Fast Five: Areas of collecting perhaps overlooked by many

Fast Five is a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's perhaps something to ponder.

This time? Five areas of collecting perhaps overlooked by many.

VINTAGE-ERA PLAYER GAME-USED MEMORABILIA CARDS
With some card companies moving toward player-worn memorabilia cards for living legends along with the prospects a little more than in the past, I think game-used memorabilia cards of Hall of Famers and other notables from vintage years (for this argument I'd go pre-1990s players, but even moreso 1970s and before) seem like a safer buy with finds for all budget types. Some brands -- National Treasures, Prime Cuts, Classics, Museum Collection, Flawless and Immaculate Collection for example -- seem to ride older players' presences a little harder than others and you can find some gems. NT baseball for Hall of Famers, for example, is a prime spot for solid cards with bats a little easier than jerseys. For cheaper finds of players with fewer cards and still some nice possibilities, I'd suggest looking in this same realm at NFL and NBA sets ... some of those players simply may not have cards made in the future as the game-used items just aren't easy finds compared to baseball. (A glance at major auction house catalogs show that, too -- it can be nearly all MLB with other sports a seeming afterthought ... and that's where card companies often do their shopping.) Skepticism about origins of swatches have softened markets at times, but you'd be surprised what you can find out there under $100 ... heck even under $50 if shipping with a focus. Who should you pick up? Pick up who you like or who seems to be a good buy.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

NON-SPORT CELEBRITY INK 
The Pop Century and Americana lines haven't been around that long in the big picture for cardboard, but you'd be surprised who has appeared on certified autograph cards in one or two releases -- and then ultimately never sign again -- in those brands. There are so many names possible out there for you to collect in any number of ways ... and there are, of course, standalone movie and TV card sets, too. The volume of boxes made for these types of releases is nowhere near what it is for stuff like MLB, NFL, etc., so they can dry up much faster, too. In turn, that can drive up box prices -- some past releases you won't find on eBay with ease -- and then for singles, too. Key names can be pricey as, like other areas of collecting, they may not be the easiest pulls and there may not be any other options for collectors to find so that can mean battles on the auction block. There are also plenty of notables found elsewhere in releases like Allen & Ginter, Goodwin Champions, Golden Age and so on.

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LOWER-VOLUME SPORTS
There was a time early on in its cardboard life that UFC was as hot as anything out there with the first year of Topps releases being scorchers both box- and singles-wise with legends and stars found on cards for the first time. Later years have definite highlights, too, but the newer releases seem like they might be made in lower volumes and have some waning demand than a few years ago. (Nothing firm there just a look at a lot of prices on the secondary market's singles make me think that.) Why can that be a good thing? Lower print runs for stuff like this and other sports are just like non-sports in that the boxes can dry up fast and that can result in more money paid for unopened boxes if you collect/sell that way or better prices on singles in some instances. (UFC has a lot of competitors, which can't always help hit values, too.) Over time -- say five to 10 years -- these kinds of boxes might deliver better results than the stuff everybody ripped hard or held onto in sealed box form in the traditional sports. Plus, you never know when a sport might not have cardboard for a stretch of time -- then stuff really can dry up.

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UN-POPULAR (AT FIRST) RELEASES
"Hit 'em where they ain't" isn't just a good baseball philosophy -- it can apply to cardboard ... just change "hit" to "buy." Another adage -- buy low, sell high -- seems to be lost on some at times these days, too, but there are some brands that you might consider loading up on if they are cheap and different because you never know if there may be inclusions that become popular when they aren't now. Or, their basic inclusions might be relatively obscure enough that people will pay up when they find them. Panini Golden Age had just a three-year run (2012-2014) and this Nolan Ryan jersey card may not look all that impressive ... but it sold for $60 on eBay. That might be due to some rarity vs. other hits but I'd argue that there aren't a lot of other $60 Ryan Relics out there that aren't serial-numbered with low volumes. Golden Age boxes have been in the $30-40 range for years and can really surprise at times if you dare to tear into one. If somebody had loaded up on cases of this one at the lows in some volume and just ripped and held everything they might look pretty good right now. There are a lot of hits that pay for the box at even current prices (and, of course, there are those that don't). That's not that easy to do in some collecting instances that people love, especially with prospecting where players can be hit and miss and not be worth much in 10 years. Other brands that have had lulls in the past before recent heat? Prizm baseball in its earlier years comes to mind ... seen the prices on those first Prizm Mike Trout cards lately?

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SPORTS WITHOUT CARDS ... FOR NOW
Can you believe it's been roughly six years since the last full-on Upper Deck PGA release? Sure, there's been golf cardboard (and ink) in small instances in releases like Goodwin Champions in the years since, but like the "hit 'em where they ain't" logic for products I think that same can apply for sports, especially those without new stuff arriving. There are a ton of cheap sets and hits out there for guys not named Eldrick, but stockpiling cheap stuff in areas where new releases aren't coming seems safe or at least logical in my mind. Tennis also comes to mind here -- there are stars who will be in demand and I don't remember the last time I saw some of the Ace Authentic boxes from the past that had all kinds of hits. The NBA went without cards for a stretch in the early 1980s and NASCAR also didn't have cards for a few years after Press Pass closed -- but both had a lot more stuff made than golf. Just a thought.

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What would you want to see in a future Fast Five? Let Buzz know on Twitter or email.

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