For beginner set builders: Playoff or Prestige?

Reno McCoy · 01-27-2020, 09:21 AM

My 10-year-old son is interested in football cards, so I thought it'd be fun to bust a box or two. I haven't been into the hobby for over a decade, so I don't know as much as I used to.

Our goal is to find a brand that's somewhat easy to put together an entire set.

We chose Playoff and Prestige as options because these two have Stephon Gilmore cards. As far as I can tell, those are my only options (Absolute is a bit too pricey).

Anyone know how likely it is to put together set of Playoff or Prestige from one or two boxes?

Are these fun boxes to open with hits, or do you recommend another brand for a beginning collector?

SkolVikesCards · 01-27-2020, 09:44 AM

It would depend on which SKU you would be buying. If you’re buying playoff hobby, it will turn out very expensive. On the other hand, Prestige is retail only. If you’re buying retail (From Target or Walmart) then I would say that it’s about the same odds to build them. The best packs to buy to build the set would probably be the rack packs (cost about $5 each)

Hope this helps!

OneBuck · 01-27-2020, 09:59 AM

I don't know anything about this years Prestige because I avoided it at all costs. I had the bright idea of trying to put together the 2018 Prestige set & several of the rookies in that set were short prints. I don't even know how much I bought & never was able to pull a single one of the SPs. I ended up buying one or two from Ebay & never did get the rest. If 19 is the same set up I would avoid that one for set building.

SkolVikesCards · 01-27-2020, 10:11 AM

Forgot about the sps. There are 10 of them.

Here’s the link:

https://www.beckett.com/news/2019-pa...-short-prints/

Reno McCoy · 01-27-2020, 10:44 AM

Hmmm, I figured the Hobby box for Playoff would be the way to go. My memory of retail was that you'd avoid them like the plague.

Maybe I should find a box that has more bang for the buck and ease away from the set idea. I don't know if I want to break that bank on boxes just to secure more base cards when my son really only cares about his favorite players/teams.

Things have changed so much, it's hard to get an idea how best to spend the money.

OneBuck · 01-27-2020, 11:30 AM

I'm not sure if this is always the case, but I've had terrible luck trying to put together any Panini set in just a couple boxes. Whether it's been football or basketball I've yet to be able to complete a pack pulled set. I'll have 5 cards of half the set & still be 50-60 cards short of completing. I've had to buy singles to finish off every set I've started. I've had much better luck with Topps baseball. A lot of product 1 box nets you nearly the entire base set. I still have partial sets of 17 Optic, 18 Prestige, 18 Absolute, 18 Prizm that I never did finish. Same case with a few basketball sets. You're probably right to ease away from the set idea, you'll save yourself a lot of frustration.

majestik101 · 01-27-2020, 11:30 AM

Playoff hobby. It has a large checklist and lots of nifty inserts.

pazerbaijan · 01-27-2020, 04:14 PM

I agree that you should choose Playoff over Prestige. I don't know what the current Prestige set is like, but in previous years, rookies weren't in their NFL uniforms.

If you're worried about spending a ton on boxes to complete the base set, you can open a couple of boxes and then buy the rest of the base you need on COMC or Sportlots. Vet base shouldn't cost you more than 50 cents per card.

rodent14 · 01-27-2020, 04:57 PM

2019 Prestige has the rookies in NFL uniform. I'm currently working on completing this set, it has been fun but tracking down the SPs has been a struggle. If you do decide to go for Prestige I have tons of doubles to trade. Unfortunately the target mega boxes seem to be sold out, those were an amazing value at MSRP. The other formats not so much, though if you are just chasing the base set and not trying to hit any autos they are an okay break.

PrimeTimeScott · 01-28-2020, 08:26 AM

Perhaps it takes all of the fun out of set building, but if you buy a box or two and have fun opening it with your son, you can always buy the cards that you are missing (most likely all will be rookies at the end of the set). I have used Sportlots.com to fill out the remainder of sets, fill in team sets, and even start new player collections. They have common cards from a bunch of different dealers so you can select a card and then filter by that dealer to save on shipping. Again, I know it may take some of the fun out of it, but in the end, if you are missing a few cards for the set, it is a lot cheaper than buying another box to open.

crazy4kinsler · 01-28-2020, 08:35 AM

I know a couple guys that use SportsLots. But they say the shipping can get high because you're paying each in individual seller. You might also try COMC or possibly looking for these lots where you pick X amount of cards for X dollars on ebay. Those are also good options.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrimeTimeScott

Perhaps it takes all of the fun out of set building, but if you buy a box or two and have fun opening it with your son, you can always buy the cards that you are missing (most likely all will be rookies at the end of the set). I have used Sportlots.com to fill out the remainder of sets, fill in team sets, and even start new player collections. They have common cards from a bunch of different dealers so you can select a card and then filter by that dealer to save on shipping. Again, I know it may take some of the fun out of it, but in the end, if you are missing a few cards for the set, it is a lot cheaper than buying another box to open.

Reno McCoy · 01-28-2020, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrimeTimeScott

Perhaps it takes all of the fun out of set building, but if you buy a box or two and have fun opening it with your son, you can always buy the cards that you are missing (most likely all will be rookies at the end of the set). I have used Sportlots.com to fill out the remainder of sets, fill in team sets, and even start new player collections. They have common cards from a bunch of different dealers so you can select a card and then filter by that dealer to save on shipping. Again, I know it may take some of the fun out of it, but in the end, if you are missing a few cards for the set, it is a lot cheaper than buying another box to open.

I don't think that'd take the fun out of it at all. As long as we can get, say, 80% of a complete set before we go the eBay route, I think it could be fun. I certainly don't want to get into the habit of buying packs/boxes in the hope of finding those final 3-4 cards.

PrimeTimeScott · 01-28-2020, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazy4kinsler

I know a couple guys that use SportsLots. But they say the shipping can get high because you're paying each in individual seller. You might also try COMC or possibly looking for these lots where you pick X amount of cards for X dollars on ebay. Those are also good options.

I use Sportlots all the time, but you definitely have to be careful to select from one or two dealers to cut down on shipping costs! I like how you can see which are top dealers and which offer "loot" for future purchases. It definitely helps with set building.

taylor5877 · 01-28-2020, 06:16 PM

Donruss to me is the most fun "cheap" product to open. For an "investor" it's nickel and dime city though.

But of the 2 mentioned, I like the cards in prestige better, with hanger boxes (avoid blasters) being my favorite way to put it together. The SP's are crazy rare, but the dang xtra point cards of the same players are not short printed.

oplum29 · 01-29-2020, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taylor5877

Donruss to me is the most fun "cheap" product to open. For an "investor" it's nickel and dime city though.

But of the 2 mentioned, I like the cards in prestige better, with hanger boxes (avoid blasters) being my favorite way to put it together. The SP's are crazy rare, but the dang xtra point cards of the same players are not short printed.

i was going to say Donruss as well. Hobby boxes were like $60 at my LCS back in November.

don't know what the odds are of completing a full set are though

cardmole · 01-29-2020, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oplum29

i was going to say Donruss as well. Hobby boxes were like $60 at my LCS back in November.

don't know what the odds are of completing a full set are though

Agree with Donruss. Price point offers you a cheap break, lots of packs to rip with your son, a set possible to complete, and a shot at a really nice hit too!

Reno McCoy · 01-29-2020, 08:26 AM

I probably should've stuck with Donruss. There's still time. Now that we've busted some retail boxes/packs, we're getting to know what we like and what's more fun to open.

Turns out, we've busted enough Rookies and Stars, that we're already at about 80% of the base set. So I'll try to track down the rookies we're missing there.

Of course, I'm learning quickly that retail is not the way to go. It might be fun for a random evening of opening packs, but there's something disappointing about spending $100 over a few weeks and getting an insignificant mem card, knowing that the same money spent on hobby would've gotten us an auto or two as well.

01-27-2020, 09:21 AM	#1
Reno McCoy Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 109 bishop2knight	For beginner set builders: Playoff or Prestige? My 10-year-old son is interested in football cards, so I thought it'd be fun to bust a box or two. I haven't been into the hobby for over a decade, so I don't know as much as I used to. Our goal is to find a brand that's somewhat easy to put together an entire set. We chose Playoff and Prestige as options because these two have Stephon Gilmore cards. As far as I can tell, those are my only options (Absolute is a bit too pricey). Anyone know how likely it is to put together set of Playoff or Prestige from one or two boxes? Are these fun boxes to open with hits, or do you recommend another brand for a beginning collector?

01-27-2020, 09:44 AM	#2
SkolVikesCards Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,546 tamerms	It would depend on which SKU you would be buying. If you’re buying playoff hobby, it will turn out very expensive. On the other hand, Prestige is retail only. If you’re buying retail (From Target or Walmart) then I would say that it’s about the same odds to build them. The best packs to buy to build the set would probably be the rack packs (cost about $5 each) Hope this helps! __________________ Always selling on ebay! tamerms PC Everton & Iliman Ndiaye 2020 Prizm Draft Hockenson Rainbow 24/26 Need /10, 1/1

01-27-2020, 10:11 AM	#4
SkolVikesCards Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,546 tamerms	Forgot about the sps. There are 10 of them. Here’s the link: https://www.beckett.com/news/2019-pa...-short-prints/ __________________ Always selling on ebay! tamerms PC Everton & Iliman Ndiaye 2020 Prizm Draft Hockenson Rainbow 24/26 Need /10, 1/1

01-27-2020, 04:57 PM	#9
rodent14 Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 396 Rodent14	2019 Prestige has the rookies in NFL uniform. I'm currently working on completing this set, it has been fun but tracking down the SPs has been a struggle. If you do decide to go for Prestige I have tons of doubles to trade. Unfortunately the target mega boxes seem to be sold out, those were an amazing value at MSRP. The other formats not so much, though if you are just chasing the base set and not trying to hit any autos they are an okay break. __________________ Please feel free to check my feedback on SCF under the same username.

01-28-2020, 08:26 AM	#10
PrimeTimeScott Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,070	Perhaps it takes all of the fun out of set building, but if you buy a box or two and have fun opening it with your son, you can always buy the cards that you are missing (most likely all will be rookies at the end of the set). I have used Sportlots.com to fill out the remainder of sets, fill in team sets, and even start new player collections. They have common cards from a bunch of different dealers so you can select a card and then filter by that dealer to save on shipping. Again, I know it may take some of the fun out of it, but in the end, if you are missing a few cards for the set, it is a lot cheaper than buying another box to open. __________________ Collecting Eddie Royal cards http://www.hobbydisplay.com/PrimeTimeScott/collection/

01-27-2020, 09:59 AM	#3
OneBuck Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 882	I don't know anything about this years Prestige because I avoided it at all costs. I had the bright idea of trying to put together the 2018 Prestige set & several of the rookies in that set were short prints. I don't even know how much I bought & never was able to pull a single one of the SPs. I ended up buying one or two from Ebay & never did get the rest. If 19 is the same set up I would avoid that one for set building.

01-27-2020, 10:44 AM	#5
Reno McCoy Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 109 bishop2knight	Hmmm, I figured the Hobby box for Playoff would be the way to go. My memory of retail was that you'd avoid them like the plague. Maybe I should find a box that has more bang for the buck and ease away from the set idea. I don't know if I want to break that bank on boxes just to secure more base cards when my son really only cares about his favorite players/teams. Things have changed so much, it's hard to get an idea how best to spend the money.

01-27-2020, 11:30 AM	#6
OneBuck Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 882	I'm not sure if this is always the case, but I've had terrible luck trying to put together any Panini set in just a couple boxes. Whether it's been football or basketball I've yet to be able to complete a pack pulled set. I'll have 5 cards of half the set & still be 50-60 cards short of completing. I've had to buy singles to finish off every set I've started. I've had much better luck with Topps baseball. A lot of product 1 box nets you nearly the entire base set. I still have partial sets of 17 Optic, 18 Prestige, 18 Absolute, 18 Prizm that I never did finish. Same case with a few basketball sets. You're probably right to ease away from the set idea, you'll save yourself a lot of frustration.

01-27-2020, 11:30 AM	#7
majestik101 Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Socially Distanced Posts: 45,526 majestik101	Playoff hobby. It has a large checklist and lots of nifty inserts.

01-27-2020, 04:14 PM	#8
pazerbaijan Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 1,590 pazerbaijan	I agree that you should choose Playoff over Prestige. I don't know what the current Prestige set is like, but in previous years, rookies weren't in their NFL uniforms. If you're worried about spending a ton on boxes to complete the base set, you can open a couple of boxes and then buy the rest of the base you need on COMC or Sportlots. Vet base shouldn't cost you more than 50 cents per card.

01-28-2020, 06:16 PM	#14
taylor5877 Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 263	Donruss to me is the most fun "cheap" product to open. For an "investor" it's nickel and dime city though. But of the 2 mentioned, I like the cards in prestige better, with hanger boxes (avoid blasters) being my favorite way to put it together. The SP's are crazy rare, but the dang xtra point cards of the same players are not short printed.

01-29-2020, 08:26 AM	#17
Reno McCoy Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 109 bishop2knight	I probably should've stuck with Donruss. There's still time. Now that we've busted some retail boxes/packs, we're getting to know what we like and what's more fun to open. Turns out, we've busted enough Rookies and Stars, that we're already at about 80% of the base set. So I'll try to track down the rookies we're missing there. Of course, I'm learning quickly that retail is not the way to go. It might be fun for a random evening of opening packs, but there's something disappointing about spending $100 over a few weeks and getting an insignificant mem card, knowing that the same money spent on hobby would've gotten us an auto or two as well.