Getting Started with LaMelo
Okay, so I figured I’d share my little journey with these LaMelo Ball cards. It wasn’t some grand plan, really. I started watching more basketball again, and this kid, LaMelo, he just popped off the screen, you know? His style, the passes, it was exciting stuff. Naturally, being someone who collected cards way back when, the thought popped into my head: “Wonder what his cards are like?”
The Search Begins
So, I did what most folks do nowadays, I went online. Started just browsing around, seeing what was out there. Man, it felt a bit overwhelming at first. There wasn’t just one LaMelo card; there were tons. Different brands, different looks, rookie cards, special shiny ones they call parallels, numbered ones… it was a lot to take in compared to the old days.
I wasn’t looking to spend a fortune right off the bat. My main goal was simple:
- Get a basic rookie card, just to have one.
- Maybe find one that looked cool, something with a nice photo.
- Figure out which brands were the main ones people chased (like Prizm, Select, Optic, heard those names thrown around).
Finding them wasn’t too hard, but figuring out the right price? That took some looking around. Saw the same card listed for wildly different prices on different sites or by different sellers. It definitely made me cautious.
First Cards in Hand
I finally pulled the trigger on a couple of basic rookie cards. Nothing fancy, mostly what they call “base” cards from Panini Prizm and Donruss Optic. Holding them in my hand, though, it brought back that old feeling. It was pretty cool. It wasn’t about hitting the lottery; it was just about having a piece connected to a player I enjoyed watching.
Then, I decided to try my luck with some retail packs I found at a local store. You know, the ones in the blaster boxes or hanger packs. Ripping those open was fun, pure chance. Didn’t pull any massive LaMelo hits from those early packs, but I got a few more base cards and saw some of the different designs firsthand.
Going a Bit Deeper
After getting my feet wet, I started looking at specific cards. I learned about grading – PSA, BGS, all that stuff. Saw how a graded card, especially a high grade like a 9 or 10, could fetch way more money. Wasn’t sure if I wanted to go down that rabbit hole myself, seemed like a whole other level of collecting, and maybe a bit pricey for me.
I focused more on just picking up single cards I liked. Maybe a cool-looking insert card or a specific parallel that wasn’t crazy expensive. Found a nice “Silver Prizm” rookie once for what felt like a decent deal. That was a good day. It felt like a small victory, finding something specific I was looking for without breaking the bank.
Honestly, the process became the fun part. Checking listings, comparing cards, deciding what felt like good value to me. Not necessarily thinking about investment, but just building a small collection I liked looking at.
Where Things Stand Now
So, yeah, I’ve got a small stack of LaMelo cards now. Nothing insane, no $10,000 cards or anything close. Just a mix of rookies, some inserts, a couple of parallels. I don’t hunt for them quite as actively as I did initially. The market got pretty wild for a while there, and sometimes the prices just seemed nuts.
I still keep an eye out, though. If I see a card I like at a price that seems fair, I might grab it. It’s more relaxed now. It was a fun phase to dive into, learn a bit about the modern card world, and connect with the game in a different way. It’s just cool to have a few pieces tied to a player whose game I genuinely enjoy watching.
