On an aesthetic level, I think the 2017 Topps Chrome and 2014 WC Prizm sets are beautiful and worth a premium just on that fact.

@UsmntSoccerCards

Ай бұрын

Plenty of beautiful sets in soccer. Honestly don't even think 2014 prizm looks that great, some of the clunkiest borders I've ever seen.

I'm glad that you did this video. I, too, get tired of people going on about 2014 PWC & 2017 TC being so important because they were "firsts". There are plenty (too many, probably) other sets that have their own "firsts" with all the same players as these sets and people act like they don't even exist (Finest, Museum Collection, Immaculate, etc). I think the premium attached to these sets are unfounded and often misleading. How many times did we (the soccer community) have to beat down the narrative rhat 2014 Prizm was Messi's rookie? You mentioned in another comment that 2014 PWC isn't even an attractive set and i completely agree with that. (2018 may have a lot more parallels but the cards & colors are far more attractive, in my opinion) 2017 TC is a very nice set with limited parallels but I'm not sure that I would say that it's the "most beautiful" of the Chrome sets.(First year Sapphire might even take that crown) As you know, I do love to rip open a soccer box from time to time. I have a "war fund" set aside in hopes of buying both a 2014 PWC & 2017 TC hobby box in the future. I'm not aiming for those boxes because I think the sets are particularly cool or specifically "the best" but, honestly, there are some big cards to be hit from those sets that are still out in the wild and getting lucky by buying a box is in fact the only way a lowly collector like myself would ever have a chance at actually obtaining those monster hits. (Specifically referring to Ronaldo & Messi 1/1's from 2014 PWC & colored Mbappes from 2017) Are there other hits and players in those boxes that I would be happy getting? (Xavi, Iniesta, Neymar, Buffon, etc) For sure, 100%, BUT to hit a big time card while the resale prices are so absurdly high is the most motivating factor to me as far as these sets go. Keep up the good work, amigo. 🤓⚽

My first year 1989 Upperdeck Cal Ripken has almost tripled in value to .37

Time to sell my 2017 Chrome ;) In all seriousness, enjoyed the video and think this is the type of content and questioning that only benefits the hobby. Would be great to have a deeper dive discussion sometime!

Great points. Didn't realise the huge price gap between first and second year Chrome sets!

Set collecting. Popular in the hobby. Prizm is collected that way also in Basketball and Football (2012) and topps chrome is an iconic set in all other sports as well. The first does not apply to every brand that exists.

What do you think about 04 megacracks? Set features rookie Messi and Ramos. The set is collected as a whole in base. And they still make the set 20 years later

@UsmntSoccerCards

Ай бұрын

Cool for the other stars in the set, but I wouldn't expect to see people buying common random players in the set. So I'm not sure how much of a chase the set will end up being, but definitely some cool cards in there though.

I think one thing crucial to this is which era do ppl care the most in terms of soccer in the future. I grew up in the 90s. So to me it's pre-modern and modern which means cards that were issued from 80s onward. In that regard, I do understand the logic behind the popularity that Prizm 14 and Chrome 17 gained in the last 3,4 years, coz they were the most obvious sets for modern collectors. I also collect a lot of pre-modern stuff and I enjoy those sets more than Prizm 14 and Chrome 17 because Arsenal legends are missing from those two sets😂

Really liked the take here! I was struggling with this myself about these sets, and although I’m not a huge fan of the 2017 chrome, I really love the 2014 prizm. Matchups is an amazing insert, autos were very low populated unlike today, beautiful parallels and hard to grade set which I look at it as an advantage in a modern set. The one thing I did not find in this video is a general statement or a rule of thumb about what is actually a great set? How do you define it? (Don’t have answers here, just raising questions)

If 2014 and 2017 doesn’t hold value, don’t think soccer collecting has any hope to attract long term collectors, as some of us started during Covid time.

@mattdonovan3405

Ай бұрын

But why do you say this? This is just a narrative. People have been collecting soccer for decades. These sets don’t hold the key to the entire market.

@echowarrior1

Ай бұрын

@@mattdonovan3405 No, but they are important, especially for growing the market. Prior to 2019 it was very niche. Regardless of whether you're high brow collecting or not, we need to grow the market and bring more people into collecting. That means acknowledging there are important sets from all generations, including modern, of which, despite what USNMT says, 2014 WC PRIZM and 2017 TC UCL are the most important for all the reasons why collectors collect them today. It's incredibly patronizing to suggest that the only reason people collect them is because they're been "influenced" by price pumpers.

I wish I had the money to buy a full base set of each year's Panini Donruss Optic (I love the national/team/men/women mix) or Topps Chrome ... alas ... I actually really enjoy having cards of players I do not know and to be honest players from big teams kinda bore me because they are in each set. I prefer players from PSV, Valencia, Hoffenheim to those of Real Madrid, or Man City ... not that I don't like 'em ... but Vini or Modric are all over the place whereas the other teams have players that you might otherwise never see on a card. On a side note ... I like the 2018 Topps Chrome design more than the 2017, have never been a fan of the diagonal stripes coming in from the side ... thankfully not present on the base ... but then the design looks kinda boring to me ... but what do I know, I'm a bit weird in that respect. For the time being I'll continue with a full Megacracks La Liga collection each season ...

@johnbowlus

Ай бұрын

I’m with you on enjoying 2018 design more than 2017

Thoughts on Panini Treble and current prices?

Understand the viewpoint, can’t say I disagree with anything you’ve said. As a soccer card collector, I just think the 2017 Topps Chrome set has the best refractors of any modern set. Can’t take Geoff Wilson serious. He bought sealed cases as an investment because the Mbappe SuperFractor has yet to surface. For me, that’s not buying the set or being into soccer cards. That is hoping some rich degen wants to “take a shot”

Great video. This focus on 1st modern sets being iconic and acting like it’s settled law less than a decade later has always seemed crazy to me. What about Panini Foot? What about Merlin? The focus on first doesn’t really hold up there - it’s about iconic players and scarcity and it always will be.

I appreciate your thoughtful shot across the bow related to first “iconic” modern sets. Completely agree that the soccer card / sticker world is vast and full of great sets often which get less attention (at least in the US). And I agree that extraordinary price discrepancies between, say, 2017 and 2018 Topps Chrome strikes me as irrational. But, on the other hand, I think it’s a bit arbitrary to say that “true” set collecting is only with base. 2017 Topps Chrome will get there as prices go up for parallels. And there is a very rich ecosystem of parallel collectors which to me indicates health. (I don’t care for 2014 Prizm WC for aesthetic reasons.) In any case, lots of great points. For me 2004 Mega Cracks is THE set (though I own nothing from it) to indicate long-term health.

Great video!!

Fantastic! I agree with your thesis in the last few videos that soccer cards are a vast universe making what will ultimately be most collectible difficult to discern. I personally love 2006 Panini World Cup Germany, 1996/99 Panini Calcio Cards, and 2023 Futera Unique WF as sets and could care less about particular manufacturers variations 1st year sets, it’s much more about aesthetics and checklist, which vary by taste. Pointing out that the hype is built in, rendering growth suspect, I think this is a very good warning to those taking in soccer card content. And as you point out, carving your own path and collecting what is special to you, instead of listening to hype beasts, is more fun anyway!

For non soccer sets (NBA, UFC, WWE) I've noticed that Panini cards that are non rookies have tanked in price. Collectors don't like Panini cards that arent rookies unless they are gold /10 or 1/1.

@Mistrzu1

Ай бұрын

Agreed. Though Panini his a long history in soccer. I’ve come across soccer collectors (especially in Europe) that only collect Panini, and stay away from Topps

I guess the significance is that it's the first Topps CHROME and first Panini PRIZM. I get it, it's not the first Topps Soccer or Panini Soccer set. But I guess there is still some value to those cards being the first CHROME and PRIZM cards.

@UsmntSoccerCards

Ай бұрын

Definitely gives it some life, but I don't know if that should equate to being a top set in a sport.

2017 chrome for Ronaldo iconic because he won the champions league

@alexrg109

Ай бұрын

i dont think so, its not rare that cr7 won a champions league

@AlfredoUribe-kn8mn

Ай бұрын

@@alexrg109 certainly on of his best years

@UsmntSoccerCards

Ай бұрын

While it's a fun add-on, no one really buys cards based on what happened that year (aside from a player winning a world cup/euro/copa) or something that is legitimately career defining. Ronaldo winning a champions league is par for the course, not really all that special.

Given the assumption that Messi will "drive" the soccer card market, and your idea that Topps Chrome and Prizm are at peak popularity, do you think that implies that his MGK stuff (i.e. the longer-term organically collectible stuff) has had money sucked away from it?

@UsmntSoccerCards

Ай бұрын

Fair assessment, the obsession with parallels has definitely done a number on base cards, even if they are early 2000's

All these "collectors" looove this set yet they're constantly pumping it while simultaneously selling them

@echowarrior1

Ай бұрын

Are you saying all people who collect 2014 and 2017 are "collectors" as opposed to "real collectors" who buy into vintage and would never dream of commanding (you could replace commanding with "pumping") a higher price for the cards they own? Or do vintage collectors never sell? Is that what you're saying?

@finallyfutrich7148

Ай бұрын

​@@echowarrior1no that's not what I'm saying, what a crazy reach 😂

@echowarrior1

Ай бұрын

@@finallyfutrich7148 Ok, I'll reach for the popcorn while you explain then. Go on...

1st year Sapphire will be the sleeper set

85-87 with bird and magic isnt " not much going on". haha 85 and 87 teams 2 of the best ever easy.

@UsmntSoccerCards

Ай бұрын

I meant in terms of basketball card production, not the sport itself.

Not a fan of 2014 prizm worth less Messi didn’t win the wc pointless

@alexrg109

Ай бұрын

yes bad year for Messi due to these

USMNT=US Man's Negative Take. I get it, your shtick is to be contrarian. Popular sets are key in all sports. In modern, they definitely exist in basketball and football. Key sets are heavily tied to GOATS. A major reason why the first Chrome and first Prizm are seen as important is because they also have two GOATS. They have full color parallels. They are serial numbered. Your favorite set is from 54 years ago. Great.

@UsmntSoccerCards

Ай бұрын

I am positive about plenty in the hobby, if I wasn't I wouldn't even bother with this. Some narratives I buy into, some others I don't. I'll share my thoughts regardless. In regard to why those two sets are seen as important. There are hundreds of modern sets that contain two GOATS, have full color parallels, and are serial numbered. So again, what makes these two the sets the best other than "1st chrome, 1st prizm" Also never said 1970 World Cup was my favorite set, I even said I own 0 stickers from that set.

You think I’m dumb? 😢

@MadCityCollector

Ай бұрын

I guess at least I collected 1970 Panini WC before I collected any 2017 TC 😂

@echowarrior1

Ай бұрын

​@@MadCityCollector I guess this means you've dropped your game according to USMNT's high brow algorithm.

@UsmntSoccerCards

Ай бұрын

@@echowarrior1 Collecting is meant for impressing a niche content creator, not for the pleasure it brings you.

@echowarrior1

Ай бұрын

@@UsmntSoccerCards Who says? You, not me :)

@Noahcollectssoccer

Ай бұрын

@@UsmntSoccerCards😂😂