General Forum

Around 1993 the hobby expanded from base cards + inserts + minis, to parallels & refractors & SN

followed by die cuts acetate & metal cards in about 95-96, then came autos and relics and MANU around 2000

most Player & team collectors want everything when it comes to their player & team

there are hobby purists that only collect base sets of straight up cardboard

and many other ways to participate in the hobby, my personal ranking of favorite features,

[excluding AUTOS from the ranking, and ]

[excluding the chase for RCs, and]

[excluding graded cards .... my poll, my rules]

1. low serial numbers [below 50?]

2. color parallels

3. refractors & prizms

4. MANU cards

5.  serial numbers in the mid range side [50-500]

6. Die cuts

7. non numbered SP & SSP cards & photo variations

8. non cardboard card stock such as acetate & metal & lenticular

9.  serial numbers above 500

10.  GU Relics are last for me now, because of the lack of integrity in the hobby by the manufacturers, as well as faking of patches by the bad seeds in the hobby.  And since I lost my taste for basic GU, I've also lost it for "sick patches"

I probably forgot something. 

Of course combo features can change the ranking, it's hard to beat a SN 10 Gold Refractor. 

Of course there are certain Star / Goats that I'd rather have a base card, than a common player gold SN 2024

Quite the extensive list! From that list I think I'm really just ranking mine as color parallels, then refractors. I'd put autos at the top of the list if it qualified.

I'm more of base collector, but will take anything if I bump into it affordably enough. I have never liked patches or serial numbers because I am skeptical of some of the authenticity. I suppose the same could be said for autographs, but I'm hoping there really is someone observing the signers.

Being a team collector.  (Nebraska football)   

They are all the same to me including the Auto, RC and Graded.  So I put them all at #1.

That said does not mean I will not pay more for an Auto vs a base.  Just because I pay more for a card does not mean it is more important to me.

Base, plain cardboard.

Anything pre-1990, especially food issues and small sets. 

I don't care that much about all that stuff. Give me a good clear picture and real baseball activities in the background. The back of the card should have year by year career stats and not much wasted space. Sounds kind of old school when I read it back. So old school it is!

I don’t have a ranking because if I like it I want it. But if I was to make a ranking it would be for base pre 1980. I have completed all my set from the 80’s so I am thinking on focusing on older sets. I just can’t talk myself into paying the crazy prices for a chance at a Bedard 

Maybe I'm a bit unsophisticated (or a raccoon), but shiny attracts me every time. And as a product of the 90s, I'm partial to cool-looking inserts that don't have crazy long odds. I spend most of my time collecting base cards for set builds or PCs, but if I had to rank what I like, shiny cards and affordable inserts do it for me.

Relic cards.   The rookie patch autos I hear are popular.

Shiny cards are nice and all, but as others mentioned I am perfectly happy with simpler cards using good photos.

But I also like inserts like the Basketball Nameplates and Dunk N Go Nuts.  

1. Base sets.

2. Oddball sets including food issue, team issue, et.

3. Parallel and insert sets that are realistically possible to complete.

Though I do keep all those others if I get them in a lot, I do not chase them, especially AUTO and MEM items.