The Collector's Corner: A Look At Some Of The Gems In My Current Collection

These are the "Gems" I currently have in my growing WPS collection. Pretty awesome, huh?


Welcome to my first post regarding my WPS memorabilia/cards collection. I promised I'd show you my "Gems" according to the title, so here they are! Some of the greatest cards in my collection. The way I look at the whole "best for last" philosophy depends on my mood, but I figured I'd save the best for first today, and show you these gems before I show you my others. The top 3 are the jersey cards I currently own. There are a limited number of these, and I was quite happy to nab them, since, as most people collecting these first edition WPS cards know, they sell like hotcakes on ebay. Even more to a collector's dismay, the prices can be unbelievably high. Typically, the jersey cards can run from 5-12 buckaroos. I got most of these for around 8-9 bucks, a reasonable price for a jersey card of a WPS player if you ask me. This is the first ever edition of WPS cards made, and since the league is a breakthrough in itself (and is still fairly new), so is the WPS set of cards. This is the first time a company has taken women's soccer and made a near-full league set of cards, with jerseys, autos, and the whole nine yards. These cards are very collectible, and honestly, pretty rare, so its understandable that the prices are sometimes quite high. I figured out early on that getting a full set of the WPS cards is going to be extremely hard, maybe even impossible, so I decided to stick with getting my favorite players first, and then if I had some extra cash, I'd shell out on the rest of the set, little by little. Since Sinclair, LePeilbet, and DeVanna are some of my top favorites, they were top priority in my jersey card hunt.


Now onto those mouth-watering WPS Marks auto cards. Typically, auto cards go for a Buy it Now on ebay (since they are more expensive), but there will be a few up for bids (be prepared to get into a fierce bidding-war should you go for one that has the bid option only). Normally, they will run anywhere from $25 and on, depending on the player. Of course there are some exceptions, but this is pretty much the norm when it comes to the autographed cards. Also, note that certain players are more rare than others. Each is numbered to 100 (meaning there are only 100 signed cards of each player included in the WPS Marks sub-set). These 2 were not easy to get. In fact, I didn't even get them at all. A friend of mine who is also on a mission to collect the WPS set, picked them up for me as a gift. I didn't ask how much they spent, but I know it must have been quite a pretty penny. Wambach's auto never goes for less than 50 (and you're lucky if you find a 50!) on ebay, and rightfully so. DeVanna's can range from about 20-35, but it all depends on the seller. Honestly, I only dreamed of having Wambach's autograph; I never thought I'd actually get my hands on one. I still can't believe I have it in my possession. I'm beyond happy to have this world-class, living legend's autograph in my collection. Same with DeVanna. I'm super happy to have her auto. Who wouldn't love an autograph from the lightning-fast socceroo?


Here are some tips should you want to start a collection of your own, or if yours is still growing:

- Go for your favorite players first. Its going to be very difficult to acquire a full set, so Top players = Top priority.

- Bargain hunt. Don't just jump on the first one you see. Look around and go for the cheapest one you find (especially with Buy it Nows).

- Avoid bidding only auctions. This is my personal approach. WPS cards are pretty popular right now, and due to the rarity and the high collectible appeal of the set, people are going for them like crazy. Most people want the more attractive looking start price on a bidding auction, and will jump for those right away. But the reality is, if you get the same card for a Buy it Now price, you will probably have paid the same amount you would have had you fought and won the bidding war. Bidding War prices often end up being higher than what a Buy It Now asks, so I would say Buy it Nows are the best option. In the case that there are no other cards like it on ebay, (for example, if its a premium patch, or if its the only card there of your favorite player) then try for the bid. Otherwise, stick to Buy it Nows.

- Don't wait too long on snatching a card. Like I said earlier, these seem to be flying like hotcakes, so if you see a good deal, go for it! Also, if its a rare player/card, take the plunge if you want. Make sure you don't wait too long, or it might be gone when you've finally made up your mind!

Also, before I sign off for this post, I'd like to just put it out there that I am still on the hunt for WPS cards, and that I am willing to do business with anyone who reads the blog and is interested. If you should have any WPS cards, ANY at all, that you are willing to sell/ are not interested in keeping, I will happily take them off your hands. My good friend had a blog where he would post his collection of cards and put up a wish list. He often did business with some of his readers, who gave him the players/teams he was looking for. Or, he would sometimes make trades. So, if you are reading this and have some WPS cards that you don't want/ are willing to sell, I'd be more than happy to give those cards a home. Shoot me a comment, or just contact me at my email: dclobelle@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments, or are looking to do business. Also, feel free to email me about your collection if you have one, I'd definitely be interested in checking it out. Below is a wish list of my most desired cards as of right now:

-WPS Marks (auto card) Christine Sinclair (FC Gold Pride)

-WPS Marks (auto card) Natasha Kai (Sky Blue FC)

-WPS Marks (auto card) Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers)

These are my biggest priority, so if you have any of these, let me know. Also, note that this is just my wish list, I am interested in any and all cards in the WPS set.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the post.

Happy Collecting!

Denise