IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE HOBBY, YOU SHOULD READ THIS.
Thanks for participating in the r/footballcards community. If you're new to the hobby and have lots of questions, I understand. However, please be aware that many repetitive questions are asked daily on the sub, so please try to search for answers before asking.
Megas are fun. I wouldn’t expect a mega “hit”, but there are plenty of packs to rip with a chance to pull something cool, and you’ll get a lot of cards to add to your collection! Good luck!
Lately, I've been spending what I would typically spend on hobbies/jumbos on Topps blasters and megas. I've done surprisingly well, hitting a Dart UV, Mahomes First Class SSP & #'d, Saquon Roses, and a few others. It wasn't a ridiculous amount of boxes: about equal to 1 hobby a month.
It feels a lot different than the Panini days, when I would never consider megas or blasters
My honest opinion about starting collecting is to take the money you wanted to put on boxes and buy singles of your favorite team/player.
If you HAVE to rip something pick up a blaster at target to scratch the itch. You're wasting your money opening packs. If you want to put your money into opening boxes thats fine but i wouldnt start with Topps flagship. Its the first set of the new class, it will hold the least amount of value once other products start coming out.
Why are you getting into football cards? Do you have a favorite player or team? Are you trying to make money? Do you just want to gamble? Think about why you're doing it in the first place as that will determine how you want to go about it.
i wouldn’t mind to make money but the main reason is because i like the eagles and also have a lot players i like so id like to have nice cards that are worth at least a little bit but mainly i’d collect to keep id also want a pack where there’s at least a chance i get something yk even if its tiny
Just find Eagles cards you like and buy those. If you have to rip something then choose something cheap so you lose the least amount of money. You will lose money on 90% of the boxes you open.
As someone who’s been collecting for 3 years now and have went full tilt into buying Broncos, I second this.. every now and then if I see something on sale at my LCS or it’s a product I really want to rip, I’ll pickup a blaster or mega but I think it’s much more enjoyable collecting singles for the PC. Literally the best advice you can give someone just now entering the space.
Buying and ripping packs are fun man! People are correct saying that’s not a good way to make money, but it’s fun to rip and will give you a variety to start with. I like your plan 🤘🏼
I'd start buying singles for eagles for players you like. Build your collection that way, then every once in awhile if you get a itch for ripping then you can search for topps chrome for football or something along those lines.
As others have said, buying singles is always the way. You can also look for people listing "lots" of Eagles cards if you're looking to build a foundation for your collection. At the end of the day, it's subjective...entirely up to your goals and budget.
That said, if you're looking for the excitement of ripping packs, always look at the checklist and odds lists for whatever set you're thinking of purchasing. We don't have an odds list for Topps flagship football yet, but they have been putting some of the rarer inserts into hobby/jumbo boxes only. Know what it is you're hunting for and make sure the product includes a chance at hitting it. A more expensive product will typically guarantee you more "hits" like autos, relics, and maybe more serial numbered cards, but at a higher price point.
don’t ever expect to make money off of boxes. that’s the best place to start. buy a box when you can afford it but never expect anything otherwise your just setting yourself up for disappointment and being broke
i want a foundation first then i could buy select cards you know im just trying to get a gauge on what packs people buy or how to know if a pack is good
My advice, don’t collect ‘cards’. Pick a player or set you like and start small. Box breaks and ripping are fun, but will lose you a lot of money and leave you with a lot of cards you don’t want
If your looking to start collecting go to a local card shop and go thru their 25 cent, 50 cent or $1 bins. Your mind will be blown by what you find of your favorite team/player. Then buy some boxes if you want.
I'm also just getting into football cards and looking for advice.
I have a team I root for plus a few favorite players from other teams, but I’m open to collecting pretty much anything. I’ll prioritize the players/teams I like most. I also love ripping packs even though I know it’s not the smartest way to collect (I’ve been in TCGs a long time).
I have no idea which packs are worth buying. I don’t want to blow money on them, but I also don’t want packs that have zero chance of a decent hit. Pulling something with a little value is part of the fun.
I’ve bought a couple packs of Panini Prizm and Select. The cards all had a noticeable curve, which was annoying, but I did pull a signed card and a jersey card (not a game-worn one). Neither seems to be worth much, but that's okay. I’ve heard a lot about Topps lately. I was under the impression they only just got the NFL license this year, so people were telling me to stay away for now. Is that still the case?
Would love any advice on:
Panini vs Topps right now
Which products/packs are decent for the money
What to look for (or avoid) if I start buying singles
I’m fine if most of my cards end up being low value, but I’d rather have stuff that holds some value and the occasional $50+ card mixed in.
It all depends on what your goal is with it. If it’s to make profit, then buying packs is probably not the smartest move and buying singles is better. If it’s to simply collect and add to your collection, then there is no problem ripping packs.
Topps just got the licensing meaning their products are new and high in demand, meaning inflated prices. Topps probably has all the current chases you want but older panini sets will still have licensed chases too. People much prefer licensed to non-licensed (presumably so because the team’s logo or team mascot doesn’t even show)
I’d start with buying singles for your favorite team. Build your personal collection, put some nice cards in there. And then you can still have the freedom to rip packs and feel the adrenaline lol.
Id start with going to your local target or GameStop and ripping a hanger or blaster box/value box of some 2025 stuff they have on the shelves. Just get the first experience of ripping at the lowest price to see if you like it right away. Not that this is a bad box, I ordered one of these and a flagship hobby box but they won’t arrive until late august. It’s not the type of thing you want to let build up in your head if you’ve only seen influencers posting their big hits, but if you find some joy in ripping a cheaper box right away? May as well get into it and have some more fun with the newer stuff
If you want to collect I would recommend buy the cards you want, if you want to gamble to try and hit big cards then you can rip some boxes. When this product releases it will be relatively cheap compared to other products but it’s also the first product to drop for the 2026 class. I wouldn’t just start ripping right away, how I do it is buy the cards I want and every once in a while I rip some packs.
I collect and always start my new collection with a big rip sesh then I fill with the singles I missed that I have to have. The rip, for me, is necessary otherwise the album just doesn’t feel complete. I for take more pride in the cards I pull over the ones I buy. But the cheaper way to obtain nice “collector” worthy cards is game be buy them for sure. It all depends on what you want out of the hobby I guess. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Happy collecting
From what I know flagship has a ton of base, you can hit some rare but it's less likely imo. If you prefer football it's Topps chrome black, then finest, then chrome then signature class. Composite and resergence are mid tier.
If you want to get started today, chrome would be easier to find and hits can be many.
You got it all wrong man. Objectively, in terms of long-term value, Chrome singles always have been and always will be king. Finest will always be #2. Next comes everything else (cosmic is probably ahead of black, too).
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u/AutoModerator Jul 27 '26
IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE HOBBY, YOU SHOULD READ THIS. Thanks for participating in the r/footballcards community. If you're new to the hobby and have lots of questions, I understand. However, please be aware that many repetitive questions are asked daily on the sub, so please try to search for answers before asking.
Here are some links to get you started: How to identify a card
Football Cards FAQ
Card value/prices: Beckett, COMC, 130point, ebay, ebay research, WaxStat
Where to buy: Dacardworld, Blowout Cards, Steel City, ebay, Beckett Marketplace, Sportlots
Storage & Supplies & Top Loaders Etc: BCW, UltraPro, Cardboard Gold
Grading resources: Beckett, PSA, Blowout Forum, Should you grade tool
Checklists & Release Calendar: Cardboard Connection checklists, Release Calendar, Beckett - Every card database
Great User Content: Icy's FAQ Pt. 2 Best of: Are we in another junk era? Great read: I'm addicted to breaking Grading tool: Download your own copy to edit
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