Advice on NBA Packs and Boxes: Ask your questions here!

[mattyeah]

Afternoon all.

Getting back into the game after 14 years away from it. Collected pretty heavily as a teen between 2001-2005. Spent most weekends, unsuccessfully, convincing my parents to make trips from the outer suburbs to Glenferrie Road (Card Heaven) and Northland Shopping Centre (Ace Colour Copy) to see how far I could stretch $50. 10 packets at $5 each, take a risk on one expensive pack or buy a card outright. Being 15, 10 packets always trumped one and I never found buying a card enjoyable. It was all about the rip.

A lot has changed since then. Walking into a card shop with $50 saved over two weeks as a kid vs walking into a card shop and conceivably being able to buy anything that's for sale as an adult, no more Upper Deck, Panini seemingly dominating the shelves, etc. I definitely feel a bit lost and I've come here to get some help and advice!

I used to collect sets and I'd have seperate folders for each. I'd buy the odd pack from left-field that would guarantee me something special which would also have it's own folder. Anything super-special got locked down in a nice case.

What got me interested in collecting again? Seeing Panini packets at my local K-Mart (Northcote!) Purchased a few and got the bug, did some research and came across Cherry Collectables and bought a box of 17-18 Panini Prestige's. Had a heap of fun breaking them open last night to my girlfriends dismay (I already spend enough money on records as a DJ, the last thing I need is another expensive hobby).

So, some questions I would love to have answered!

1 – What happened to Upper Deck and where did Panini come from? I assume there are no Jordan and LeBron auto's because of this? Being the holy grail, I'd imagine opening new packs knowing there's no chance you could land one would be a bit of a buzz kill?
2 – Do people still collect sets or are they more focused on individual players, teams, inserts, rookie cards, auto's, etc? I'm still deciding on what I want to do. Leaning towards completing the Prestige base set as a starting point and working my way from there.
3 – Do people still store their cards in 9-pocket sleeves or are more in top-loaders cases?
4 – Do people still buy individual packets? I used to almost strictly (unless my parents would buy me a box for my birthday or Christmas) however it seems a bit pointless if you can save up, buy a box and get a guaranteed auto/patch/#'d card.
5 – Any suggestions on what product I should look at next? Something affordable and then something a bit more on the pricey side.

Would welcome any other general suggestions, comments and updates!

Thanks, and sorry for the long post!

G'Day James, I just got back into collecting after a few years off. I too fondly remember going to the hobby shop with my mates in Grade 7 after playing club, and getting "high end" gear like 93-94 Upper Deck SE, and the first Fleer Flair release.
I'm not up on what folks are currently considering the hot releases, but I can in basic form answer some of your other questions.
1 - Yes Panini own the sole rights to the NBA licence (since at least the 10-11 season I believe) at present meaning UD can only produce college products, and yes sadly MJ and Bron only sign with UD.
2 - I was doing an overambitious set chase before I went into hibernation, now I'm chasing 20 or so insert sets (mainly 90 stuff) so if you're interested in getting into set hunting again PM me as I have close to 50 completed or partially completed sets spanning from 95-96 to 12-13.
3 - I prefer the 9 card sleeves just because they look prettier for displaying sets, but some cards are so thick these days, that trying to squeeze them in can cause damage.
4 - If you have the funds I would always go boxes for the reason you mentioned, and if the DJ'ing is proving lucrative enough, I'd even go cases instead.
5 - As mentioned not up on the current stuff, but for a lower price point I do like the look of Ascension, and depends how pricey your consider pricey, but I like what I've seen of National Treasures, Immaculate and Spectra.

Hope this helps, mate. Enjoy upsetting your lady as much as I do my wife with your refound lust for cardboard!

 

[james23wcr]

Haha, yeah. I remember classifying 'high-end' products from the newsagency as anything that was more than $7.50 a packet.

Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions too. From reading this forum and a few others (box breaks on YouTube, etc) I've seen a lot of mixed reviews about Panini. Seems as though their stuff this year is much better than last years though which is good. More interested in newer stuff now but heading home to grab the old folders over the weekend and if I have any gaps I'll let you know.

Thanks again, I'll make sure I take a look at those recommendations.

 

[pete23nba]

Afternoon all.

Getting back into the game after 14 years away from it. Collected pretty heavily as a teen between 2001-2005. Spent most weekends, unsuccessfully, convincing my parents to make trips from the outer suburbs to Glenferrie Road (Card Heaven) and Northland Shopping Centre (Ace Colour Copy) to see how far I could stretch $50. 10 packets at $5 each, take a risk on one expensive pack or buy a card outright. Being 15, 10 packets always trumped one and I never found buying a card enjoyable. It was all about the rip.

A lot has changed since then. Walking into a card shop with $50 saved over two weeks as a kid vs walking into a card shop and conceivably being able to buy anything that's for sale as an adult, no more Upper Deck, Panini seemingly dominating the shelves, etc. I definitely feel a bit lost and I've come here to get some help and advice!

I used to collect sets and I'd have seperate folders for each. I'd buy the odd pack from left-field that would guarantee me something special which would also have it's own folder. Anything super-special got locked down in a nice case.

What got me interested in collecting again? Seeing Panini packets at my local K-Mart (Northcote!) Purchased a few and got the bug, did some research and came across Cherry Collectables and bought a box of 17-18 Panini Prestige's. Had a heap of fun breaking them open last night to my girlfriends dismay (I already spend enough money on records as a DJ, the last thing I need is another expensive hobby).

So, some questions I would love to have answered!

1 – What happened to Upper Deck and where did Panini come from? I assume there are no Jordan and LeBron auto's because of this? Being the holy grail, I'd imagine opening new packs knowing there's no chance you could land one would be a bit of a buzz kill?
2 – Do people still collect sets or are they more focused on individual players, teams, inserts, rookie cards, auto's, etc? I'm still deciding on what I want to do. Leaning towards completing the Prestige base set as a starting point and working my way from there.
3 – Do people still store their cards in 9-pocket sleeves or are more in top-loaders cases?
4 – Do people still buy individual packets? I used to almost strictly (unless my parents would buy me a box for my birthday or Christmas) however it seems a bit pointless if you can save up, buy a box and get a guaranteed auto/patch/#'d card.
5 – Any suggestions on what product I should look at next? Something affordable and then something a bit more on the pricey side.

Would welcome any other general suggestions, comments and updates!

Thanks, and sorry for the long post!

Hi mate, and welcome to the hobby.
1. Upper Deck (and Topps) lost their NBA licence as they were unwilling to pay the increased licencing fees. That left Panini as the sole NBA licenced trading card product. Upper Deck still maintain exclusive licences with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and now Ben Simmons, so you won't find any of their autos in Panini product.
2. People do both of these things. Everyone has their preference. Myself I'm a completionist, so I like to complete sets.
3. These days it tends to go with pages for common/base sets, and probably one-touch holders for better single cards.
4. Boxes are always better as at least you will get a guaranteed hit or 2.
5. My suggestion is that you will get better value with stuff that is 1-2 years old generally speaking. Best thing to do is check how many hits a product has, and check the resale market to see what has better value. Prizm is always a popular product.

 

[james23wcr]

Cheers, thanks for the response mate.

Prizm looks the goods. Even the base cards look fire. I think it will be my first high-end box of choice.

 

[West Oz Cards]

Welcome back to the hobby @james23wcr !

I'll just say first and foremost my advice to new/returning collectors is; watch your wallet! It is so easy to smash through a few thousand before you realize where/what you want to focus your collecting on.
Especially buying high-end boxes hoping for the cardboard lottery, it can be a bit of a downer sometimes.
A lot of people choose not to bust boxes because ROI isn't great the majority of the time. However its the thrill of the fresh was that keeps most people into it. And if people don't bust, then there won't be any awesome new cardboard unearthed!

Each to their own on collecting, you will find all types. Then there's cardboard fiends like @hackadeandre that literally collect 40 different players plus a mad set-collector!

I wish you all the best in your collecting pursuits.

One last piece of advice; be honest about the $ outlay with the other half. Because I have heard some horror stories when the collector hides it and the missus demands to see the bills.

 

[james23wcr]

Thanks mate, and wise words.

I think I'm pretty good with my money but I'll definitely be keeping tabs on what I buy. I think being able to watch live breaks online will help as I do feel as though you get a bit of a buzz and can take in some of the suspense, surprise and excitement by watching other people break on YouTube. As a kid, all the money I made from refereeing basketball went straight into the rush of buying packets of cards, but I think I'll be better this time around/ Too right with the honesty bit though, I can only imagine some of the stories that would come out of overspending, incredibly addictive stuff. Thankfully I have a monthly hobby account that I'll know be splitting between records and cards.

Great tips too. I've decided that I'm going to collect a set here and there so I don't get caught chasing big cards too much and having a stack of (base cards) that go to waste. As a hoops junkie too, I think it's pretty cool to have a time capsule of what the league was like at certain times which is something I enjoy looking back on over my older sets. I'll chase some big stuff and take some gambles here and there.

Thanks again, looks like a great community here.

 

[sacface]

Thanks mate, and wise words.

I think I'm pretty good with my money but I'll definitely be keeping tabs on what I buy. I think being able to watch live breaks online will help as I do feel as though you get a bit of a buzz and can take in some of the suspense, surprise and excitement by watching other people break on YouTube. As a kid, all the money I made from refereeing basketball went straight into the rush of buying packets of cards, but I think I'll be better this time around/ Too right with the honesty bit though, I can only imagine some of the stories that would come out of overspending, incredibly addictive stuff. Thankfully I have a monthly hobby account that I'll know be splitting between records and cards.

Great tips too. I've decided that I'm going to collect a set here and there so I don't get caught chasing big cards too much and having a stack of (base cards) that go to waste. As a hoops junkie too, I think it's pretty cool to have a time capsule of what the league was like at certain times which is something I enjoy looking back on over my older sets. I'll chase some big stuff and take some gambles here and there.

Thanks again, looks like a great community here.

looks like youve got the advice you need .

now id like to see some of these older sets you have < post some pics of your favorite sets.

 

[james23wcr]

Hey mate, absolutely nothing to write home about! Saw them all and left them at the parents (took the inserts folder with me though)! Few Fleer sets, Upper Deck Ovation

Few more questions now that I know a bit more about the hobby and it's about group breaks. Can someone explain the rationale behind them? Is it for the excitement of breaking in a group and because you (as a collector purchasing a spot in a break) don't care about base cards/any cards that aren't of your team (if it's a picked team break)? Is it also financial?

Also, seeing a lot of guys have their boxes broken live (on the Cherry Facebook page)... What's the reasoning behind this, just to have your box broken in a group setting? Incredibly naive questions that I've tried to answer by myself but haven't had too much luck.

Enjoying being back in the hobby so far!

 

[james23wcr]

And just to clarify, my concerns are:

1. What if you don't get any hits? You've just paid a lot of money for no return?
2. Surely breaking a box yourself with a beer is a lot more enjoyable?

Again, incredibly naive but they DO look fun, I've been tuning in most Thursdays.

 

[Billyhoyle]

few more questions now that I know a bit more about the hobby and it's about group breaks. Can someone explain the rationale behind them? Is it for the excitement of breaking in a group and because you (as a collector purchasing a spot in a break) don't care about base cards/any cards that aren't of your team (if it's a picked team break)? Is it also financial?

Group breaking is also about the opportunity to access product at a much more reduced price, as it is spread across the 30 participants. I'd be happy to spend $100 on a group break but could never afford the equivalent $3000.

In terms of "not wanting base" it's the sad reflection of the current state of the hobby that base and sets are not as exciting as they once were, because everyone has access to ozcards, blowout, eBay to sell their cards it really has become a sellers market and therefore everyone is looking for that big hit!

Also, seeing a lot of guys have their boxes broken live (on the Cherry Facebook page)... What's the reasoning behind this, just to have your box broken in a group setting? Incredibly naive questions that I've tried to answer by myself but haven't had too much luck.

Enjoying being back in the hobby so far!

I think it's just the thrill of it being live and seen by others. Not having to order, wait for it to be delivered etc.
It's definitely about fulfilling that instant need to bust something.

 

[Billyhoyle]

And just to clarify, my concerns are:

1. What if you don't get any hits? You've just paid a lot of money for no return?
2. Surely breaking a box yourself with a beer is a lot more enjoyable?

Again, incredibly naive but they DO look fun, I've been tuning in most Thursdays.

1. Yep that's the reality But equally a
You could buy a box and end up with a very limited haul. The thing with group breaks is that it gives you access to every hit in the case, whereas if I buy box the big hits could still be sitting in the other boxes.

2. Definitely something enjoyable about that. Each to their own and what you can afford

 

[james23wcr]

Ah, yep. Kind of what I figured, but it's good to get confirmation. I clearly hadn't put 2 and 2 together regarding the financial savings and I also probably put a bit too much importance on base cards. Definitely makes sense. I totally get the thrill of instantly full-filling a desire to bust a box though, hahaha. Thanks mate.

 

[james23wcr]

Hey guys, looking to get either two boxes of Cornerstones or one box of Spectra. I kinda like the Cornerstone cards a bit more because of the Cornerstone quad patch cards and the possibility of a Downtown insert. However from the 15+ or so breaks I've watched, it seems like the Spectra boxes more often than not give you at least a few good cards if you don't hit anything big however there is a high possibility of getting donuts from multiple Cornerstone boxes. What's everyone's experiences with either product? Opinions welcome!

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

I'd probably go for the Cornerstones myself but the Spectra do look great! Watched plenty of breaks too of both, you can never tell, especially if not from sealed cases etc etc. I love those Quad jersey and quad patch autos too!

 

[Jonathon M]

Personally, I don't like the cornerstones and much prefer spectra, however I do like the cornerstone quad patch autos but other than that, I find the set ugly and cheap looking

 

[West Oz Cards]

I think Cornerstones is rubbish thinly held together by the Downtown insert and to a lesser extent the cornerstone quad relics.
That product shouldn't see another year.

Spectra has been better in previous years, but still a much better chance at 1 in 8 to land the case hit and likely better cards.
IMO, it's Spectra all day over CS.

 

[Slick.34]

Would you suggest buying a hit parade box from decardworld or is there better options in Australia?

 

[james23wcr]

Try Cherry.

https://www.cherrycollectables.com.au/

 

[West Oz Cards]

Would you suggest buying a hit parade box from decardworld or is there better options in Australia?

For custom products, look for a product called Reloaded. Best custom Aussie product around currently. I believe there are still boxes to be found.

 

[Bigbird94]

Try Cherry.

https://www.cherrycollectables.com.au/

Got a 1 of 1 card from them there boxes do hit