Collecting on a Budget: Get The Most Kaboom for Your Buck

By Wes Cooke

Collecting trading cards has always been a hobby of passion, but in today’s market, passion alone won’t fill your binders. If you’re like me (and many collectors out there), trying to build your collection on a budget has become increasingly difficult.

It’s not that the final few cards in your set are impossible to find, they’re just hard to afford. And while collecting on a budget is possible, it brings a unique set of challenges: 

• Rising prices

• Limited availability

• Market volatility

• An overwhelming number of options in the market

If you’ve been in the hobby long enough, you can feel the tremors of a “junk wax 2.0” era approaching. With mass production ramping up and Panini soon losing its license to Fanatics, it feels more like a money grab these days than an effort to preserve the integrity of the hobby. But that’s a topic for another article. For now, let’s focus on the obstacles we face as budget-conscious collectors:

As a football-focused collector, I’ve watched the market explode, especially in the post-COVID boom. Increased demand and hype-driven speculation have driven prices higher than ever.

Here’s an example that hits close to home: If you’re a casual collector living in Duval and want to grab a nice, licensed Travis Hunter card upon release? Be prepared to pay more for that unproven rookie than for a Super Bowl-winning veteran at the same position.

Card prices often mirror NFL contract structures these days. It’s about potential, not performance. And that speculative element continues to drive the market up, making it harder for collectors on a budget to stay competitive.

Demand also impacts availability. Popular sets and hobby boxes can sell out within hours of release. Once out of retail circulation, they flood the secondary market, often at prices well beyond MSRP.

This forces budget collectors into a tough position: either hunt relentlessly for deals, wait for the market to cool, or pay inflated resale prices. For those of us trying to balance a love of the hobby with financial responsibility, this is one of the toughest realities of today’s collecting landscape.

Despite all this, collecting on a budget is still very much possible, but it requires patience, strategy, and sometimes a bit of creativity. Let’s hit a few strategies that can help.

1. Set a Clear Budget and Stick to It 

Determine a monthly or annual budget for your card purchases. This discipline helps prevent overspending and encourages more thoughtful acquisitions. Personally, if I only sell $200 worth of cards any given week, I am only spending $100 the next. If you save a percentage of your gains, the losses sting less. The other percentage will add up quickly too, and afford you that PC piece at the end of the month outright, ensuring you are always growing your collection.

2. Focus on Specific Players, Teams, or Sets

Narrowing your focus allows you to concentrate your resources on items that truly interest you, making your collection more cohesive and personally meaningful. For example, you could enter PYT (pick your team) breaks and get only cards from your favorite team at a potential discount.

3. Buy Singles Instead of Packs

Purchasing individual cards, especially of players or teams you like, can be more cost-effective than buying packs, which likely contain unwanted cards. This approach reduces the gamble associated with opening packs. You may not always be on the lowest end of comps, but you will always be “hitting,” making this my go-to tactic for building my collection.

4. Explore Secondary Markets

Online marketplaces like eBay, Facebook groups, and local card shops often have deals on singles or lots. These platforms can offer competitive prices, especially if you're patient and diligent in your search.

5. Trade with Other Collectors

Engaging in trades allows you to acquire desired cards without spending money. Participate in online forums or local trading events to connect with fellow collectors. Veriswap is a great safeguard to ensure trades go smoothly.

6. Buy During the Off-Season

Card prices often dip during a sport's off-season. This period can be an opportune time to purchase cards at lower prices before demand increases again. Second to buying singles, this is where the magic happens for budget-conscious collectors.

7. Consider Lower-Grade or Ungraded Cards

Cards in less-than-mint condition or ungraded cards can be significantly cheaper while still holding personal or investment value. Assess the condition of ungraded cards carefully before purchasing.

8. Avoid FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Stay informed but cautious about hype-driven trends. Making purchases based on sudden spikes in popularity can lead to overpaying for cards that may not retain their value.

Buy/Sell Targets

This doesn’t constitute investment advice; it's more a window into my overall strategy and how I view the market, intended for entertainment purposes.

✔ Chet Holmgren 🏀 - People were getting worried the Thunder might actually blow the Finals, and his prices dropped. HOWEVER, I think he’s a mega-talent that sacrifices a ton of stats. In the playoffs, he’s at 16 PPG, 9 RPG, and 2 BPG in under 30 min. So, I think you could buy him now, and maybe he goes up soon, but I also think he’s got tremendous long-term potential. Prizm PSA 10 has actually dropped a bit despite the Thunder’s great season:

✔ Jalen Brunson 🏀 - Collectors are fickle, and that’s what we’re seeing here. His pricing really climbed after it looked like they were getting past the Celtics, but then fell off a cliff afterwards. I think that’s a gut reaction, and the pricing will reverse course. The Knicks still have a tremendous team, and a better coach can have them playing incredible again. His Silver Prizm PSA 9 peaked around $80 and now sits at $50 just a few weeks later.

✔ Brock Purdy 🏈 - I’m basing this on two things. First: the 49ers have an absurdly easy schedule! It’s the easiest in the entire NFL! They have the best odds to win the NFC West despite finishing last a season ago. Second thing: Purdy’s pricing is way down. Here’s his Index on CardLadder:

❌ Jac Caglianone ⚾ - Obviously, he’s got the skills to be great, but it’s a gamble to hold on from here. Right now, his Bowman Chrome 1st Refractor PSA 10 is selling for $260+. Ronald Acuna Jr.’s is selling for less than $60. Is he going to be better than Acuna Jr.? And if he is, how long will that take?

Quick Hits

News From Around the Hobby

+ LeBron/Kobe Logoman Sells for $1.1 Million - “It's graded a pedestrian 6.5 (auto 9), with it being a thick card and 17 years old it could be expected to have enough wear and tear on it warrant that grade.” I wonder if a higher grade would’ve pushed the final price higher. I’m guessing no because it’s already the only one in existence.

+ Insert Pun Here - “From old designs that were revived to fresh ideas that spawned a number of spinoffs, here are five inserts that have defined the era.” I think the top 4 are set in stone, but I’d argue that All Aces could make a run at the fifth spot with some more longevity.

+ No Longer a Meme - “So far, over one million cards—TCG and sports—have been submitted through GameStop’s brick-and-mortar locations.”

+ Night Night Curry Auto - “And one lucky collector pulled a one-of-a-kind autographed gold parallel, serial numbered 1/1.” This is the Topps Now card that featured Steph’s “Night Night” celebration after his barrage of threes secured the gold medal for the U.S. One of the nearly 90k people who ordered one got a 1/1 auto. $518,500 isn’t a bad return on a $12 order 😲

How to Flip Sports Cards: Aligning Passion, Risk & Budget

There’s money to be made, if you know what you’re doing. However, flipping sports cards is just like anything out there with profit—you can’t just jump in and hope to get rich week 1.

There are so many different ways to make money with flipping sports cards. Do you want to rip boxes? Buy and sell singles? Long-term? Short-term? [CONTINUE READING]

Forwarded? Subscribe here to get the next one!

Some recommended products in this newsletter are affiliate links. If you purchase, I may earn a small commission. Every recommended product is something I’ve used and would personally recommend to a friend.

The content in this newsletter is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be actual financial or investment advice.