Who here as prospected for over ten years?

[rainmanesq]

Count me as 1 of the prospecting geezers. Oh, the 80s were a glorious time…gum + cards were “just cards”- no superxredfuractors…just cards. Then the 90s +, well, let’s just say, I had an unhealthy hoarding addiction to juan gonzo + some other “guys who are just about to hit it big.” Then “life” (college/law school/etc.) happened + I didn’t have much time for cards, but then, IT arrived…2002 BCDP…omg, look @ that bling bling shiny refractors #/300, xfuhractors that speak to you, etc. Nevermind that I thought some dude named pujols had an overpriced 01 BC auto for a few $100 LOL oh that kills me. Since then, I’ve been a chromeaholic. There have been some missteps (chris freaking lubanski, scott olsen, gaby Hernandez blah), but all in all, I still find prospecting fun + profitable…though I have to admit, I long for the days where 20 ct 2002 bcdp lots were fetching $$$$$$$. Now, unless you’re a red or supahfractor, no one loves you as much

 

[theplasticman]

Since 1989.

 

[brouthercard]

Prospecting really originated in 1989 with the reintroduction of the Bowman brand. Before that, prospecting was really limited to minor league team sets and the assorted prospect cards that Topps put out in their products.

It's hard to call the hoarding of the mid-to-late-1980s as "prospecting" because most players who appeared on cards had some major league experience. Look no further than the early Topps Traded and Fleer Update sets and who could forget the "loaded" 1987 Topps, Fleer and Donruss offerings.

Back then, guys were dealing 100-ct "bricks" of Will Clark, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Ruben Sierra and the like.

Boy was that fun!

What is the definition of "prospecting?" Does the player have to be in the minor leagues at the time?

What do you call puchasing cards of guys who have been in the majors less than 10 games, and continue to play in the minors over the next two years?

Can you still "prospect" josh reddick?

Is it illegal to prospect Yu Darvish?

Why can't I invest in Jason Heyward, but not "prospect" him?

Sorry, i'm just not familiar with the terminology. I thought prospecting existed prior to 1989....

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Gambling on a player's potential to make a profit.

The more that player's potential is realized or reduced in the MLB, the less a prospect that player becomes.

What is the definition of "prospecting?"

 

[ThoseBackPages]

i "prospected" hockey 15 years ago, does that count? lol


Made a KILLING on these:

Brian Boucher 95/6 Score Select
Sergei Samsonov 94/5 SP
Victor Kozlov 92/3 UD
Paul Kariya 91/2 UD Czeck and 92/3 UD
Peter Forsberg 91/2 UD

easly turned over 500% profit on the above guys.
Timing was everything. the interent as a whole was
pretty "new" in 1995/6, message boards ruled!

 

[brianga26]

I still have about 400-500 1988 Donruss Gregg Jefferies. Dude is going to be huge.


dude.. I remember the first time I saw the 89 Future Stars card of Jefferies.. I was at church, I have never lusted after a card so badly (of course I was in 9th grade, and it may have been the hot girl in front of me).
ahh the simple times.. I miss them...

 

[Sean_C]

First big "prospecting" run for me was Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens. I know I'm not alone on that pain train...

 

[leatherman]

First big "prospecting" run for me was Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens. I know I'm not alone on that pain train...

If you remember, those 1989 Donruss cards came in color runs. The tops of the cards would bleed from one color to another, from green to yellow, yellow to orange, orange to red, etc.

Each pack would have a purple card each 7th or 8th card. Ken Griffey Jr was a purple card. So was Bam Bam. I can't tell you how many times I thought I pulled a Griffey only to see Hensley's mug.

d

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Perhaps the first?

 

[AmishDave]

Bubba Trammell, Doug Million, Bob Abreu, Mike Cameron, Nigel Wilson, Ben Grieve, Alex Cabrera, Phil Hiatt, Pat Listach, Juan Gonzalez, Cliff Floyd, Marc Newfield, Brien Taylor, Todd Van Poppel, Sam Militello & David Nied are a few of the fellow's I use to follow hardcore ...

 

[PeteD]

I started with 1984 Fleer and Topps Traded Juan Samuels. Then moved on to 1989 Ricky Jordans and 1991 Wes Chamberlains.

Despite these monumental failures, I still kept going.

I started the next yr with 1985 OPC. Gooden, Clemens and Puckett were top dogs. Of course I never pursued '84 Fleer Traded 'cause there was no Ebay, FCB...computers period :lol:

 

[carlitoson]

Perhaps the first?

Perhaps, but everyone knew who Joe Charbonaeu was by the time those cards came out.

 

[bballcardkid]

Baseball no. Basketball, depends on if that sport counts or not.

 

[G $MONEY$]

i "prospected" hockey 15 years ago, does that count? lol


Made a KILLING on these:

Brian Boucher 95/6 Score Select
Sergei Samsonov 94/5 SP
Victor Kozlov 92/3 UD
Paul Kariya 91/2 UD Czeck and 92/3 UD
Peter Forsberg 91/2 UD

easly turned over 500% profit on the above guys.
Timing was everything. the interent as a whole was
pretty "new" in 1995/6, message boards ruled!

NICE!!!! I used to Prospect Hockey rookies back in 1989-94. Did fairly well with a number of players. The ones i remember making the most off of was Cliff Ronning 89/90 O-Pee-Chee RCs and Felix Potvin Upper Deck World Juniors RC. The Potvin's i remember buying in a bulk deal (50 or more) for about $2 each (from mail order, maybe from Martin sports). I ended up selling many for $25 a pop when he took off, but of course back then you had to sell the old fashion way, at a card show or the flea market.

 

[Mudcatsfan]

About to show the age
I started collecting in 1986! Back then sets came out in the beginning of the year and only had rookie cards of players who played in the MLB (with the exception of Donruss Rated Rookies and Fleer Dual Prospects). At the end of the year was the greatest time : Donruss "The Rookies", Fleer "Update" and Topps "Traded" were released right around the holidays and were full of "prospects". In '86 when I first started I was trying to fill 9 pocket pages with all these young up and comers like Bo Jackson, Will Clark, Pete Incaviglia, Wally Joyner, Billy Jo Robidoux, Danny Tartabull, Kurt Stillwell, Franklin Stubbs, etc. After doing my first couple of shows in 1997, and flipping these, I started to get into 100 ct lots of BJ Surhoff, Cory Snyder, Kevin Elster, etc, saving them and selling them during the off season or during spring training.

It was fun and the prospect game grew in 1988 when Topps included Olympic cards in Topps Traded, Score came onto the scene and had a Prospect subset highlighted by the biggest and most sought after player GREGG JEFFERIES.

Prospecting wasn't so much the science and analyzing that it is now, but it was fun and a similar investing process. And if anyone needs 100 ct lots of Tim Pyrzinski, Sil Campusano, or Chris James send me a pm ::facepalm::

thanks
ryan

I'm a class of 86'r too!

It was an epic year. Canseco had driven packs of donruss to UNHEARD of levels. (more than 75 cents)

Sportsflics were the rage in my neighborhood.

And then the Rookie / Traded sets came out and 1986 topps traded was AMAZING. Missing out on Canseco in the regular set allowed them to have Canseco, Clark, Joyner, Bo Jackson, Bobby Bonilla, Barry Bonds (don't actually remember caring about him at the time).

WOOO what a year.

 

[Mudcatsfan]

Perhaps the first?

I actually picked up an autographed copy of that Topps for like a buck

 

[Mudcatsfan]

Some day these two might be a big deal

Some day these two will be easy hall of famers

Some day these two will sign for 500 thousand a year, or not be able to find a job because they're broken down old men.

 

[carrsallstars]

This is one of my early prospecting success stories from buying large lots of Kevin Reimer RC's (who's the other guy on the card?)

Anybody want a couple hundred 1992 Topps Scott Stahoviak? ::facepalm::

 

[kentuckyderby]

Does my 72 1972 Carlton Fisk RCs mean I was prospecting for over 35 years?

 

[kentuckyderby]

I hoarded every Olympic card I could get back in 85

I was pumped to find Oddibe McDowelll and Cory Snyder
Oh, that McGwire kid out of USC turned out to be decent guy to prospect