How To Get Kids into Collecting?
Dear Topps Ripped:
I recently got back into collecting, and I’m lost. I’m trying to do it with my kids (they’re 6 and 10) and am looking for some simple, non-expensive ways to jump in. I’m not necessarily looking to invest or get crazy hits—I’m just looking to have some fun and get them into it.
Thank you in advance!
Joe S, Henrietta NY
Dear Joe: We get a version of this question a lot. And we get it. You walk over to the card section at Target, and it’s either half-full, or you’re faced with a sea of boxes and packs that you can’t quite figure out.
Topps Ripped is here to help.
Let’s identify what we’re looking for here. I’m going to rank the factors as:
- Fun
- Affordable
- Visually appealing
At Topps RIPPED, we think it perfectly describes two lines you can get for under $30 online.
But first and foremost, check out 2024 Topps Series 1. Depending on your budget, you can spend as much as $179 for a jumbo hobby box to $50 for a hobby box or as little as $25 for a value box, which still gives you a chance at exclusive royal blue base card parallels. The $50 mega box is a great starter box, consisting of 16 packs of 14 cards each, as well as a chance at autographed cards of current stars, greats from the past, and rising rookies. You can appreciate the color, design, and photos. On the back, you note the data and player details and talk to your kids about what a player has accomplished, where he was born, and where he lives now. It’s not something you speed through. You can also find boxes of legacy sets, such as the 2021 version pictured above, for as much as $100 for a hobby box or as little as $25 for a blaster.
As for the two boxes… The first is Topps Holiday. It’s about $30 for a MegaBox. You get 10 packs of 10 cards, the design is fun (snowflakes, ivy, etc), and you’ll get an occasional “metallic” card that looks and feels important. But the real fun is in the short and super short prints. They’ve hidden easter eggs on the cards: a bat is replaced by a candy cane, or a player is wearing a necklace made of lights. You actually have to take time and really “look” at each card. It slows down the experience, and you appreciate the cards more. Plus, in my experience, this set really sticks to the top players, so you get a lot of recognizable names in each box.
The second one is Topps Big League Baseball. The 2024 version features mascot cards and fun inserts such as Good Vibrations, To the Moon Die-Cuts and Topps Big Leaguer. There are several short print inserts too if you’re feeling lucky. There’s a Hobby Box of 18 packs for $50. But you can also get a Blaster Box of 80 cards for $24.99 or a Value Box with 10 packs for $29.99.
The 2021 version of the set is also fun for the Collectors Box (two for $35 total, in case you have two kids). Each box has five packs of 10 cards plus a retro GI Joe-style figurine from Super 7 of assorted baseball stars. I find that alone to be worth the price of the box – Shohei Ohtani, Jackie Robinson, Aaron Judge. It’s just a very cool experience. The cards themselves – especially the 2021 design – are great. Colorful, great pictures, lots of variety from the inserts. You will not be reselling anything you find in here online after – it’s almost like they’re meant to be an entry point to collecting. Pretty cards and a toy, all for under $20? It’s perfect.
So there you go. Easy, fun, pretty, and you don’t have to worry about dinging the corners of 99% of what you get out of these.
Happy collecting! And see you next time!
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