couple of T Macs, I needed the file room, he likes GU's no biggy!

What is annoying though (maybe a bit off topic here) is the person with a #'d of 25 "Unpriced due to scarcity" of a guy you collect, they have no interest in, and want to ream a hole in your a@@ over that piece of card.

For me, this is a hobby, I don't believe I "need" this or that card. I won't loose sleep if I don't get that Die cut auto patch triple game used die cut of carter, and I won't rip the ass off a Pierce collector over something #'d to 25 just to be a pain!

 

[wolvesjr34]

For me it's a way of socialising with my mates from where I grew up (one of which is Bas) who I have known for like 10-15 yrs and since giving it up, lost contact with.

When it comes to my mates, I'll do the right thing always, helped one of them out last night, gave them 15 GU's for a couple of T Macs, I needed the file room, he likes GU's no biggy!

What is annoying though (maybe a bit off topic here) is the person with a #'d of 25 "Unpriced due to scarcity" of a guy you collect, they have no interest in, and want to ream a hole in your a@@ over that piece of card.

For me, this is a hobby, I don't believe I "need" this or that card. I won't loose sleep if I don't get that Die cut auto patch triple game used die cut of carter, and I won't rip the ass off a Pierce collector over something #'d to 25 just to be a pain!

You can be my friend LMAO

I know what you mean though. I mean I practically gave away a card numbered to 10 I think it was.... it wasn't someone I would ever collect, and I owed a guy a sweet trade... so I gave him more than he was bargaining on really.

I also know that if I ever find a KG 21/# I will give ljandkg the heads up, even though I think it would be sweet to have a KG 21/# card. It's his thing and he's a great guy that I am glad I got to meet through this forum, along with a lot of folks here - some of them don't get the credit they deserve at times (like Shoes - he can be annoying as hell, but he can be generous too).

I'll settle for the 24/# KG card LOL 24 cos its my fave number.

When I am trading, if I cannot find enough I like for the trade for my collection, I get cards for my mates. Matty for instance will have a Rasheed GU coming his way once I get it in. Of course he didn't know it was going to be a freebie - well unless he reads this thread.

I think this hobby definitely develops a sense of mateship. I've even had the offer from a member here to buy me a KG auto and I pay them back - I knocked the offer back, but that was a kind offer, given how much a KG Auto would mean to me.

I notice and appreciate these little things. Some of the guys in this place are likely family to me.

 

[nexxus]

Yep yep, I get a few items in like the Sheed patch, the Pierce /15 etc, look if someone has a Hughes/Gooden patch, can do the Sheed straight up! A Carter /25, Pierce straight up, no worries, can even add a bit extra.

Hell I got a $400 Gasol, I'd happily let go for a $50 Vince I liked.

Especially with my mates.

The problem is when people (and sadly there are some on here) who try to milk that.

Anyone remember "manocards"??

He was BAD for it!

 

[wolvesjr34]

Hell I got a $400 Gasol, I'd happily let go for a $50 Vince I liked.

I tell you I'd about give up my entire Marbury collection for an Isaiah Rider 1/1 (talk about over paying LMAO) - that's how much I want that card. Although I reckon I'd be a tad more realistic or throw money at someone who had one heehee.

I'm just after cards I like and I have often traded in peoples favour, or overpaid to a small extent. But it evens out in the end because kind people send stuff my way, or trade in my favour at times.... its Card Karma.

Do unto others as you would have done unto you. It's true too, at least in my experience.

 

[wolvesjr34]

FROM THE HEART - Great stuff!! I'm a bit pissed u have more KG's than me now though....

Everyone has their stories about cards - you're right - I'm getting the most expensive KG card of my collection this week and it feels like a consolation prize.......how can that be? U will have to read the story and find out....haha!!

Thats cos you have my dream KG card - Exquisite auto patch numbered 21/## !!!!!!!

 

[nandalinnaung]

nice read... thanks for sharing

 

[asdt]

I totally agree with the sentiment here. I got back into cards not so much for the cards themselves, but for that weird excitement I got back when I was a youngster (well, more of a youngster than I am now) and I'd open a pack and get a Very Good Card.

Like the Michael Jordan Silver SP in my Photobucket; it's only worth $25 in Beckett now, but it's worth stacks to me because it was the first really good card I pulled. It was worth $125 when I pulled in, and the guys at the Card Shaq lost their shit for it and offered me a free box, which I turned down. Looking at it I can totally remember how psyched the 13-year old version of me was. And that's pretty awesome.

 

[33WING]

Great Read AJ, I think your safe with KG being a franchise player at the wolves. I was shattered when Ewing went on a quest for the ring and i'm not talking Lord Of The Rings but when he shipped off to places like Orlando & Seattle.

This hobby is an escape for some people and a bloody exspensive one too.
My first memories were from the 80's, my old man would encourage my brother and I to go out and spend our pocket money on cards, Stimorol footy cards to be exact. I managed to collect every VFL/AFL year from the late 80's, i lived only 5 minutes walk from the Western Oval in Footscray and watched every home game. Those days you were able to run onto the ground straight after the siren, we were keen and used to sit just over the fence with 5 minutes to go just so we could get those cards signed. I remember those times like it happened yesterday, big Peter Foster, Doug Hawkins, Brian "Choco" Royal, Simon Beasley, Simon Atkins just to name a few that stayed with me.

I have fond memories of sharing this hobby with my mates in Primrary School, the trade offs during lunch time & the traditional flick-off where two of you had a card that both of you needed and whoever was able to flick the card the furtherest took them both. Imagine now flicking those Exquisite Patch Auto's across the school oval, not only would you be up for man slaughter if some poor sole stood in the way but you could throw these things a country mile.

I was mad about NBA Basketball but NBA cards didn't interest me until the 90's but i had a passion for Patrick Ewing since his rookie years at Madison Square Garden and his story like many others was a story of Guts & Determination to get where he did. His culture shock experience also spoke a thousand words.

Some people see this hobby as a financial gain and that's going to ruin it for everyone, I think us older collector's appreciate the hobby more because of past experiences and the memories they bring. But also more importantly is sharing this hobby with a loved one is awesome, I'm to blame for my wifes passion on box breaks after introducing her to the hobby last year, she said it was childish & a waste of money but now i have to tell her to stop buying.
She's as hooked as i am and i only have OZCARDS & myself to blame.

I better stop and go to work.
Thanks Guys.

 

[ljandkg]

Thats cos you have my dream KG card - Exquisite auto patch numbered 21/## !!!!!!!

That was my very first one AJ - I traded a whole heap of great LJ cards to LJBIGGESTFAN and he bought that off ebay for me. About a month or 2 later I realised just how hard it is to get an exquisite jersey numbered card and decided perhaps I was supposed to collect #21 cards....

 

[wolvesjr34]

That was my very first one AJ - I traded a whole heap of great LJ cards to LJBIGGESTFAN and he bought that off ebay for me. About a month or 2 later I realised just how hard it is to get an exquisite jersey numbered card and decided perhaps I was supposed to collect #21 cards....

Yeah I would have taken that as a sign too!!!! I tell you your PC is going to be so darn awesome when you're done Refined but awesome.

Cowboys, thanks for that indepth reply, it's nice hearing other people's stories.

 

[nenjabin]

Very very nice I loved it as a kid also and in fact most of my 270+ Jordan cards (Only the final floor set I have being GU) came from when I was in it between 1993 (the year I learnt about basketball, Grade 3) and 1997.

Never got to share it much with people. A few friends liked it but I fell out of it cause I couldn;t share. That's why I am so happy now I have found this site and my collectionj is going places now, cause I finally have somewhere I can share the joy of looking at that special card with! I haven't felt as excited about anything for a while as the day I won that Lebron/JR card and now to go for that set....wow!
I still remember when I was buying packs of 94/95 upper deck and collecting that set (successfully!) and pulled one of those 'Jordan Heroes' Inserts! Never pulled much else, but that made it all worth while

Thanks for sharing AJ!

 

[oz-antoine]

Great read there, definitely made me smile. So true!

I remember going to school with a few cards and coming up with a few hundred and a folder. Once you got the rep for knowing your stuff you could pull of some good deals!

I used to get shit for collecting Larry Bird, big white guy who couldn't jump while everyone else was collecting Jordan and Shaq.

 

[wolvesjr34]

Great read there, definitely made me smile. So true!

I remember going to school with a few cards and coming up with a few hundred and a folder. Once you got the rep for knowing your stuff you could pull of some good deals!

I used to get shit for collecting Larry Bird, big white guy who couldn't jump while everyone else was collecting Jordan and Shaq.

Remembering the Karate flip that damaged my 93/94 Penny RC makes me smile now. MAde me angry then. I think he was pissed I beat him one on one at basketball heehehe

 

[wolvesjr34]

Great read there, definitely made me smile. So true!

I remember going to school with a few cards and coming up with a few hundred and a folder. Once you got the rep for knowing your stuff you could pull of some good deals!

I used to get shit for collecting Larry Bird, big white guy who couldn't jump while everyone else was collecting Jordan and Shaq.

And now you get shit for collecting walker Just kidding man

That's what this hobby is about though, each finding their own guy or team for whatever reason at the time. I chose not to collect Jordan because it seemed unfeasible to me. The most Jordans I ever had was about 40. Though at one stage a Jordan was my favourite card. I had the Jordan Hardwood Leaders - the year they were thick flair inserts

*sigh* Oh the memories - I had about half of that set.... Don't know how I managed it.