My First Shot at Collecting Raiders Cards
Honestly, I woke up one random Tuesday thinking, “Football cards, why not?” I’ve always liked the Raiders, the colors, that whole vibe. So I decided right then to start a Raiders card collection. No clue how, just gonna dive in.
Figuring Out Where to Even Start
My first step? Googling like crazy. Typed in stuff like “raiders football cards for beginners” and “how to collect nfl cards”. Found so many forums and articles talking about “rookie cards” and “parallels” and “autographs”. My head was spinning! Decided to keep it simple for now: I just want Raiders players.
- Started with the cheap stuff: Went to the big online marketplaces everyone uses. Didn’t wanna blow too much cash right away.
- Picked a few names: Obvious ones like Ken Stabler, Marcus Allen (those old legends), plus Derek Carr and guys from the last few years.
- Bought some penny sleeves and top loaders: Learned real quick you can’t just shove cards in a box. Got a plastic storage box too.
The Actual Shopping Spree
Time to hit “Buy” button. Found listings with actual pictures so I knew what I was getting. Avoided auctions at first – felt too risky.
My first purchases were just regular base cards. Grabbed a mix:
- A few Ken Stablers from different years.
- Some older Marcus Allens.
- Newer guys like Hunter Renfrow and Josh Jacobs.
- One Derek Carr rookie card that looked decent.
Grand total? Spent maybe like $25 bucks total. Felt manageable.
Organizing My Tiny Hoard
Stuff finally arrived! Seriously felt like a kid opening packs.
- Sleeved every single card immediately: Learned you gotta protect ’em from fingerprints and dust right away.
- Put the nicer ones in top loaders: Especially that Carr rookie and the older cards.
- Sorted them by player name: Threw ’em all in the plastic box. Alphabetical seemed easiest for now. Maybe later I sort by year or something.
What Happened Next
Honestly? I got hooked. Having that little pile of Raiders cards felt pretty cool. Showed my buddy. He’s not into cards at all, but even he thought it was kinda neat. Since then, I dip back online every couple weeks.
- Started looking for autographs: Found a cheap one from a newer player. Looks awesome!
- Looked up some card shows near me: Might hit one up next month. Seems like a good way to find older stuff.
- Still keeping it low budget: No crazy spending, just adding a few more favorites when I see good deals.
Bottom line? Starting this Raiders collection was way easier than I thought it would be. Just pick a team, buy a few cheap cards, protect them, and stick ’em in a box. That’s it! Now I got this little growing thing going. Feels good. If you like football, seriously, just start simple like I did.
