Alright, let’s talk about getting into Caleb Williams football cards. It wasn’t some grand plan, really. I kept hearing his name, seeing highlights, you know how it goes. The hype train was definitely rolling. So, I thought, why not try and grab a few cards? See what the fuss is about.
Getting Started – Figuring Out What’s What
First step was just understanding what was even available. It’s not like the old days with just a couple of brands. Now you got Panini this, Leaf that, college uniforms, pro stuff eventually. I decided to focus mostly on his college cards to start, the ones showing him at USC. Seemed like the logical place, his rookie year stuff before the NFL draft madness.
I wasn’t aiming for the super rare, 1-of-1 crazy expensive cards. Just wanted some solid rookie cards, maybe a cool-looking parallel or two if I stumbled across them. Nothing too fancy, just building a small personal collection.
The Hunt Begins
So, I started looking around. My first move was hitting up a couple of local card shops. It’s always good to support the local guys, right? Walked in, dug through some boxes. Found a few base cards – the standard Donruss Rated Rookie, maybe a basic Priozm. Nothing earth-shattering, but it was a start. It felt good to actually hold the cards, you know?
After the local spots, I did what everyone does – went online. Spent some time browsing the usual places where people sell cards. Man, you really see the price differences there. Same card could be listed for wildly different amounts. You gotta be patient, watch listings, see what things are actually selling for, not just what people are asking.
- Checked out auction sites.
- Looked through buy-it-now listings.
- Compared prices constantly.
It took a bit of digging. Some sellers had decent prices, others were clearly trying to cash in hard on the hype. I skipped the crazy ones. Patience is key, I kept telling myself.
Getting Some Cards in Hand
My first decent score was a Prizm Silver rookie card. Found one online that wasn’t priced into the stratosphere. Pulled the trigger. When it arrived, I gotta say, it looked pretty sharp. Got that nice shine to it. Immediately put it in a penny sleeve and then a top loader. Felt like a proper collector for a minute there.
Over the next few weeks, I picked up a few more. A Bowman University Chrome, a couple of different inserts I thought looked cool. Nothing super high-end, mostly base rookies and some common parallels. I wasn’t trying to break the bank, just enjoy the process.
Keeping Them Safe
Once I had a small stack, I just got a simple storage box. Nothing fancy. Each decent card went into a sleeve and a top loader. The base cards I just kept neatly stacked. Don’t need some high-tech setup for a small personal stash.
Where It Stands Now
So, that’s pretty much where I am. Got a nice little group of Caleb Williams cards from his college days. It’s not massive, probably never will be. I’m not trying to corner the market or anything.
Will I keep looking? Probably. If I see a good deal or a card that catches my eye, maybe I’ll grab it. Especially interested to see what his pro cards look like once they start hitting the shelves properly. But I’m not stressing over it. It’s just a fun little side project, tracking a player I think is exciting.
It’s just interesting to see how much attention these guys get even before they take an NFL snap. The card market definitely jumps on that potential early. For me, it was just about the process – the looking, the finding, and finally getting a few cool cards of a player making waves. Simple as that.
