What are your best hobby tricks and tips?

[hive17]

I thought this might make a useful thread. The things I'm talking about are small [ugh, I only say this so you'll understand exactly what I mean] "hobby-hacks".

For example, I don't know if everyone knows that if you are trying to figure out what the SP/SSP's are in a Topps product, you can look at the serial number on the back of the card, at the end of all the legal small-print. The standard base cards have the same serial number, but the SP's have a different number. If I currently had an SP to scan, I could show you exactly what I mean.

OK, someone else go. Also, if someone has the direct link to Pay Pal shipping, you could post it here.

 

[ChasHawk]

Don't know if it's because I used it before, but the link to PayPal multi order shipping is on my account summary page at all times.

 

[rsmath]

I use a sorting method when I finish building a set and get ready to store it in number order that was taught to me in a past thread here on FCB. If done right, the cards fall right into number order with fewer steps involved than how I used to do things.

for what I do as a set collector, it's the most valuable tip/trick I've never gotten from FCB!

Try using the search box for "sorting method" for the past thread (or I may look it up if I get more time and add it to this post later).

EDIT: Post #19 in this thread:

http://www.freedomcardboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128080&page=2&highlight=sorting+method

 

[Crewfan82]

Nothing that most of us don't already know, but invest in a cheap digital mail scale, and always ship using PayPal. This goes for everything, not just cards. You will save a ton of time and money taking advantage of the ease of use and shipping discounts.

https://ship.paypal.com/powership/powership.html

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Best Hobby Tip?

Wait it out on modern stuff, the price drops. The longer you can wait, the better off you'll be.

 

[BunchOBull]

Ziplock bags are made of PVC-free plastics that are actually as archival safe as a penny sleeve and come in a wide variety of storage sizes...great for protecting oddball items.

 

[Gwynn545]

1993 Topps Finest the refractor was always in the 2nd pack from the bottom, upper right stack.

 

[MansGame]

1993 Topps Finest the refractor was always in the 2nd pack from the bottom, upper right stack.

No way haha, that's awesome.


---
Buying Albert Belle cards! PM me!

 

[DeliciousBacon]

I thought this might make a useful thread. The things I'm talking about are small [ugh, I only say this so you'll understand exactly what I mean] "hobby-hacks".

For example, I don't know if everyone knows that if you are trying to figure out what the SP/SSP's are in a Topps product, you can look at the serial number on the back of the card, at the end of all the legal small-print. The standard base cards have the same serial number, but the SP's have a different number. If I currently had an SP to scan, I could show you exactly what I mean.

OK, someone else go. Also, if someone has the direct link to Pay Pal shipping, you could post it here.

This isn't 100% true, unfortunately. I pulled a David Ortiz SP #475 from 2014 Topps, and it has the same code as the base cards (CMP007287). Similar thing happened with a 2012 Heritage Color Swap variation I pulled (think it was Joey Votto); code was the same so I nearly missed it.

 

[SINFULONE]

1993 Topps Finest the refractor was always in the 2nd pack from the bottom, upper right stack.

Nice.Ripped some '04 UD SP boxes and the autograph was always in the upper left (I think) pack on the very bottom.

 

[SINFULONE]

Nothing that most of us don't already know, but invest in a cheap digital mail scale, and always ship using PayPal. This goes for everything, not just cards. You will save a ton of time and money taking advantage of the ease of use and shipping discounts.

https://ship.paypal.com/powership/powership.html

What's the cheapest scale made?Which do you have?

 

[hive17]

What's the cheapest scale made?Which do you have?

If you shop around, don't forget to price-check food scales. My wife bought a food scale for some reason and it was real cheap. She stopped using it, and it works great for weighing most hobby-related packages. Also, since diets end quickly, I bet there are more and less-used ones on eBay.

 

[byronscott4ever]

Amazon has new digital scales cheap too. I learned that during Pinewood Derby and of course the guy made a joke about who else uses them.

 

[SINFULONE]

If you shop around, don't forget to price-check food scales. My wife bought a food scale for some reason and it was real cheap. She stopped using it, and it works great for weighing most hobby-related packages. Also, since diets end quickly, I bet there are more and less-used ones on eBay.

Good post.Would not have thought that.Since USPS is close where I live, I had been
walking over and having them weigh it.

 

[Crewfan82]

Good post.Would not have thought that.Since USPS is close where I live, I had been
walking over and having them weigh it.

I got mine on eBay a while back for about 15 bucks. Weighs by grams or lbs and oz. Perfect for shipping. I think it can handle up to 25 lbs.

 

[matfanofold]

Buy low, sell high. I know, I know, you can thank me later...


Seriously though, I have none.

 

[tonsofcommons]

Yeah, definitely go to the food section for a scale. Went to the postage section at wal-mart... $15. Kitchen scale- $8.

 

[SINFULONE]

Yeah, definitely go to the food section for a scale. Went to the postage section at wal-mart... $15. Kitchen scale- $8.

Heh, I just went to my grocery store today to weigh an envelope on one of their scales.

 

[gt2590]

Some people have speculated that the numbers on the product Holograms on the shrink wrap around boxes mean something.

Topps has big hits in the boxes with a Number ending in 0 or 5 and UD does the same with boxes ending 23 or 99.

From what I've seen, I don't think it's legit, but the rumor stays out there...

 

[smapdi]

If you're in a card shop, and there is one pack left in a box, don't buy it. If there are 2 left, buy them both.

Exercise patience. You'd be amazed how much money you save if you wait a decade or so before buying.

Related to that, my personal theory as to card availability (Smapdi's Law): For cards numbers serial-numbered between 10 and 50, between 10 and 20 percent will appear on ebay within 30 days of release, and another 10-20% between 30 and 90 days. While this is a fairly wide range of as little as 2 cards and as many as 20, it has been very consistent for me, as a guy who likes to build low-print-run sets. So if you're going after a #/50 card, you don't have to be crazy and try to win every card when a new set comes out. For #/10s, you might as well. Any set with any demand is going to have more than one person bidding on them, and #/10s are obviously tougher than #/50. But sometimes you see 3 or 4 copies, especially if it's a high-profile guy, and if the first copy sold for a steal-priced BIN that someone tries to flip.

Ebay search tricks. They don't have the wildcard anymore, and this is surely common knowledge, but you can search for multiple things using () to group them, like "Mike Trout (gold,50) (ref,refr,refractor,reflector,super,superfractor)" to find any cards that might reasonably be listed as a gold refractor, though you'll also find a fair number that aren't. You can add "minus" to exclude some terms, like -(blue,red,green) to exclude blue, red, or green refs that might show up because people are psychos. Also, ebay will usually include plurals of some words automatically, but it's best to include them as well like (refractor,refractors) or (rc,rcs,rookie,rookies). And search from the All Categories level, because searching on a 5th-level sub-category is bound to exclude something. And sometimes you do find a good baseball card listed in the football cards, or even the kitchen supplies category, for a steal.

You can find what Best Offer was accepted in a number of ways. My prefered way is, on an iOS device, search for something that would pull up the card in question. As long as your target isn't the first card listed in the results, it will show the BO price. Once you click on the actual item, or if it is the first item in the results, it'll go back to the listed, crossed-out price.