Tell me why?

I don't like Mondays, obviously.

So why have I created this blog? Well a number of reasons – which I will get on to later. First some background.

I collect Brett Favre cards. I have collected Brett Favre cards on and off on since 1994. The first pack of football cards I got (my older brother gave it to me) a pack of 1991 Pro set - in which I got a Favre Rookie, the card on the left. After this I was hooked - especially after I watched him play more and more, and saw what a great player he was and how much fun he was to watch. The Packers Super Bowl run and victory in 1996/1997 turned me from a huge Favre fan in to a Favre fan for life.

Here is the catch though - I live in Australia. From 1993 to 1996 NBA cards were huge in Australia. In most major cities, like Sydney and Melbourne there were at least 30 cards shops, if not more, largely selling NBA cards, as well as cards of Australian sports. Most shops also sold some NFL cards, so it was relatively easy to buy NFL packs, boxes and Brett Favre singles (many of the shops near me knew I was a big Brett Favre collector and would thus do their best to get singles for me) and I bought all of them. This was despite the fact that a pack that cost $2 in the US would cost $5 or more in Australia.

However, by 1997 all but a handful of the shops had closed, and those that remained open sold fewer and fewer singles as less and less people bought packs and boxes. This was largely because the prices of these continued to skyrocket and people moved on to the latest fad. As a result of this I eventually gave up collecting cards.

Until 1999. In 1999 I was selling some off my (non-Favre) cards and got to know another NFL collector. He got me hooked again, so I started collecting Favre cards again, buying the occasional pack or even more occasional box. However by 2002 I had again given up collecting. I had just started my first “professional” job, which took a lot of my time. As did chasing women, and the things that (seemingly) went with it – like doing weights.

However, in 2006, being in a job that gave me a fair amount of disposable income, and with plenty of time on my hands, I decided to start collecting again. I did this through ebay, as the number of card stores in Australia you could count on one hand. I started mainly collecting Favre cards again, though I would buy the occasional box. I also did collect some other Packer players, though I have since given up on this and sold most of these cards.

However, I soon encountered problems with buying boxes. A box of cards that would sell for $100 on ebay, would end up costing me $200 Australian or more once I paid for postage and the currency was exchanged. There were also issues with the cards I would receive in the boxes not being worth anywhere near what I paid for the box (a familiar story I know).

Given the high cost of buying boxes, and the fact that what I was mainly after from boxes was Favre cards, I decided to give up purchasing boxes, and focus on buying Favre cards. I mean why spend $200 on a box of cards hoping to get some nice Favre cards in it, when I could spend the $200 and guarantee getting a lot of nice Favre cards? This is still what I largely do today, though the Favre cards I purchase have changed dramatically.

Upon returning to the hobby in 2006 I noticed how much things had changed - with the emphasis on Jersey and Autograph cards. Initially I didn't really care much about these, instead focusing on commons and regular inserts. However, after purchasing some jersey and autograph cards I saw how nice some of these were, I eventually started focusing on these. The result is now I almost totally focus on Favre jersey and autograph cards – and for the most part not the “cheaper” kind (you will see what I mean). At one point I was probably buying 30 to 70 cheap to mid-price Favre cards a fortnight, cheap to mid-price. Now I probably buy 4 to 10 to high to very-high price Favre cards a fortnight.

Currently I have over 2500 different Brett Favre cards, including 106 certified autographs and over 300 jersey/memorabilia cards (Yes, I have too much disposable income - though my girlfriend still has no idea how much money I spend on cards). I haven’t bought these cards with a view to trying to make a profit from them, though it would be nice to recoup much of the money if I did have to sell them.

So given all that, why this blog?

1. To wax on about cards, and hopefully have some discussions with people about them. Given the lack of NFL card collectors in Australia, the internet provides me with the best avenue for this.

2. To show off some of cards to people who may actually appreciate it. Again, given the lack of NFL card collectors in Australia, the internet provides me with the best avenue for this.

3. To generally talk/discuss the NFL with others. Again, given the lack of people who follow the NFL in Australia blah, blah, blah

4. To be fair. I’ve had a go at some people on their blogs, so I think it’s fair to give them the opportunity to do so on my blog should they choose. If you want to abuse me, bring it on!!

5. It gives me another avenue to speak my mind (which I do frequently). I’m a very opinionated person. If I don’t agree with you, I will let you know.

So how long will this last? I’m thinking 2 months maximum until I get bored with it. I could be wrong though – I might not even last a month!

Oh, and if you have any Brett Favre Autograph of jersey/memorabilia cards you are looking to sell, please contact me!