I was WAY off...post 1980 cards are sought after!

[Exhibitman]

The modern stuff, with very few exceptions, is stuff you can just have fun with and not worry about 'investment'. I will be busting a couple of boxes of 1997 Topps Stadium Club shortly. Just a set I really liked the look of back in the day. Unless I hit a major insert it is just plain cheap amusement.

[Tripredacus]

Cards from early to mid 2000s have a higher value due to the fact that there were so many product options at the time. This meant that a shop would be buying more variety. This resulted in perhaps only 1 box being available in any area, or some sets not ever showing up. There are still sets from the 2000s (and even late 90s where this problem began) that I've never seen cards of, or sets that I have seen or own cards of but have never seen boxes. This was also the time when retail exclusives had showed up on the scene, either whole releases or variant releases that would only be at department stores.

The result ended up that inserts for set from those years can be worth quite a bit. Some inserts or parallels are rare enough that they do not show up on ebay often.

Take this example. There is no listing on Ebay in active or sold for a box of 2003 Upper Deck 40 Man.

[Exhibitman]

That's true. The thing that has been one of the biggest turn-offs for me as a collector has been the myriad store exclusives. Though I had fun last year running around Walgreens and grabbing boxes of 2019 Topps Update with the yellow bordered cards. That plus the SP and SSP variations. One thing it does to is make you look at every card carefully.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

That's true. The thing that has been one of the biggest turn-offs for me as a collector has been the myriad store exclusives. Though I had fun last year running around Walgreens and grabbing boxes of 2019 Topps Update with the yellow bordered cards. That plus the SP and SSP variations. One thing it does to is make you look at every card carefully.

Strangely enough, I have delved back into modern lately. Specifically, i am enjoying piecing together the yellow Update set. All in all, it is relatively inexpensive fun. It also helps me stay better connected to the game.

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[RayBShotz]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

The modern stuff, with very few exceptions, is stuff you can just have fun with and not worry about 'investment'. I will be busting a couple of boxes of 1997 Topps Stadium Club shortly. Just a set I really liked the look of back in the day. Unless I hit a major insert it is just plain cheap amusement.

Specifically what draws you to the 97' set?
Holy Grails anywhere in that box?

[Exhibitman]

I really like the look of the set, that's all. There are a few $10 or so hits among the inserts, and a few autographed hits, with the Jeter-Pettite dual signed card as a mega hit.