Alright, so check it out, I recently dove headfirst into the world of sports memorabilia, specifically football cards. And guess who I decided to hunt down? None other than Doug Williams. Yeah, the guy who led the Washington Redskins to a Super Bowl victory back in ’88. Total legend.
First things first: Research, research, research. I hit up all the usual spots – eBay, COMC, even some smaller online card shops I’d never heard of before. I wanted to get a feel for what was out there, what the prices were like, and what condition the cards were generally in. Man, the range was wild.
Then, I started narrowing down my focus. I wasn’t trying to get every single Doug Williams card ever made. That would be insane (and expensive!). Instead, I decided to target a few key cards: His rookie card, any Super Bowl-related cards, and maybe one or two cool-looking inserts or autographs. Gotta have some kind of direction, right?
Next up: Bidding strategy. This is where things get interesting. eBay auctions can be a total rollercoaster. I learned pretty quickly not to get emotionally attached to any particular card. Set a maximum price in my head, and stick to it. Sniping is a must, learned that the hard way. Lost a couple good cards by bidding early. Rookie mistake.
The wins started trickling in. Nothing crazy, but a few decent Doug Williams cards landed on my doorstep. Condition was generally as described, which was a relief. Nothing worse than getting a card that’s all beat up when the listing said “near mint.” Gotta read the fine print, folks.
Then came the deep dive. Realizing I needed a system, I started using a spreadsheet to track the cards I was looking for, the prices I was willing to pay, and the cards I’d already acquired. Even included a section for notes about the condition of each card and where I bought it. This helped me stay organized and avoid overpaying for duplicates (another rookie mistake I almost made).
Grading became a consideration. Some of the cards I picked up were in pretty good shape, so I started looking into getting them professionally graded. PSA, Beckett, SGC… the alphabet soup of grading companies can be overwhelming. Still learning about the grading process and the impact it has on value.
Still on the hunt. I’m still searching for that one grail card – a really clean, high-grade Doug Williams rookie card. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. But I’m enjoying the process of learning about the hobby, connecting with other collectors online, and adding pieces of football history to my collection.
- Learned about card conditions.
- Developed a bidding strategy.
- Started tracking everything in a spreadsheet.
- Considering professional grading.
It’s been a fun ride so far. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll have a complete Doug Williams collection. Or maybe I’ll just keep enjoying the thrill of the hunt. Either way, it’s a blast!
