Whichever direction you ultimately go in, John you can always say, Wade Boggs, was here on your channel, and has pretty much declared your collection as one of the sublime Boggs collections, and that is pretty darn awesome. Having the recognition of the Man himself. That would I have to think be a great feeling right after feeling proud of the collection you have been cultivated over the years yourself. Well, hope you have a great New Years!
That's true Andrew! 😃 And it's not like I'm giving up collecting Boggs altogether or selling off my collection. It will just be more focused and limited going forward.
Thanks Mike! While there will always be player collectors, I think a "super collector" will become a thing of the past. I knew I was getting old, but now I guess I'm also becoming a relic! LOL
Man, John, I absolutely hear what you're saying on this. I abandoned player collecting my guy a year or two ago. I had all of these base cards that really meant not very much to me except as a box to check off or an itch in my brain to scratch. I decided to park that money in saving up for more meaningful cards (I'm currently saving for the '53 Color Pee Wee Reese). It's been a better experience collecting for me--but I totally understand the frustration in the ballooning of variations. It went from being a fun challenge to an impossible, joyless slog for me. I'm excited to see where you land and how you continue collecting. I really envy your ability to pursue your collection goals (without bankrupting your finances). Thanks for documenting all of this and Happy New Year to you and your family!
Exactly Dan. Things were manageable when all the parallels began to show up and it was a fun challenge to try to collect "the rainbow", but it's got more challenging and difficult to keep up over time, especially on a tight hobby budget. So, just like everything, I'm going to pivot and just collect the cards I like, whether that be Boggs or vintage. And Happy New Year to you as well!
As a Dale Murphy super-collector, I've elected to stick to playing-days cards. If I pick up a modern card, it's usually because it's part of a Braves team set that I've put together. I also super-collect Freddie Freeman; however, I'm just focusing on his Braves cards now that he's a Dodger. If I pick up a Dodgers Freeman, it's because it features a historic event or milestone, or because it's an outstanding design.
Thanks. I think that's the future of player collectors. Narrowing down what to collect. Nearly impossible to start out and think you can be a super-collector of a player. I think that term will slowly fade away.
I can only imagine how many Jeter cards there are! Wouldn't be surprised if it's 40,000 or more. Yeah, being selective is how I'm going to go moving forward.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, John. There is so much over saturation of player cards and other cards today you can’t collect everything that is out in the sports card market and it definitely can get you depressed and discouraged. Stepping back, refocusing and evaluating your situation is a good thing to do.
I am currently #1 on TCDB for Willie Mays but I have less than 10 serial numbered cards. Buying into the contrived scarcity of modern cards is a fools game. When every card is “scarce,” nothing is scarce. It’s just like monetary inflation, the over supply of 1/1’s dilutes their value.
Nice! Exactly. At one point serial numbered cards did represent true scarcity. But now, they are a dime a dozen. So while people get excited about pulling a 1/1 of a player, when you actually look at the numbers, there's really nothing special about it as it's just one of thousands of other 1/1s for that player. Yet, some sellers on eBay selling a /5 or 1/1 think they hit the greatest card for that player and are looking for a fortune for their card.
It's like everything in life, it's a choice or not. When you got to the grocery store you have lots of options. Buy or not buy. High prices or different variations. All collectibles are over-produced, because it has become a major business instead of a hobby anymore. 😢
That’s what it’s come to these days unfortunately. Whenever I opened a box it was Topps flagship. And it was for fun and to put together a set. If I got any “hits” it was just a bonus. But today, most open boxes/packs just hoping for a big hit. Just a different form of gambling in my opinion.
Hey John. Tough topic. Even with all the modern parallels, I had no idea they produced that many cards of individual players per year! That's insane! I collect Griffey, and even with the rise of inserts and parallels in the mid to late 90s, I will never get all of his playing days cards. I focus on his Mariners cards and pick them up when I find a nice one that I don't already have. If I was even going to try to get all of his playing days cards, that's all I'd ever be able to buy and would still never be able to track them all down. The really cool thing about it is it's your collection and you can collect whatever you want and change it up however you want!
Thanks Billy! Actually, for many years, that's exactly what I did...focus all my collecting and hobby dollars into adding just Boggs cards I didn't have. Now that I've discovered/rediscovered my love for vintage cards it's become a battle for my hobby dollars. And at least for now, vintage is winning that battle.
As a Maddux player collector, I’ve given some thought to collecting strategy. As I grew up watching my father player collect Barry Bonds, his goal had originally been to get one of every Bonds card made. Up until 1996, this seemed like a tough but achievable task. But then, 1997 came and ruined everything. 97 Flair Showcase was the product that killed the dream - the first 1/1 Masterpiece cards for each row (he got one of them). Between Flair Showcase, Ultra, Gold Label, and Metal Universe getting 1/1s, it was clear that the dream was dead. Almost equally as painful was the 98 Topps TEK set with 90 (but actually 89) different backgrounds, along with a tough diffractor parallel for each. 99 TEK was no better with 60 different patterns and the gold parallels /10 for each. What a kick in the teeth for any player collector or set collector! To this day, I’m still not a fan of Flair Showcase (their inserts are great though) or TEK or Gold label, and I refuse to chase the legacy’s or diffractors, or red labels for Maddux as a continued protest. I figured that when Bonds retired after 07, at least that would be an end of new releases. HA. HA. There will continue to be new Bonds cards issued annually well past 2050 and beyond, licensed or not - they will never end. It’s like Sysiphus continuously pushing the big rock up the mountain only for it to roll back down again. One step forward, two steps back. So, in light of obtaining ALL cards of a specific player being unobtainable, I find myself setting fairly strict boundaries / guidelines to keep myself from falling down the rabbit hole. I never want to feel pressured, like I “need” to pick up a certain card just because I don’t already have it. I want every card I obtain to bring me joy, (like the Konmari method), and if it doesn’t spark joy, then I move it along. For my Maddux PC, I only go for licensed cards of his through his Braves uniform years only (2003 - 2004) and I mostly stick to specific runs like Tiffany / glossy runs, Dufex runs, refractor runs, important or iconic hobby 1st runs, etc. I also try to stick to nostalgic cards / sets if they don’t fit in a specific pre-determined run. But if a card doesn’t fit in a specific predetermined category, I strongly consider not picking it up. I recommend targeting specific runs, as it becomes easy to see significant progress being made, and the satisfaction upon completing one is wonderful. There are many ways of navigating these waters, but I feel like going in without specific targets and goals is too overwhelming and leaves too broad of a focus to be able to work towards really “completing” something meaningful. That’s my two cents, anyway. Sorry for the novel!
Thank you for that great response! I had the same reaction as your father when those 1/1s entered the hobby (I was able to pick up a couple, but not all). And it progressively got worse (I did manage to get all 60 of the Boggs Tek cards, but only have about 25% of the gold /10 versions). So I quickly realized that I can't get them all. So I started making what I thought were reasonable targets. But then over time even those targets became unattainable. So it's been a slow erosion in what I think I can reasonably go after. So like you, I will be setting much smaller targets moving forward, like just concentrating on the low-hanging newer stuff and trying to fill some holes from his playing days and be happy with that.
My favorite Boggs card (currently don't have a copy of) is his 1991 Topps. That one card captures baseball, summer, and watching your favorite team/player back then. Good times! Sometimes it pays to have simpler tastes in terms of collecting.
John- That is absolutely mind boggling number of cards of Boggs after playing days. Wow. I hope to meet you in Strongsville to speak to you on your progress!
Happy New Year! You have an amazing collection and it would be difficult to stop, but I love the idea of continuing with a restricted list of base and reasonable parallels.
Same to you Russel! Thank you! Yeah, sticking to his low-hanging fruit while maybe trying to fill in some gaps of his playing-days cards sounds like a more reasonable (and attainable) goal moving forward.
Thanks Graig! It has really gotten bad. You know it's the case when you see the weird parallels they are coming up with now just to try to be a little different. I don't know how long this will continue or what will be the tipping point, but at some point, you'd think that the manufacturers will come up with something new.
I’m not a player collector but I’m a team collector, however I only focus on vintage. The proliferation of parallels, numbered cards, and one of ones has gotten so out of control it kinda removes the desire to get them as you note. It’s a short term strategy by the companies that is ultimately going to backfire as your video illustrates. I say do what you like and what moves you can change over time for a variety of reasons and that’s totally great! Happy new year!
Thank you Mark! And same to you! Yes, I'm definitely going to be more selective with the Boggs cards I pick up moving forward - the "low-hanging fruit" cards and ones that catch my eye and that I think are at a reasonable price. I do think moving forward, there will be fewer and fewer serious player collectors, especially for players whose playing days were in this parallel/serial-numbered explosion as there's just too much to try to collect.
This is really impressive John. I'm shocked by how many actual cards Wade Boggs has after his career! How does any collector keep up? I'm not sure this is very fair to collectors in many ways, but you've done very well and you've got a great channel. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Ryan! It's been a labor of love for over 25 years. But it has got to the point where I need to just be more selective in which Boggs cards I add to my collection.
Thank you Adam! I've known in the back of my mind for some time now that it's impossible to even attempt to come close to getting all the new cards that are issued, even factoring out all the 1/1s. But after adding all those new cards for just 2024 to my checklist, I've finally resigned myself to just picking up the low-hanging fruit and leaving all the other ones to the collectors who want to spend their money on over-saturated "scarce" cards.
I collect Catfish Hunter signed cards/magazines/memorabilia, and with cards I decided early on that I was only going to collect playing days for many of the reasons you've mentioned. The only exceptions would be the Perez Steele cards. I think you're being smart on your future Boggs collection, especially since you will never get them all anyway. I know there are a few other Boggs super collectors and those 1/1 cards are going to be split between collections. The card companies are not doing the collectors any favors, that's for sure.
Thanks Mike. As many have suggested, I think I will try to focus mainly on picking up some of his playing days cards that I'm missing and then just pick up the low-hanging fruit or one I really like from all his modern stuff.
Although probably tough, I think your thinking is sound about how to approach collecting Boggs, particularly because you are building such an awesome vintage collection. Have you ever thought of only going after his playing-days cards?
Thanks Allon. Yes, that is certainly a direction I could go. I think I'd still pick up some of his new low-hanging fruit cards, but that I'd try to fill in some of the blanks I have of his playing-days cards. But some of the ones I'm missing are sneaky hard to find and don't show up for sale very often.
I can definitely relate to the player collector struggles. I've recently transitioned away from completely collecting Warrick Dunn cards, allocating my resources towards very select, and more meaningful cards. Great video. I enjoyed hearing your thoughts.
Thank you! I had a feeling this would resonate with other player collectors as I'm sure they are facing the same daunting task of deciding what to pick up since there is so much out there.
Idk much about super collectors but you're the biggest Boggs collector I'm aware of. My personal opinion as a layman here would be that his playing days are one group of cards to form a master set that's complete and then the cards after his playing days should be considered another. I'm only offering that up because 2000 plus cards of his being made in the 20's is a whole different ball game imo. My favorite player is Gretzky but if I was to collect all his cards during his playing days Id only take choice picks of the ones released afterwards and maybe compile a premium collection. Oops hit wrong button but also meant to say thank you for sharing and no matter what you decide all the very best!
Thank you! There are some bigger Boggs collectors out there. They just don't do any videos. But I'm certainly among the biggest and I'm very proud of that. I think that's what I'm going to do moving forward - try to fill in some of the blanks for his playing days cards and then just pick up some low-hanging fruit for his modern stuff. Seems like a more manageable approach since I can't collect them all.
Nice video. I'm not a player collector but I hear you. My issue is a bit different, however. For modern-ultra modern I collect RC parallels but when the hobby became popular again, it became a situation of paying top-tier HOFer prices for guy's Topps parallel RCs and/or Bowman 1st autos before he plays a full season. Now it's almost better to wait until a guy pans out, then gets to his career decline a bit and then buy his parallel RCs once people realize he's NOT the next Babe Ruth. It sounds like you have some tough choices ahead! For me, collecting anything not Topps flagship just simply had to end, for the most part. On another note, I've been wondering for a while now so I may as well ask - do you have the 1988 Topps Cloth Boggs?
You're absolutely right about ultra-modern rookie cards. The money that's being spent on some of these rookie cards is just crazy to me. They all think they are going to be hall of famers just because of one or two good years. And yes, I do have a 1988 Topps Cloth Boggs.
@@WadeBoggsFan It's insanity! They reset that same logic every season. I get it, new product is fun to rip but learning the hard way isn't ideal. Very nice! That is a tough one you don't see often.
Dive into his 90s inserts. Like the 1996 Select Certified Mirror Gold/Blue/Red, although he’s in a Yankee uniform, which I’m sure is painful as a Red Sox fan.
Thanks Ben. I do have his Certified Mirror Red, but need his Blue and Gold. But the Blues are going for around $300 (when you can find them) and the Gold would set me back a couple of thousand. So for now those are out of the question. But he does have some other really cool 90s inserts that I don't have. Some are sneaky hard to find though.
Hi John. Yes I am a player (Cal Ripken Jr,) and team (Orioles) collector. Yes I totally 100% agree with everything you said. It is next to impossible to get them all, yet afford them. I have only focused on playing day cards of Ripken, and even there, I would be lucky to have 30% of them and have basically stopped looking for them. As for my Orioles, I have only collected regular issue cards from 1954 to 1977. I only need about 10 more on my list to complete that run forever (lol). I am nowhere close to being as dedicated as you have, so I truly get what you are saying. Hope all is well pal, talk soon my friend.
Thanks Stephen! Yeah, just focusing on playing-days cards does provide a finite number of cards to go after, even if you might not be able to get all of them. I have 88% of his playing days cards, so that's certainly an area I can look to add to. But a lot of the ones I'm missing are actually pretty hard to find as they don't show up for sale that often.
Hey John! This was a very interesting video! I’m a player collector do Dawson, Deion, Jerry Rice, Nolan, Maddux. I also collect other players as well. I do look at the post playing days a little differently. I want them but I also don’t chase them, will add them as I find them in the card shop or from buddies. You have over 5000 Biggs that is super cool man!!! Would you change your name!!!?? 😁 Happy new year John!
Happy New Year! Thanks! I think moving forward I'm going to try to pick up some of his playing days cards that I'm missing and just pick up some low-hanging fruit from his new stuff to make things manageable.
Man I hear you. I’m a long time Tony Gwynn fan. Currently a Wyatt Langford collector. Also pc a few top rookies best cards and also trying to finish my vintage runs oh man. Same boat as you as a limited budget. I need to reevaluate where to put the most money . Dream card buy would be to put off everyone else for 6 months idk. What to do? lol
It's certainly a tough decision on what to collect, no matter who you are or what you collect. None of us have unlimited funds to get everything we want, so it's down to prioritizing. I've just finally made the decision that new Boggs cards aren't a high priority now, but that I'm not going to stop collecting his cards altogether. Just be more selective. Hope you are able to figure out your collecting path.
I’m in it with Donnie, perfectly knowing I’ll never “have ‘em all”, and that is totally fine with me. I buy what I can and what is affordable. Keep it going brother.
I have to say…your video helped me make an important decision about my Cubs project in a way that I didn’t expect. So, thank you for the push (that you didn’t know you gave me)!
Since a lot of those thousand ultra-modern Boggs cards each year are slightly differernt parallels of the same card, is it not enough to have one variation of each? Does even the most super of super collecttors attempt to buy EVERY parallel?
Yes, there are a couple of Boggs collectors that still try to collect the "rainbow" for certain cards. It's a fun challenge for some, but I've "been there - done that" enough times that there is not much excitement for me anymore in doing it again.
You could be like me and have absolutely NO focus LOL. I think getting the mindset of grabbing an example of the new years releases in whatever variation fits best would work fairly well, keep the Boggs collection moving forward, but not weigh you down. I feel like I'm doing that with Boggs; see something I like at a reasonable price and grab it
I couldn’t do what you do Eric! I need to have some focus or I’d go crazy. 😂 But yes, picking up some examples of the new releases and then seeing if I can fill some gaps with his playing days cards seems the best approach moving forward.
Yes, sticking with just his playing days cards would be an option and something that I might concentrate on for next year. But most of the ones I'm missing are sneaky hard to find and don't show up on eBay that often.
My opinion is to stick with playing days cards of his and maybe some non numbered topps cards that are produced in base sets like Ginter, stadium club, topps series 1,2, update with SP, SSP. Just my opinion, which you asked us viewers for. 😊 could you trade some of your 1 of 1s for rare/expensive Wade Boggs playing day cards? Like gold select certified that you don’t own? 🤷🏼♂️
Thanks Mike! Yeah, I think moving forward that will be my strategy - pick up some low-hanging fruit of his new cards and try to fill in some gaps of his playing-days cards. Most of the playing-days cards I'm missing though are sneaky hard to find. But that could be a fun challenge. I've been asked before if I'd ever sell or trade some of my 1/1s and I just can't do it. I was offered a select certified mirror gold for my metal universe gem masters 1/1 and I couldn't pull the trigger. Trading that 1/1 for a card out of 30 didn't make sense for me as there are other mirror golds out there, but just one gem master that I'd never be able to get back.
As an Ozzie collector, I think you should concentrate on his playing years. You probably only need the high dollar playing years cards at this point, so spend the money on those few you need. I've always felt that the card companies are just creating new cards of retired players to fleece the middle-aged guys like us anyhow. Finish the playing years, trust me. It is worth the high cost on those last few.
Couldn’t agree with you more John! I’m probably doing even less than you at this point. I rarely ever pick up any Panini/Leaf cards. I’ve never liked the unlicensed look. I’m currently somewhere between 7-800 different Boggs cards and will probably never hit 1,000. Still a big, big fan. It’s just not practical.
Thanks Allen! It would be very hard to give up all together, so I'm just going to be selective in what I pick up moving forward...some cheap modern stuff and trying to fill in some gaps for his playing-days cards. You're building a great Boggs collection. With everything that is out there I'm sure you will be able to get to 1,000.
Dang I did not realize the amount of 1/1 cards for certain players exist. Part of me wants to become a player collector, and the players that I think of may not have hardly any one of ones haha.
Yeah it's crazy to think that of the 13,000 different Boggs cards that 25% of them are 1/1s! Selecting a player who may not have any or just a few 1/1s or low serial-numbered cards would definitely make collecting their cards much easier.
Deciding to not collect any of a player's post-career cards saves you so much headaches as far as trying to "keep up". Makes it a fixed total and helps give a lot of clarity on which cards to target once all the cheap stuff is off the table. That's been my strategy at least for the handful of players I collect.
That's a good strategy Ryan. I do like some of the new cards that have been made of Boggs, so I'll still pick up some of the low-hanging fruit. But many of his playing-days cards that I'm missing are sneaky hard to find and don't show up on eBay that often. But maybe I'll put more effort in searching for those than all of his new stuff.
I'm on the opposite end wishing my man aaron sele would get some post career cards made. 😂 But I hear you. If my player collection was falling further and further behind every year, I would rethink things.
Thanks Eric. Yeah, there are many players that don't have a lot of post playing-days cards. That certainly makes things easier. But choosing to collect a hall of famer was on me, so I'm partly to blame. LOL
Man, I knew there were a ton of cards being churned out in modern releases but I would not have guessed anywhere near the numbers you presented for a retired HOF player from the 1980s/90s. I honestly would have guessed maybe 10-20 new Boggs cards were being produced each year-and even that would feel like a little too much imo. It’s hard to believe there’s even a true audience for these cards when you have a literal Wade Boggs super-collector being like “woah guys, that’s way too many” 🙅♂️😂
Yeah, it's definitely crazy. I do like the fact that card companies are including hall of famers in their new sets as it makes newer/younger collectors aware of those players and might get them interested in collecting their playing-days cards. But they also get included in all the parallels that they come up with. The last time Boggs had less than 100 cards of his made a year was 2009 through 2011. Since then it's just been going up and up.
I think the one of ones they want you to chase them so they make more money it doesn't sound like anything great. like that player from the Padres who has one card in the 1975 set graded a 10 or whatever the number is very few 10's. the multi Mets player card 1970 that's worth having as you said very few 10's these cards are better than the Wade Boggs one of ones? heres my opinion half the time you should buy Wade Boggs and half the time you should buy some older cards say 1971 as an example? but yeah Wade Boggs and cards of the 70's? half the time each? just a suggestion.
Thanks Mark. I could see splitting my purchases 50/50 between Boggs and vintage, but I'd want to collect more than just 70s vintage cards. There are way too many 50s and 60s vintage cards that I'd like to someday own as well.
This trend will continue to get worse. Wade Boggs signs a lot of cards and it is cheaper for Topps and other companies to get him to sign than many of the current players. Panini is also making lots of sets of retired players now because of licensing issues. I am even having trouble with Rik Smits right now. Panini made him sign thousands of stickers and they put out multiple cards each year with him using the same image over and over and over.
That is true. Boggs does sign a lot. And I think he has some contract with Leaf, so those cards are going to continue for the foreseeable future. You also make a good point about licensing. Might be the only path available for them moving forward to focus on just hall of fame players. You mention Panini using the same image for Rik Smits over and over. That's another one of my minor pet peeves...Topps and the others just recycle the same old images of Boggs every time they make a new card of him. I guess they are too cheap to go out and pay for the rights to use a new photo.
I have a hair from wade boggs mustache authenticated by psa. I found it on the floor of a chili's bathroom after he came in for an awesome blossum in 1988 edit: Fall of 1988
Well, my good friend and largest Boggs collector has used shower shoes of Boggs from each of the 3 teams he played for. So the two of you could probably compare DNA samples. 😃
I'm a Ruth, Wagner, Cobb, Gehrig, Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax player collector. Have been since 1970. I don't need a checklist or a PSA register. I like other guys too but this is a good place to start. The variations today and stupid set names one after another are nauseating & hideous. All those 1000 Boggs cards a year and he's not even playing. What about the guys who are playing? they get 3K-5K cards a year. By all means. don't listen to me. Collect them all, LOLOLOLOLOLLOLO And most importantly, collect what you like, Another stupid statement. Maybe reassess what you DO & Should like and do that instead. 1 of 1 means that the 1 of 1 looking in the mirror is a SUCKER and Stooge PSA 10. try collecting these guys in decent eye appeal lower grades. This will keep you plenty busy, I promise. You will build a collection to be cherished. Not a trash pile that will be loaded in a 40 yarder and taken to the dump. Full Disclosure: I no longer have 1 Boggsy card. 🤨😢You have a great Boggsy collection of Memorabilia and memories! Don't feed these aholes. I'm not giving Fanatics, Panini sandwiches or PSA 1 doll hair.
Love your replies Mike! LOL Yeah, sometimes you just have to take a step back and realize all the craziness that is going on and decide what is important and enjoyable for you to collect and ignore all the nonsense that is going on. Now, as for having a dumpster collection, I'm sure most of my Boggs cards would technically fit that definition. 😃 But I don't collect them for the value. My vintage cards on the other hand, I hope they at least hold their value over time.
Whichever direction you ultimately go in, John you can always say, Wade Boggs, was here on your channel, and has pretty much declared your collection as one of the sublime Boggs collections, and that is pretty darn awesome. Having the recognition of the Man himself. That would I have to think be a great feeling right after feeling proud of the collection you have been cultivated over the years yourself. Well, hope you have a great New Years!
That's true Andrew! 😃 And it's not like I'm giving up collecting Boggs altogether or selling off my collection. It will just be more focused and limited going forward.
@@WadeBoggsFan Correct.
Good video, John. It does feel hopeless to be a player collector these days.
Thanks Mike! While there will always be player collectors, I think a "super collector" will become a thing of the past. I knew I was getting old, but now I guess I'm also becoming a relic! LOL
Man, John, I absolutely hear what you're saying on this. I abandoned player collecting my guy a year or two ago. I had all of these base cards that really meant not very much to me except as a box to check off or an itch in my brain to scratch. I decided to park that money in saving up for more meaningful cards (I'm currently saving for the '53 Color Pee Wee Reese). It's been a better experience collecting for me--but I totally understand the frustration in the ballooning of variations. It went from being a fun challenge to an impossible, joyless slog for me. I'm excited to see where you land and how you continue collecting. I really envy your ability to pursue your collection goals (without bankrupting your finances). Thanks for documenting all of this and Happy New Year to you and your family!
Exactly Dan. Things were manageable when all the parallels began to show up and it was a fun challenge to try to collect "the rainbow", but it's got more challenging and difficult to keep up over time, especially on a tight hobby budget. So, just like everything, I'm going to pivot and just collect the cards I like, whether that be Boggs or vintage. And Happy New Year to you as well!
As a Dale Murphy super-collector, I've elected to stick to playing-days cards. If I pick up a modern card, it's usually because it's part of a Braves team set that I've put together. I also super-collect Freddie Freeman; however, I'm just focusing on his Braves cards now that he's a Dodger. If I pick up a Dodgers Freeman, it's because it features a historic event or milestone, or because it's an outstanding design.
Thanks. I think that's the future of player collectors. Narrowing down what to collect. Nearly impossible to start out and think you can be a super-collector of a player. I think that term will slowly fade away.
I see no point in collecting outside of playing days.
Collect what you like. That’s what I do with Jeter - add the Jeters that I love to the collection
I can only imagine how many Jeter cards there are! Wouldn't be surprised if it's 40,000 or more. Yeah, being selective is how I'm going to go moving forward.
@ A lot lol
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, John. There is so much over saturation of player cards and other cards today you can’t collect everything that is out in the sports card market and it definitely can get you depressed and discouraged. Stepping back, refocusing and evaluating your situation is a good thing to do.
Thanks Kevin! Appreciate it!
I am currently #1 on TCDB for Willie Mays but I have less than 10 serial numbered cards.
Buying into the contrived scarcity of modern cards is a fools game. When every card is “scarce,” nothing is scarce. It’s just like monetary inflation, the over supply of 1/1’s dilutes their value.
Nice! Exactly. At one point serial numbered cards did represent true scarcity. But now, they are a dime a dozen. So while people get excited about pulling a 1/1 of a player, when you actually look at the numbers, there's really nothing special about it as it's just one of thousands of other 1/1s for that player. Yet, some sellers on eBay selling a /5 or 1/1 think they hit the greatest card for that player and are looking for a fortune for their card.
It's like everything in life, it's a choice or not. When you got to the grocery store you have lots of options. Buy or not buy. High prices or different variations. All collectibles are over-produced, because it has become a major business instead of a hobby anymore. 😢
I busted an expensive box of 2022 Topps Gallery last month and my "hit" was a parallel of Mays #/25. Even then I was like meh.
Unfortunately you are right. 😢
That’s what it’s come to these days unfortunately. Whenever I opened a box it was Topps flagship. And it was for fun and to put together a set. If I got any “hits” it was just a bonus. But today, most open boxes/packs just hoping for a big hit. Just a different form of gambling in my opinion.
Hey John. Tough topic. Even with all the modern parallels, I had no idea they produced that many cards of individual players per year! That's insane! I collect Griffey, and even with the rise of inserts and parallels in the mid to late 90s, I will never get all of his playing days cards. I focus on his Mariners cards and pick them up when I find a nice one that I don't already have. If I was even going to try to get all of his playing days cards, that's all I'd ever be able to buy and would still never be able to track them all down. The really cool thing about it is it's your collection and you can collect whatever you want and change it up however you want!
Thanks Billy! Actually, for many years, that's exactly what I did...focus all my collecting and hobby dollars into adding just Boggs cards I didn't have. Now that I've discovered/rediscovered my love for vintage cards it's become a battle for my hobby dollars. And at least for now, vintage is winning that battle.
As a Maddux player collector, I’ve given some thought to collecting strategy. As I grew up watching my father player collect Barry Bonds, his goal had originally been to get one of every Bonds card made. Up until 1996, this seemed like a tough but achievable task. But then, 1997 came and ruined everything. 97 Flair Showcase was the product that killed the dream - the first 1/1 Masterpiece cards for each row (he got one of them). Between Flair Showcase, Ultra, Gold Label, and Metal Universe getting 1/1s, it was clear that the dream was dead. Almost equally as painful was the 98 Topps TEK set with 90 (but actually 89) different backgrounds, along with a tough diffractor parallel for each. 99 TEK was no better with 60 different patterns and the gold parallels /10 for each. What a kick in the teeth for any player collector or set collector! To this day, I’m still not a fan of Flair Showcase (their inserts are great though) or TEK or Gold label, and I refuse to chase the legacy’s or diffractors, or red labels for Maddux as a continued protest.
I figured that when Bonds retired after 07, at least that would be an end of new releases.
HA.
HA.
There will continue to be new Bonds cards issued annually well past 2050 and beyond, licensed or not - they will never end. It’s like Sysiphus continuously pushing the big rock up the mountain only for it to roll back down again. One step forward, two steps back.
So, in light of obtaining ALL cards of a specific player being unobtainable, I find myself setting fairly strict boundaries / guidelines to keep myself from falling down the rabbit hole. I never want to feel pressured, like I “need” to pick up a certain card just because I don’t already have it. I want every card I obtain to bring me joy, (like the Konmari method), and if it doesn’t spark joy, then I move it along. For my Maddux PC, I only go for licensed cards of his through his Braves uniform years only (2003 - 2004) and I mostly stick to specific runs like Tiffany / glossy runs, Dufex runs, refractor runs, important or iconic hobby 1st runs, etc. I also try to stick to nostalgic cards / sets if they don’t fit in a specific pre-determined run. But if a card doesn’t fit in a specific predetermined category, I strongly consider not picking it up. I recommend targeting specific runs, as it becomes easy to see significant progress being made, and the satisfaction upon completing one is wonderful. There are many ways of navigating these waters, but I feel like going in without specific targets and goals is too overwhelming and leaves too broad of a focus to be able to work towards really “completing” something meaningful. That’s my two cents, anyway. Sorry for the novel!
Thank you for that great response! I had the same reaction as your father when those 1/1s entered the hobby (I was able to pick up a couple, but not all). And it progressively got worse (I did manage to get all 60 of the Boggs Tek cards, but only have about 25% of the gold /10 versions). So I quickly realized that I can't get them all. So I started making what I thought were reasonable targets. But then over time even those targets became unattainable. So it's been a slow erosion in what I think I can reasonably go after. So like you, I will be setting much smaller targets moving forward, like just concentrating on the low-hanging newer stuff and trying to fill some holes from his playing days and be happy with that.
My favorite Boggs card (currently don't have a copy of) is his 1991 Topps. That one card captures baseball, summer, and watching your favorite team/player back then. Good times! Sometimes it pays to have simpler tastes in terms of collecting.
That is a great card of his! 😃
John- That is absolutely mind boggling number of cards of Boggs after playing days. Wow. I hope to meet you in Strongsville to speak to you on your progress!
I hope so too! I will be going.
Happy New Year! You have an amazing collection and it would be difficult to stop, but I love the idea of continuing with a restricted list of base and reasonable parallels.
Same to you Russel! Thank you! Yeah, sticking to his low-hanging fruit while maybe trying to fill in some gaps of his playing-days cards sounds like a more reasonable (and attainable) goal moving forward.
Really great video. The manufacturers have lost their minds.
Thanks Graig! It has really gotten bad. You know it's the case when you see the weird parallels they are coming up with now just to try to be a little different. I don't know how long this will continue or what will be the tipping point, but at some point, you'd think that the manufacturers will come up with something new.
@ I get it. Your Wade Boggs collection is one of the best in the world. Let Panini and Leaf run the presses. Don’t feel compelled to buy their crap.
I'm definitely less and less inclined to buy their cards moving forward, if only as a rejection of all their crazy parallel versions! LOL
I’m not a player collector but I’m a team collector, however I only focus on vintage. The proliferation of parallels, numbered cards, and one of ones has gotten so out of control it kinda removes the desire to get them as you note. It’s a short term strategy by the companies that is ultimately going to backfire as your video illustrates. I say do what you like and what moves you can change over time for a variety of reasons and that’s totally great! Happy new year!
Thank you Mark! And same to you! Yes, I'm definitely going to be more selective with the Boggs cards I pick up moving forward - the "low-hanging fruit" cards and ones that catch my eye and that I think are at a reasonable price. I do think moving forward, there will be fewer and fewer serious player collectors, especially for players whose playing days were in this parallel/serial-numbered explosion as there's just too much to try to collect.
This is really impressive John. I'm shocked by how many actual cards Wade Boggs has after his career! How does any collector keep up? I'm not sure this is very fair to collectors in many ways, but you've done very well and you've got a great channel. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Ryan! It's been a labor of love for over 25 years. But it has got to the point where I need to just be more selective in which Boggs cards I add to my collection.
Definitely can’t collect all the versions. Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year
Thanks Orlando! And same to you my friend!
The amount of new cards is just impossible to keep up with. Regardless, your Boggs collection is legendary John.
Thank you Adam! I've known in the back of my mind for some time now that it's impossible to even attempt to come close to getting all the new cards that are issued, even factoring out all the 1/1s. But after adding all those new cards for just 2024 to my checklist, I've finally resigned myself to just picking up the low-hanging fruit and leaving all the other ones to the collectors who want to spend their money on over-saturated "scarce" cards.
good points Adam, as usual.
I collect Catfish Hunter signed cards/magazines/memorabilia, and with cards I decided early on that I was only going to collect playing days for many of the reasons you've mentioned. The only exceptions would be the Perez Steele cards. I think you're being smart on your future Boggs collection, especially since you will never get them all anyway. I know there are a few other Boggs super collectors and those 1/1 cards are going to be split between collections. The card companies are not doing the collectors any favors, that's for sure.
Thanks Mike. As many have suggested, I think I will try to focus mainly on picking up some of his playing days cards that I'm missing and then just pick up the low-hanging fruit or one I really like from all his modern stuff.
Although probably tough, I think your thinking is sound about how to approach collecting Boggs, particularly because you are building such an awesome vintage collection. Have you ever thought of only going after his playing-days cards?
Thanks Allon. Yes, that is certainly a direction I could go. I think I'd still pick up some of his new low-hanging fruit cards, but that I'd try to fill in some of the blanks I have of his playing-days cards. But some of the ones I'm missing are sneaky hard to find and don't show up for sale very often.
I can definitely relate to the player collector struggles. I've recently transitioned away from completely collecting Warrick Dunn cards, allocating my resources towards very select, and more meaningful cards. Great video. I enjoyed hearing your thoughts.
Thank you! I had a feeling this would resonate with other player collectors as I'm sure they are facing the same daunting task of deciding what to pick up since there is so much out there.
Have a great happy new year John
Same to you Ken!
Idk much about super collectors but you're the biggest Boggs collector I'm aware of.
My personal opinion as a layman here would be that his playing days are one group of cards to form a master set that's complete and then the cards after his playing days should be considered another. I'm only offering that up because 2000 plus cards of his being made in the 20's is a whole different ball game imo.
My favorite player is Gretzky but if I was to collect all his cards during his playing days Id only take choice picks of the ones released afterwards and maybe compile a premium collection.
Oops hit wrong button but also meant to say thank you for sharing and no matter what you decide all the very best!
Thank you! There are some bigger Boggs collectors out there. They just don't do any videos. But I'm certainly among the biggest and I'm very proud of that. I think that's what I'm going to do moving forward - try to fill in some of the blanks for his playing days cards and then just pick up some low-hanging fruit for his modern stuff. Seems like a more manageable approach since I can't collect them all.
Nice video. I'm not a player collector but I hear you. My issue is a bit different, however. For modern-ultra modern I collect RC parallels but when the hobby became popular again, it became a situation of paying top-tier HOFer prices for guy's Topps parallel RCs and/or Bowman 1st autos before he plays a full season. Now it's almost better to wait until a guy pans out, then gets to his career decline a bit and then buy his parallel RCs once people realize he's NOT the next Babe Ruth. It sounds like you have some tough choices ahead! For me, collecting anything not Topps flagship just simply had to end, for the most part. On another note, I've been wondering for a while now so I may as well ask - do you have the 1988 Topps Cloth Boggs?
You're absolutely right about ultra-modern rookie cards. The money that's being spent on some of these rookie cards is just crazy to me. They all think they are going to be hall of famers just because of one or two good years. And yes, I do have a 1988 Topps Cloth Boggs.
@@WadeBoggsFan It's insanity! They reset that same logic every season. I get it, new product is fun to rip but learning the hard way isn't ideal. Very nice! That is a tough one you don't see often.
Dive into his 90s inserts. Like the 1996 Select Certified Mirror Gold/Blue/Red, although he’s in a Yankee uniform, which I’m sure is painful as a Red Sox fan.
Thanks Ben. I do have his Certified Mirror Red, but need his Blue and Gold. But the Blues are going for around $300 (when you can find them) and the Gold would set me back a couple of thousand. So for now those are out of the question. But he does have some other really cool 90s inserts that I don't have. Some are sneaky hard to find though.
Hi John. Yes I am a player (Cal Ripken Jr,) and team (Orioles) collector. Yes I totally 100% agree with everything you said. It is next to impossible to get them all, yet afford them. I have only focused on playing day cards of Ripken, and even there, I would be lucky to have 30% of them and have basically stopped looking for them. As for my Orioles, I have only collected regular issue cards from 1954 to 1977. I only need about 10 more on my list to complete that run forever (lol). I am nowhere close to being as dedicated as you have, so I truly get what you are saying. Hope all is well pal, talk soon my friend.
Thanks Stephen! Yeah, just focusing on playing-days cards does provide a finite number of cards to go after, even if you might not be able to get all of them. I have 88% of his playing days cards, so that's certainly an area I can look to add to. But a lot of the ones I'm missing are actually pretty hard to find as they don't show up for sale that often.
Hey John! This was a very interesting video! I’m a player collector do Dawson, Deion, Jerry Rice, Nolan, Maddux. I also collect other players as well. I do look at the post playing days a little differently. I want them but I also don’t chase them, will add them as I find them in the card shop or from buddies. You have over 5000 Biggs that is super cool man!!! Would you change your name!!!?? 😁 Happy new year John!
Happy New Year! Thanks! I think moving forward I'm going to try to pick up some of his playing days cards that I'm missing and just pick up some low-hanging fruit from his new stuff to make things manageable.
Man I hear you. I’m a long time Tony Gwynn fan. Currently a Wyatt Langford collector. Also pc a few top rookies best cards and also trying to finish my vintage runs oh man. Same boat as you as a limited budget. I need to reevaluate where to put the most money . Dream card buy would be to put off everyone else for 6 months idk. What to do? lol
It's certainly a tough decision on what to collect, no matter who you are or what you collect. None of us have unlimited funds to get everything we want, so it's down to prioritizing. I've just finally made the decision that new Boggs cards aren't a high priority now, but that I'm not going to stop collecting his cards altogether. Just be more selective. Hope you are able to figure out your collecting path.
I’m in it with Donnie, perfectly knowing I’ll never “have ‘em all”, and that is totally fine with me. I buy what I can and what is affordable. Keep it going brother.
Thanks Mike! It looks like moving forward I'll be a "Wade Boggs low-hanging fruit collector". LOL
A classic player collector dilemma.... Sounds like if might be time to set up another conversation. Great topic :P
Would love that Carlos! Always a pleasure being a guest on your channel. Happy New Year!
I have to say…your video helped me make an important decision about my Cubs project in a way that I didn’t expect. So, thank you for the push (that you didn’t know you gave me)!
I'm glad you found my video useful! Sometimes we need an outside perspective to make the right decision.
Since a lot of those thousand ultra-modern Boggs cards each year are slightly differernt parallels of the same card, is it not enough to have one variation of each? Does even the most super of super collecttors attempt to buy EVERY parallel?
Yes, there are a couple of Boggs collectors that still try to collect the "rainbow" for certain cards. It's a fun challenge for some, but I've "been there - done that" enough times that there is not much excitement for me anymore in doing it again.
You could be like me and have absolutely NO focus LOL. I think getting the mindset of grabbing an example of the new years releases in whatever variation fits best would work fairly well, keep the Boggs collection moving forward, but not weigh you down. I feel like I'm doing that with Boggs; see something I like at a reasonable price and grab it
I couldn’t do what you do Eric! I need to have some focus or I’d go crazy. 😂 But yes, picking up some examples of the new releases and then seeing if I can fill some gaps with his playing days cards seems the best approach moving forward.
@@WadeBoggsFan I didn't know you had any gaps with Wade's playing-days cards!
Oh yes. I have 88% of his playing days cards. Missing about 275. But a lot of them are tricky hard to find as they don’t show up on eBay that often.
Mattingly is over 13k now also. Exactly why I stick with playing days Donnie’s. Modern is overwhelming and depressing to try to collect.
Yes, sticking with just his playing days cards would be an option and something that I might concentrate on for next year. But most of the ones I'm missing are sneaky hard to find and don't show up on eBay that often.
My opinion is to stick with playing days cards of his and maybe some non numbered topps cards that are produced in base sets like Ginter, stadium club, topps series 1,2, update with SP, SSP. Just my opinion, which you asked us viewers for. 😊 could you trade some of your 1 of 1s for rare/expensive Wade Boggs playing day cards? Like gold select certified that you don’t own? 🤷🏼♂️
Thanks Mike! Yeah, I think moving forward that will be my strategy - pick up some low-hanging fruit of his new cards and try to fill in some gaps of his playing-days cards. Most of the playing-days cards I'm missing though are sneaky hard to find. But that could be a fun challenge. I've been asked before if I'd ever sell or trade some of my 1/1s and I just can't do it. I was offered a select certified mirror gold for my metal universe gem masters 1/1 and I couldn't pull the trigger. Trading that 1/1 for a card out of 30 didn't make sense for me as there are other mirror golds out there, but just one gem master that I'd never be able to get back.
I am glad most my PC players I collect are not Super Stars and don't have many after playing years.
That certainly helps! 😃
As an Ozzie collector, I think you should concentrate on his playing years. You probably only need the high dollar playing years cards at this point, so spend the money on those few you need. I've always felt that the card companies are just creating new cards of retired players to fleece the middle-aged guys like us anyhow. Finish the playing years, trust me. It is worth the high cost on those last few.
Thanks! I have 88% of his playing days cards. I need about 274. Many of them are really hard to find so it definitely would be a challenge.
As a James Worthy collector, I've basically narrowed my focus to licensed cards with on-card autographs
#TheHobbyist
That's certainly a way to manage your player collection...quality over quantity.
Couldn’t agree with you more John! I’m probably doing even less than you at this point. I rarely ever pick up any Panini/Leaf cards. I’ve never liked the unlicensed look. I’m currently somewhere between 7-800 different Boggs cards and will probably never hit 1,000. Still a big, big fan. It’s just not practical.
Thanks Allen! It would be very hard to give up all together, so I'm just going to be selective in what I pick up moving forward...some cheap modern stuff and trying to fill in some gaps for his playing-days cards. You're building a great Boggs collection. With everything that is out there I'm sure you will be able to get to 1,000.
Dang I did not realize the amount of 1/1 cards for certain players exist. Part of me wants to become a player collector, and the players that I think of may not have hardly any one of ones haha.
Yeah it's crazy to think that of the 13,000 different Boggs cards that 25% of them are 1/1s! Selecting a player who may not have any or just a few 1/1s or low serial-numbered cards would definitely make collecting their cards much easier.
Deciding to not collect any of a player's post-career cards saves you so much headaches as far as trying to "keep up". Makes it a fixed total and helps give a lot of clarity on which cards to target once all the cheap stuff is off the table. That's been my strategy at least for the handful of players I collect.
That's a good strategy Ryan. I do like some of the new cards that have been made of Boggs, so I'll still pick up some of the low-hanging fruit. But many of his playing-days cards that I'm missing are sneaky hard to find and don't show up on eBay that often. But maybe I'll put more effort in searching for those than all of his new stuff.
I'm on the opposite end wishing my man aaron sele would get some post career cards made. 😂 But I hear you. If my player collection was falling further and further behind every year, I would rethink things.
Thanks Eric. Yeah, there are many players that don't have a lot of post playing-days cards. That certainly makes things easier. But choosing to collect a hall of famer was on me, so I'm partly to blame. LOL
Man, I knew there were a ton of cards being churned out in modern releases but I would not have guessed anywhere near the numbers you presented for a retired HOF player from the 1980s/90s. I honestly would have guessed maybe 10-20 new Boggs cards were being produced each year-and even that would feel like a little too much imo.
It’s hard to believe there’s even a true audience for these cards when you have a literal Wade Boggs super-collector being like “woah guys, that’s way too many” 🙅♂️😂
Yeah, it's definitely crazy. I do like the fact that card companies are including hall of famers in their new sets as it makes newer/younger collectors aware of those players and might get them interested in collecting their playing-days cards. But they also get included in all the parallels that they come up with. The last time Boggs had less than 100 cards of his made a year was 2009 through 2011. Since then it's just been going up and up.
Gave a video like. I would do the same thing. Low hanging fruit still fun and leaves hobby funds for other goals.
Thanks Brian! Yep, that's where I believe I'll be heading moving forward. Will still be fun, but less stressful (including on my hobby budget 😃).
100% agree with you. I PC a couple active low level pros and it's gotta knock my socks off to spend $ on it.
Thanks!
Yeah way too many cards on the market today. But I’m going to grab the chippers want
Thanks Adam. Yeah, moving forward I'm just going to be selective in what Boggs cards I pick up beyond the low-hanging fruit.
I think the one of ones they want you to chase them so they make more money it doesn't sound like anything great.
like that player from the Padres who has one card in the 1975 set graded a 10 or whatever the number is very few 10's.
the multi Mets player card 1970 that's worth having as you said very few 10's these cards are better than the Wade Boggs one of ones?
heres my opinion half the time you should buy Wade Boggs and half the time you should buy some older cards say 1971 as an example?
but yeah Wade Boggs and cards of the 70's? half the time each? just a suggestion.
Thanks Mark. I could see splitting my purchases 50/50 between Boggs and vintage, but I'd want to collect more than just 70s vintage cards. There are way too many 50s and 60s vintage cards that I'd like to someday own as well.
This trend will continue to get worse. Wade Boggs signs a lot of cards and it is cheaper for Topps and other companies to get him to sign than many of the current players. Panini is also making lots of sets of retired players now because of licensing issues. I am even having trouble with Rik Smits right now. Panini made him sign thousands of stickers and they put out multiple cards each year with him using the same image over and over and over.
That is true. Boggs does sign a lot. And I think he has some contract with Leaf, so those cards are going to continue for the foreseeable future. You also make a good point about licensing. Might be the only path available for them moving forward to focus on just hall of fame players. You mention Panini using the same image for Rik Smits over and over. That's another one of my minor pet peeves...Topps and the others just recycle the same old images of Boggs every time they make a new card of him. I guess they are too cheap to go out and pay for the rights to use a new photo.
I have a hair from wade boggs mustache authenticated by psa. I found it on the floor of a chili's bathroom after he came in for an awesome blossum in 1988
edit: Fall of 1988
Well, my good friend and largest Boggs collector has used shower shoes of Boggs from each of the 3 teams he played for. So the two of you could probably compare DNA samples. 😃
I'm a Ruth, Wagner, Cobb, Gehrig, Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax player collector. Have been since 1970. I don't need a checklist or a PSA register. I like other guys too but this is a good place to start. The variations today and stupid set names one after another are nauseating & hideous. All those 1000 Boggs cards a year and he's not even playing. What about the guys who are playing? they get 3K-5K cards a year. By all means. don't listen to me. Collect them all, LOLOLOLOLOLLOLO And most importantly, collect what you like, Another stupid statement. Maybe reassess what you DO & Should like and do that instead. 1 of 1 means that the 1 of 1 looking in the mirror is a SUCKER and Stooge PSA 10. try collecting these guys in decent eye appeal lower grades. This will keep you plenty busy, I promise. You will build a collection to be cherished. Not a trash pile that will be loaded in a 40 yarder and taken to the dump.
Full Disclosure: I no longer have 1 Boggsy card. 🤨😢You have a great Boggsy collection of Memorabilia and memories! Don't feed these aholes. I'm not giving Fanatics, Panini sandwiches or PSA 1 doll hair.
Love your replies Mike! LOL Yeah, sometimes you just have to take a step back and realize all the craziness that is going on and decide what is important and enjoyable for you to collect and ignore all the nonsense that is going on. Now, as for having a dumpster collection, I'm sure most of my Boggs cards would technically fit that definition. 😃 But I don't collect them for the value. My vintage cards on the other hand, I hope they at least hold their value over time.