New Member

[GCdogg05]

Hi All,

Just wanted to introduce myself and share my story as it was quite a big last month.
My story won't sound very dissimilar to others from what I've been reading.

Early October I was in Adelaide for work as I travel there once a month (from Melbourne).
Managed to find my way into a card shop (assuming the only one) that had substantial packs of Basketball Cards back from when I was a kid.
Honestly I thought that was the only the era and things just went the way of the Victoria Giants, South Dragons and the team I followed growing up the Melbourne Tigers. Then I saw a kid in there asking about Durant, Curry and Gianis cards.

After getting a lengthy update of what's taken place over the last 20+ years from the store worker (probably owner) and dropping $200 on packets and boxes (Hoops 89-90, Collectors Choice 94-95 and sealed locker room upper decks 92-93) that I've now come to learn aren't worth the card board their printed on I was intrigued and wanted to find out more. What's strange and I'm an Accountant by trade is that I didn't have any buyers remorse. In fact I enjoyed opening a pack with the same excitement from when I was a kid. Even knowing that a Jordan hoops is worth $2 was still extremely fun when I saw it again.

Nostalgia I'm coming to learn now with a family now of my own is quite powerful
- After a trip to Japan 7 years had previously fuelled my retro gaming collection.

I could go on forever but Ill summarise below what I collect and why I collect the things I do;

_St Kilda football club life supporter so anything 90s to today I'm interested in. Memorabilia etc.
_As above mentioned retro video games.
In particular - Arcade Machines, Super Nintendo, Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter.
Anything really from Magazines, Cards, Figurines, Consoles, Games, Books.
_Boxing Memorabilia. Pac, Mayweather and any big names. Mostly Posters, Gloves etc. (Trained for several years)
_NBA Chicago Bulls obviously Michael Jordan but also Pippen, D-Rose, Ben Gordon. (Team followed even to now)
Merch from Vancouver Grizzles, Seattle Supersonics and Portland (Lillard) (Spent two years living in Vancouver)
_Anything Back To The Future related (Favourite Movie)


_Lastly - Anything that takes me back to a simpler time and gives a break from the current tedious and ridiculous world we now live in where the only break I now get is in a crammed train looking at my smart phone - at least I'm now looking at some nice autograph cards from this forum.

My Nostalgia has been on an all time high since re-discovering Bball cards have kicked on. This site has been invaluable and have since bought a box of Hoops 18/19 to be opened tomorrow night. Yes I'm starting small. And I found the box break thread where someone mentioned dropping $400 and only getting a Rodney Hood card quite interesting. The whole Return vs. Outlay makes it a mind game too.

Finding new sites with the mix between old and new (can still get a Beckett Magazine) has reinvigorated me at the time when I've began limping towards a xmas break already.

Thanks for reading and if you only read the first paragraph don't blame you either.

Special thanks to dbmanx who helped me with my first purchase on here today.

Chris

 

[OutlawNinja]

Welcome to the forum Chris, love a good story

 

[Matty76]

Welcome aboard Chris. I agree with Mark, that was a great read!! Hope you enjoy the site

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

Welcome!

Familiar story. And yep ROI, it’s a decision you have to make in today’s card collecting world due to the extremely high cost of premium high end boxes and cases. If you’re happy just slowly adding to your collection by opening boxes (and not worrying if you don’t “get your monies worth”) and/or buying single cards from places like eBay/COMC etc then all is well. But if your financial position is a bit different and you have to have a set budget or sell whatever you aren’t going to keep from a box you open to recoup some money to then use it again on other purchases then that’s where you’ll have to worry about your return.

And then you have group breaks and razzes on sites and Facebook pages, it’s a whole new world, so many ways to spend money lol.

Lots of help and advice here so have a look around and feel free to ask!


Cheeers

Matt

 

[Awoj21]

Great intro mate
Welcome back to the hobby

 

[GCdogg05]

Thanks all for the warm welcome!
Really enjoying this forum.

Matt - Also thinking a bit with those boxes that I’ve come to see now that are north of $500-$1k and the ROI. Obviously though to recoup that and try to make something on top by re-selling is more akin to playing the odds (low odds) and trying to hit a jackpot.

That probably won’t be my game as if I did get one of those it would more than likely stay in the collection hence why I’d be purchasing in the first place.

However when/if I get into a high end box. I certainly couldn’t help feel jaded not as least getting something. Its human nature and the opportunity cost of that 1k that could of gone to a nice memorabilia piece etc would leave a very sour taste.

But for now I’m enjoying playing on the $10 tables haha because that is what my budget is dictating at the moment. The 18/19 hoops and Donruss and picking some nice low end stuff that looks good to start building up.