October marks 5 years since I returned to the hobby after collecting as a kid and I thought it would be a good chance to reflect on that time. It was actually a trip to the market where I saw Malcolm from Dad & Dave’s that rekindled my interest and sure enough after a few packs, I was hooked.
While looking online for where I can buy cards I discovered this thing called “group breaks” from a mob called Mojobreak (you may have now heard of them!!) and in my first time joining in on a break (12-13 Select) I walked a way with some nice hits, autos of guys like Zach Randolph mostly. Whilst I didn’t hit anything huge it was certainly entertaining.
Shortly after I was approached to help setup the Facebook card group now known as Hot Spot Worldwide. I was the second person to join behind the creator of the group and met a number of fantastic members of this hobby along the way including benji from @westozcards (who I later assisted with some logo design) and @Reignman40 who I ran another Australian fb group until earlier this year when I decided to focus more on work. The admin thing was hard and it certainly taught me to appreciate every little thing the team here on this great site do.
Whilst all this setup was going on and while I was learning the ins and outs of the hobby a product was released by the name of 12-13 Preferred Basketball. Now, back then a lot of teams such as the Rockets, Warriors and Sixers didn’t have a huge hobby following and were able to be purchased fairly cheaply - and that’s exactly what I did on this occasion. Luckily, I struck what was big dollars at the time, a Festus Ezeli Prime Rookie silhouettes. In fact, by the time it had arrived from Mojobreak via a much faster and cheaper Australia post (who else remembers those days?) I had finally settled on my player collections: Reggie Miller, Jordan Farmar and Kenneth Faried.
Ok, so you’re probably thinking what a random trio - and you’d be correct if you did. Essentially, I’m a Laker fan but at the time didn’t have the funds to collect Pau Gasol or Kobe Bryant. Metta World Peace (Knicks) and Derek Fisher (Thunder via Houston) were gone and the days on Andrew Bynum, Pau and Lamar Odom weren’t far off ending either. So instead I started with Reggie base and low end inserts, Jordan Farmar (key role player) and Faried, a second year player who was establishing himself yet due to the lockout his cards were still rookie Year so it allowed me to chase the new products. The Farmar and Reggie collections never got very far (Sadly I sold my only Reggie pacers auto way back on here for $0.40 on the dollar to a member on here who conned me into believing that’s what it was worth and I’d simply overpaid to acquire it - you don’t know what you don’t know, right?)but I’m now at 975 Faried cards (46 1/1’s, 5 logomen and 97% ownership of rookie year cards) and it all started by trading that Ezeli right here on this site. In fact, my first Faried 1/1 came from a member on here too from a member who lived 10 minutes down the road. Small world.
Along the way, I’ve collected many Laker role players or key figures. I noticed over the last few days of a completely coincidental theme that links them all together. D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Farmar, Caron Butler & Darius Morris all wore #1 on their jersey while Xavier Henry and Lamar Odom both wore #7. With 1 & 7 making 17 the final two players I collected wore this: Andrew Bynum & Rick Fox. Illuminati Confirmed.
I’ve had plenty of nice group break hits along the way too. Preferred prime booklet Kobe V T-Mac (jersey numbered prime) #1/10, Hakeem Olajuwon 1/1 laundry tag champs booklet, Kobe select Franchise Signatures blue #/20 and an Anthony Davis elite rookie auto. I don’t break any more, it’s been more than two years simply because I feel the quality of product peaked in 12-13 and is at an all time low at present with every product getting incredibly more watered down each year.
I’ve attended many “Rimp days” and met so many other members through them. Top guys like @joho22 , @kiwi_in_melb , @bomberfan1 and @Billyhoyle as well as guys such as @cherrycollectables who work tirelessly to make the hobby keep turning, even if every release is POTY. Haha
In summary, I’ve probably spent way too much coin but I don’t regret any of it. The social aspect of this hobby is incredible and everyone looks out for each other. Here’s to the next 5 years - cheers guys.
While looking online for where I can buy cards I discovered this thing called “group breaks” from a mob called Mojobreak (you may have now heard of them!!) and in my first time joining in on a break (12-13 Select) I walked a way with some nice hits, autos of guys like Zach Randolph mostly. Whilst I didn’t hit anything huge it was certainly entertaining.
Shortly after I was approached to help setup the Facebook card group now known as Hot Spot Worldwide. I was the second person to join behind the creator of the group and met a number of fantastic members of this hobby along the way including benji from @westozcards (who I later assisted with some logo design) and @Reignman40 who I ran another Australian fb group until earlier this year when I decided to focus more on work. The admin thing was hard and it certainly taught me to appreciate every little thing the team here on this great site do.
Whilst all this setup was going on and while I was learning the ins and outs of the hobby a product was released by the name of 12-13 Preferred Basketball. Now, back then a lot of teams such as the Rockets, Warriors and Sixers didn’t have a huge hobby following and were able to be purchased fairly cheaply - and that’s exactly what I did on this occasion. Luckily, I struck what was big dollars at the time, a Festus Ezeli Prime Rookie silhouettes. In fact, by the time it had arrived from Mojobreak via a much faster and cheaper Australia post (who else remembers those days?) I had finally settled on my player collections: Reggie Miller, Jordan Farmar and Kenneth Faried.
Ok, so you’re probably thinking what a random trio - and you’d be correct if you did. Essentially, I’m a Laker fan but at the time didn’t have the funds to collect Pau Gasol or Kobe Bryant. Metta World Peace (Knicks) and Derek Fisher (Thunder via Houston) were gone and the days on Andrew Bynum, Pau and Lamar Odom weren’t far off ending either. So instead I started with Reggie base and low end inserts, Jordan Farmar (key role player) and Faried, a second year player who was establishing himself yet due to the lockout his cards were still rookie Year so it allowed me to chase the new products. The Farmar and Reggie collections never got very far (Sadly I sold my only Reggie pacers auto way back on here for $0.40 on the dollar to a member on here who conned me into believing that’s what it was worth and I’d simply overpaid to acquire it - you don’t know what you don’t know, right?)but I’m now at 975 Faried cards (46 1/1’s, 5 logomen and 97% ownership of rookie year cards) and it all started by trading that Ezeli right here on this site. In fact, my first Faried 1/1 came from a member on here too from a member who lived 10 minutes down the road. Small world.
Along the way, I’ve collected many Laker role players or key figures. I noticed over the last few days of a completely coincidental theme that links them all together. D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Farmar, Caron Butler & Darius Morris all wore #1 on their jersey while Xavier Henry and Lamar Odom both wore #7. With 1 & 7 making 17 the final two players I collected wore this: Andrew Bynum & Rick Fox. Illuminati Confirmed.
I’ve had plenty of nice group break hits along the way too. Preferred prime booklet Kobe V T-Mac (jersey numbered prime) #1/10, Hakeem Olajuwon 1/1 laundry tag champs booklet, Kobe select Franchise Signatures blue #/20 and an Anthony Davis elite rookie auto. I don’t break any more, it’s been more than two years simply because I feel the quality of product peaked in 12-13 and is at an all time low at present with every product getting incredibly more watered down each year.
I’ve attended many “Rimp days” and met so many other members through them. Top guys like @joho22 , @kiwi_in_melb , @bomberfan1 and @Billyhoyle as well as guys such as @cherrycollectables who work tirelessly to make the hobby keep turning, even if every release is POTY. Haha
In summary, I’ve probably spent way too much coin but I don’t regret any of it. The social aspect of this hobby is incredible and everyone looks out for each other. Here’s to the next 5 years - cheers guys.
