Worst Trading Card Sets

[budd2222]

After doing a search on ebay I saw some cards that only a few people would want to make a collection of.
1. The Apprentice - Would rather flush my money that spend it on this.
2. American Gladitors - Even if you were a fan of the show, would it be worth it?
3. Benchwarmers - With almost 6,000 autos for sale many for less than $5 I would say the buyers are single young men with out a girlfriend. By the way the last 500 listed did not sell.

 

[valediction]

After doing a search on ebay I saw some cards that only a few people would want to make a collection of.
1. The Apprentice - Would rather flush my money that spend it on this.
2. American Gladitors - Even if you were a fan of the show, would it be worth it?
3. Benchwarmers - With almost 6,000 autos for sale many for less than $5 I would say the buyers are single young men with out a girlfriend. By the way the last 500 listed did not sell.

It's all subjective. New Kids on the Block, Yo! MTV Raps, Bass fishing cards, whitetail deer cards, Serial killer cards, Hot Air Balloon cards, Dinosaurs tv show cards, Good Times, Gone With the Wind, Home Alone 2, Nancy Kerrigan, Pac Man, Menudo, All My Children, Growing Pains, Truckin', Troll Doll cards, Perlorian Cats etc etc, not to mention the knockoff cards/stickers trying to capture the Garbage Pail/Wacky packages market, the great 1975 Topps issue with stickers you could stick on your jeans to make people think they were patches

I'd take any of your three over most of those

 

[budd2222]

It's all subjective. New Kids on the Block, Yo! MTV Raps, Bass fishing cards, whitetail deer cards, Serial killer cards, Hot Air Balloon cards, Dinosaurs tv show cards, Good Times, Gone With the Wind, Home Alone 2, Nancy Kerrigan, Pac Man, Menudo, All My Children, Growing Pains, Truckin', Troll Doll cards, Perlorian Cats etc etc, not to mention the knockoff cards/stickers trying to capture the Garbage Pail/Wacky packages market, the great 1975 Topps issue with stickers you could stick on your jeans to make people think they were patches

I'd take any of your three over most of those

I tried to list sets from a more modern era. For the very large part your list is made up from the time card co. would crank out a set every few weeks. As far as Benchwarmers go the trade and sale value is next to none. The local card shop would give a pack of the Apprentice if you even came in to his store. Most of the packs were just droped in the trash. In 40 or 50 years maybe history will be kinder but for now just a bad idea.

 

[BoomerSooner]

Benchwarmers has Carmen Elektra signing for them this year, pretty sure they'll sell plenty. It's a pretty long running series of cards, must have it's fans, otherwise it wouldn't go on as long as it has.
Generalizations about who buys what cards are almost never accurate, and insulting to some. Some folks say people who buy baseball cards are single men without women too. I say there is something that interests everyone out there, and you collect what you love, and it shouldn't have a social stigma attached to it.

 

[metsman1986]

When my wife and I first met, she was like, "What, you collect pictures of men?" What could I say to that................."No honey, I collect pictures of young, rich, and very athletic men!"...................When I started out collecting, they were old enough to be my dad, Pete Rose, now, I'm old enough to be Bryce Harper's dad.......................As far as the Benchwarmers, it's a cool idea, but not for me.................Where I work we sell Magic, and Yugio(sic) cards that I totally don't understand....................But people like them enough, so whatever floats their boat.................

 

[mrmopar]

One of the worst sets I can think of, modern, is the first (? I think first and possibly last, but assume more followed) set of Southpark. They were "high quality" cards, thick and glossy, but were basically "still shots" of the show. Terrible!

I grew up when they were making cards of all kinds of things, sports, movies, TV, animals, cars, motorcycles, ships, bugs, cartoons, etc. I never really got into non-sports that much, but there were some really good sets and some real questionable ones.

 

[Copeskey45]

When my wife and I first met, she was like, "What, you collect pictures of men?" What could I say to that................."No honey, I collect pictures of young, rich, and very athletic men!"...................When I started out collecting, they were old enough to be my dad, Pete Rose, now, I'm old enough to be Bryce Harper's dad.......................As far as the Benchwarmers, it's a cool idea, but not for me.................Where I work we sell Magic, and Yugio(sic) cards that I totally don't understand....................But people like them enough, so whatever floats their boat.................

Lol! That is EXACTLY what my wife said to me when I told her I collected cards lol.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

The older, more common Benchwarmers cards generally don't sell for much. But there are cards from the Benchwarmer sets that sell for quite a bit.

And ... look at it this way. You can buy a box of Benchwarmers cards for $80, get 2-3 autographs/kiss cards/material cards, many of which are numbered (and the numbering on Benchwarmer cards still means something), and unless you've purchased an older box of Benchwarmer cards, you'll likely be able to make your $80 back. AND, you get to look at pictures of very attractive women while you're at it.

Or, you can spend $150 on a box of baseball cards, pull 3 $8 GU cards and a bunch of 2-3 inserts.

Sports card wax is a MUCH bigger lottery than a box of Benchwarmers.

 

[mrmopar]

Is there that much of a market for the singles?

You can buy a box of Benchwarmers cards for $80, get 2-3 autographs/kiss cards/material cards, many of which are numbered (and the numbering on Benchwarmer cards still means something), and unless you've purchased an older box of Benchwarmer cards, you'll likely be able to make your $80 back.

 

[mintman2]

The older, more common Benchwarmers cards generally don't sell for much. But there are cards from the Benchwarmer sets that sell for quite a bit.

And ... look at it this way. You can buy a box of Benchwarmers cards for $80, get 2-3 autographs/kiss cards/material cards, many of which are numbered (and the numbering on Benchwarmer cards still means something), and unless you've purchased an older box of Benchwarmer cards, you'll likely be able to make your $80 back. AND, you get to look at pictures of very attractive women while you're at it.

Or, you can spend $150 on a box of baseball cards, pull 3 $8 GU cards and a bunch of 2-3 inserts.

Sports card wax is a MUCH bigger lottery than a box of Benchwarmers.

Is there that much of a market for the singles?

I question that too. You can buy retail boxes for that price (or lower) but as far as I can figure you're not going to get that kind of return. If it was that simple we'd all do it.

 

[BoomerSooner]

Benchwarmers has been around since 1992. Again, they must have some seriously dedicated fans to last that long.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Single base cards? No. The autographs, kiss cards, material cards ... yes.

Non sports card hits sell VERY well. You'll get common autos from sets that sell for $8-10-15. But you'll also get cards that sell for a LOT of money.

As I said, many of the Benchwarmers cards come numbered.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-Benchw...802?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231b4dff3a -- $69.95

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-BENCHW...U_CollectableTradingCards&hash=item46032dcef8 -- $59.95 (from Australia --- might have gone higher except the $10 shipping charge)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SARA-UNDERW...550?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f123db4ee -- $249.95

Here's a lot of 56 Benchwarmers cards:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BENCHWARMER...191?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a76f0eddf -- $1599.00

 

[mm1sub]

Those prices are unreal!! The lot of 56 Benchwarmer cards actually sold for 1450.00

 

[BoomerSooner]

I think some collectors really underestimate what the non-sports market does with cards. There are some sets out there that have fanatstic designs, are loaded with autographs and hold value really well. Some of the James Bond sets come to mind. There's even a music set out that has a card with autos from the Beatles, as well as other big acts. I know more than one shop that has better sales of non-sports than sports cards, but have to deal with the social stigma attached to their products.

 

[mrmopar]

Not my collecting interest, but I won't bash them all the same. That is impressive pricing for what seems to be something of very little "value" outside a very select collecting interest. Lots of people collect sports cards, autographs, coins, stamps, etc. Is there really that wide a collecting base of ******** clad models? There must be, I guess.

I mean, who are these girls? Are they models hoping for more exposure? Cheerleaders? Little know actresses? I don't think anyone would want a piece of my shirt or an autograph from me, but perhaps if I looked that that, the story would be different. I have to assume that is the draw here.

Now this comment is very stereotypical, and it is meant more so as a joke, but you gotta wonder if the serious buyers for these are older men with lots of extra money and very active imaginations? I mean, who wants this stuff otherwise, really?

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Your comment was very stereotypical, you joke not at all funny. And I'm going to simply walk away from this thread, before I say or do something to cause trouble. After I say this:

Do some research. Follow the old adage "If you can't say something nice, ****." If it's not interesting to you, that's fine. But don't stand in judgement of something that someone else likes, simply because you don't understand it, or don't think it's worthy of being collected.

 

[mrmopar]

I tried to preface my comment so as try not to offend anyone (perhaps like yourself apparently) who may fall into that category and/or who collects benchwarmer cards). I also added my opinions and assumptions and asked some questions. I made no claims and never passed judgement other than perhaps my last comment if you want to see it that way (does that imply you are a freak if you collect them...no, I was merely pointing out that the subject is pretty straight forward...people PROBABLY buy these for the "sex appeal" because I can't see anything else it could be.) and I have nothing against the cards or anyone who might collect them. Sex sells, there is no denying that. I am not a *****, to each their own. In comparison, the adult industry, which is a obviously a few steps beyond this type of thing, is a billion dollar industry. Read my statements again, because you obviously felt personally attacked and/or offended by it and I think that was being ultrasensitive.

It may be stereotypical, but I'm willing to bet the majority of the money going into these obviously popular cards aren't from children and probably not a ton of women either. That is how most stereotypes are developed...many are based in reality. Like it or not, that is most likely the reality of the collector base for this particular set. So, you can calm down.

Just in case this gets locked, which would not surprise me here...I wanted to add a couple more thoughts to clarify what I meant.

Again, I have nothing against the cards themnselves, the subject matter (sex - models, women, cheerleaders, etc) or anyone who collects Benchwarmer cards.

I will add that with most, if not all trading cards, there is something specific that draws the collector. Perhaps a connection, an admiration, or some other link or interest. You might collect sports cards because you played the sport, admire the game or idolize the players. You might collect Star Wars cards because you love the movie or SciFi in general. You might collect music cards because you enjoy the music or are an aspiring musician. You may collect animal cards because you love animals or have pets. You might collect serial killer cards because the subject intrigues you. You may just add certain subjects because you are a type collector and want the largest variety possible, including some otherwise odd themes. There are a wide number of reasons why someone would collect many of those themes. Some wider than others. Some card subjects attract a more narrow collector base and that is what I was saying with these cards. The subjects aren't famous for the most part, they are not necessary accomplished athletes, scholars or other. The cards may appear to the artistic types, but mainly the women are beautiful and I believe they are collected for that reason. If you can give me other reasons why someone would collect them, great. I'd buy any reasonable answer and move on either way.

 

[Dilferules]

I will add that with most, if not all trading cards, there is something specific that draws the collector. Perhaps a connection, an admiration, or some other link or interest. You might collect sports cards because you played the sport, admire the game or idolize the players. You might collect Star Wars cards because you love the movie or SciFi in general. You might collect music cards because you enjoy the music or are an aspiring musician. You may collect animal cards because you love animals or have pets. You might collect serial killer cards because the subject intrigues you. You may just add certain subjects because you are a type collector and want the largest variety possible, including some otherwise odd themes. There are a wide number of reasons why someone would collect many of those themes. Some wider than others. Some card subjects attract a more narrow collector base and that is what I was saying with these cards. The subjects aren't famous for the most part, they are not necessary accomplished athletes, scholars or other. The cards may appear to the artistic types, but mainly the women are beautiful and I believe they are collected for that reason. If you can give me other reasons why someone would collect them, great. I'd buy any reasonable answer and move on either way.

Count me among the people who don't understand the appeal of these cards, especially high-dollar autographs or "GU" items (if they have those). I enjoy looking at beautiful ladies, but why pay a bunch of money for the autograph of an unknown model? They have similar autographs and "kiss cards" of women professional wrestlers that sell well, but those women appear every week on widely viewed TV shows and have fans. Similarly I can understand a Benchwarmers Carmen Electra autograph selling for a lot of money, as she is very famous. I'm just having a problem wrapping my head around an unknown model's autograph selling for a lot of cash.

I don't have any accusations, I don't think Benchwarmers collectors are perverts or anything...pervs can look at all the women they want for free if they wish, they don't need to pay top dollar for cards. I just don't understand why people are paying a lot of money for these cards. I DO understand that if I bought any, my girlfriend would kill me.

Richard

 

[valediction]

Count me among the people who don't understand the appeal of these cards, especially high-dollar autographs or "GU" items (if they have those). I enjoy looking at beautiful ladies, but why pay a bunch of money for the autograph of an unknown model? They have similar autographs and "kiss cards" of women professional wrestlers that sell well, but those women appear every week on widely viewed TV shows and have fans. Similarly I can understand a Benchwarmers Carmen Electra autograph selling for a lot of money, as she is very famous. I'm just having a problem wrapping my head around an unknown model's autograph selling for a lot of cash.

I don't have any accusations, I don't think Benchwarmers collectors are perverts or anything...pervs can look at all the women they want for free if they wish, they don't need to pay top dollar for cards. I just don't understand why people are paying a lot of money for these cards. I DO understand that if I bought any, my girlfriend would kill me.

Richard

You can say that about any set though. 30-60+ year old men paying 3 or 4 figures for a 20 or 21 year old guys autographed card? I've got many friends who can't wrap their heads around that either. They can't understand why anyone would pay big money for a baseball card. These same people would much rather put the money in their boat, or classic car, or save to go ice fishing, all things that seem silly to me.
You can watch all the baseball you want, you don't need to pay top dollar for cards. The fact is, if there is a market for something, it will sell. Maybe the unknown model hits it big later, maybe it's just a guy picking up an actual trading card of someone from their podunk little hometown because no one from that town ever made it that 'big', or a relative, or someone putting together an autographed set /25 that figured they wouldn't have to deal with the 'insane' sports card collectors.

 

[BoomerSooner]

I'll say it again- no one should be judging anyone else for what they collect. There are thousands of hobbies in this world, and some of them are beyond me, but I don't look down my nose at folks who do them. Something about a particular hobby speaks to people, and that's why they do it. They get enjoyment out of it, it makes them happy, so why do some feel the need to "understand it" beyond that? Attaching social stigma to what people like or do is a cause of alienation, a feeling of being an outcast, different than everyone else, and nothing good comes from that, IMO. To look down on anyones hobby because you don't "get it" just seems so shallow to me. Then again, some folks are just excessively negative about things, even their own hobby, why wouldn't they disparage someones else fun?